48. The Art Of Leaving

Death is our ultimate fear. Anyone who claims not to be disturbed by the thought of death is only lying. The moment we understand death, our life becomes a celebration. Krsna reveals the secret of death, understanding which, we can live even our death. ...

arjuna uvāca

kiṃ tadbrahma kimadhyātmaṃ kiṃ karma puruṣottama I adhibhūtaṃ ca kiṃ proktam adhidaivaṃ kimucyate II 8.1

8.1 Arjuna says: O my Lord, O Supreme person, what is Brahman? What is the Self? What are result-based actions? What is this material manifestation? And what are the demigods? Please explain all this to me.

adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko'tra dehe'smin madhusūdana I prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo'si niyatātmabhiḥ II 8.2

8.2 How does this Lord of sacrifice live in the body, and in which part does He live, O Madhusūdana? How can those engaged in devotional service know You at the time of their death?

śrībhagavānuvāca

akṣaraṃ brahma paramaṃ svabhāvo'dhyātmamucyate I bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo visargaḥ karmasañjñitaḥ II 8.3

8.3 Bhagavān says: The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called 'Akṣara Brahma' and his eternal nature is called the Self [adhyātma]. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies is called karma, or result based activities.

adhibhūtaṃ kṣaro bhāvaḥ puruṣaś cādhidaivatam I adhiyajño'ham evātra dehe dehabhṛtāṃ vara II 8.4

8.4 Physical nature [adhibhūtam] is known to be endlessly changing. The universe is the cosmic form [adhidaivam] of the Supreme Lord [puruṣa], and I alone am that Lord represented as the Super Soul [adhiyajñam], dwelling in the heart of every being that dwells in a body.

antakāle ca māmeva smaranmuktvā kalevaram I yaḥ prayāti sa madbhāvaṃ yāti nā'styatra saṃśayaḥ II 8.5

8.5 Whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, attains My nature immediately. Of this there is no doubt.

yaṃ yaṃ vāpi smaranbhāvaṃ tyajatyante kalevaram I taṃ taṃ evaiti kaunteya sadā tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ II 8.6

8.6 Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, it is that state one will attain without fail.

tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu mām anusmara yudhya ca I mayy arpita-mano-buddhir mām evaiṣy asyasaṃśayam II 8.7 8.7 Arjuna, think of Me in the form of Kṛṣṇa always, while continuing with your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on. Me, you will attain Me without doubt.

abhyāsa yoga yuktena cetasā nānyagāminā I paramaṃ puruṣaṃ divyaṃ yāti pārthānucintayan II 8.8

8.8 He who meditates on the Supreme Person [param puruṣa], his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, not deviating from the path, O Pārtha, He is sure to reach Me.

kaviṃ purāṇaṃ anuśāsitāram aṇoraṇī yām sam anusmared yaḥ I sarvasya dhātāram acintya-rūpam ādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt II 8.9

8.9 One should meditate on the Supreme as the one who knows everything, as He is the most ancient, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person.

prayāṇakāle manasācalena bhaktyā yukto yogabalena caiva I bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśya samyak sa taṃ paraṃ puruṣam upaiti divyam II 8.10

8.10 One, who at the time of death, fixes his mind and life air between the eyebrows without being distracted, by the power of yoga and in full devotion, engages himself in dwelling on Me, He will certainly attain Me.

yad akṣaraṃ vedavido vadanti viśanti yadyatayo vītarāgāḥ I yad icchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tatte padaṃ sangraheṇa pravakṣye II 8.11

8.11 Persons who are learned in the Veda and who are great sages in the renounced order, enter into Brahman. Desiring such perfection, one practices brahmacarya. I shall now explain to you this process by which one may attain liberation.

sarva-dvārāṇi saṃyamya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca I mūrdhny ādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇam āsthito yogadhāraṇām II 8.12

8.12 Closing all the doors of the senses and fixing the mind on the heart and the life air at the top of the head, one establishes himself in yoga.

om ity ekākṣaraṃ brahma vyāharan mām anusmaran I yaḥ prayāti tyajandehaṃ sa yāti paramāṃ gatiṃ II 8.13

8.13 Centered in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable Oṁ, the supreme combination of letters, if one dwells in the Supreme and quits his body, he certainly achieves the supreme destination [param gati].

ananyacetāḥ satataṃ yo māṃ smarati nityaśaḥ I tasyāhaṃ sulabhaḥ pārtha nityayuktasya yoginaḥ II 8.14

8.14 I am always available to anyone who remembers Me constantly Pārtha, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.

māmupetya punarjanma duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam I nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṃsiddhiṃ paramāṃ gatāḥ II 8.15

8.15 After attaining Me, the great souls who are devoted to Me in yoga are never reborn in this world. This world is temporary and full of miseries and they have attained the highest perfection.

ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punarāvartinorjuna I māmupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate II 8.16

8.16 From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. One who reaches My abode, O Kaunteya, is never again reborn.

sahasrayuga-paryantam aharyad brahmaṇo viduḥ I rātriṃ yuga-sahasrāntāṃ te'ho-rātravido janāḥ II 8.17

8.17 By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together is the duration of Brahma's one day. His night is just as long.

avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavanty aharāgame I rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyakta-saṃjñake II 8.18

8.18 From the unmanifest all living entities come into being at the beginning of Brahma's day. With the coming of Brahma's night they dissolve into the same unmanifest.

bhūtagrāmaḥ sa evāyaṃ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate I rātryāgame'vaśaḥ pārtha prabhavaty aharāgame II 8.19

8.19 Again and again the day comes, and this host of beings is active; and again the night falls, O Pārtha, and they are automatically annihilated.

paras tasmāttu bhāvo'nyo 'vyakto'vyaktātsanātanaḥ I yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati II 8.20

8.20 Yet there is another nature, which is eternal and is beyond this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is Supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that remains the same.