The Yoga of Imperishable Brahman

अर्जुन उवाच। किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम। अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते॥

Arjuna said: O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is the self? What is action? What is the material manifestation? And what is the divine?

अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन। प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः॥

Who is the Lord of sacrifice, and how does He dwell in this body, O Madhusudana? And how can You be known at the time of death by those who practice self-control?

श्रीभगवानुवाच। अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते। भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः॥

The Supreme Lord said: The indestructible, transcendental being is called Brahman. Its eternal nature is called the self. The creative force that causes beings to manifest is called karma (action).

अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम्। अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर॥

The physical nature is the perishable realm. The cosmic person (Purusha) is the divine. And I alone am the Lord of sacrifice, dwelling here in this body, O best of embodied beings.

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्। यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः॥

And whoever, at the time of death, departs from the body remembering Me alone, attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम्। तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः॥

Whatever state of being one remembers when leaving the body, that state one will attain without fail, O son of Kunti, being always absorbed in that thought.

तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च। मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम्॥

Therefore, remember Me at all times and fight. With your mind and intellect fixed on Me, you will surely come to Me.

अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना। परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन्॥

He who meditates on Me with a mind disciplined by the practice of yoga, not wandering to anything else, reaches the Supreme Divine Person, O Arjuna.

कविं पुराणमनुशासितारमणोरणीयांसमनुस्मरेद्यः। सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूपमादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात्॥

One should meditate on the Supreme as the omniscient, the ancient, the ruler, subtler than the subtlest, the sustainer of all, of inconceivable form, effulgent like the sun, beyond all darkness.

प्रयाणकाले मनसाचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव। भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक्स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम्॥

At the time of death, with an unwavering mind, full of devotion, and with the power of yoga, focusing the life-breath between the eyebrows, one attains the Supreme Divine Person.

यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः। यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये॥

I shall now briefly explain that state which the knowers of the Vedas call the Imperishable, which ascetics free from passion enter, and desiring which they practice celibacy.

सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च। मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम्॥

Closing all the gates of the body, confining the mind in the heart, fixing the life-breath in the head, established in yogic concentration...

ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन्। यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम्॥

Uttering the single syllable Om — Brahman — and remembering Me, whoever departs leaving the body, attains the supreme goal.

अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः। तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः॥

To the yogi who constantly remembers Me with undivided attention, I am easily attainable, O Arjuna, because he is always connected to Me.

मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम्। नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः॥

Having reached Me, the great souls are never again born into this temporary world of suffering, for they have attained the highest perfection.