Akṣara Brahma Yoga

अर्जुन उवाच। किं तद् ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम। अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ॥

arjuna uvāca kiṃ tad brahma kimadhyātmaṃ kiṃ karma puruṣottama adhibhūtaṃ ca kiṃ proktamadhidaivaṃ kimucyate

What is that Brahman what the Adhyātma and what O best of beings! is action? And what is called the Adhibhūta? And who is the Adhiyajña

अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन। प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ॥

adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko.atra dehe.asminmadhusūdana prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo.asi niyatātmabhiḥ

and how in this body O destroyer of Madhu? And how too are you to be known at the time of departure (from this world) by those who restrain their selfs?

श्रीभगवानुवाच। अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते। भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ॥

śrībhagavānuvāca akṣaraṃ brahma paramaṃ svabhāvo.adhyātmamucyate bhūtabhāvodbhavakaro visargaḥ karmasaṃjñitaḥ

The Brahman is the supreme, the indestructible. Its manifestation (as an individual self) is called the Adhyātma. The offering (of an oblation to any divinity), which is the cause of the production and development of all things, is named action.

अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम्। अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ॥

adhibhūtaṃ kṣaro bhāvaḥ puruṣaścādhidaivatam adhiyajño.ahamevātra dehe dehabhṛtāṃ vara

The Adhibhūta is all perishable things. The Adhidaivata is the (primal) being. And the Adhiyajña O best of embodied (beings)! is I myself in this body. And he who leaves this body and departs (from this world) remembering me in (his) last moments comes into my essence.

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्। यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥

antakāle ca māmeva smaranmuktvā kalevaram yaḥ prayāti sa madbhāvaṃ yāti nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ

There is no doubt of that.

यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम्। तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ॥

yaṃ yaṃ vāpi smaranbhāvaṃ tyajatyante kalevaram taṃ tamevaiti kaunteya sadā tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ

Also whichever form (of deity) he remembers when he finally leaves this body to that he goes O son of Kuntī ! having been used to ponder on it.

तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च। मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयः (orसंशयम्) ॥

tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu māmanusmara yudhya ca mayyarpitamanobuddhirmāmevaiṣyasyasaṃśayaḥ

Therefore, at all times remember me, and engage in battle. Fixing your mind and understanding on me, you will come to me, there is no doubt.

अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना। परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ॥

orsaṃśayama abhyāsayogayuktena cetasā nānyagāminā paramaṃ puruṣaṃ divyaṃ yāti pārthānucintayan

He who thinks of the supreme divine Being O son of Pṛthā! with a mind not (running) to other (objects) and possessed of abstraction in the shape of continuous meditation (about the supreme) goes to him. He who possessed of reverence (for the supreme Being) with a steady mind and with the power of devotion

कविं पुराणमनुशासितार- मणोरणीयंसमनुस्मरेद्यः। सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूप- मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ॥

kaviṃ purāṇamanuśāsitāraṃ aṇoraṇīyaṃsamanusmaredyaḥ sarvasya dhātāramacintyarūpaṃ ādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt

properly concentrates the life-breath between the brows and meditates on the ancient Seer the ruler more minute than the minutest atom the supporter of all who is of an unthinkable form whose brilliance is like that of the sun and who is beyond all darkness

प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव। भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक् स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥

prayāṇakāle manasā.acalena bhaktyā yukto yogabalena caiva bhruvormadhye prāṇamāveśya samyak sa taṃ paraṃ puruṣamupaiti divyam

he attains to that transcendent and divine Being.

यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः। यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥

yadakṣaraṃ vedavido vadanti viśanti yadyatayo vītarāgāḥ yadicchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tatte padaṃ saṃgraheṇa pravakṣye

I will tell you briefly about the seat, which those who know the Vedas declare to be indestructible which entered by ascetics from whom all desires have departed and wishing for which, people pursue the mode of life of Brahmacārins . He who leaves the body and departs (from this world) stopping up all passages

सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च। मूध्न्यार्धायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् ॥

sarvadvārāṇi saṃyamya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca mūdhnyā^^rdhāyātmanaḥ prāṇamāsthito yogadhāraṇām

and confining the mind within the heart placing the life-breath in the head

ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन्। यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥

omityekākṣaraṃ brahma vyāharanmāmanusmaran yaḥ prayāti tyajandehaṃ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim

and adhering to uninterrupted meditation repeating the single syllable 'Om,' (signifying) the eternal Brahman

अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः। तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः ॥

ananyacetāḥ satataṃ yo māṃ smarati nityaśaḥ tasyāhaṃ sulabhaḥ pārtha nityayuktasya yoginaḥ

and meditating on me he reaches the highest goal. To the devotee who constantly practises abstraction O son of Pṛthā! and who with a mind not (turned) to anything else is ever and constantly meditating on me I am easy of access.

मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम्। नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ॥

māmupetya punarjanma duḥkhālayamaśāśvatam nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṃsiddhiṃ paramāṃ gatāḥ

The high-souled ones, who achieve the highest perfection, attaining to me, do not again come to life, which is transient, a home of woes.

आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन। मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥

ābrahmabhuvanāllokāḥ punarāvartino.arjuna māmupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate

All worlds O Arjuna ! up to the world of Brahman are (destined) to return. But O son of Kuntī! after attaining to me there is no birth again.

सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः। रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ॥

sahasrayugaparyantamaharyad brahmaṇo viduḥ rātriṃ yugasahasrāntāṃ te.ahorātravido janāḥ

Those who know a day of Brahman to end after one thousand ages and the night to terminate after one thousand ages are the persons who know day and night. On the advent of day

अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे। रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ॥

avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyaharāgame rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyaktasaṃjñake

all perceptible things are produced from the unperceived and on the advent of night they dissolve in that same (principle) called the unperceived.

भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते। रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ॥

bhūtagrāmaḥ sa evāyaṃ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate rātryāgame.avaśaḥ pārtha prabhavatyaharāgame

This same assemblage of entities being produced again and again dissolves on the advent of night and O son of Pṛthā! issues forth on the advent of day

परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः। यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥

parastasmāttu bhāvo.anyo.avyakto.avyaktātsanātanaḥ yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati

without a will of its own. But there is another entity unperceived and eternal and distinct from this unperceived (principle) which is not destroyed when all entities are destroyed. It is called the unperceived, the indestructible

अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्। यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥

avyakto.akṣara ityuktastamāhuḥ paramāṃ gatim yaṃ prāpya na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ mama

they call it the highest goal. Attaining to it none returns. That is my supreme abode. That supreme Being

पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया। यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ॥

puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyastvananyayā yasyāntaḥsthāni bhūtāni yena sarvamidaṃ tatam

O son of Pṛthā! he in whom all these entities dwell and by whom all this is permeated

यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः। प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ॥

yatra kāle tvanāvṛttimāvṛttiṃ caiva yoginaḥ prayātā yānti taṃ kālaṃ vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha

is to be attained to by reverence not (directed) to another. I will state the times, O descendant of Bharata! at which devotees departing (from this world) go, never to return, or to return.

अग्निर्जोतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम्। तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ॥

agnirjotirahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahmavido janāḥ

The fire the flame the day the bright fortnight the six months of the northern solstice

धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्। तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ॥

dhūmo rātristathā kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇmāsā dakṣiṇāyanam tatra cāndramasaṃ jyotiryogī prāpya nivartate

departing (from the world) in these those who know the Brahman go to the Brahman. Smoke, night, the dark fortnight, the six months of the southern solstice, (dying) in these, the devotee goes to the lunar light and returns.

शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते। एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ॥

śuklakṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate ekayā yātyanāvṛttimanyayāvartate punaḥ

These two paths, bright and dark, are deemed to be eternal in this world. By the one, (a man) goes never to return, by the other he comes back.

नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन। तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ॥

naite sṛtī pārtha jānanyogī muhyati kaścana tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu yogayukto bhavārjuna

Knowing these two paths, O son of Pṛthā! no devotee is deluded. Therefore at all times be possessed of devotion O Arjuna! A devotee knowing all this obtains all the holy fruit which is prescribed for (study of) the Vedas

वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम्। अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ॥

vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva dāneṣu yatpuṇyaphalaṃ pradiṣṭam atyeti tatsarvamidaṃ viditvā yogī paraṃ sthānamupaiti cādyam

for sacrifices and also for penances and gifts and he attains to the highest and primeval seat.