output/chapters/8.json

[
  {
    "verse_number": 1,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 1-2",
    "sanskrit": "अर्जुन उवाच |किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम |अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते || 1||अधियज्ञ: कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन |प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभि: || 2||",
    "transliteration": "arjuna uvāchakiṁ tad brahma kim adhyātmaṁ kiṁ karma puruṣhottamaadhibhūtaṁ cha kiṁ proktam adhidaivaṁ kim uchyateadhiyajñaḥ kathaṁ ko ’tra dehe ’smin madhusūdanaprayāṇa-kāle cha kathaṁ jñeyo ’si niyatātmabhiḥ",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjun said; kim—what; tat—that; brahma—Brahman; kim—what; adhyātmam—the individual soul; kim—what; karma—the principle of karma; puruṣha-uttama—Shree Krishna, the Supreme Divine Personality; adhibhūtam—the material manifestation; cha—and; kim—what; proktam—is called; adhidaivam—the Lord of the celestial gods; kim—what; uchyate—is called; adhiyajñaḥ—the Lord all sacrificial performances; katham—how; kaḥ—who; atra—here; dehe—in body; asmin—this; madhusūdana—Shree Krishna, the killer of the demon named Madhu; prayāṇa-kāle—at the time of death; cha—and; katham—how; jñeyaḥ—to be known; asi—are (You); niyata-ātmabhiḥ—by those of steadfast mind",
    "translation": [
      "Arjuna 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?"
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "The Lord answers the first six questions briefly and elaborates His answer to the last in this Discourse."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-1-2.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v1/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 2,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 20",
    "sanskrit": "परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातन: |य: स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति || 20||",
    "transliteration": "paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo ’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥyaḥ sa sarveṣhu bhūteṣhu naśhyatsu na vinaśhyati",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "paraḥ—transcendental; tasmāt—than that; tu—but; bhāvaḥ—creation; anyaḥ—another; avyaktaḥ—unmanifest; avyaktāt—to the unmanifest; sanātanaḥ—eternal; yaḥ—who; saḥ—that; sarveṣhu—all; bhūteṣhu—in beings; naśhyatsu—cease to exist; na—never; vinaśhyati—is annihilated",
    "translation": [
      "But beyond this unmanifested, there is yet another Unmanifested Eternal Being, who does not perish when all beings perish."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "In the previousverse, the nature of the unmanifested (Prakriti) was explained. Here it is declared that there exists another unmanifested, the Eternal, (Paramatma) which is not destroyed when all beings are destroyed. The distinction between Paramatma and all other beings born of Prakriti is explained below.",
      "From this, we understand why we should worship the Lord. All that is non-eternal can only hold on to the eternal as its last refuge and support. So leaving all non-external things of pleasure and profit in this transitory and sorrowful world, man should meditate on the ever-glorious and imperishable Self. By such meditation, the death-stricken Jiva acquires immortality by union with That which does not perish.",
      "Question:What is the nature of Paramatma?",
      "Answer:(1) He is distinct from the unmanifested Prakriti. (2) He is Supreme. (3) He is Eternal. (4) He transcends the senses. (5) He exists when all beings perish."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-20.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v2/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 3,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 3",
    "sanskrit": "श्रीभगवानुवाच |अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते |भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्ग: कर्मसञ्ज्ञित: || 3||",
    "transliteration": "śhrī bhagavān uvāchaakṣharaṁ brahma paramaṁ svabhāvo ’dhyātmam uchyatebhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo visargaḥ karma-sanjñitaḥ",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "śhrī-bhagavān uvācha—the Lord said; akṣharam—indestructible; brahma—Brahman; paramam—the Supreme; svabhāvaḥ—nature; adhyātmam—one’s own self; uchyate—is called; bhūta-bhāva-udbhava-karaḥ—actions pertaining to the material personality of living beings, and its development; visargaḥ—creation; karma—fruitive activities; sanjñitaḥ—are called",
    "translation": [
      "The Lord said: Brahman is supreme, imperishable. Its essential nature is called Adhyatma (Self-knowledge); the act of sacrifice that causes the birth of beings is named karma (action)."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "Three questions are answered in this verse. First,what is Brahman?The Supreme and the imperishable is Brahman. Two attributes are mentioned here – supreme (Paramam) and imperishable (Aksharam). There is nothing other than or superior to Brahman. The One above and beyond which there is nothing else is Brahman. That is why it is described to be supreme Paramam. Brahman is imperishable, deathless. Since it is deathless it cannot be said to be born. The whole universe is constantly changing and going through the process of creation and dissolution in an endless chain. Birth and death is the law of nature, and there is only One that is birthless and deathless and that is Brahman. It is the seer (Drik), and so is indestructible. Destruction is only spoken of the seen (Drisya), and not of the seer (Drik). Brahman is indivisible, unaffected by time, space and causation.",
      "To the second question – ‘What is Adhyatma?‘- the answer given is nature (svabhava). One’s nature is svabhava (i.e.) the real Self of man, distinct from the superimposed body, mind, and senses. Out of ignorance, man thinks that he is the body and the mind, and that is his reall nature. It is an error. When knowledge dawns, one knows that he is the Self, Atma, uncontaminated by the body, mind, and the senses. So long as man identifies himself with the elements, which are subject to change and death, he cannot be happy. True happiness is only in the Self, pure, perfect, and imperishable.",
      "The third question is‘What is Karma?’The answer is ‘an act of sacrifice’, which is the cause of the birth of beings. This is yajna. By yajna, rains are produced and from rains, food, and from food all beings are born. The word ‘Visarga‘ here means that which is given away or that which is offered as a sacrifice to the Gods in the sacred Fire of the Yajna. In charity (Dana), wealth is sacrificed. Service to mankind in any form is an act of sacrifice. This also is Yajna, and it leads to Moksha.",
      "Question:What is Brahman?",
      "Answer:The indestructible and the supreme Being is Brahman.",
      "Question:What is Adhyatma?",
      "Answer:The true Self of man.",
      "Question:What is Karma?",
      "Answer:That act of sacrifice which causes the emanation of beings is Karma."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-3.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v3/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 4,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 4",
    "sanskrit": "अधिभूतं क्षरो भाव: पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् |अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर || 4||",
    "transliteration": "adhibhūtaṁ kṣharo bhāvaḥ puruṣhaśh chādhidaivatamadhiyajño ’ham evātra dehe deha-bhṛitāṁ vara",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "adhibhūtam—the ever changing physical manifestation; kṣharaḥ—perishable; bhāvaḥ—nature; puruṣhaḥ—the cosmic personality of God, encompassing the material creation; cha—and; adhidaivatam—the Lord of the celestial gods; adhiyajñaḥ—the Lord of all sacrifices; aham—I; eva—certainly; atra—here; dehe—in the body; deha-bhṛitām—of the embodied; vara—O best",
    "translation": [
      "O best of the embodied souls, the physical manifestation that is constantly changing is calledadhibhūta; the universal form of God, which presides over the celestial gods in this creation, is calledAdhidaiva; I, who dwell in the heart of every living being, am calledAdhiyajna, or the Lord of all sacrifices."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "As the Lord declares that He dwells in the body as Adhiyajna, He is most near to every being. The Lord is not far away either in the sky or in the underworld. He permeates the body with his invisible presence. So it is man’s duty to discover Him by close self-examination. As the Lord is very near to all, no one should be hated or looked down with contempt. The divinity of man is thus declared by the Lord.",
      "Arjuna is addressed here as ‘dehabhritamvara‘ implying that man holds the body, but he is certainly not the body.",
      "Question:What is Adhibhuta?",
      "Answer:The perishable element, all of the objective universe is called Adhibhuta.",
      "Question:What is Adhidaiva?",
      "Answer:Viratpurusha or Hiranyagarbha.",
      "Question:What is Adhiyajna?",
      "Answer:Lord Krishna – Paramatma is Himself the Adhiyajna in this body."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-4.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v4/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 5,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 5",
    "sanskrit": "अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् |य: प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशय: || 5||",
    "transliteration": "anta-kāle cha mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaramyaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti nāstyatra sanśhayaḥ",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "anta-kāle—at the time of death; cha—and; mām—Me; eva—alone; smaran—remembering; muktvā—relinquish; kalevaram—the body; yaḥ—who; prayāti—goes; saḥ—he; mat-bhāvam—godlike nature; yāti—achieves; na—no; asti—there is; atra—here; sanśhayaḥ—doubt",
    "translation": [
      "Those who relinquish the body while remembering Me at the moment of death will come to Me. There is certainly no doubt about this."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "The Lord here explains how He is remembered by the self-controlled yogi at the time of death.",
      "Antakalecha:It is declared that whoever thinks of the Lord at the moment of death also, attains His being. The word ‘also‘ (‘cha‘) has to be carefully understood. ‘Cha‘ means ‘also’. The seeker has to think of the Lord not only during his life-time but at the moment of death also. The Lord did not say that He should be remembered ‘only’ at the time of death. That would be quite encouraging to all idlers and wicked men. Of course, even remembering the Lord at the time of death is also an act of merit. But such memory is impossible to retain at the moment of death, unless by long and steady practice, the mind is saturated with divine thoughts. Mostly people die thinking of their property, wife, or children because their minds were filled with those thoughts for a long life-time. So the Lord emphasises the idea of remembering Him at all time, both in life and in death.",
      "Those who have spent a whole life-time in spiritual sadhana can retain the memory of the Lord at the last moment. The exceptions are very rare. If a man wants to play some role in a drama, he goes through months of training, memorising his part. To pass an examination, a long period of preparation is necessary. It is within one’s own experience that what he thinks of intensely in the waking state comes up as a dream in sleep. In old age, at the moment of death, the functions of the body and mind will be at a low ebb and most people pass away in an unconscious state. So intense sadhana during a whole-time is essential for attaining the Lord by fixing the mind on Him at the time of death.",
      "The power of Maya is inscrutable. At any time it may overtake the person if he is negligent. So till the last breath, one has be vigilant. To sink in the ocean having come within a few yards of the shore or to fall off the ladder having touched  the last rung would be a disaster. Having kept away delusion for long, but yielding to it at the last moment is foolish. So the Lord exhorts all mankind to keep the light of knowledge bright till the moment of death.",
      "In the Yogavasishta, the sage Vasista advises Rama to be watchful and vigilant.",
      "Lust (Kama) easily devours the mind of the distracted man. But the demon can do nothing to the man whose mind is gathered up in Yoga.",
      "Me only:“Think of Me only” is the Lord’s command. Nothing can save man from the bonds of samsara except the one-pointed absorption in the Supreme Lord. If man wants peace and perfection let him seek refuge in the Lord only. He gives Moksha.",
      "The reward of devotion to the Lord at the last moment is that he attains union with the Lord. This is liberation, self-realisation, Moksha. He does not come again under the power of samsara. He reaches the Eternal. The Lord says, out of infinite compassion, “Have faith in Me I will save you from all the ills and perils of samsara.” So, having full faith in the Lord, and abandoning all small gains and profits in this or other worlds, let the seeker aim at the highest perfection and reach it by continuous devotion to the Lord.",
      "“The entangled creatures, attached to worldliness, talk only of worldly things in the hour of death. What will it avail such men if they outwardly repeat the name of God, take a bath in the Ganges, or visit sacred places? If they cherish within themselves attachment to the world, it must show up at the hour of death. While dying they rave nonsense. Perhaps they cry out in a delirium, ‘Turmeric powder! Seasoning! Bay-leaf!’ The singing parrot, when at ease, repeats the holy names of Radha and Krishna, but when it is seized by a cat it utters its own natural sound; it squawks, ‘Kaa! Kaa!’It is said in theGitathat whatever one thinks in the hour of death, one becomes in the after-life.(BG 8.5,BG 8.6) King Bharata gave up his body exclaiming, ‘Deer! Deer!’ and was born as a deer in his next life. But if a man dies thinking of God, then he attains God, and he does not have to come back to the life of this world.”A BRAHMO DEVOTEE:“Sir, suppose a man has thought of God at other times during his life, but at the time of his death forgets Him. Would he, on that account, come back to this world of sorrow and suffering? Why should it be so? He certainly thought of God some time during his life.”MASTER:“A man thinks of God, no doubt, but he has no faith in Him. Again and again he forgets God and becomes attached to the world. It is like giving the elephant a bath; afterwards he covers his body with mud and dirt again. ‘The mind is a mad elephant.’ But if you can make the elephant go into the stable immediately after bathing him, then he stays clean. Just so, if a man thinks of God in the hour of death, then his mind becomes pure and it gets no more opportunity to become attached to ‘woman and gold’.“Man has no faith in God. That is the reason he suffers so much. They say that when you plunge into the holy waters of the Ganges your sins perch on a tree on the bank. No sooner do you come out of the water after the bath than the sins jump back on your shoulders. (All laugh.)A man must prepare the way beforehand, so that he may think of God in the hour of death. The way lies through constant practice. If a man practises meditation on God, he will remember God even on the last day of his life.” (BG 8.7,BG 8.8)BRAHMO DEVOTEE:“You have spoken very beautifully, sir. Beautiful words, indeed.”MASTER:“Oh, this is just idle talk. But do you know my inner feeling? I am the machine and God is the Operator. I am the house and He is the Indweller. I am the engine and He is the Engineer. I am the chariot and He is the Charioteer. I move as He moves me; I do as He makes me do.” (Source:Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)",
      "—–",
      "“According to theGita, one becomes afterwards what one thinks of at the time of death. King Bharata thought of his deer and became a deer in his next life. Therefore one must practise sadhana in order to realise God. If a man thinks of God day and night, he will have the same thought in the hour of death.” (Source:Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)",
      "Question:What should be the attitude of man at the time of death?",
      "Answer:He should think of the Lord and nothing else.",
      "Question:What is the result?",
      "Answer:He attains the Lord.",
      "Question:What then is man’s duty?",
      "Answer:To remember the Lord in life and in death."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-5.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v5/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 6,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 6",
    "sanskrit": "यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् |तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावित: || 6||",
    "transliteration": "yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajatyante kalevaramtaṁ tam evaiti kaunteya sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "yam yam—whatever; vā—or; api—even; smaran—remembering; bhāvam—remembrance; tyajati—gives up; ante—in the end; kalevaram—the body; tam—to that; tam—to that; eva—certainly; eti—gets; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; sadā—always; tat—that; bhāva-bhāvitaḥ—absorbed in contemplation",
    "translation": [
      "For whatever object a man thinks of at the final moment, when he leaves his body— that alone does he attain, Ο son of Kunti, being ever absorbed in the thought thereof."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "Whatever a man thinks and contemplates frequently, becomes a tendency which holds the mind enslaved by ill-power and momentum. So it is said that whatever form or object the dying man thinks, he will obtain when he takes a new birth. Jadabharata in spite of his great tapas was attached to a fawn which he protected and when he passed away, the thought of the fawn filled his mind. Consequently, he was born as a deer. As one thinks so he becomes (Yadbhavam tadbhavati). This being the law, every thoughtful man should be extremely careful to choose and select only noble and spiritual thoughts to fill the mind. This should be practised throughout one’s life, so that they should be uppermost in the mind at the time of death. As all other things in the world are pain-causing, sorrow-breeding, the wise man naturally thinks of the Blessed Lord as the be-all and end-all of his life. Thus man attains the supreme state. Devotion, Dhyana, study, company of the wise, charity, all these should be practised truthfully and by so doing, divine thoughts permeate the mind and determine the future birth of man.",
      "That is why spirited sadhana is prescribed from childhood when the mind is pure and free from the poisonous ugliness of worldly life. Every man is himself responsible for his freedom or bondage. “If one thinks that he is free, free he is this moment. If he thinks he is bound, bound he should be.” Either high birth or low birth or freedom from birth and death, all these depend on man’s mental frame. And this frame of mind is forged by long practice throughout life. The good samskaras would re-assert themselves in the next birth and lead him to the goal.",
      "When a yogi makes a samyama (*) on his own karma, upon those impressions in his mind which are now working, and those which are just waiting to work, he knows exactly by those that are waiting when his body will fall. He knows when he will die, at what hour, even at what minute. The Hindus think very much of that knowledge or consciousness of the nearness of death, because it is taught in the Gita that the thoughts at the moment of departure are great powers in determining the next life.[Source]",
      "“Man becomes pure by repeating the name of God. Therefore one should practise the chanting of God’s name. I said toJadu Mallick‘s mother: ‘In the hour of death you will think only of worldly things—of family, children, executing the will, and so forth. The thought of God will not come to your mind. The way to remember God in the hour of death is to practise, now, the repetition of His name and the chanting of His glories. If one keeps up this practice, then in the hour of death one will repeat the name of God. When the cat pounces upon the bird, the bird only squawks and does not say, ‘Rama, Rama, Hare-Krishna’.",
      "“It is good to prepare for death. One should constantly think of God and chant His name in solitude during the last years of one’s life. If the elephant is put into the stable after its bath it is not soiled again by dirt and dust.” (Source:Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)",
      "—–",
      "VAISHNAVA:“Sir, is a man born again?”",
      "MASTER:“It is said in theGitathat a man is reborn with those tendencies that are in his mind at the time of his death. King Bharata thought of his deer at the time of death and was reborn as a deer.” (BG 8.5,BG 8.6)",
      "VAISHNAVA:“I could believe in rebirth only if an eye-witness told me about it.”",
      "MASTER:“I don’t know about that, my dear sir. I cannot cure my own illness, and you ask me to tell you what happens after death!",
      "“What you are talking about only shows your petty mind. Try to cultivate love of God. You are born as a human being only to attain divine love. You have come to the orchard to eat mangoes: what need is there of knowing how many thousands of branches and millions of leaves there are in the orchard? To bother about what happens after death! How silly!”(BG 8.7,BG 8.8) (Source:Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)",
      "All this is Brahman. Everything comes from Brahman, everything goes back to Brahman, and everything is sustained by Brahman. One should therefore quietly meditate on Brahman. Each person has a mind of his own. What a person wills in his present life, he becomes when he leaves this world. One should bear this in mind and meditate accordingly.—Chandogya Upanishad 3.14.1",
      "Question:What shall be the nature of the future birth for man?",
      "Answer:It is determined by that idea or object which dominates the mind at the time of death.",
      "Question:How can man retain spiritual thought at the last moment?",
      "Answer:By a whole life-time of sadhana.",
      "* A specific mode of concentration; for details, seePatanjali’s Yoga Sutras.",
      "Related Articles:"
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-6.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v6/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 7,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita 8.7 – Tasmat Sarveshu Kaleshu",
    "sanskrit": "तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च |मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम् || 7||",
    "transliteration": "tasmāt sarveṣhu kāleṣhu mām anusmara yudhya chamayyarpita-mano-buddhir mām evaiṣhyasyasanśhayam",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "tasmāt—therefore; sarveṣhu—in all; kāleṣhu—times; mām—Me; anusmara—remember; yudhya—fight; cha—and; mayi—to Me; arpita—surrender; manaḥ—mind; buddhiḥ—intellect; mām—to Me; eva—surely; eṣhyasi—you shall attain; asanśhayaḥ—without a doubt",
    "translation": [
      "Therefore,at all times, constantly remember Me and fight. With your mind and intellect absorbed in Me, you will surely come to Me."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "This verse seems to be a commentary on the previous one in which it is declared that the devotee who shall think of Him at the moment of death will attain Him. Here the Lord clarifies the declaration by stating that it is the duty of the devotee to think of Him at all times. It is implied that unless a man thinks of Him always, he cannot retain that blissful memory at the time of death.",
      "It is the lamp that keeps away darkness. When the lamp is put out, darkness envelopes everything. The darkness of ignorance is ready to possess the heart of man if the lamp of knowledge is not kept burning continuously. It is only the thought of the Lord that keeps away delusion. When that thought is not there, delusion immediately seizes man. Therefore remember Me at all times – is the Lord’s command.",
      "Anusmara:Continuous thought of the Supreme should be kept up. Hearing of the Lord, thinking of Him, meditating on Him, the seeker should not let go his hold of the Lord at any time. Such a man need not bother whether death comes sooner or later. Having purchased the ticket, it does not matter when the train comes! Let death come when it will, the seeker is ready with the Lord’s name on his lips and His thought in the mind.",
      "If all the time the seeker is thinking of the Lord, how can he get on in the world? When does he find timeto look after the practical duties of life? This question is asked by many people. Most people also make it an excuse that they are not able to think of God because of pressing domestic duties. To such people the Lord here gives the advice. “Think of Me and perform your duties.” Arjuna’s duty on the battle-field was to fight. For each man as he is placed in the various stations and circumstances of life, there will be particular duties and they should be performed while keeping the thought of the Lord in the mind.",
      "The declaration of the Lord proves that the Gita Sastra is not the philosophy of mendicants, escapists, idlers, and cowards. It is the doctrine that unites practical life with the highest realisation. Remember me and do your duty (“Mam anusmara yudhya cha.“) – This is one of the central teachings of Gita.",
      "The mind generates thought and intellect approves and confirms it. So one should think of the Lord both with mind and intellect. These two faculties of the mind should be fixed in or surrendered to the Lord.",
      "Asamsayah:The Lord affirms His declaration and excludes all doubts and fears from the mind of his devotees. So it is the duty of all aspirants to have faith in the Lord’s command, do spiritual sadhana and attain Him.",
      "Once Swami Vireswarananda Maharaj had come to Ramakrishna Ashrama, Gwalior, to give mantra-diksha to the devotees. To attend on him I had accompanied Swami Atmanandaji. One day finding an opportunity I told him, “Maharaj, we, sadhus and brahmacharis work with unselfish motive. Hence, all our actions automatically become Yoga. We don’t need any other spiritual discipline. Even Swami Vivekananda has said that by performing selfless service one can attain Mukti.” Revered Maharaj very firmly replied, “No.” I pointed out, “Swamiji has said that Karma Yoga leads to Mukti.” Then Maharaj asked, “Do you know what Karma Yoga is?” After a pause, he himself answered,“Conscious and constant remembrance of God while working.”This instruction is like a light house in our life.",
      "— Swami Satyarupananda",
      "“Give up all such notions as: ‘Shall we be cured of our delirium?’, ‘What will happen to us?’, ‘We are sinners!’ (To Nanda) One must have this kind of faith: ‘What? Once I have uttered the name of Rama, can I be a sinner any more?'”",
      "NANDA:“Is there no after-life? What about punishment for our sins?”",
      "MASTER:“Why not enjoy your mangoes? What need have you to calculate about the after-life and what happens then, and things like that? Eat your mangoes. You need mangoes. You need devotion to God —”",
      "NANDA:“But where is the mango-tree? Where do I get mangoes?”",
      "MASTER:“Tree? God is the eternal and infinite Brahman. Hedoesexist; there is no doubt about it. He is eternal. But you must remember this, that He is the Kalpataru.",
      "Come, let us go for a walk, O mind, to Kali, the Wish-fulfilling Tree,And there beneath It gather the four fruits of life.",
      "“You must go to the Kalpataru and pray. Only then will you obtain the fruits. Only then will the fruits fall from the tree. Only then will you be able to gather them. There are four fruits: dharma, artha, kama, and moksha. The jnanis seek the fruit of liberation; and the bhaktas, love of God, love without any motive behind it. They seek neither dharma nor artha nor kama.“You ask about the after-life. According to theGitayou will become in the next life what you think of in the hour of death. King Bharata was very much grieved over his pet deer; he died repeating the word ‘deer’; therefore he was reborn as a deer.That is why day and night a man should practise worship, japa, meditation, and other spiritual exercises. Only then, by virtue of practice, will he be able to think of God in the hour of death.(BG 8.5,BG 8.6,BG 8.7,BG 8.8) If one dies thus, thinking of God, one will acquire God’s nature. (Source:Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)",
      "—–",
      "Sri Ramakrishna:“Live in the world but keep the pitcher steady on your head; that is to say, keep the mind firmly on God.“I once said to the sepoys from the barracks: ‘Do your duty in the world but remember that the “pestle of death” will some time smash your hand. Be alert about it.’“In Kamarpukur I have seen the women of carpenter families making flattened rice with a husking-machine. One woman kicks the end of the wooden beam, and another woman, while nursing her baby, turns the paddy in the mortar dug in the earth. The second woman is always alert’ lest the pestle of the machine should fall on her hand. With the other hand she fries the soaked paddy in a pan. Besides, she is talking with customers; she says: ‘You owe us so much money. Please pay it before you go.’ Likewise,do your different duties in the world, fixing your mind on God. But practice is necessary, and one should also be alert. Only in this way can one safeguard both — God and the world.“",
      "—",
      "Question:When should one think of God?",
      "Answer:Always and ever.",
      "Question:What about man’s worldly duties?",
      "Answer:He should perform them and at the same time think of the Lord.",
      "Question:What is the way to attain the Lord?",
      "Answer:Surrendering the mind and intellect to Him."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-7.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v7/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 8,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 8",
    "sanskrit": "अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना |परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् || 8||",
    "transliteration": "abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena chetasā nānya-gāmināparamaṁ puruṣhaṁ divyaṁ yāti pārthānuchintayan",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "abhyāsa-yoga—by practice of yog; yuktena—being constantly engaged in remembrance; chetasā—by the mind; na anya-gāminā—without deviating; paramam puruṣham—the Supreme Divine Personality; divyam—divine; yāti—one attains; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; anuchintayan—constant remembrance",
    "translation": [
      "Engaged in the yoga of constant practice and not allowing the mind to wander away to anything else, he who meditates on the supreme, resplendent Purusha reaches Him, Ο son of Prithā."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "In this verse, three definite practices are mentioned to reach the Supreme Lord.",
      "1. The Lord has elevated ‘practice’ (abhyasa) to the state of the yoga, like Karma yoga, Jnana yoga etc.No other yoga can bear fruit without being supported byabhysayoga.In the6th Discourse, the Lord has already referred to practice (‘Abhyasa’) as the primary method of controlling the mind.",
      "In the practical field of work, we understand the need for systematic practice. In sport and art, practice is essential for perfection. In fact, practice is nothing else than the repetition of the mode of thought or act. Any act repeated many times becomes a habit. All the bad habits have been the accumulated effect of wrong practice. If practice is done in the right direction, good thoughts and acts become natural and spontaneous. When one comes across a person who is pure in thought, word and deed, he admires him, and sometimes wonders how he could be so pure. But he should realise how he had laid the foundations of purity by long abhyasa yoga. All the impurities and weaknesses arising from previous births are overcome by the steadfast practice of goodness and purity in this life. Whatever may be the yoga that the seeker chooses to follow, it should be first and last combined with abhyasa yoga. Then alone it would yield good results, just as purifying powders work on the human body only when they are mixed with water.",
      "2. The second thing is that the man should not move away from the ideal. The aim is Atma, and the mind should therefore be centered in the Atma, and not allowed to move out towards material objects. Whatever appears (‘anatma’) perishes. Knowing this, through discrimination one should hold fast to Atma alone. As the mind by its nature can only hold on to some form it should be given some divine object or form to which it can easily cling to. So it is said here that one should meditate on the Supreme Divine Lord (Paramam Purusham Divyam).",
      "Anuchintayan:The Lord commands the disciple to think of Him (Atma) again and again, and yet again. So thinking continuously, man reaches the supreme state. Having full faith in the teaching of the Lord, may all the spiritual aspirants fulfil their life’s purpose.",
      "Question:What is the nature of Paramatma?",
      "Answer:He is Supreme, Self-effulgent, and Divine.",
      "Question:What is the way to reach Him?",
      "Answer:Restraining the mind from going out toward sense objects; remembering Him continuously is the way to reach Him.",
      "Question:How should the mind be restrained?",
      "Answer:It should remain steadfast in Atma alone, and not turn away from it."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-8.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v8/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 9,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 9-10",
    "sanskrit": "कविं पुराणमनुशासितारमणोरणीयांसमनुस्मरेद्य: |सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूपमादित्यवर्णं तमस: परस्तात् || 9||प्रयाणकाले मनसाचलेनभक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव |भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक्स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् || 10||",
    "transliteration": "kaviṁ purāṇam anuśhāsitāramaṇor aṇīyānsam anusmared yaḥsarvasya dhātāram achintya-rūpamāditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastātprayāṇa-kāle manasāchalenabhaktyā yukto yoga-balena chaivabhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśhya samyaksa taṁ paraṁ puruṣham upaiti divyam",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "kavim—poet; purāṇam—ancient; anuśhāsitāram—the Controller; aṇoḥ—than the atom; aṇīyānsam—smaller; anusmaret—always remembers; yaḥ—who; sarvasya—of everything; dhātāram—the support; achintya—inconceivable; rūpam—divine form; āditya-varṇam—effulgent like the sun; tamasaḥ—to the darkness of ignorance; parastāt—beyond; prayāṇa-kāle—at the time of death; manasā—mind; achalena—steadily; bhaktyā—remembering with great devotion; yuktaḥ—united; yoga-balena—through the power of yog; cha—and; eva—certainly; bhruvoḥ—the two eyebrows; madhye—between; prāṇam—life-airs; āveśhya—fixing; samyak—completely; saḥ—he; tam—him; param puruṣham—the Supreme Divine Lord; upaiti—attains; divyam—divine",
    "translation": [
      "Who, at the time of leaving the body, by the power of yogic practice, fixes the vital breath in the centre of the brows, and thinks continuously of the Omniscient, the Ancient, the controller of all the worlds, subtler than atom, supporter of all, of inconceivable form, self illumined like the sun, beyond darkness – he attains the self-illumined Paramatma."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "The Lord describes the different aspects of Paramatma and points the way of meditation. It is necessary to know the attributes of the Supreme for strengthening and confirming one’s faith in Him.Naturally, people can only think of that about which something is known.So in the 9th verse, eight attributes of the Supreme are mentioned.",
      "Man when he leaves the body, should contemplate Paramatma by understanding Him through these eight attributes. Here death is described as travel to a distant place (Prayana). Just as man secures all necessary things before he starts on travel, even so he should provide himself with all the best qualities before he leaves the body.",
      "Thus during the last moments also man should contemplate Paramatma with Bhakti and Yoga. Both are essential for Dhyana. Bhakti is necessary to destroy egoism and secure the grace of God. Yoga is necessary to restrain the senses and mind for the purpose of meditating on the Supreme. Also, the mind should be immovable and the meditation continuous.",
      "The reward for this is absolute freedom-Moksha.",
      "Question:What attributes of Paramatma are mentioned here?",
      "Answer:He is Omniscient, ancient, the Controller of all the worlds, subtler than atom, supporter of all, inconceivable in form, self-illuminating like the Sun, shining beyond all darkness.",
      "Question:How should one meditate on Him at the time of leaving the body?",
      "Answer:With steady mind, with devotion, and with yogic power holding the vital breath in the centre of the brows, one should meditate.",
      "Question:What is the result?",
      "Answer:He attains the state of Paramatma.",
      "Question:So what is the way to attain Him?",
      "Answer:Devotion and Yoga."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-9-10.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v9/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 11,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 11",
    "sanskrit": "यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्तिविशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागा: |यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्तितत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये || 11||",
    "transliteration": "yad akṣharaṁ veda-vido vadantiviśhanti yad yatayo vīta-rāgāḥyad ichchhanto brahmacharyaṁ charantitat te padaṁ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣhye",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "yat—which; akṣharam—Imperishable; veda-vidaḥ—scholars of the Vedas; vadanti—describe; viśhanti—enter; yat—which; yatayaḥ—great ascetics; vīta-rāgāḥ—free from attachment; yat—which; ichchhantaḥ—desiring; brahmacharyam—celibacy; charanti—practice; tat—that; te—to you; padam—goal; saṅgraheṇa—briefly; pravakṣhye—I shall explain",
    "translation": [
      "I will now briefly describe to you that state which those who know the Vedas call the Imperishable, and into which enter the sannyāsis, self-controlled and freed from attachment, and in desire for which seekers lead the life of continence."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "The Lord says that he would declare the Supreme briefly. The Supreme has no end as no words can fully describe it, so the Lord gives the very essence of the Vedas and the worship of the Supreme as the simple single syllable OM-Pranava.",
      "The Vedas declare that Brahman alone is Eternal. Everything else is transitory and changing. It is this Reality that man has to understand and realise. Knowledge of all other things cannot confer the bliss of immortality. In Hinduism, every child when he starts his education begins with the sacred word OM, which is Brahman. So whatever else a man may learn and understand, he should not neglect the knowledge of the Imperishable Brahman. The knowers of Vedas, after a great deal of thought, have arrived at the highest goal Brahman, and thus attained absolute peace and bliss.",
      "Who can enter this state? This question is also answered here. Only those who are free from attachment and desire, free from lust and hatred, can enter the Brahmi State. Let no man complain that he cannot attain that state. The key to this consummation is in his hands. It is purity. Let the mind be purged of all impure tendencies, and that very moment Brahman is realised.",
      "Those who practise severe austerities, restraining the senses and controlling the mind are qualified and fit to realise Brahman.",
      "Celibacy is the bedrock for all spiritual development. Those who aspire for the highest should be free from sensuality in thought, word and deed. They should live and move in Brahman, the pure and blessed untainted by anything else.",
      "The Lord uses the emphatic term ‘Pravakshye’ to indicate the importance of Brahma-Vidya which he teaches to His disciple and through him to all mankind.",
      "Question:What is the state of Paramatma?",
      "Answer:He is imperishable.",
      "Question:Who knows Him?",
      "Answer:The knowers of Veda.",
      "Question:Who enters that state?",
      "Answer: Those who are freed from desire and who practise celibacy.",
      "Question:Then, What is the way to attain Him?",
      "Answer:Destruction of the Vasanas and the practice of Brahmacharya."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-11.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v11/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 12,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 12-13",
    "sanskrit": "सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च |मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मन: प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् || 12||ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् |य: प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् || 13||",
    "transliteration": "sarva-dvārāṇi sanyamya mano hṛidi nirudhya chamūrdhnyādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇam āsthito yoga-dhāraṇāmoṁ ityekākṣharaṁ brahma vyāharan mām anusmaranyaḥ prayāti tyajan dehaṁ sa yāti paramāṁ gatim",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "sarva-dvārāṇi—all gates; sanyamya—restraining; manaḥ—the mind; hṛidi—in the heart region; nirudhya—confining; cha—and; mūrdhni—in the head; ādhāya—establish; ātmanaḥ—of the self; prāṇam—the life breath; āsthitaḥ—situated (in); yoga-dhāraṇām—the yogic concentration; om—sacred syllable representing the formless aspect of God; iti—thus; eka-akṣharam—one-syllabled; brahma—the Absolute Truth; vyāharan—chanting; mām—Me (Shree Krishna); anusmaran—remembering; yaḥ—who; prayāti—departs; tyajan—quitting; deham—the body; saḥ—he; yāti—attains; paramām—the supreme; gatim—goal",
    "translation": [
      "He who closes all the doors of the senses, confines the mind within the heart, draws the prāna into the head, and engages in the practice of yoga, uttering Om, the single syllable denoting Brahman, and meditates on Me— he who so departs, leaving the body, attains the Supreme Goal."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "The process of meditating on OM and attaining final liberation is explained here. It does not mean that one should follow it only at the time of death. It means that one should practise this method throughout life and remain in that state even at the time of death.",
      "Without closing the gateways of the senses, the mind cannot be turned inwards to concentrate on Atma. The frame of knowledge may easily be put out by the winds of sense-attractions if the gateways are kept open. Here it is said that ‘all’ the senses should be restrained. The restraint should be complete and perfect. It should be understood that without sense-restraint, no other sadhana is possible.",
      "Already the Lord has declared “First restrain the senses.” As the tortoise withdraws – all its organs into its shell, so should the yogi withdraw all the senses from their usual external activities in the objective world.",
      "Then the mind should be centred in the heart, in Atma. The heart, Atma, is the source from which the mind arises. So the mind should be turned back to its own source. When the senses are controlled, the mind naturally loses its roving nature and sinks into its own source.",
      "The mind should think of Paramatma in a continuous stream of unbroken consciousness.",
      "What is the ‘mantra’ for meditation? The one-syllable OM, which is Brahman. OM is Pranava. It is the essence of the Vedas. It is not enough merely to utter the word OM but one should think of the Lord. It means that the idea symbolised by the word OM should be thought of. Mere verbal repetition of a ‘mantra’ without thinking of its meaning, will not yield the best results. If a cannon is filled with powder without the shell, it will cause a noisy explosion only, but the target is not reached because there is no shell. Similarly, when Pranava is uttered with its meaning in mind, it will lead to the goal. Ceaseless thought of the Lord is the way to Atmajnana.",
      "The following points are revealed through these two verses.",
      "Question:What is the highest state?",
      "Answer:Paramatma – the state of Brahman.",
      "Question:Who can attain it?",
      "Answer:He who can restrain the senses, fix the mind in Atma hold Prana in theBrahmarandhrabyyogadharana, repeat Pranava understanding its significance, attains Brahman.",
      ""
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-12-13.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v12/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 14,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 14",
    "sanskrit": "अनन्यचेता: सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यश: |तस्याहं सुलभ: पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिन: || 14||",
    "transliteration": "ananya-chetāḥ satataṁ yo māṁ smarati nityaśhaḥtasyāhaṁ sulabhaḥ pārtha nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "ananya-chetāḥ—without deviation of the mind; satatam—always; yaḥ—who; mām—Me; smarati—remembers; nityaśhaḥ—regularly; tasya—to him; aham—I; su-labhaḥ—easily attainable; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; nitya—constantly; yuktasya—engaged; yoginaḥ—of the yogis",
    "translation": [
      "O Parth, for those yogis who always think of Me with exclusive devotion, I am easily attainable because of their constant absorption in Me."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "The easy way to attain God is here explained. People think that it is very difficult to attain Him. But practising in the right way, He is easily attained. He who thinks of him continuously and always attains Him.",
      "The mind should be free from any other thought except the thought of God. Usually, the mind is attached to various things and gets entangled in the meshes of the objective world through the senses. That is why it is said here that one should be filled to the brim with the thought of God continuously and forever. It is not enough to think of Him now and then. Always and every day the thought of God should be present in the mind. Of course, by steady practice day after day, the mind could be trained to think of God more and more. So practising, after a long time, the mind gets fixed and does not turn away from Him. Then the Lord is attained.",
      "The seeker should be vigilant and try his best not to yield to the temptations of Maya. The wakeful and watchful man has no fear of falling away from the goal.",
      "MASTER (to the Brahmos): “Dive deep. Learn to love God. Plunge into divine love. You see, I have heard how you pray. Why do you Brahmos dwell so much on the glories of God? Is there such great need of your saying over and over again, ‘O God, You have created the sky, the great oceans, the lunar world, the solar world, and the stellar world’?“Everybody is wonder-struck at the mere sight of a rich man’s garden house. People become speechless at the sight of the trees, the flowers, the ponds, the drawing-room, the pictures. But alas, how few are they who seek the owner of all these! Only one or two inquire after him. He who seeks God with a longing heart can see Him, talk to Him as I am talking to you. Believe my words when I say that God can be seen. But ah! To whom am I saying these words? Who will believe me?“Can one find God in the sacred books? By reading the scriptures one may feel at the most that God exists. But God does not reveal Himself to a man unless he himself dives deep. Only after such a plunge, after the revelation of God through His grace, is one’s doubt destroyed. You may read scriptures by the thousands and recite thousands of texts; but unless you plunge into God with yearning of heart, you will not comprehend Him. By mere scholarship you may fool man, but not God.“Scriptures and books — what can one achieve with these alone? Nothing can be realised without His grace. Strive with a longing heart for His grace. Through His grace you will see Him and He will talk to you.”SUB-JUDGE:“Sir, does God show more grace to one than to another? If so, He can be accused of the fault of partiality.”MASTER:“What are you saying? Do you mean to say that the moon and a glow-worm are the same, though both give light? Iswar Vidyasagar asked me the same question. He said, ‘Is it a fact, sir, that God gives more power to one and less to another?’‘God’, I said, ‘exists in every being as the All-pervading Spirit. He is in the ant as well as in me. But there are different manifestations of His Power in different beings.If all are the same, then why have we come here to see you, attracted by your renown? Have you grown a pair of horns? Oh, no! It is not that. You have compassion; you have scholarship; there is a greater degree of these virtues in you than in others. That is the reason you are so well known.’ Don’t you see that there are men who, single-handed, can defeat a hundred persons? Again, one man takes to his heels in fear of another; you see such a person, too. If there are not different manifestations of power in different beings, then why did people respect Keshab Sen so much?“It is said in theGitathat if a man is respected and honoured by many, whether it be for his scholarship or his music or his oratory or anything else, then you may know for certain that he is endowed with aspecial divine power.“(BG 10.41)A BRAHMO (to the sub-judge): “Why don’t you accept what he says?”MASTER (sharply, to the Brahmo): “What sort of man are you? To accept words without conviction! Why, that is hypocrisy! I see you are only a counterfeit.”The Brahmo was much embarrassed. (Source:Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)",
      "Question:Who can attain God easily?",
      "Answer:Those who worship God with single-minded devotion day after day and forever attain him.",
      "Question:What is the easy path to realise God?",
      "Answer:(1) Single-minded devotion and (2) Constant contemplation of the Divine."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-14.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v14/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 15,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 15",
    "sanskrit": "मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दु:खालयमशाश्वतम् |नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मान: संसिद्धिं परमां गता: || 15||",
    "transliteration": "mām upetya punar janma duḥkhālayam aśhāśhvatamnāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ sansiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "mām—Me; upetya—having attained; punaḥ—again; janma—birth; duḥkha-ālayam—place full of miseries; aśhāśhvatam—temporary; na—never; āpnuvanti—attain; mahā-ātmānaḥ—the great souls; sansiddhim—perfection; paramām—highest; gatāḥ—having achieved",
    "translation": [
      "Having come to Me, these high-souled men are no more subject to rebirth, which is transitory and the abode of pain; for they have reached the highest perfection."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "It is declared here that those who attained God do not enter samsara. So long as realisation does not come to man he is whirled about in the flood of birth and death. When the truth is known there is no birth, and hence no pain or sorrow. The need for perfect freedom is stated here. Freedom is to be attained for the purpose of transcending pain and sorrow.",
      "The Lord makes it clear that the place where man takes birth is the abode of sorrow and is non-eternal. Birth is subject to those two evils. Even if a person feels that he is enjoying something here it is only a shadowy joy, which is mixed with pain. We see that joy is inevitably followed by sorrow as its own shadow. That is why wise men are not tempted by these reflected pleasures. The world is the abode of sorrow.  It is the place where sorrow rules. Out of ignorance and delusion, man imagines that he is enjoying this or that pleasure. But the Lord who knows the truth warns mankind out of infinite compassion – “O ye mortals, do not be deluded, this world is the very abode of pain and sorrow. Seek for that which is true joy and eternal and transcend all sorrow.",
      "‘Avidya‘ is the power which deludes man to think of non-eternal as eternal, the impure as pure, and anatma as Atma.",
      "So the way to transcend is to attain God. Let everyone take refuge in God in every way, through devotion, knowledge, and dispassion.",
      "Union with God is the highest state of freedom and perfection. As many enlightened sages have attained that state, it is suggested that every man can achieve it with adequate will and discrimination. Those who take refuge in God with a pure heart are mahatmas. Those who are entangled in worldly objects are ‘alpatmas,’ – little-minded men. Mahatma is a title. To reject the false and hold on to Truth, to reject the ephemeral and hold on to the Eternal, to reject anatma and hold on to Atma, is the way to attain the highest state of Mahatma. Such enlightened sages do not return to the world which is characterised by pain and sorrow. Those who are desirous of eternal joy should strive with faith and devotion to reach that state.",
      "Question:What is the nature of this world?",
      "Answer:It is full of sorrow and non-eternal.",
      "Question:Who do not enter the world?",
      "Answer:Those who have attained God.",
      "Question:What is that God-state?",
      "Answer:It is the state of highest perfection.",
      "Question:What is the way to transcend sorrow?",
      "Answer:Not to enter the world (take birth) is the way to transcend sorrow.",
      "Question:What is the way to become birthless?",
      "Answer:Attaining the highest perfection-Paramatma."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-15.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v15/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 16,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 16",
    "sanskrit": "आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोका: पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन |मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते || 16||",
    "transliteration": "ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino ’rjunamām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "ā-brahma-bhuvanāt—up to the abode of Brahma; lokāḥ—worlds; punaḥ āvartinaḥ—subject to rebirth; arjuna—Arjun; mām—Mine; upetya—having attained; tu—but; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; punaḥ janma—rebirth; na—never; vidyate—is",
    "translation": [
      "O Arjuna! All worlds up to Brahmaloka are subject to return; having attained me there is no re-birth."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "In the universe, there are several places of existence-gross, subtle, yet more subtle, etc. All these do not touch the ultimate. They are all in the realm of the phenomenal the difference being in their gross or less gross nature. So those who reach the subtler worlds like Svargaloka or Brahmaloka have to return again. They come and go in the same way as this world. But those who have attained Paramatma have no re-birth. This is Moksha. The reason is that all the worlds up to Brahmaloka are objective and so they repeat themselves endlessly. Only Atma which is the ‘Drik’ is not subject to the modifications of time and place. It is imperishable. Having attained it there is no karma, and so there is no birth – Janma.",
      "Question:What is the way to transcend birth?",
      "Answer:Attaining Paramatma is the way.",
      "Question:What is the nature of the worlds up to Brahmaloka?",
      "Answer:The return again and again."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-16.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v16/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 17,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 17",
    "sanskrit": "सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदु: |रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जना: || 17||",
    "transliteration": "sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥrātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ te ’ho-rātra-vido janāḥ",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "sahasra—one thousand; yuga—age; paryantam—until; ahaḥ—one day; yat—which; brahmaṇaḥ—of Brahma; viduḥ—know; rātrim—night; yuga-sahasra-antām—lasts one thousand yugas; te—they; ahaḥ-rātra-vidaḥ—those who know this day and night; janāḥ—people",
    "translation": [
      "Those people who know the length of the day of Brahma which ends in a thousand yugas and night which also ends in a thousand yugas, know day and night."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "In the previousverse, it was stated that all the worlds up to Brahmaloka are non-eternal, subject to change, and they come and go. Here the Lord gives an estimate of the duration of day and night of Brahma (Creator) and thereby suggests that even Brahma is limited by time. The day of Brahma is thousand yugas and night another thousand yugas. So one complete day and night for Brahma endures two thousand Mahayugas. The following table shows the duration in years:",
      "One thousand suchMahayugasmake a day, and another one thousand such Mahayugas make a night for Brahma. Three hundred and sixty-five such days make a year, and one hundred such years constitute the life-time of Brahma. What one should understand is that even this astronomical duration of life of Brahma is limited by time. The sage is not interested in anything by time, and the transitory pleasures derived by living in such worlds. He aspires to go beyond time, to realise the immeasurable Paramatma. Whereas everything is conditioned by time, the Lord alone is eternal. In Him, all time, space, and all the worlds are created by the power of His Mayasakti. The wise man takes no thought of the unreal but aspires for the Eternal. He knows what time is, and how time destroys all things, and how he can transcend time by taking refuge in Paramatma.",
      "Question:What is the time-scheme of Brahma (Creator)?",
      "Answer:One thousand Mahayugas constitute a day and another one thousand Mahayugas a night for Brahma.",
      "Question:What is the conclusion drawn from this?",
      "Answer:Brahma (Creator) is also limited by time. Paramatma is alone beyond time. So the idea is that the wise man should seek the Eternal.",
      ""
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-17.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v17/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 18,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 18",
    "sanskrit": "अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तय: सर्वा: प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे |रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसञ्ज्ञके || 18||",
    "transliteration": "avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyahar-āgamerātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyakta-sanjñake",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "avyaktāt—from the unmanifested; vyaktayaḥ—the manifested; sarvāḥ—all; prabhavanti—emanate; ahaḥ-āgame—at the advent of Brahma’s day; rātri-āgame—at the fall of Brahma’s night; pralīyante—they dissolve; tatra—into that; eva—certainly; avyakta-sanjñake—in that which is called the unmanifest",
    "translation": [
      "At the approach of the day all manifest objects come forth from the unmanifested, and at the approach of the night they merge again into that which is called the unmanifested."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "Except for the Supreme, all else is subject to birth and death. All the manifested proceed from and dissolve in Maya (Prakriti) whose power is in the Lord Himself. From the darkness of sleep stream forth the wonderful dream-world and all that dissolves in the darkness of sleep. The awakened man has nothing to do with the dream-world. So also Paramatma has no contact with the manifested which proceeds from and dissolves the unmanifested (avyakta). But he remains as a supporter of all.",
      "Question:From what does the manifested proceed?",
      "Answer:From the unmanifest.",
      "Question:When do they come out?",
      "Answer:At the coming of the day of Brahma (Creator).",
      "Question:When do they dissolve and where?",
      "Answer:At the coming of night, and into the Avyakta they dissolve.",
      "Related Articles:"
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-18.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v18/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 19,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 19",
    "sanskrit": "भूतग्राम: स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते |रात्र्यागमेऽवश: पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे || 19||",
    "transliteration": "bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyaterātryāgame ’vaśhaḥ pārtha prabhavatyahar-āgame",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "bhūta-grāmaḥ—the multitude of beings; saḥ—these; eva—certainly; ayam—this; bhūtvā bhūtvā—repeatedly taking birth; pralīyate—dissolves; rātri-āgame—with the advent of night; avaśhaḥ—helpless; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; prabhavati—become manifest; ahaḥ-āgame—with the advent of day",
    "translation": [
      "The same multitude of beings, coming forth again and again, merge, in spite of themselves, Ο Pārtha, at the approach of the night, and remanifest themselves at the approach of the day."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "The multitude of beings comes forth again and again at the beginning of every Kalpa and is dissolved again and again at the end of every Kalpa. Thus birth and death go on repeatedly. Till knowledge dawns the cycle continues endlessly for the multitude of beings. As man is conditioned by his Karma, he is helpless to stop the wheel. As he is bound by his own desires, he is not free. Therefore man should strive for freedom. He has already passed through millions of births. By some good fortune, he has acquired a human birth. Without wasting it in useless pursuits, he should strive for liberation.",
      "Question:What is the fate of all Jivas till Karma is worked out?",
      "Answer:They take birth and they die repeatedly.",
      "Question:By what is the bondage of Karma broken?",
      "Answer:By knowledge of Atma.",
      ""
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-19.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v19/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 20,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 20",
    "sanskrit": "परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातन: |य: स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति || 20||",
    "transliteration": "paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo ’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥyaḥ sa sarveṣhu bhūteṣhu naśhyatsu na vinaśhyati",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "paraḥ—transcendental; tasmāt—than that; tu—but; bhāvaḥ—creation; anyaḥ—another; avyaktaḥ—unmanifest; avyaktāt—to the unmanifest; sanātanaḥ—eternal; yaḥ—who; saḥ—that; sarveṣhu—all; bhūteṣhu—in beings; naśhyatsu—cease to exist; na—never; vinaśhyati—is annihilated",
    "translation": [
      "But beyond this unmanifested, there is yet another Unmanifested Eternal Being, who does not perish when all beings perish."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "In the previousverse, the nature of the unmanifested (Prakriti) was explained. Here it is declared that there exists another unmanifested, the Eternal, (Paramatma) which is not destroyed when all beings are destroyed. The distinction between Paramatma and all other beings born of Prakriti is explained below.",
      "From this, we understand why we should worship the Lord. All that is non-eternal can only hold on to the eternal as its last refuge and support. So leaving all non-external things of pleasure and profit in this transitory and sorrowful world, man should meditate on the ever-glorious and imperishable Self. By such meditation, the death-stricken Jiva acquires immortality by union with That which does not perish.",
      "Question:What is the nature of Paramatma?",
      "Answer:(1) He is distinct from the unmanifested Prakriti. (2) He is Supreme. (3) He is Eternal. (4) He transcends the senses. (5) He exists when all beings perish."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-20.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v20/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 21,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 21",
    "sanskrit": "अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहु: परमां गतिम् |यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम || 21||",
    "transliteration": "avyakto ’kṣhara ityuktas tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatimyaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "avyaktaḥ—unmanifest; akṣharaḥ—imperishable; iti—thus; uktaḥ—is said; tam—that; āhuḥ—is called; paramām—the supreme; gatim—destination; yam—which; prāpya—having reached; na—never; nivartante—come back; tat—that; dhāma—abode; paramam—the supreme; mama—My",
    "translation": [
      "This Unmanifested is called the Imperishable; It is said to be the Ultimate Goal, from which those who reach It never come back. That is My Supreme Abode."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "All the Vedas and Sastras declare that Paramatma, the Imperishable, is the highest state. Reaching it man does not return to the perishable body. There is no samsara again for the sage who attains the highest goal. Having lived in the world, it becomes clear that everything is vanishing like a dream. The child of today is the old man of tomorrow. Pleasures turn into pains. Joys lead to sorrow. Life ends in death. The whole scheme of existence is only a troubled dream. Time passes and death takes away all. Knowing this fully from experience the wise man is not at all interested in this child’s play. He has no relish for these insipid things. He knows that the dream life is utterly unbecoming of him, who has the eternal Self as his real Being. So he aims high, aims at Truth, aims at the lion rather than catch a jackal. So the Lord’s inspiring call to mankind is to give up the foolish little self, and ascend to him, and be one with him.",
      "Reaching him, there is no re-birth. Why should man wish to be born in the cage of flesh? Is it to taste the ditch – water of several worldly pleasures again? Why does he crave for such wretched things when he is really the immortal bliss and blessedness. The man of Self-realisation rejects the body as a dirty tattered robe. He does not wish to wear it again. Immortality, bliss and blessedness, he enjoys when he attains the highest abode of the Lord.",
      "After Totāpuri left Dakshineswar the Master determined to return to the nirvikalpa plane. He did so, and as a matter of fact, remained in that state, more or less, for six months. It is a puzzling period of his life, in one sense, since he was cared for not by Hriday or other relatives, nor by Mathur, nor the Brāhmaṇī (all of whom were, apparently, still at Dakshineswar), but by an unknown wandering sādhu, a sojourner at the temple garden. This monk somehow knew that this body, with its matted hair, flies entering mouth and nose, looking more dead than alive, needed to be preserved for the world. Sometimes he would beat that body with a short stick, when, finding a little external consciousness, he would force food into the Master’s mouth.‘I was,’ says Ramakrishna, ‘in that state from which ordinary mortals never return.There was no consciousness at all of the coming of day and night. Calls of nature were perhaps answered unconsciously. Then after six months I heard the Mother’s command, “Remain in bhāvamukha for the spiritual enlightenment of men.”16 Twice before, he had heard this command (see Chap. II). Swami Saradananda devotes many pages to the explanation of this term. As we have said, it is a name for the general condition of a mystic’s mind which enables him on the one hand to experience the visions and ecstasies of the personal forms of God; and on the other, to leave the relative behind and plunge into the Absolute. This was to be Sri Ramakrishna’s condition for many years following. As already mentioned (in the Introduction) a devotee who saw him in 1874 testifies to his absorption in samādhi continuously for three days and nights. The Master said on many occasions, ‘The natural tendency of the mind is upwards, towards the nirvikalpa plane. Once in samādhi it does not feel inclined to come down. For your sake it has to be forced down. Even this is not motive enough, so I catch hold of trifling desires, and saying “I will have a smoke “, or “I will drink water”, or “I will eat this or that”, I thus force the mind gradually down to body-consciousness.’ (Source: The Visions of Sri Ramakrishna)",
      "Question:What is the highest state?",
      "Answer:The unmanifested, imperishable state of Paramatma.",
      "Question:What happens when man attains it?",
      "Answer:He attains immortality and is not reborn again.",
      "Question:What is the nature of Paramatma?",
      "Answer:He is imperishable, beyond the senses and the mind."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-21.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v21/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 22,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 22",
    "sanskrit": "पुरुष: स पर: पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया |यस्यान्त:स्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् || 22||",
    "transliteration": "puruṣhaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas tvananyayāyasyāntaḥ-sthāni bhūtāni yena sarvam idaṁ tatam",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "puruṣhaḥ—the Supreme Divine Personality; saḥ—he; paraḥ—greatest; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; bhaktyā—through devotion; labhyaḥ—is attainable; tu—indeed; ananyayā—without another; yasya—of whom; antaḥ-sthāni—situated within; bhūtāni—beings; yena—by whom; sarvam—all; idam—this; tatam—is pervaded",
    "translation": [
      "That Supreme Purusha, in whom all beings abide and by whom the entire universe is pervaded, can be attained, Ο Pārtha, by whole-souled devotion directed to Him alone."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "That which is to be attained and the way to attain it are both explained here. Where does the world with all the crores of beings reside? What sustains it? These questions are answered here. On Paramatma – as the snake is super-imposed on the rope – the whole universe with all the worlds in it is created as a wonderful illusion. As the rope is the basis, Paramatma is the basis, the foundation, the reality of all this illusion. Where is the dream world? It is in man and nowhere else. So also, all this world is in Paramatma. Like the cream, in milk, Paramatma pervades the whole of creation.",
      "Unswerving devotion to the Lord is the only way to attain Him. Intense devotion and one-pointed concentration are essential for Realisation.Dispassion, vairagya, towards the whole of the objective universe, and faith in the Lord as the only refuge-this is intense (ananya) bhakti.The perfect does not think of anything else. He attaches no value to the enjoyments, pains, and sufferings of life. He finds that there is only one Reality and in that he takes refuge. Such bhakti leads to the Lord.",
      "It is to be noted that the Lord emphasises devotion (bhakti) in every Discourse, whatever may be the yoga taught in it. This shows that devotion is the common ingredient in every type of yoga. All yogas have for their life-element devotion to the Lord.",
      "The Lord is Parama Purusha. The Jiva attains that state by devotion, knowledge, and dispassion. That is the aim of human life.",
      "Question:On whom is the world based and by whom is it pervaded?",
      "Answer:Paramatma.",
      "Question:How can he be attained?",
      "Answer:By single-minded devotion."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-22.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v22/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 23,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 23",
    "sanskrit": "यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिन: |प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ || 23||",
    "transliteration": "yatra kāle tvanāvṛittim āvṛittiṁ chaiva yoginaḥprayātā yānti taṁ kālaṁ vakṣhyāmi bharatarṣhabha",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "yatra—where; kāle—time; tu—certainly; anāvṛittim—no return; āvṛittim—return; cha—and; eva—certainly; yoginaḥ—a yogi; prayātāḥ—having departed; yānti—attain; tam—that; kālam—time; vakṣhyāmi—I shall describe; bharata-ṛiṣhabha—Arjun, the best of the Bharatas;",
    "translation": [
      "Now I will tell you, Ο greatest of the Bhāratas, the time in which the yogis depart never to return, and also the time in which they depart to return.",
      ""
    ],
    "commentary": [],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-23.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v23/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 24,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 24",
    "sanskrit": "अग्निर्ज्योतिरह: शुक्ल: षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् |तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जना: || 24||",
    "transliteration": "agnir jyotir ahaḥ śhuklaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇamtatra prayātā gachchhanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "agniḥ—fire; jyotiḥ—light; ahaḥ—day; śhuklaḥ—the bright fortnight of the moon; ṣhaṭ-māsāḥ—six months; uttara-ayanam—the sun’s northern course; tatra—there; prayātāḥ—departed; gachchhanti—go; brahma—Brahman; brahma-vidaḥ—those who know the Brahman; janāḥ—persons;",
    "translation": [
      "Fire, light, day-time, the bright half of the moon, and the six months of the northward passage of the sun— taking this path, the knowers of Brahman go to Brahman."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "Knowledge (Jnana) is light; ignorance (Ajnana) is darkness. He who possesses the effulgence of Brahmajnana goes to Brahman.",
      "The bright state comes only to the knowers of Brahman and not to others. The word ‘Janah‘ shows that the realisation of Brahman is open to all without any distinction of caste, sex, religion or race.",
      "Since Brahmajnana is light, five light-causing things are mentioned here. (1) Fire, (2) Light, (3) Day, (4) The bright fortnight, (5) The northern solstice (Uttarayana). The fifth points the way to the higher worlds of light and knowledge. The Jiva should find his abode in the light of Brahmajnana, the imperishable Self. So he moves upwards into light and not downwards into darkness. The upward look(urdhvadrishti)is absorption in the light of Atma, and the downward look(adhodrishti)is in the contemplation of the insentient material – world. Thus the light-producing things are an indication of knowledge and the ascent of man towards Self-realisation. From this state, there is no return.",
      "Question:What is the path taken by the knowers of Brahman?",
      "Answer:Fire, light, day, the bright fortnight, the northern solstice, this is the path taken by the knowers of Brahman.",
      "Question:Who attains Brahman?",
      "Answer:The knowers of Brahman attain Brahman."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-24.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v24/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 25,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 25",
    "sanskrit": "धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्ण: षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् |तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते || 25||",
    "transliteration": "dhūmo rātris tathā kṛiṣhṇaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā dakṣhiṇāyanamtatra chāndramasaṁ jyotir yogī prāpya nivartate",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "dhūmaḥ—smoke; rātriḥ—night; tathā—and; kṛiṣhṇaḥ—the dark fortnight of the moon; ṣhaṭ-māsāḥ—six months; dakṣhiṇa-ayanam—the sun’s southern course; tatra—there; chāndra-masam—lunar; jyotiḥ—light; yogī—a yogi; prāpya—attain; nivartate—comes back;",
    "translation": [
      "Smoke, night, the dark half of the moon, and the six months of the southward passage of the sun— taking this path, the yogi reaches the lunar path and thence returns."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "As knowledge is light, ignorance (avidya) is darkness. He who takes the later path is reborn again and again. Here the yogi is one who has performed actions with a desire to enjoy the fruits. As he has not understood the secret of Brahmajnana, he is subject to birth after birth. Here, smoke, night, the dark fortnight, stand for the enveloping darkness of ignorance. The Dakshinayana shows the downward path. The yogi who is devoid of Brahmajnana, reaching the lunar sphere, returns to the world again according to the nature of his Karma. The path of avidya is indicated by the southern solstice.",
      "It is also necessary to understand the significance of Uttarayana and Dakshinayana. We find that many great souls have passed away in Dakshinayana and many deluded souls have passed away in Uttarayana. If the external meaning alone is taken, it would lead to the absurd conclusion that the ignorant attain the Light and the wise fall into darkness. The wise always take the upward path of light, whatever may be the time when the body falls. The deluded take the path of darkness, whatever may be the time when the body falls. The upward path signifies Jnana and the downward path Ajnana.",
      "Question:What is the path taken by the man of desires?",
      "Answer:He takes the path of darkness, indicated by smoke, night etc.",
      "Question:Does he take birth again?",
      "Answer:Yes.",
      "Question:What is the implication?",
      "Answer:Only by Atmajnana, man takes the upward path, and attains Brahman, the birthless and deathless state."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-25.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v25/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 26,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 26",
    "sanskrit": "शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगत: शाश्वते मते |एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुन: || 26||",
    "transliteration": "śhukla-kṛiṣhṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śhāśhvate mateekayā yātyanāvṛittim anyayāvartate punaḥ",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "śhukla—bright; kṛiṣhṇe—dark; gatī—paths; hi—certainly; ete—these; jagataḥ—of the material world; śhāśhvate—eternal; mate—opinion; ekayā—by one; yāti—goes; anāvṛittim—to non return; anyayā—by the other; āvartate—comes back; punaḥ—again",
    "translation": [
      "These two paths— the bright and the dark— are deemed to be the world’s eternal paths. Following the one, a man does not come back, and following the other, he is reborn."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "It is declared here that these two paths of light and darkness, of liberation and bondage, of knowledge and ignorance, are eternal and fixed for all mankind. Those who acquire Atmajnana do not return again into the cage of flesh and blood. The others return again and again into the body, till they attain perfection. The two paths are open to man. Which to choose depends on the discrimination of man. If a man ascends into light, he is blessed; if a man descends into darkness, he suffers all the ills of human life. Let all the seekers resolutely, set their face against ignorance, and look upward for the Light of Atma.",
      "Question:What are the two paths open to the world?",
      "Answer:The path of light and knowledge (Uttarayana) and the path of darkness and ignorance (Dakshinayana).",
      "Question:What should the wise man do?",
      "Answer:He should eliminate ignorance and follow the path of light."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-26.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v26/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 27,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 27",
    "sanskrit": "नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन |तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन || 27||",
    "transliteration": "naite sṛitī pārtha jānan yogī muhyati kaśhchanatasmāt sarveṣhu kāleṣhu yoga-yukto bhavārjuna",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "na—never; ete—these two; sṛitī—paths; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; jānan—knowing; yogī—a yogi; muhyati—bewildered; kaśhchana—any; tasmāt—therefore; sarveṣhu kāleṣhu—always; yoga-yuktaḥ—situated in Yog; bhava—be; arjuna—Arjun",
    "translation": [
      "No yogi who understands these two paths is ever deluded. Therefore, Ο Arjuna, at all times be steadfast in yoga."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "It is stated here that the yogi who understands the two paths of light and darkness is not deluded. It means that he would never go into darkness and delusion, but always ness is not de rest in the light of knowledge and truth. Having seen what is poison and what is nectar, the wise man rejects the poison and takes the nectar. So also, knowing clearly – this is Atma, that is Anatma, this is light and that is darkness, this is immortality and that is death – who will go into darkness and death? No. He would never allow delusion to come near him. He has understood the secret of life and death, by his discriminatory reason. Therefore the Lord says:- “O Arjuna! Be established in yoga; have your being always in the light of Brahman.” The Lord’s command is to hold the knowledge firm at all times because negligence even for a second would give way for Maya to work evil in the heart of man.",
      "The moment when the Lord is forgotten, that very moment causes danger, delusion, harm, and wrong action. The absence of light is darkness. Forgetfulness of Truth is itself the empire of Maya. The moment when man begins to enquire after truth, Maya disappears. When such enquiry lapses even for a moment, Maya enters, declaring ‘I am here’. When people pursue the thief determined to catch him, he runs away and disappears. Such is Maya. It is always in and around the people but when they pursue the enquiry after Truth, it disappears. So the enquiry should be kept up continuously. Man then lives in the light of Truth.",
      "Yogayukto bhava:Yoga means union with Paramatma, through knowledge, devotion, or dhyana or by any and every means pointed out in the Sastras. To be established in such yoga is what is taught here.",
      "Question:Who is not deluded?",
      "Answer:He who knows light and darkness, knowledge and ignorance, does not fall into error and delusion.",
      "Question:What is the duty of the aspirant?",
      "Answer:He should always be established in yoga.",
      "Question:Is it not enough to be in yoga for a short time?",
      "Answer:No. To forget light, to forget Truth, is to fall into darkness and untruth. So one should always be established in yoga."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-27.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v27/"
  },
  {
    "verse_number": 28,
    "verse_title": "Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 28",
    "sanskrit": "वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तप:सु चैवदानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् |अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वायोगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् || 28||",
    "transliteration": "vedeṣhu yajñeṣhu tapaḥsu chaivadāneṣhu yat puṇya-phalaṁ pradiṣhṭamatyeti tat sarvam idaṁ viditvāyogī paraṁ sthānam upaiti chādyam",
    "word_by_word_meaning": "vedeṣhu—in the study of the Vedas; yajñeṣhu—in performance of sacrifices; tapaḥsu—in austerities; cha—and; eva—certainly; dāneṣhu—in giving charities; yat—which; puṇya-phalam—fruit of merit; pradiṣhṭam—is gained; atyeti—surpasses; tat sarvam—all; idam—this; viditvā—having known; yogī—a yogi; param—Supreme; sthānam—Abode; upaiti—achieves; cha—and; ādyam—original",
    "translation": [
      "The yogi who knows this transcends all the rewards laid down for the study of the Vedas, for sacrifices, for austerities, for making gifts: he reaches the Supreme, Primal Abode."
    ],
    "commentary": [
      "This— The answers to the seven questions of Arjuna, given in the eighth chapter of the Gītā. One must not merely understand, but also follow, the teachings implied in the answers.",
      "The excellence of Brahmajnana is declared here. The knower of the Imperishable Brahman attains the highest state, far beyond any of the meritorious rewards springing from the study of the Vedas, the performance of sacrifices and austerities, and the offering of gifts. Brahman is the only Truth, and having reached it, man attains the Supreme state. tams the Supreme st",
      "It is true that several meritorious rewards come to man through the performance of sacrifices etc. But they are all in the realm of Maya; they have an end; they are not eternal. Therefore the yogi aspires to attain that state in which all the rewards of all the good works are comprehended and fulfilled. And that state is the realisation of Brahman, the only Reality.",
      "Brahmajnana transcends all the merits derived from the study of the Vedas, or sacrifices or other good works. Fifty is included in the hundred. So the person who attains the hundred includes the fifty and transcends it also. Brahmajnana is ‘mahapunya’. The lesser fruits of other meritorious deeds are included in it. Whereas all other rewards end in time, the yogi of brahmajnana lives in eternal bliss.",
      "There are many illiterate people who cannot study the Vedas. There are many people who are physically weak and so cannot perform austerities. There are poor people who cannot offer meritorious gifts. What shall be the fate of all these people? Is there no way of liberation for them? The Lord here declares that by the contemplation and understanding of Brahman, they shall attain the highest state, and obtain all the rewards of all the meritorious acts done by others. Purity of mind and heart, and purity in devotion are the only things needed. The study of the Vedas, tapas, and dhyana, if they are performed without attachment, purifies the heart of man enabling him to attain Brahmajnana.",
      "Brahmajnana is the highest state. The seekers, in the beginning, may undertake all the good works enjoined in the Sastras. But let them not stop there, for, the goal is Self-relisation, and no one should stop at any intermediate stage. With Brahmajnana the quest for the Supreme stops, and man is eternally satisfied.",
      "Question:What is his merit who understands the imperishable Brahman?",
      "Answer:He attains all the rewards of (1) Vedic study, (2) Sacrifices, (3) Austerities, and (4) Dana and transcends all these.",
      "Question:What is the nature of Brahman?",
      "Answer:It is the primeval cause of all and the highest state (Param sthanam).",
      "Question:What is the highest state?",
      "Answer:Paramatma.",
      "Question:What should a person do who aspires to attain the Highest?",
      "Answer:With a pure heart, he should take refuge in Paramatma. As by watering the roots of a tree, all the branches, fruits and flowers are watered, so also the man who attains Brahman, derives all the merits of all the good works done in the world."
    ],
    "audio": "https://cdn.vivekavani.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bhagavad-Gita-Chapter-8-Verse-28.mp3",
    "source": "https://vivekavani.com/b8v28/"
  }
]