In this chapter, Shree Krishna briefly describes several significant concepts and terms that the Upanishads expound in detail. He also explains what decides the destination of the soul after death. He says that if we remember God at the time of death, we can definitely attain Him. Therefore, alongside doing our daily works, we must always practice thinking of God. We can do this by thinking of His Qualities, Attributes, Virtues, etc. A persistent yogic meditation upon God by chanting His Names is also a good practice. Through exclusive devotion, when our mind is perfectly absorbed in Him, we will elevate from the material dimension to the spiritual realm.
Shree Krishna then talks about the various abodes in the material realm and the cycle of creation. He further explains how the multitudes of beings manifest on these abodes, and at the time of dissolution, everything absorbs back into Him. However, the divine Abode of God is untouched by this cycle of creation and dissolution. Those who progress on the path of light finally reach the divine abode and never return to the material world. Whereas those fallen souls who tread the path of darkness endlessly keep transmigrating in the cycle of birth, old age, sickness, and death.
Bhagavad Gita 8.1 – 8.2 View commentary »
Arjun said: O Supreme Lord, what is Brahman (Absolute Reality), what is adhyatma (the individual soul), and what is karma? What is said to be adhibhuta, and who is said to be Adhidaiva? Who is Adhiyajna in the body and how is He the Adhiyajna? O Krishna, how are You to be known at the time of death by those of steadfast mind?
Bhagavad Gita 8.3 View commentary »
The Lord said: The Supreme Indestructible Entity is called Brahman; one’s own self is called adhyatma. Actions pertaining to the material personality of living beings, and its development are called karma, or fruitive activities.
Bhagavad Gita 8.4 View commentary »
O best of the embodied souls, the physical manifestation that is constantly changing is called adhibhūta; the universal form of God, which presides over the celestial gods in this creation, is called Adhidaiva; I, who dwell in the heart of every living being, am called Adhiyajna, or the Lord of all sacrifices.
Bhagavad Gita 8.5 View commentary »
Those who relinquish the body while remembering Me at the moment of death will come to Me. There is certainly no doubt about this.
Bhagavad Gita 8.6 View commentary »
Whatever one remembers upon giving up the body at the time of death, O son of Kunti, one attains that state, being always absorbed in such contemplation.
Bhagavad Gita 8.7 View commentary »
Therefore, always remember Me and also do your duty of fighting the war. With mind and intellect surrendered to Me, you will definitely attain Me; of this, there is no doubt.
Bhagavad Gita 8.8 View commentary »
With practice, O Parth, when you constantly engage the mind in remembering Me, the Supreme Divine Personality, without deviating, you will certainly attain Me.
Bhagavad Gita 8.9 – 8.10 View commentary »
God is Omniscient, the most ancient One, the Controller, subtler than the subtlest, the Support of all, and the possessor of an inconceivable divine form; He is brighter than the sun, and beyond all darkness of ignorance. One who at the time of death, with unmoving mind attained by the practice of Yog, fixes the prāṇ (life-airs) between the eyebrows, and steadily remembers the Divine Lord with great devotion, certainly attains Him.
Bhagavad Gita 8.11 View commentary »
Scholars of the Vedas describe Him as Imperishable; great ascetics practice the vow of celibacy and renounce worldly pleasures to enter into Him. I shall now explain to you briefly the path to that goal.
Bhagavad Gita 8.12 View commentary »
Restraining all the gates of the body and fixing the mind in the heart region, and then drawing the life-breath to the head, one should get established in steadfast yogic concentration.
Bhagavad Gita 8.13 View commentary »
One who departs from the body while remembering Me, the Supreme Personality, and chanting the syllable Om, will attain the supreme goal.
Bhagavad Gita 8.14 View commentary »
O Parth, for those yogis who always think of Me with exclusive devotion, I am easily attainable because of their constant absorption in Me.
Bhagavad Gita 8.15 View commentary »
Having attained Me, the great souls are no more subject to rebirth in this world, which is transient and full of misery, because they have attained the highest perfection.
Bhagavad Gita 8.16 View commentary »
In all the worlds of this material creation, up to the highest abode of Brahma, you will be subject to rebirth, O Arjun. But on attaining My Abode, O son of Kunti, there is no further rebirth.
Bhagavad Gita 8.17 View commentary »
One day of Brahma (kalp) lasts a thousand cycles of the four ages (mahā yug) and his night also extends for the same span of time. The wise who know this understand the reality about day and night.
Bhagavad Gita 8.18 View commentary »
At the advent of Brahma’s day, all living beings emanate from the unmanifest source. And at the fall of his night, all embodied beings again merge into their unmanifest source.
Bhagavad Gita 8.19 View commentary »
Multitudes of beings repeatedly take birth with the advent of Brahma’s day, and are reabsorbed on the arrival of the cosmic night, to manifest again automatically on the advent of the next cosmic day.
Bhagavad Gita 8.20 View commentary »
Transcendental to this manifest and unmanifest creation, there is yet another unmanifest eternal dimension. That realm does not cease even when all others do.
Bhagavad Gita 8.21 View commentary »
That unmanifest dimension is the supreme goal, and upon reaching it, one never returns to this mortal world. That is My Supreme Abode.
Bhagavad Gita 8.22 View commentary »
The Supreme Divine Personality is greater than all that exists. Although He is all-pervading and all living beings are situated in Him, yet He can be known only through devotion.
Bhagavad Gita 8.23 – 8.26 View commentary »
I shall now describe to you the different paths of passing away from this world, O best of the Bharatas, one of which leads to liberation and the other leads to rebirth. Those who know the Supreme Brahman and who depart from this world, during the six months of the sun’s northern course, the bright fortnight of the moon, and the bright part of the day, attain the supreme destination. The practitioners of Vedic rituals, who pass away during the six months of the sun’s southern course, the dark fortnight of the moon, the time of smoke, the night, attain the celestial abodes. After enjoying celestial pleasures, they again return to the earth. These two, bright and dark paths, always exist in this world. The way of light leads to liberation and the way of darkness leads to rebirth.
Bhagavad Gita 8.27 View commentary »
Yogis who know the secret of these two paths, O Parth, are never bewildered. Therefore, at all times be situated in Yog (union with God).
Bhagavad Gita 8.28 View commentary »
The yogis, who know this secret, gain merit far beyond the fruits of Vedic rituals, the study of the Vedas, performance of sacrifices, austerities, and charities. Such yogis reach the Supreme Abode.
