CH 8, Verses 1- 4

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Chapter 8

 

Atha Ashhtamo'dhyaayah

Chapter 8

 

Akshara Brahma Yogah

The Yoga of Imperishable Brahman

 

Verse 1

 

Arjuna uvaacha:

 

Ki.n tad.h brahma kim adhyaatma.n kim karma

purush'ottama /

adhibhuuta.n cha kim proktam adhidaivam kim uchyate?

//

 

Arjuna said:

 

What is that Brahman? What is Adhyatma? What is Karma?

O Best among men, what is said to be Adhibhuta and

what is called Adhidaiva?

 

Verse 2

 

Adhiyajnah katham ko'tra dehe'smin Madhusuudana /

prayaana-kaale cha katham jneyo'si niyat'aatmabhih //

 

Who and how is Adhiyajna here in this body, O

Madhusudana? And how, at the time of death, are You to

be known by the self-controlled?

 

Verse 3

 

Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:

 

Aksharam brahma paramam svabhaavo'dhyaatmam uchyate /

bhuuta-bhaavodbhava-karo visargah karma-sa.njnitah //

 

The Blessed Lord said:

 

The imperishable is the Supreme Brahman. Its essential

nature is called Adhyatma. The offering as sacrifice

which causes the origin of beings is called Karma.

 

Verse 4

 

Adhibhuutam ksharo bhaavah purushhash'ch'aadhidaivatam

/

adhiyajno'ham ev'aatra dehe deha'bhritaa.n vara //

 

Adhibhuta pertains to the perishable nature and

Purusha is the Adhidaivata, the Adhiyajna is Myself,

here in the body, O best among the embodied.

 

LESSONS FROM BHAGAVAD GITA – 77

As taught by Parama Pujya Sri Swamiji

Compiled by: Swami Dattananda

Bhaktimala, March 2000

 

Now begins the discussion on the eighth chapter of the

Bhagavad Gita. As this chapter deals with the

technique or means of getting oneself united with the

imperishable Brahman, it is designated as ‘Akshara

Brahma Yoga’ (the way to Imperishable Brahman.)

 

It has been stated at the end of the seventh chapter

that one should know Brahman, Adhyatma, Karma,

Adhibhuta, Adhidaiva and Adhiyajna. One who conceives

Brahman, the Supreme Being, as inclusive of everything

that is objective, subjective, phenomenal and

transcendent, has really understood it and knows it

perfectly. Such a person knows the Lord even at the

time of death because his consciousness of the Lord

continues as ever unaffected by the change of

approaching death.

 

As the meaning of the terms like Brahman, Adhyatma,

Adhidaiva, Adhiyajna etc., have not been made clear so

far, Arjuna was compelled to put some appropriate

questions to the Lord. Arjuna asked:

 

"What is that Brahman? What is Adhyatma? What is

Karma? O Best among men, what is said to be Adhibhuta

and what is called Adhidaiva?" (Chapter 8, Verse 1).

 

"Who and how is Adhiyajna here in this body, O

Madhusudana? And how, at the time of death, are You to

be known by the self-controlled?" (Chapter 8, Verse

2).

 

The Lord said, "The imperishable is the Supreme

Brahman. Its essential nature is called Adhyatma. The

offering as sacrifice which causes the origin of

beings is called Karma" (Chapter 8, Verse 3).

 

"Adhibhuta pertains to the perishable nature and

Purusha is the Adhidaivata, the Adhiyajna is Myself,

here in the body, O best among the embodied (Arjuna.)"

(Chapter 8, Verse 4).

 

‘What is that Brahma? (Kim tat Brahma) is the first

question. The answer to this is, ‘the indestructible

principle is the Supreme Brahman (akshrama brahma

paramam.)’ Brahma alone is indestructible and

imperishable. Everything else in this world is subject

to decay and death.

 

The second question is, ‘what is Adhyatma?’ The answer

is ‘Svabhava is called Adhyatma (Svabhava adhyatmam

uchyate.)’ Sva-bhava means one’s own existence. Whose

own existence? The answer is Brahman’s own existence

(bhava.) Therefore Brahman’s existence as the

individual soul in the body is spoken of as Adhyatma.

Svabhava is also interpreted as one’s inherent nature.

In this sense, the inherent nature of Brahman is to

dwell in individual bodies as individual Self or

spirit. Thus Brahman’s dwelling in each individual

body is called Adhyatma. As every wave in the ocean is

nothing but the vast ocean, so is every individual

soul the Supreme Brahman.

 

The offering to Gods in Vedic sacrifices or Yajnas,

which causes the existence and support of beings, is

called Karma. This offering (Visargah) is held to be

the seed from which as rain and so forth all beings,

mobile and immobile, come into existence. According to

Vedic ideology it is the offering or oblation in Vedic

rite of sacrifice (Yajna) that generates a subtle

power, which is technically known as Apurva.

Influenced by this subtle power there occurs the

growth of vegetation, eating which men derive their

fecundity. Therefore in this context Karma means the

sacrificial deeds prescribed in the Vedas. Thus, the

Lord answers the third question put by Arjuna

regarding Karma.

 

The fourth question of Arjuna pertains to Adhibhuta.

He asks the Lord the meaning of Adhibhuta. The Lord

says that all material bodies, which are perishable by

nature, are called Adhibhuta. The Apara Prakriti

(Lower Nature) referred to in the seventh chapter

(verse 4) as the ‘five elements, mind, intelligence

and the ego-sense’ is referred to here as Adhibhuta,

which is liable to destruction. The whole world with

different objects in it is constituted of Lower Nature

of Brahman, which is designated here as Adhibhuta. All

material combinations, including the bodies of beings,

are made out of Adhibhuta. All of these undergo

modifications. As they perish, the substances

constituting their bodies return to their

constituents. This perishable entity is called

Adhibhuta.

 

 

The fifth question is about Adhidaivata. The Lord says

that the Purusha is Adhidaivata. Purusha is the

indwelling spirit of the Universe. He is the Universal

soul or the cosmic soul. He is Hiranyagarbha, the

first born Lord in the creative process. He controls

all beings in the Universe.

 

‘Who and how is Adhiyajna here in this body?’ This is

Arjuna’s sixth question. The Lord says, "I Myself am

Adhiyajna in this body.’ The Lord is the presiding

deity of all Vedic rites and sacrifices. So He is

called Adhiyajna or Yajna Purusha. In the name of

whatever deity a sacrifice is done or worship is

offered, it is only the Supreme Brahman who gives the

rewards. A noble selfless act of sacrifice is Brahman

Himself. So the Vedas declare, ‘Yajna is verily

Vishnu.’

 

 

 

 

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