Akshara Brahma Yoga · Verse 5

Bhagavad Gita 8.5

The last remembered presence shapes the next state of being.

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् ।
यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
जो मनुष्य अन्तकालमें भी मेरा स्मरण करते हुए शरीर छोड़कर जाता है, वह मेरे स्वरुप को ही प्राप्त होता है, इसमें सन्देह नहीं है ॥
English
Whoever remembers Me at the end and leaves the body attains My state; there is no doubt.

What this verse means

A person who remembers Krishna at the moment of death and leaves the body reaches Krishna's state without doubt.

Context & commentary

On the battlefield, Arjuna is hearing Krishna describe the inner condition that shapes death itself. After explaining the body, the self, and the sacred act, Krishna now gives the decisive promise: remembrance at the final moment carries a person beyond bodily ending.

Why this verse still matters

You are sitting beside a hospital bed, trying to stay steady while everything is slipping away. What the mind holds in that last, fragile moment may matter more than the words anyone says.

The takeaway

The final thought matters most, so the mind can be trained toward what is highest.

Word-by-word translation

अन्तकाले (at the end of life) / च (and) / माम् (Me) / एव (indeed) / स्मरन् (remembering) / मुक्त्वा (having छोड़कर / leaving) / कलेवरम् (the body) / यः (who) / प्रयाति (goes forth) / सः (that one) / मद्भावम् (My state) / याति (attains) / न (not) / अस्ति (is) / अत्र (here) / संशयः (doubt)

Explore related themes: bhakti (69 verses)

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