Chapter 8.2 Akshara Brahma Yoga (Yoga of The Imperishable Brahman) - Slokas 14-27
Is God difficult to attain? What happens to one who attains “Godhood”?
Bhagavan Sri Krishna continues:
Sloka 14 – 15
14. I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast yogi, who constantly remembers Me daily, not thinking of anything else, O Partha.
15. Having come to Me, these Mahatmas (great souls) do not again take birth, which is the house of pain and is non-eternal, they, having reached the highest perfection, moksha.
Breaking the myth that God Is difficult to reach, Lord Krishna says that He is easily attainable by constantly remembering Him daily without any other distracting thoughts. When we chant the third anuvakkam of Chamakam from Shri Rudram (Yajur vedam), we chant “Lord Siva, please let me wake up with remembering you all morning”. This is classic “Bhagavath Smaranam” (Remembrance of God).
It is stated that in Kaliyuga, the Lord can be easily obtained by singing the glories or chanting the different names of the Lord. Examples are chanting the thousand names of Lord Mahavishnu (Vishnu Sahasranaamam) and singing God’s Glory through bhajans. In other words, Naama Japam or “Naama Sankirthanam” (singing or chanting the names of the Lord), is considered as the best and direct route to reach God in Kaliyuga as per many saints.
For those who are unable to sing or chant for some reason or the other, they can close their eyes and just meditate, listening to Vishnu Sahasranaamam or Shri Rudram. Other powerful choices to listen to are Hanuman Chalisa, Kandar Shashti Kavasam (on Lord Murugan), Ganapathy Atharva Seersha Upanishad or any Lord Rama, Lord Krishna or Lord Siva bhajans. One can also do household chores or walk while mentally chanting the mantram of their ishta deva (chosen deity). The great author and proponent of meditation Sri Eknath Easwaran, popularly recommends the “mantram walk”.
Lord Krishna also says that a great soul (Mahatma), who constantly remembers the Lord, directly attains Him and does not take birth again.
Slokas 16 -19
16. Worlds up to the order of Brahmaji are subject to rebirth, O Arjuna; but he who reaches Me, O Kaunteya, has no birth.
17. Those people who know (the length of) the day of Brahma which ends in a thousand yugas (aeons) and the night which (also) ends in a thousand yugas, they know day and night.
18. From the unmanifested, all the manifested proceed at the coming of the “day”; at the coming of “night”, they dissolve verily in that alone which is called the unmanifest.
19. This same multitude of beings is born again and again, and is dissolved (into the unmanifest) helplessly, O Partha, at the coming of “night”, and they come forward again at the coming of “day”.
These slokas do not reflect the idea that we are in control of everything. Through these slokas, Bhagavan Krishna clearly explains that beings are “helpless” with reference to birth and death. They are born during the daytime of Brahmaji when he comes out of his sleep. The same beings become unmanifested when Brahmaji retires to sleep. The process of being born and going back into the unmanifested, is with reference to the body, and it takes place innumerable times until that person reaches perfection and moksha is obtained. Sri Krishna goes on to say that, even each Brahmaji has a time limit in his existence, and he is subject to rebirth. But those who reach The Lord, do not have to be reborn and they live permanently in the Lord.
“When the boiled paddy is sown in the field, it does not sprout. Even so, when a perfected person puts away the body, he's not born again” - Sri Ramakrishna
(For those of you who may be interested in the quantity of time, one day of Brahmaji is about 4.32 billion human years. And one night of Brahmaji is also about 4.32 billion human years. Each Brahmaji has a lifespan of approximately 311 trillion human years).
Slokas 20 - 22
20. But verily there exists, higher than that unmanifested (avyakta), another unmanifested, which is eternal, which is not destroyed when all beings are destroyed.
21. That which is called the Unmanifest and the Imperishable, that, they say is the highest goal (path). They who reached it, never again return. That is My highest aboard (state).
22. That highest Purusha, O Partha, is attainable by unswerving devotion to Him alone, within whom all beings dwell, by whom all this is pervaded.
There are two phases of existence of a thing - the relative and the absolute. A simple example is water existing as snow, ice or vapor. These states of water are perishable. This is relative existence. The existence of water in these modifications will be its absolute existence. Bhagavan Krishna says that there is an eternal “Unmanifested Existence” which is indestructible and is the absolute Existence. It is attainable only by “single pointed devotion” to God.
I used to wonder why Lord Krishna keeps saying “they say” in many places in Bhagavad Gita including sloka 21 in this chapter. After all, Sri Krishna is God Himself. Why should He refer to someone else? The question also arises who are “they”? “They” refers to those great saints, who have already attained “Mukthi” (liberation) and have reached Him (“My Highest abode” as Sri Krishna says here). This shows the great love and respect that Bhagavan Krishna shows to His devotees.
It is said that Sri Krishna was observed to be quietly meditating from time to time. When asked who He is meditating upon, Sri Krishna said, “Most people are fascinated by this world and they forget Me or they remember Me only from time to time. But my devotees have renounced this world for My sake, and they completely surrender to Me. So, I was meditating upon them “. What a beautiful answer!
Sloka 23 - 26
23. Now, I will tell you, O chief of Bharatas, the time (path) in which the yogis depart, never to return, and also the time (path), in which they depart to return.
24. Fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern solstice, following this path, men who know Brahman go to Brahman.
25. Smoke, nighttime, the dark fortnight, also six months of the southern solstice, attaining by these to the moon, the lunar light, the “yogi” returns.
26. The path of light and the path of darkness available for the world are verily thought to be both eternal; by the one - the path of light, a man goes to return not; by the other - the path of darkness, he returns again.
We need to analyze the above slokas. Description of the paths in slokas 24 and 25 are symbolic and should not be taken literally.
Fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight and the six months of the northern solstice are indicative of the path of the gods (devayaana), presided over by the Sun. This is the path of “Gradual Liberation” (krama mukthi) through the “Northern Route”. This path is taken by one, who does rituals (karma) and also worship (upasana). Departing this way, while meditating on the Lord, the yogi reaches Brahma loka and merges with Brahman.
Smoke, nighttime, the dark fortnight and six months of the southern solstice, are indicative of the path of ancestors (pitryaana), presided over by the moon. This path is taken by one, who does rituals (karma) but not accompanied by any worship (upasana). The human being, departing via the “Southern Route”, reaches heaven, enjoys the fruits and returns to the world.
Both these paths, devayaana and pitryaana have existed for ever. They are eternal, says Sri Krishna. They are described as the path of light and the path of darkness respectively. These two represent the paths of Knowledge and ignorance. One path leads a person to the higher and the other keeps a person in the lower realm of consciousness. The human being going through the path of knowledge merges with Brahman.
lokas 27 - 28
27. Knowing these paths, O Partha, no yogi is deluded. Therefore, at all times, be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna.
28. Vedeshu yajneshu tapahsu caiva dhaaneshu yatpunya phalam pradishtam
Atyeti tatsarvamidam viditvaa yogi param sthaanu mupaiti caadyam
“Whether the fruit of merit is declared (in the scriptures) as springing up from the study of the Vedas, from performance of sacrifices, from practice of austerities, and from charity - beyond all these goes the yogin, who, having known this (the two paths), attends to the Supreme, Primeval (essence)”.
The Lord now glorifies the yogi who has knowledge of the two paths explained in the slokas 24 and 25. The meditating yogi, who knows these two paths, has more merits (goes beyond) than the person who has the knowledge of the Vedas. The yogi also goes beyond those who practice severe austerities or tapas, and also beyond those who do a lot of charity. The reason being the yogi, who understands these two paths, will choose the path of mukthi (liberation) and merge with Brahman (the Supreme, Primeval essence as Sri Krishna declares).
Summary of chapter 8
In this chapter, called “Akshara Brahma Yoga” (Yoga of The Imperishable Brahman), Bhagavan Krishna answers the seven questions that Arjuna asks in the beginning of the chapter. The Lord explains that only Brahman is Imperishable and everything else is timebound (have a beginning and an end). Sri Krishna tells Arjuna why he should think of the Lord all the time and how He (The Lord) is easily attainable. He discusses how, those who know the Vedas, depart from this world uttering the mantram “Om”.
The Lord details how the multitude of human beings come into this world and disappear from this world again and again. But beyond this “manifested” world of beings, Sri Krishna says, there is also “unmanifested eternal existence” which does not perish. Lord Krishna goes on to explain that the worlds up to that of Brahmaji are subject to rebirth. But those who reach The Lord, do not have to be reborn and they live permanently in the Lord.
Bhagavan further explains the two paths, one of light, and one of darkness, by which the yogi departs this world. Sri Krishna says, the yogi, who departs by the path of light (devayaana), goes to Brahman; by the other - the path of darkness (pitryaana), he returns again to this world to further clear his accumulated vasanaas and evolve further. This chapter can be described as showing the way to the Imperishable Brahman.
Om Tat Sad iti Srimad Bhagavadgitasu Upanishatsu Brahmavidyaayaam Yogashastre
Sri Krishnarjuna samvade akshara brahma yogo naama ashtamo dhyaayaha
Thus, in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, in the Knowledge of Brahman, in the scripture of Yoga, in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the eighth discourse titled “The Yoga of The Imperishable Brahman”.
Hari Om!
Dr.Shanmugam