Chapter Eight

                  The Path of Absolute Freedom

                       Taraka-brahma-yoga

1-2) Arjuna inquired: O Purusottama, what is Brahman, and
what is the soul? What is karma, and what is considered to be
phenomenal? Further, who is known as the universal presiding
governance? O Madhusudana, who is the Lord of sacrifice within
this body, and how is He situated therein? And can you tell me,
how do the selfcontrolled know You at the time of death?

3) The Supreme Lord said: Certainly Brahman is the instructible,
unchangeable Absolute Truth, and the pure spirit soul is the
genuine personality of the living being. The word 'karma' denotes
abnegation for the sake of a demigod, which produces the bodies
of humans and other species, created by the agency of gross and
subtle material elements; this abnegation refers to the
performance of charity, sacrifice, austerity, and all duties
rendered for the propitiation of that god.

4) O most elevated of souls, Arjuna, perishable objects such as the
material body are known as phenomenal; the universal
governance refers to the aggregate universal form which
encompasses and governs all the demigods, headed by the solar
gods; and I alone am known as the Lord of all sacrifice the
Supersoul situated within the bodies of all living beings and the
impetus and rewarder of their actions of sacrifice, charity, and
austerity.

5) One who continues to think of Me even at the time of death,
and having left the body, departs from this world, surely attains to
My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

6) O son of Kunti, at the time of leaving the body, whatever object
a person meditates upon will be attained by him, due to his
constant contemplation on that object.

7) Therefore remember Me at all times, and perform your natural
duty to engage in battle. Dedicating your mind and intelligence to
Me, you will attain My shelter by fulfilling your duty. Of this
there is no doubt.

8) O Partha, with mind undeviatingly engaged in meditation,
constantly thinking of the effulgent Supreme Person, the true yogi
certainly reaches that Supreme Lord.
9-10) He, the Supreme Lord, is all-knowing, beginningless, and
the merciful bestower of the teachings of devotion unto Him. In
spite of being more subtle than the atom, He is enormous, since He
is the support of everything. His form is divine, that is, medium-
sized, and yet, like the sun, His characteristic nature is self-
illuminating and all-illuminating. He is completely transcendental
to illusion. Being fully engaged in continuous devotional
remembrance of this Supreme Person by means of an unflickering
mind strengthened by yoga practice, one who at the time of death
establishes his vital life-air between the eyebrows (at the ajna-
cakra) and meditates upon Him, surely reaches that effulgent
Supreme Lord.

11) Along with the method of approaching it, I shall describe to
you that attainable reality which is designated by the learned
knowers of the Vedas as the monosyllable Om, the sound
representation of the Absolute; within which all the desireless
ascetics enter; and out of desire for reaching which the devout
transcendentalists maintain the vow of celibacy.

12-13) Checking all the sensual gateways from accepting sense
objects, holding the mind steadily within the heart, establishing
the vital life-air between the eyebrows, and maintaining yogic
trance centered in the soul while vibrating this monosyllable, Om,
the sound representation of the Absolute one who continuously
remembers Me upon leaving his body, attains to residence in My
holy abode.

14) O Partha, having emptied his consciousness of all aspirations
to attempt nondevotional pursuits motivated by exploitation or
renunciation for the attainment of their respective goals of heaven
or liberation, one who constantly remembers Me within,
remaining indifferent to consideration of sanctity of time, place,
or circumstances, and who constantly aspires for a divine
relationship with Me in servitude, friendship, parenthood, or
consorthood - surely, for such a devotee, I am happily attainable.

15) The great devotees who attain to the status of participating in
My divine pastimes, once having reached Me, never again accept a
transitory birth which is the dwelling-house of agony.

16) O Arjuna, from the planet of Lord Brahma downwards, the
residents of all planets are naturally subjected to repeated birth
and death. But, O Kaunteya, upon reaching Me, there is no
rebirth.

17) A day of Lord Brahma lasts for one thousand catur-yugas and
his night is of the same duration. Persons who know this have the
true conception of day and night. One yuga (age) in the time
calculation of the demigods = the four yugas or one caturyuga in
the time calculation of mankind, or 4.320.000 years.

18) With the approach of his day, all progeny along with their
respective bodies, senses, enjoyable objects, provincial locations
and associated paraphernalia are born from Lord Brahma, who
has arisen from his slumber. And again at nightfall, they are
absorbed within that same Lord Brahma, who is known as
'unmanifest'.

19) O Partha, this multitude of life-forms, subject to the law of
karma, are repeatedly born at the dawn of the day of Lord
Brahma and dissolved at his nightfall. And again they are born
with the dawn of another day.

20) But far superior to that 'unmanifest' Lord Brahma (who is
known as Hirayagarbha since he is born within the golden egg, the
universe), there is another element which is eternal and
imperceptible to the senses of the living being. Although all life-
forms up to Hiranyagarbha Brahma are annihilated, that truth
remains unaffected.

21) That which is described as the 'unmanifest invincible' is
proclaimed the supreme goal (by the scriptures known as
Vedanta), and having reached that, one does not return again to
this material world. You should know that supreme destination to
be My holy abode.

22) O Partha, I, the Supreme Person, within whom all beings are
situated, and by whom this whole universe is pervaded, am
attainable only by exclusive devotion devoid of a touch of
exploitation, renunciation, mystic yoga, and other empiric or
theoretical methods.

23) O Bharatarsabha, now I shall describe to you the routes,
determined by time calculation, on which the yogis or fruitive
workers who traverse them attain liberation or rebirth
respectively.

24) The followers of the path of knowledge who are in knowledge
of the Absolute attain the Absolute by expiring at a time of day
illuminated by fire, sun, and associated elements, within a
fortnight of the bright moon during the sun ́s six-month northern
orbit.

25) If he expires on a dark night within a fortnight of the dark
moon, during the sun ́s six-month southern orbit, the fruitive
worker on the path of action reaches the heavenly plane, but
subsequently has to undergo rebirth.

26) These two paths of the residents of this world who are apt to
follow the methods of renunciation and exploitation are known
respectively as the bright and dark paths, and they are universally
accepted as eternal. By the bright path one attains liberation, and
by the dark path one takes rebirth in this material world.

27) O Partha, learning about these paths of brightness and
darkness, a devotee (bhakti-yogi) is never deluded. Therefore, O
Arjuna, always engage in exclusive devotion, (ananya bhakti-
yoga), which is transcendental to both.

28) Coming to know about My preeminence and the
superexcellence of devotion unto Me, the devoted soul surpasses
all the scripturally cited fruits of piety achieved from studying and
reciting the Vedas, performing sacrifice, practicing austerity, and
donating assets in charity. Then he attains My supreme holy
abode My dhama.

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