Akshara Brahma Yoga
What happens at the moment of death. The imperishable Brahman. The path of light and the path of smoke.
All 28 verses of this chapter on one page. Read straight through, or press play and follow each verse as it is recited.
अर्जुन उवाच किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम । अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ॥
Arjuna said: O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is the self? What is action? What is called the field of changing things, and what is called the divine principle? What is the sacred offering here in this body, and how are you known at the time of death by those with disciplined minds?
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन । प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ॥
Arjuna said: O Madhusudana, who is the sacrifice here, and how does he dwell in this body? And at the time of death, how are you known by those with disciplined minds?
श्री भगवानुवाच अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते । भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ॥
The imperishable is the supreme reality. One's own nature is called the inner self. The offering that brings beings into existence is called action.
अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् । अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ॥
The perishable world is the lower realm; the cosmic person is the radiant being. I am the inner witness of sacrifice in this body, Arjuna.
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् । यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥
Whoever remembers Me at the end and leaves the body attains My state; there is no doubt.
यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् । तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ॥
Whatever state a person remembers at the end, that state is reached, because the mind has been shaped by it.
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च । मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम् ॥
Therefore, remember Me at all times and fight. With mind and intellect offered to Me, you will surely come to Me.
अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना । परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ॥
One who departs while remembering the divine person with a mind trained by practice and fixed on nothing else reaches that supreme divine being, O Partha.
कविं पुराणमनुशासितारमणोरणीयांसमनुस्मरेद्यः । सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूपमादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ॥
Whoever remembers the wise, ancient, ruler, subtler than the subtle, supporter of all, beyond thought, radiant like the sun, and beyond darkness...
प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेनभक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव । भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक्स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥
At the time of departure, one who leaves the body with an unmoving mind, devotion, and the power of yoga, placing the life-force between the eyebrows, reaches the divine supreme person.
यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्तिविशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः । यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्तितत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥
I will briefly tell you that imperishable state, which the knowers of the Vedas call imperishable, which the detached ascetics enter, and which seekers follow through celibate discipline.
सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च । मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् ॥
Closing all the doors of the senses, holding the mind in the heart, and placing the life-force in the head, one remains fixed in yoga-discipline.
ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् । यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥
Uttering Om, the one-syllable Brahman, and remembering Me, one who departs while leaving the body attains the supreme state.
अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः । तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः ॥
Arjuna, for the one whose mind is wholly on me and who remembers me constantly, I am easy to reach.
मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् । नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ॥
Great souls who reach me do not return to this painful, temporary cycle of birth.
आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन । मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥
All worlds up to Brahma's realm return again, Arjuna. But having reached me, O son of Kunti, there is no rebirth.
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदुः । रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ॥
Those who know that Brahma’s day lasts a thousand yugas, and his night lasts a thousand yugas, know day and night truly.
अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे । रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ॥
At the start of Brahma's day, all beings arise from the unmanifest; at the start of Brahma's night, they dissolve back into that same unmanifest.
भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते । रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ॥
O Arjuna, this entire group of beings is born again and again, and is dissolved at the coming of night; at the coming of day, it rises again, helplessly.
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः । यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥
Beyond that unmanifest is another, eternal unmanifest. Even when all beings perish, it does not perish.
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् । यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥
That is called the unmanifest and the imperishable. It is the highest goal. Having reached it, one does not return. It is my supreme abode.
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया । यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ॥
O Arjuna, the supreme person is reached through undivided devotion. All beings dwell within that being, and this entire world is pervaded by that being.
यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः । प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ॥
I will tell you of the time when yogis do not return, and the time when they do, O best of the Bharatas.
अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् । तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ॥
Fire, daylight, the bright fortnight, and the six months of the northward course: those who depart then, knowing the supreme reality, go to the supreme reality.
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् । तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ॥
In the path ruled by smoke, night, the dark fortnight, and the six months of the southern course, the yogi who departs there returns after reaching the moon's light.
शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते । एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययाऽऽवर्तते पुनः ॥
The bright and the dark are the two eternal paths of the world. One leads to non-return; the other brings return again.
नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन । तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ॥
O Arjuna, the yogi who knows these two paths is never deluded. Therefore, remain steadfast in yoga at all times.
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैवदानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् । अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वायोगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ॥
Knowing the two paths, the yogi goes beyond all the merits declared in the Vedas, sacrifices, austerities, and gifts, and reaches the primal supreme abode.