"Reaching the Abode of the Almighty"

With love and devotion, remembering Krsna all his life, and especially at the time of death, one can attain His highest abode, beyond this material world.
In this chapter, a person can receive answers to all his questions from the original source. Knowledge is so multifaceted that without resorting to the Absolute Truth, it is simply impossible to figure out what exactly the sacred treatise is talking about. So the word atma, which is usually translated as the soul, can even be translated as mind, body or feeling. Only the highest authority can answer such questions - the one who compiled this knowledge for a person. Such a person is called Purushottama, the supreme person, a person who can answer any question.
If you ask the question correctly, you can destroy the illusion of this material world. Questions generally destroy illusions, so people are often afraid of uncomfortable questions. But the Absolute Truth is not afraid of questions, and with the help of them we can expand the framework of the material reality that determines us. A good question often brings more benefits than lives spent in selfish prayer. Therefore, spiritual life begins with questions about the Absolute Truth. And the main question of this world is the question of why there is happiness and sorrow, and therefore duality.

TEXT 1


arjuna uvaca 
kim tad brahma kim adhyatmam 
kim karma 
purushottama adhibhutam ca kim proktam 
adhidaiv kim uchate
arjunah uvaca - Arjuna said; kim - what; tat - that; brahma - Brahman; kim - what; adhyatmam - the soul; kim - what; karma - fruitive activities; purusa-uttama - O Supreme Person; adhibhutam - the material world; ca - i; kim - what; proktam - called; adhidaivam - the demigods; kim - what; ucyate - is called.
Arjuna asked: O Lord, O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is an individual "I"? What is called an effective activity? What is the material world? What are the demigods? Please tell me about this.

TEXT 2


adhijajnah katham ko 'tra 
dehe' smin madhusudana 
prayana-kale ca katham 
jneio 'si niyatatmabhih
adhijajnah - the master of all sacrifices; katham - how; kah - who; atra - here; dehe - in the body; asmin - in this; madhusudana - O Madhusudana; prayana-kale - at the time of death; ca - i; katham - how; jneiah asi - (You) are the one to be remembered; niyata-atmabhih - self-controlled.
Who is called the lord of sacrifice and how does he abide in this body, O Madhusudana? How do those engaged in devotional service remember You at the time of death?

TEXT 3


sri-bhagavan 
uvcha aksaram brahma paramam 
svabhavo 'dhyatmam ukyate 
bhuta-bhavodbhava- 
karo visargah karma-samjnitah
sri-bhagavan uvaca - the Supreme Lord said; aksaram - imperishable; brahma - Brahman; paramam - transcendental; svabhavah - eternal nature; adhyatmam - the soul; ucyate - is called; bhuta-bhava-udbhava-karah — that which creates the material bodies of living entities; visargah - creation; karma - by activities for its fruits; samjnitah - called.
The Supreme Lord said: Brahman is the imperishable transcendental being, and the individual “I” (adhyatma) is his eternal nature. Karma, or the activity that brings the consequences, is called the activity in which living beings create their future material bodies.

TEXT 4


adhibhutam ksaro bhavah 
purushas cadhidaivatam 
adhiyajno 'ham evatra dehe 
deha-bhritam vara
adhibhutam - the material world; kшarah - constantly changing; bhavah - nature; purusah - the universal body (which includes all the demigods, such as the sun-god and the moon-god); ca - i; adhidaivatam - adhidaiva; adhiyajnah - the Supersoul; aham - I (Krishna); eva - unconditionally; atra - here; dehe - in the body; deha-bhrtam - of all beings embodied in the body; vara - oh best.
O best among embodied beings, the material nature, which is constantly changing, is called adhibhuta, the material world. The Lord’s universal body, of which the sun god, moon god and other demigods are parts, is called adhidaiva. A Me, the Supreme Lord, who is as the Supersoul in the heart of every living entity, is called adhiyagya [master of sacrifice].

TEXT 5


anta-kale ca mam eva 
smaran muktva kalevaram 
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam 
yati nasty atra samsayah
anta-kale - at the end of life; ca — also; mam - Me; eva - unconditionally; smaran - remembering; muktva - leaving; kalevaram - the body; yah - which; prayati - is sent; sah — that; mat-bhavam - My nature; yati - gains; na - not; asti - exists; atra - here; samsayah - doubt.
He who at the end of his life, leaving the body, only remembers Me, immediately acquires My nature. There is no doubt about that.

TEXT 6


yam yam vapi smaran bhavam 
tyajaty ante kalevaram 
there tam evaiti kaunteya sada 
tad-bhava-bhavitah
yam yam - which; va api - generally; smaran - remembering; bhavam - the state of being; tyajati - leaves; ante - at the end; kalevaram - the body; there there - to that; eva - unconditionally; these comes; kaunteya - O son of Kunti; sada - always; tat - that; bhava - the state of being; bhavitah - remembering.
O son of Kunti, no matter what state of being a person remembers when leaving his body, he will reach that state in his next life.

TEXT 7


tasmat sarvesu kaleshu 
mam anusmara yudhya ca 
may maypita-mano-buddhir 
mam evaisyasy asamsayah
tasmat - therefore; sarvesu - in all; kalesu - time; mam - Me; anusmara - keep remembering; yudhya - fight; ca - i; mayi - on Me; arpita - concentrated; manah - the mind; buddhih - whose mind; mam — to Me; eva - without fail; esyasi - you will come; asamsayah - without doubt.
Therefore, O Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of K Кришныныa and at the same time fight, performing your duty. Devoting all your actions to Me and keeping your mind and mind focused on Me, you will certainly reach My abode.

TEXT 8


abhyasa yoga yuktena 
cetasa nanya-gamina 
paramam purusam divyam 
yati parthanuchintayan
abhyasa yoga - through the practice of yoga; yuktena - concentrated in meditation; cetasa - by the mind (and reason); na anya-gamina - not deviating; paramam - of the Supreme; purusam - the Personality of Godhead; divyam - transcendental; yati - reaches; partha - O son of Prtha; Anuchintayan - constantly thinking (about Him).
O Partha, one who constantly remembers Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who always thinks carefully of Me and is not distracted by anything else, will no doubt come to Me.

TEXT 9


Kavim puranam anushasitaram 
anor ananiyamsam anusmared yah 
sarvasya dhataram acintya-rupam 
aditya-varnam tamasah parastat
kavim — one who knows everything; puranam - of the oldest; anusasitaram - sovereign; anoh - of the atom; aniyamsam - less; anusmaret - let him make a subject of reflection; yah - which; sarvasya - of everything; dhataram - the guardian; acintya - incomprehensible; rupam — of whose form; aditya-varnam - shining like the sun; tamasah - of darkness; parastat is beyond.
Think of Me as the omniscient, oldest Supreme Person, as the sovereign of the universe, as who is less than the smallest and who supports the entire universe; how about who is above all material representations, who are incomprehensible and who always remain a person; as one who shines like the sun, who is beyond the material world.

TEXT 10


prayana-kale manasacalena 
bhaktya yukto yoga-balena caiva 
bhruvor madhye pranam avesya samyak 
sa tam param purusam upai divyam
prayana-kale - at the time of death; manasa - with the mind; acalena - not distracted; bhaktya - with love and devotion; yuktah - busy; yoga balena - by the power of mystic yoga; ca — also; eva - unconditionally; bhruvoh - eyebrow; madhye - between; pranam - the air of life; avesya - by directing; samyak - completely; sah — he; there - of that; param - transcendental; purusam - the persons of Godhead; upaiti — attains; divyam - of the spiritual kingdom.
One who directs the air of life between the eyebrows at the time of death and, having restrained his mind through the practice of yoga, concentrates it on the Supreme Lord, thinking of Him with love and devotion, will certainly reach the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TEXT 11


yad aksaram veda-vido 
vadanti visanti yad yatayo vita- 
ragah yad ichchanto brahmacharyam caranti 
tat te padam sangrahena pravakshye
yat - which; aksaram - the syllable om; veda-vidah - the Vedic scholars vadanti - they say; visanti - enter; yat - in which; yatayah — the great sages; vita-ragah - living in renunciation of the world; yat - of which; icchantah - those who desire; brahmacaryam - the vow of celibacy; charanti - execute; tat - that; those to you; padam - position; sangrahena - in general; pravaksya - I will tell.
The great sages, who have mastered the knowledge of the Vedas, have renounced the world and utter omkara, enter Brahman. One who strives for this perfection must remain celibate. Now I will describe in general terms the practice of yoga with which you can free yourself from material captivity.

TEXT 12


sarva-dvarani samyamya 
mano hridi nirudhya ca 
murdhni adhayatmanah pranam 
asthito yoga-dharanam
sarva-dvarani - all the gates (body cities); samyamya - subjugating; manah - the mind; hrdi - in the heart; nirudhya - holding; ca — also; murdhni - on the head; adhaya - by concentrating; atmanah - souls; pranam - the air of life; asthitah - entered; yoga-dharanamE <$!> in a yoga trance.
The yogi must completely cease the activity of the senses. Closing all the gates of the body, concentrating the mind on the heart and raising the vital air to the upper part of the head, he must enter a state of trance.

TEXT 13


om it ecaksharam brahma 
vyaharan mam anusmaran 
yah prayati tyajan deham 
sa yati paramam gatim
om — combination of letters om (omkara); iti - in this way; eka-aksaram - one syllable; brahma - the absolute; vyaharan - the speaker; mam - Me (Krishna); anusmaran - remembering; yah - which; prayati - leaves; tyajan - leaving; deham - the body; sah — that; yati - comes; paramam - to the highest; gatim - towards the goal.
If one who tirelessly practices this yoga practice and pronounces the sacred syllable om, the highest combination of letters, will, leaving his body, remember Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he will certainly fall on the planets of the spiritual kingdom.

TEXT 14


ananya-cetah satatam 
yo mam smarati nityasah 
tasyaham sulabhah partha 
nitya-yuktasya yoginami
ananya-cetah — one whose mind is concentrated; satatam - always; yah - which; mam - Me (Krishna); smarati - remembers; nityasah - constantly; tasya — him; aham - I; su-labhah - very easily understood; partha - O son of Prtha; nitya - constantly; yuktasya - employed; yoginas - a devotee.
O son of Prtha, one who constantly remembers Me can easily come to Me, for he serves Me all the time.

TEXT 15


mam upetya punar janma 
duhkhalayam ashashvatam 
napnavanti mahatmanah 
samsiddhim paramam gatah
mam — to Me; upetya - having come; punah - again; janma — birth; duhkha-alayam - the place of suffering; asasvatam - mortal; na - not; apnuvanti - gain; maha-atmanah - great souls; samsiddhim - perfection; paramam - the highest; gatah - attained.
Having come to Me, great souls, yogi-devotees, never return to this mortal world full of suffering, for they have attained the highest perfection.

TEXT 16


a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah 
punar avartino 'rjuna 
mam upetya tu kaunteya 
punar janma na vidyate
a-brahma-bhuvanat - to Brahmaloka; lokah — planetary systems; punah - again; avartinah - returning; arjuna - O Arjuna; mam — to Me; upetya - having come; tu - but; kaunteya - O son of Kunti; punah janma - new birth; na - not; vidyate - happens.
All the planets of the material world, from the highest to the lowest, are the vale of suffering, where everyone is forced to be born and die again and again. But the one who has reached My abode, O son of Kunti, will never be born here again.

TEXT 17


sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar 
yad brahmano viduh 
ratrim yuga-sahasrantam 
te 'ho-ratra-vido janah
sahasra - one thousand; yuga - of eras; paryantam - including; ahah - the day; yat - which; brahmanah - Brahmas; viduh — they know; ratrim - night; yuga - of eras; sahasra-antam - that which ends in a thousand; those are they; ahah-ratra - day and night; types - those who know; janah - people.
One day of Brahma lasts a thousand eras according to the number of people, and the same lasts his night.

TEXT 18


avyaktad vyaktayah sarvah 
prabhavanty 
ahar-agame 
ratry-agame praliyante tatraivavyakta-samjnak
avyaktat - from the unmanifest; vyaktayah - living entities; sarvah - everything; prabhavanti - manifest; ahah-agame - at the beginning of the day; ratri-agame - at nightfall; praliyante - annihilated; tatra - in that; eva - unconditionally; avyakta - by an unmanifest state; samjnake - in that which is called.
At the beginning of the day of Brahma, all unmanifest beings go into the manifested state, and then, when the night of Brahma comes, they again become unmanifest.

TEXT 19


bhuta-gramah sa evayam 
bhutva bhutva praliyate 
ratry-agame 'vasah partha 
prabhavaty ahar- agame
bhuta-gramah - the totality of all living entities; sah - this; eva - unconditionally; ayam - this; bhutva bhutva - being born again and again; praliyate - annihilated; ratri - nights; agame - with the advent; avasah - involuntarily; partha - O son of Prtha; prabhavati - appears; ahah - of the day; agame - with the advance.
Each time with the advent of Brahma's day, all beings are born, and with the advent of night, in addition to their will, they go into non-existence.

TEXT 20


paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 
' vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah 
yah sa sarvesu bhutesu 
nashyatsu na vinashyati
parah — beyond; tasmat - of that; tu - but; bhavah - nature; anyah - another; avyaktah - the unmanifest; avyaktat - of the unmanifest; sanatanah - eternal; yah sah — that which; sarvesu - in everything; bhutesu - manifested; nasyatsu - in the subject of destruction; na - not; vinasyati - is destroyed.
But there is a different, eternal, unmanifest nature - it lies outside the material world, which either appears or disappears. This higher nature is indestructible. When the sun in the material world is destroyed, it remains untouched.

TEXT 21


avyakto 'kshara ity uktas 
there ahuh paramam gatim 
yam prapya on nivartante 
tad dham paramam mother
avyaktah - the unmanifest; aksarah - the eternal; iti - like that; uktah - called; there - that; ahuh — they are called; paramam - the highest; gatim — the goal; yam - which; prapya - having achieved; na - not; nivartante - return; tat - that; dhama — the abode; paramam - the highest; my mother.
What the Vedantists call unmanifest and incorruptible, what they call the highest goal, that place, upon reaching which the living entity never returns to the material world, is My highest abode.

TEXT 22


purusah sa parah partha 
bhaktya labhyas tv ananyaya 
yasyantah-sthani bhutani 
yena sarvam idam tatam
purusah - the Supreme Person; sah - He; parah - the Supreme Lord, who has no equal; partha - O son of Prtha; bhaktya - by devotional service; labhyah - one to be understood; tu - but; ananyaya - pure, unbroken; yasya - of whom; antah-sthani - situated within; bhutani - the material world; yena - by whom; sarvam - everything; idam - this (everything that we see around); tatam - permeated.
O son of Prtha, attaining the abode of the Supreme Lord, who has no equal, can only be achieved by pure devotion to Him. The Lord always remains in His abode, and at the same time He abides everywhere and all things abide in Him.

TEXT 23


yatra kale tv anavrittim 
avrittim caiva yoginas 
priyata yanti tam kalam 
waksyami bharatarshabha
yatra - in which; kale - a period of time; tu - same; anavrttim - non-return; avrittim - return; ca — also; eva - unconditionally; yoginas - (different) yogis; prayah - departed; yanti - reach; there is one; kalam - a period of time; vaksyami - I will describe; bharata-rishabha - O best of Bharat.
O best of Bharat, now I will tell you about the periods in which yogis leave the body. It depends on in which period the yogi left the body whether he will return to this world or not.

TEXT 24


agnir jyotir ahah shuklah 
shan-masa uttarayanam 
tatra prayata gaccanthi 
brahma brahma-vido janah
agnih - fire; jyotih - light; ahah - the day; shuklah - two weeks of the rising moon; sat-masah - six months; uttara-ayanam - the movement of the sun in the north; tatra - there; prayah — those who have left the body; gacchanti - reach; brahma - the Absolute; brahma-vidah - those who have cognized the Absolute Truth; janah - people.
Those who know the Supreme Brahman will be able to enter into Him if they leave the body during the day, during the period that the deities of fire and light patronize, during the two weeks when the moon grows, and for six months when the sun moves in the northern hemisphere.

TEXT 25


dhumo ratris tatha krsnah 
shan-masa dakshinayanam 
tatra chandramasam jyotir 
yoga prapya nivartate
dhumah - smoke; ratrich - night; tatha - also; krsnah - two weeks of the waning moon; sat-masah - six months; dakshina-ayanam - the movement of the sun in the south; tatra - there; candra-masam - to the moon; jyotih - light; yogis - mystic yogi; prapya - having achieved; nivartate - is returning.
A yogi who leaves the body at night, during the period that the deity of smoke protects, during the two weeks of the waning moon and for six months, when the sun moves in the southern hemisphere, reaches the Moon, but then returns to Earth.

TEXT 26


shukla-krsna gati hi ete 
jagatah sashvate mate 
ekaya yati anavrittim 
anyyavartate punah
shukla - light; krsna — and darkness; gati - the paths (of leaving); hi - unconditionally; ete — these (two); jagatah - of the material world; sasvate - the Vedas; mate - according to; ekaya - by one; yati - leaves; anavrttim - not to return; anyaya - to others; avartate - is returning; punah - again.
The Vedas describe two ways to escape from this world: light and dark. He who leaves in the light path no longer returns here, he who leaves in the darkness will be forced to return.

TEXT 27


naiti sriti partha janan 
yoga muhyati kashchana 
tasmat sarvesu kalesu 
yoga-yukto bhavardjuna
na - not; ete — these (two); srti — the paths; partha - O son of Prtha; janan - knowing; yogi — a devotee of the Lord; muhyati - is in error; kascana - any; tasmat - therefore; sarvesu kalesu - always; yoga-yuktah - acting in Krsna consciousness; bhava - become; arjuna - O Arjuna.
O Arjuna, those who are devoted to Me know both of these paths, but this does not mislead them. Therefore, always follow the path of devotional service.

TEXT 28


vedesu yajneshu tapahsu caiva 
danesu yat punya-phalam pradistam 
atyeti tat sarvam idam vidva 
yoga param sthanam upaiti cadyam
vedesu - in the study of the Vedas; yajneshu - in the performance of sacrifices; tapahsu - in asceticism; ca — also; eva - unconditionally; danesu - in giving alms; yat - which; punya-phalam - the result of pious activities; pradistam - indicated; atyeti - transcends; tat sarvam - all that; idam is that; vytiva - comprehending; yogi - a devotee; param - to the highest; sthanam - to the abode; upaiti — comes; ca — also; adyam - to the original.

A person who has embarked on the path of devotional service is not deprived of the benefits attained by the study of the Vedas, asceticism, sacrifice, charity, philosophical research, and pious fruitive activities. By simply serving the Lord, he gains the fruits of all these activities and, at the end of his life, finds himself in the eternal abode of the Lord.