Bhagavad Gita/Conversation 8. Imperishable and Eternal Brahman
Conversation 8.
Imperishable and Eternal Brahman
Arjuna said:
8:1. What is Brahman, what is the Atman, what is action, O Greatest Soul? What is the material, and what is the Divine?
8:2. What is sacrifice, and how is it performed by the embodied? And how, O Madhusudana, the one who has cognized the Atman cognizes You at the moment of death?
Lord Krishna said:
8:3. The Indestructible and Highest is Brahman. The main essence (of embodied beings) is the Atman. What sustains life of the incarnate is called action.
8:4. The knowledge about the material — concerns My perishable nature; the knowledge about the Divine — concerns purusha. The knowledge about the Highest Sacrifice — concerns Me in this body, O best of the embodied!
8:5. And the one who departing from the body is conscious only about Me at the moment of death — such one comes to My Existence!
8:6. Whatever state is habitual to man at the end of existence in the body, in that very state this person remains, O Kaunteya!
8:7. Therefore, remember Me always — and fight. Aspiring to Me with the mind and consciousness, you will surely enter Me!
8:8. Having achieved peace with the help of Yoga, distracting the attention to nothing else, reflecting always on the Supreme — one attains the Highest Divine Spirit!
8:9. The one who knows everything about the Eternal Omnipresent Ruler of the world, the One subtler than the subtlest, the Foundation of everything, formless, shining like the Sun behind the darkness,
8:10. who at the moment of departure does not distract the mind and love, being in Yoga, who opens the passage of energy between the eyebrows, — such one attains the Highest Divine Spirit!
8:11. The Path which men of knowledge call the Path to the Eternal, which spiritual warriors walk through self-control and liberation from passions, which brahmachariyas walk — that Path I will describe to you in brief.
8:12. Having closed all gates of the body, locked the mind in the heart, directing the Atman to the Supreme, being established firmly in Yoga,
8:13. chanting the mantra of Brahman AUM, and being conscious about Me — anyone departing so from the body attains the Supreme Aim.
8:14. The one who constantly thinks only about Me, having no thoughts about anything else — such a steady Yogi, O Partha, easily attains Me!
8:15. Having come to Me, such Mahatmas never get born again in this transient vale of tears: they attain the Highest Perfection.
8:16. Those dwelling in the worlds lower than the world of Brahman get born again, O Arjuna! But they who have attained Me are not subject to new births!
8:17. The one who knows the Day of Brahman, which lasts a thousand of yugas, and His Night, which comes to an end after a thousand of yugas — such one knows the Day and Night.
8:18. From the unmanifest, all the manifest comes forth at the beginning of the Day. With coming of the Night, all the manifest dissolves in that which is called unmanifest.
8:19. All the multitude of beings giving birth to one another disappear with the beginning of the Night. With the beginning of the Day, all beings, by the Highest Command, appear anew.
8:20. But, verily, superior to this unmanifest, there is yet another Unmanifest, Which also remains at the time when all the manifest perishes.
8:21. This Unmanifest is called the Most Perfect One and is known as the Ultimate Purpose! They who have attained It do not come back. This is That Which dwells in My Supreme Abode.
8:22. This Highest Consciousness, O Partha, is attained by steadfast devotion to It alone — to the One in Whom exists all the existing and Who pervades the entire world!
8:23. Now I am going to tell you, O best of the Bharatas, about the time at which depart the Yogis who are never to return and the time at which depart the Yogis who are to return again.
8:24. Dying at fire, at daylight, on the wax of the Moon, at the time of six months of the northward passage of the Sun, Yogis knowing Brahman go to Brahman.
8:25. Dying in smoke, at night, on the wane of the Moon, at the time of six months of the southward passage of the Sun, Yogis obtaining the light of the Moon come back.
8:26. Light and Darkness — these are two ever existing paths. By the first path go those who do not return; by the second path go those who return again.
8:27. Knowing these two paths, let a Yogi never go astray! So, be steadfast in Yoga, O Arjuna!
8:28. Studying the Vedas, performing sacrifice, ascetic exploits, and good deeds give proper fruits. But Yogis possessing the true knowledge are superior to all these, they attain the Supreme Abode!
Thus in the Upanishads of the blessed Bhagavad Gita, the Science of Eternal, the Scripture of Yoga, says the eighth conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjuna, entitled:
Imperishable and Eternal Brahman.
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