BHAGAVAD GITA
CHAPTER 8
AKSHARA PARA BRAHMA YOGA
Bhagavad Gita is Lord Krishna's advice to the Confused Arjuna on the Battle field of Kurukshetra. Each chapter of Bhagavad Gita is designated as a YOGA.
Here is a summary of Chapter.8. Akshara Pra Brahma Yoga. There are totally 28 Slokas in it and I have given here a faithful description of what each Sloka says. Overall, it is a description of how births and re-births happen and how to attain Moksha which ends the cycle of re-births.
Now, the sloka-wise description :
1. After listening to Lord Krishna's exposition of Maya and how to come out of it in Ch.7.Jnana Vijnana Yoga, Arjuna asks some very relevant questions in this chapter.
He asks : Krishna, You have used certain terms which I don't really understand. What is Brahma? What is Adhyathma? What is Karma? What is Adhibhutham? what is Adhidaivam? Please explain to me.
Surely, these are all questions which any serious student must ask his teacher. Arjuna wants to understand Yoga completely and clearly. So, he has asked all these questions to Lord Krishna.
2. Arjuna is continuing with his questions further in Sloka.2.
Krishna, What is meant by Adhi Yajna? Where does Adhiyajna reside in this body? How do great, self controlled Yogis know You, even at the time of their death?
3. After listening to these questions, Lord Krishna starts explaining these concepts.
Brahmam is the highest and the best, beyond all beings; and he is permanent.
Adhyathma means Jeevathma, that which resides in this body. It is your own self, your Swabhaava.
Karma is that which causes births and deaths according to individual natures.
4. O Arjuna,
Adhibhootham is that which goes on getting destroyed. All that, which is in the cycle of births and deaths come under Adhibhootham.
Adhidaivatham is the Purusha, the constant and permanent.
Adhi Yajna is none other than myself, residing in the human body.
5. The one who, at the time of death, thinks of me only, and leaves the dying body, he attains to me without an iota of doubt.
6. Arjuna, whoever, at the time of death, thinks of whatever thought and image, he immerses in that thought and image and finally attains to such image and thought in the next birth.
7. Therefore, at all times, keep me in your thoughts and perform your battles; If you surrender your Mind and intellect totally to me and do your battles, without any doubt, you will attain to me.
Here, the lord is giving two injunctions :1. Surrender to me. 2. Perform your battles. Both are necessary.
8. O Arjuna, The one who practices Yoga, not allowing his mind to stray into any other matters, such person surely attains to the greatest and the best, that is me.
9. The omniscient, the permanent one, the one who directs everything, the one who is subtler than the smallest atom, the one who is the lord of the entire universe, whose image can never even be imagined in thoughts, the one who is brighter than the sun and who is entirely free of darkness.(who drives away darkness)...
Here Lord is describing the supreme Paramathma
10. At the time leaving the body, with a steady, unwavering mind, with total devotion, with the strength of one's yogic practice, keeping the life between the two brows, whoever thinks of that Purusha (described in previous sloka) that person certainly attains to the greatest and the best, that is me.
11. The wise men (who mastered the Vedas) praise that as indestructible, or Akshara (one without destruction or end); that place which the Yathis (or Yogis), who have given up their likes and dislikes dualities, who are remaining in Brahmacharya, and who seek and strive to attain, that place(or goal), I am describing to you in detail.
12. Having controlled all his Indriyas(Both Jnanendriyas and karmendriyas),, keeping the Manas (or Mind) totally in one's heart, keeping the prana (or life) in the top of the head (in Sahasraara chakra), keeping the self (here, the mind and intellect) totally in Yoga.....
13. The one syllable "OM" is itself the Para Brahman. Whoever, goes on reciting OM always, keeps me in mind always and leaves the body, he attains to the best of all states after death.
14.O Arjuna, with a focused mind, always, every day, whoever thinks of me, to that Yogi, I am very easy to attain.
15. Those who have attained to the best state of Moksha, such great beings will certainly never get into the rebirths cycle, which are full of sorrow and are impermanent.
16. O Arjuna, all worlds even including Brahmaloka, are all leading once again to rebirths. Only those who attain to me, will not have rebirths.
17. Those wise men know well that 1000 yogas are equal to one day time and another 1000 yugas are equal to one night for God Brahma.
18. All beings which emerge (or born) from invisibility (Avyaktha) state to visible (Vyaktha) state, in various shapes, at the time of the start of the Day time of God Brahma; they again merge back into the invisibility state or become Avyaktha at the start of the Night time of God Brahma.
19. Arjuna, These beings are under the nature's control and not under their own control. They are born at the start of the day time of God Brahma and merge back into avyaktha state at the start of the Night time of God Brahma.
20. There is another Avyakta which is the Most ancient and constant (permanent), more Avyakta than that which becomes vyakta during God Brahma's day time start, that which remains un-destroyed even after all beings get destroyed. That avyakta state is unique and always constant (permanent).
21.He, who is avyaktha and un-destroyed always, he is praised (by the Yogis) as the greatest attainment for all.
By attaining which, beings do not come back into re-births, that state is the greatest attainment or Moksha.
22. Arjuna, All beingsand entire Universe reside within that Avyakta entity or Paramathma.
That Avyakta entity is also spread through the Universe.
He (that Paramathma) can be attained through complete, focused devotion only.
23. O Arjuna, I am now describing to you that time in which Yogis attain a state of Moksha , from which they do not come back into the re-births cycle and that time in which the beings leave their bodies but come back through re-births.
24. Fire (agni), light(Jyothi), day time (Ahah), that 15 days in which moon is on ascent in the month (Suklapaksha), that 6 months which are called Uttarayana - in that period, those who have realised Brahman, die and attain to Brahman.
Uttarayana is the 6 months period which is called summer Solstice. It begins from the day of Makar Sankranti which is considered as a symbol of positivity. In this period Sun travels from Capricorn to Cancer that is from South to North.
Yogis prefer to leave their physical bodies during Uttarayana, Suklapaksha, day time and travel into Moksha through a Jyotirmaya path, escorted by their favourite Gods.
25. On the contrary, Yogis, who leave their bodies in winter solstice or Dakshinayana,(when sun travels from north to south) in Krishna paksha (when Moon is in downward path, ending in new moon day), and night time, they go (to heavens) through a moon linked light(Jyothi) and are eventually reborn again on earth.
It is believed, such Yogis are taken by their favourite Gods to Heaven and such other upper lokas , stay their till they extinguish the fruit of their Good deeds (Punya) and then come back to earth and take birth again.
26. The two paths of light and dark (Sukla and krishna) are believed to be permanent paths for Yogis of this world.
But, in one way only, Yogis attain Moksha without rebirth. In another way, they have to come back and be re-born again.
27. O Arjuna, The Yogi who has understood both these paths well, does not get into any illusions (and attractions) of this earth. Therefore Arjuna, start practicing Yoga.
28.The Yogi (having understood the two paths), goes beyond the Punyaphalam that he can get from - the Vedas, the Yajnas, the tapas(or ascetic practices), through being generous (Dhaanas) etc.
He fixes his goal as the first path of Moksha (from which there is no re-birth).
Conclusion :
This is the eight chapter called Akshara Para Brahma Yogah - in the Yoga sasthra, which is a Part of Brahma Vidya, in the Upanishad of Bhagavad Gita. It is a part of the Dialogue between Lord Sri Krishna and Arjuna
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