Session 8 | Goal of Life

CHAPTER EIGHT

Attaining the Supreme

TEXT 1

अर्न
जु उवाच
क िं तदब्रह्म क मध्यात्मिं क िं मु परु
ज षोत्तम ।
ू िं च क िं प्रोक्तमधिदै विं क मच्
अधिभत ज यते ॥ १ ॥
arjuna uvāca
kiṁ tad brahma kim adhyātmaṁ
kiṁ karma puruṣottama
adhibhūtaṁ ca kiṁ proktam
adhidaivaṁ kim ucyate

Translation
Arjuna inquired: O my Lord, O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is
the self? What are fruitive activities? What is this material manifestation?
And what are the demigods? Please explain this to me.

TEXT 2

अधियज्ञ: थिं ोऽत्र दे हेऽस्ममन्मिस

ज द
ू न ।
प्रयाण ाले च थिं ज्ञेयोऽसस ननयतात्मसभ: ॥ २ ॥
adhiyajñaḥ kathaṁ ko ’tra
dehe ’smin madhusūdana
prayāṇa-kāle ca kathaṁ
jñeyo ’si niyatātmabhiḥ

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

Translation
Who is the Lord of sacrifice, and how does He live in the body, O
Madhusūdana? And how can those engaged in devotional service know You
at the time of death?

TEXT 3

श्रीभगवानव
ज ाच
अक्षरिं ब्रह्म परमिं मवभावोऽध्यात्ममजच्यते ।
भूतभावोदभव रो ववसगु: मुसिंज्ञज्ञत: ॥ ३ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
akṣaraṁ brahma paramaṁ
svabhāvo ’dhyātmam ucyate
bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo
visargaḥ karma-saṁjñitaḥ

Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible,
transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is
called adhyātma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the
material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities.

TEXT 4

अधिभूतिं क्षरो भाव: परु

ज षश्चाधिदै वतम ् ।
अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र दे हे दे हभत
ृ ािं वर ॥ ४ ॥
adhibhūtaṁ kṣaro bhāvaḥ
puruṣaś cādhidaivatam
adhiyajño ’ham evātra
dehe deha-bhṛtāṁ vara

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

Translation
O best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is constantly
changing, is called adhibhūta [the material manifestation]. The universal
form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun and
moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Lord, represented as the
Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajña [the
Lord of sacrifice].

TEXT 5

अन्त ाले च मामेव ममरन्मजक्त्वा लेवरम ् ।

य: प्रयानत स मदभाविं यानत नामत्यत्र सिंशय: ॥ ५
॥
anta-kāle ca mām eva
smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ
yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

Translation
And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone
at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

TEXT 6

यिं यिं वावप ममरन्भाविं त्यर्त्यन्ते लेवरम ् ।

तिं तमेवैनत ौन्तेय सदा तदभावभाववत: ॥ ६ ॥
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

Translation
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of
Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail.

TEXT 7

तममात्सवेषज ालेषज मामनम

ज मर यजध्य च ।
मय्यवपुतमनोबद
ज धिमाुमेवैष्यमयसिंशय: ॥ ७ ॥
tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu
mām anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
mām evaiṣyasy asaṁśayaḥ

Translation
Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kṛṣṇa and
at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your
activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you
will attain Me without doubt.

TEXT 8

अभ्यासयोगयजक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगासमना ।

परमिं परु
ज षिं ददव्यिं यानत पाथाुनधज चन्तयन ् ॥ ८ ॥
abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena
cetasā nānya-gāminā
paramaṁ puruṣaṁ divyaṁ
yāti pārthānucintayan

Translation
He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind
constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O
Pārtha, is sure to reach Me.

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

TEXT 9

वविं पजराणमनजशाससतार-
मणोरणीयािंसमनम
ज मरे दय: ।
सवुमय िातारमधचन्त्यरूप-
माददत्यवणं तमस: परमतात ् ॥ ९ ॥
kaviṁ purāṇam anuśāsitāram
aṇor aṇīyāṁsam anusmared yaḥ
sarvasya dhātāram acintya-rūpam
āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt

Translation
One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows
everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller
than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all
material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He
is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material
nature.

TEXT 10

प्रयाण ाले मनसाचलेन

भक्त्या यजक्तो योगबलेन चैव ।
भ्रजवोमुध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्य-
क्स तिं परिं पजरुषमजपैनत ददव्यम ् ॥ १० ॥
prayāṇa-kāle manasācalena
bhaktyā yukto yoga-balena caiva
bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśya samyak
sa taṁ paraṁ puruṣam upaiti divyam

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

Translation
One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and,
by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages himself in
remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TEXT 11

यदक्षरिं वेदववदो वदस्न्त

ववशस्न्त यदयतयो वीतरागा: ।
यददच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचयं चरस्न्त
तत्ते पदिं सङ्ग्रहे ण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥ ११ ॥
yad akṣaraṁ veda-vido vadanti
viśanti yad yatayo vīta-rāgāḥ
yad icchanto brahma-caryaṁ caranti
tat te padaṁ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣye

Translation
Persons who are learned in the Vedas, who utter oṁ-kāra, and who are
great sages in the renounced order enter into Brahman. Desiring such
perfection, one practices celibacy. I shall now briefly explain to you this
process by which one may attain salvation.

TEXT 12

सवुदवाराणण सिंयम्य मनो हृदद ननरुध्य च ।

मध्
ू न्याुिायात्मन: प्राणमास्मथतो योगिारणाम ् ॥ १२
॥
sarva-dvārāṇi saṁyamya
mano hṛdi nirudhya ca

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

mūrdhny ādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇam

āsthito yoga-dhāraṇām

Translation
The yogic situation is that of detachment from all sensual engagements.
Closing all the doors of the senses and fixing the mind on the heart and the
life air at the top of the head, one establishes himself in yoga.

TEXT 13

ॐ इत्ये ाक्षरिं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनजममरन ् ।

य: प्रयानत त्यर्न्दे हिं स यानत परमािं गनतम ् ॥ १३
॥
oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ brahma
vyāharan mām anusmaran
yaḥ prayāti tyajan dehaṁ
sa yāti paramāṁ gatim

Translation
After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable
oṁ, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the
spiritual planets.

TEXT 14

अनन्यचेता: सततिं यो मािं ममरनत ननत्यश: ।

तमयाहिं सल
ज भ: पाथु ननत्ययक्
ज तमय योधगन: ॥ १४
॥
ananya-cetāḥ satataṁ
yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

tasyāhaṁ su-labhaḥ pārtha

nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ

Translation
For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain,
O son of Pṛthā, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.

TEXT 15

मामप
ज ेत्य पन
ज र्ुन्म द:ज खालयमशाश्वतम ् ।
नाप्नजवस्न्त महात्मान: सिंससदधििं परमािं गता: ॥ १५
॥
mām upetya punar janma
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

Translation
After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return
to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have
attained the highest perfection.

TEXT 16

आब्रह्मभजवनाललो ा: पजनरावनतुनोऽर्न
जु ।
मामप
ज ेत्य तज ौन्तेय पन
ज र्ुन्म न ववदयते ॥ १६ ॥
ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ
punar āvartino ’rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

Translation
From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are
places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who
attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.

TEXT 17

सहस्रयग
ज पयुन्तमहयुदब्रह्मणो ववद:ज ।
रात्त्रिं यजगसहस्रान्तािं तेऽहोरात्रववदो र्ना: ॥ १७ ॥
sahasra-yuga-paryantam
ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ
te ’ho-rātra-vido janāḥ

Translation
By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together form the duration of
Brahmā’s one day. And such also is the duration of his night.

TEXT 18

अव्यक्ताद व्यक्तय: सवाु: प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे ।

रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसिंज्ञ े ॥ १८ ॥
avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ
prabhavanty ahar-āgame
rātry-āgame pralīyante
tatraivāvyakta-saṁjñake

Translation
At the beginning of Brahmā’s day, all living entities become manifest from
the unmanifest state, and thereafter, when the night falls, they are merged
into the unmanifest again.

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

TEXT 19

भूतराम: स एवायिं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते ।

रात्र्यागमेऽवश: पाथु प्रभवत्यहरागमे ॥ १९ ॥
bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ
bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
rātry-āgame ’vaśaḥ pārtha
prabhavaty ahar-āgame

Translation
Again and again, when Brahmā’s day arrives, all living entities come into
being, and with the arrival of Brahmā’s night they are helplessly annihilated.

TEXT 20

परमतममात्तज भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातन: ।
य: स सवेषज भत
ू ेषज नश्यत्सज न ववनश्यनत ॥ २० ॥
paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo
’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ
yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu
naśyatsu na vinaśyati

Translation
Yet there is another unmanifest nature, which is eternal and is
transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme
and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part
remains as it is.

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

TEXT 21

अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्यजक्तमतमाहज: परमािं गनतम ् ।

यिं प्राप्य न ननवतुन्ते तदिाम परमिं मम ॥ २१ ॥
avyakto ’kṣara ity uktas
tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim
yaṁ prāpya na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

Translation
That which the Vedāntists describe as unmanifest and infallible, that which
is known as the supreme destination, that place from which, having
attained it, one never returns – that is My supreme abode.

TEXT 22

पजरुष: स पर: पाथु भक्त्या लभ्यमत्वनन्यया ।

यमयान्त:मथानन भूतानन येन सवुसमदिं ततम ् ॥ २२
॥
puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha
bhaktyā labhyas tv ananyayā
yasyāntaḥ-sthāni bhūtāni
yena sarvam idaṁ tatam

Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than all, is attainable
by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is all-
pervading, and everything is situated within Him.

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

TEXT 23

यत्र ाले त्वनाववृ त्तमाववृ त्तिं चैव योधगन: ।

प्रयाता यास्न्त तिं ालिं वक्ष्यासम भरतषुभ ॥ २३ ॥
yatra kāle tv anāvṛttim
āvṛttiṁ caiva yoginaḥ
prayātā yānti taṁ kālaṁ
vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha

Translation
O best of the Bhāratas, I shall now explain to you the different times at
which, passing away from this world, the yogī does or does not come back.

TEXT 24

अस््नर्ज्योनतरह: शक्
ज ल‍ः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम ् ।
तत्र प्रयाता गच्छस्न्त ब्रह्म ब्रह्मववदो र्ना: ॥ २४
॥
agnir jyotir ahaḥ śuklaḥ
ṣaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam
tatra prayātā gacchanti
brahma brahma-vido janāḥ

Translation
Those who know the Supreme Brahman attain that Supreme by passing
away from the world during the influence of the fiery god, in the light, at an
auspicious moment of the day, during the fortnight of the waxing moon, or
during the six months when the sun travels in the north.

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

TEXT 25

िूमो रात्त्रमतथा ृ ष्ण: षण्मासा दज्ञक्षणायनम ् ।

तत्र चान्रमसिं र्ज्योनतयोगी प्राप्य ननवतुते ॥ २५ ॥
dhūmo rātris tathā kṛṣṇaḥ
ṣaṇ-māsā dakṣiṇāyanam
tatra cāndramasaṁ jyotir
yogī prāpya nivartate

Translation
The mystic who passes away from this world during the smoke, the night,
the fortnight of the waning moon, or the six months when the sun passes
to the south reaches the moon planet but again comes back.

TEXT 26

शजक्ल ृ ष्णे गती ह्येते र्गत: शाश्वते मते ।

ए या यात्यनाववृ त्तमन्ययावतुते पजन: ॥ २६ ॥
śukla-kṛṣṇe gatī hy ete
jagataḥ śāśvate mate
ekayā yāty anāvṛttim
anyayāvartate punaḥ

Translation
According to Vedic opinion, there are two ways of passing from this world
– one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not
come back; but when one passes in darkness, he returns.

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

TEXT 27

नैते सत
ृ ी पाथु र्ानन्योगी मजह्यनत श्चन ।
तममात्सवेषज ालेषज योगयक्
ज तो भवार्न
जु ॥ २७ ॥
naite sṛtī pārtha jānan
yogī muhyati kaścana
tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu
yoga-yukto bhavārjuna

Translation
Although the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never
bewildered. Therefore be always fixed in devotion.

TEXT 28

वेदेषज यज्ञेषज तप:सज चैव

दानेषज यत्पण्
ज यफलिं प्रददष्टम ् ।
अत्येनत तत्सवुसमदिं ववददत्वा
योगी परिं मथानमजपैनत चादयम ् ॥ २८ ॥
vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva
dāneṣu yat puṇya-phalaṁ pradiṣṭam
atyeti tat sarvam idaṁ viditvā
yogī paraṁ sthānam upaiti cādyam

Translation
A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the
results derived from studying the Vedas, performing sacrifices, undergoing
austerities, giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities.
Simply by performing devotional service, he attains all these, and at the end
he reaches the supreme eternal abode.

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Session 8 | Goal of Life

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