Chapter 8
Selected Slokas
anta-kāle ca mām eva
smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ
yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ
Synonyms
anta-kāle — at the end of life; ca — also; mām — Me; eva — certainly; smaran — remembering; muktvā — quitting; kalevaram — the body; yaḥ — he who; prayāti — goes; saḥ — he; mat-bhāvam — My nature; yāti — attains; na — not; asti — there is; atra — here; saṁśayaḥ — doubt.
Translation
And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body remembering Me alone, he attains My nature; of this there is no doubt.
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
Synonyms
yam yam — whatever; vā api — or; smaran — remembering; bhāvam — nature; tyajati — quits; ante — at the end; kalevaram — the body; tam tam — similar; eva — certainly; eti — gets; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; sadā — always; tat — that; bhāva — state of being; bhāvitaḥ — being absorbed.
Translation
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.
kaviṁ purāṇam anuśāsitāram
aṇor aṇīyāṁsam anusmared yaḥ
sarvasya dhātāram acintya-rūpam
ādityavarṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt
Synonyms
kavim — the one who knows everything; purāṇam — the oldest; anuśāsitāram — the controller; aṇoḥ — than the atom; aṇīyāṁsam — smaller; anusmaret — constantly remembers; yaḥ — one who; sarvasya — of everything; dhātāram — the maintainer; acintya — inconceivable; rūpam — form; āditya-varṇam — luminous like the sun; tamasaḥ — to darkness; parastāt — transcendental.
Translation
One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, as the controller, as the smallest, as the maintainer of everything, as inconceivable, as luminous like the sun, and as transcendental to material nature.
mām upetya punar janma
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
Synonyms
mām—unto Me; upetya—achieving; punaḥ—again; janma—birth; duḥkha-ālayam—place of miseries; aśāśvatam—temporary; na—never; āpnuvanti—attain; mahātmānaḥ—the great souls; saṁsiddhim—perfection; paramām—ultimate; gatāḥ—achieved.
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.
ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ
punar āvartino 'rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate
Synonyms
ābrahma—up to the Brahmaloka planet; bhuvanāt—from the planetary systems; lokāḥ—planets; punaḥ—again; āvartinaḥ—returning; arjuna—O Arjuna; mām—unto Me; upetya—arriving; tu—but; kaunteya—O son of Kuntī; punaḥ janma—rebirth; na—never; vidyate—takes to.
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.
paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo
'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ
yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu
naśyatsu na vinaśyati
Synonyms
paraḥ—transcendental; tasmāt—from that; tu—but; bhāvaḥ—nature; anyaḥ—another; avyaktaḥ—unmanifest; avyaktāt—from the unmanifest; sanātanaḥ—eternal; yaḥ—that; saḥ—which; sarveṣu—all; bhūteṣu—manifestation; naśyatsu—being annihilated; na—never; vinaśyati—annihilated.
Translation
Yet there is another 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.
avyakto 'kṣara ity uktas
tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim
yaṁ prāpya na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama
Synonyms
avyaktaḥ—unmanifested; akṣaraḥ—infallible; iti—thus; uktaḥ—said; tam—that which; āhuḥ—is known; paramām—ultimate; gatim—destination; yam—that which; prāpya—gaining; na—never; nivartante—comes back; tat-dhāma—that abode; paramam—supreme; mama—Mine.
Translation
That supreme abode is called unmanifested and infallible, and it is the supreme destination. When one goes there, he never comes back. That is My supreme abode.
puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha
bhaktyā labhyas tv ananyayā
yasyāntaḥ-sthāni bhūtāni
yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
Synonyms
puruṣaḥ—the Supreme Personality; saḥ—He; paraḥ—the Supreme, than whom no one is greater; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; bhaktyā—by devotional service; labhyaḥ—can be achieved; tu—but; ananyayā—unalloyed, undeviating devotion; yasya—His; antaḥsthāni—within; bhūtāni—all this material manifestation; yena—by whom; sarvam—all; idam—whatever we can see; tatam—distributed.
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.