Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8, Verse 11

Chapter 8 – Akshara Brahma Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

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

Transliteration

yadakṣaraṃ vedavido vadanti viśanti yadyatayo vītarāgāḥ .
yadicchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tatte padaṃ saṃgraheṇa pravakṣye ॥

Meaning

That which the knowers of the Veda call the Imperishable, which passionless, striving ascetics enter, and desiring which people practise brahmacharya, that goal I shall declare to you in brief.

Word meanings

यत् – which
अक्षरम् – imperishable
वेदविदः – knowers of the Veda
वदन्ति – declare
विशन्ति – enter
यतयः – striving ascetics
वीतरागाः – free from attachment
इच्छन्तः – desiring
ब्रह्मचर्यम् – celibate discipline
चरन्ति – practise
तत् पदम् – that goal
ते – to you
संग्रहेण – in brief
प्रवक्ष्ये – I shall declare

Anvaya (word order)

वेदविदः यद् अक्षरं वदन्ति, वीतरागाः यतयः यद् विशन्ति, यद् इच्छन्तः ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति, तत् पदं ते संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ।

Explanation

So far the Lord has described meditation on the personal form. From this verse a new topic begins: the Akshara pada, the imperishable goal. To present it he gives three witnesses to its standing.

First, vedavido vadanti: the knowers of the Veda call it Akshara, the imperishable. The Upanishads say it is that by knowing which everything is known (Mundaka 1.2.13). Second, vishanti yad yatayo vitaragah: the passionless, self-controlled ascetics enter into it at the fulfilment of their practice. Attachment is the wall that keeps us away from this goal. Third, yad icchanto brahmacharyam charanti: in desire for which seekers take up a hard life of discipline and service to the teacher.

Thus the scholar's knowledge, the ascetic's practice and the student's austerity all aim at this one goal. Shankara says the Lord will speak of it samgrahena, in brief, so that Arjuna can grasp it, since it cannot be fully described in words.

The hint is that knowledge, dispassion and self-restraint look like different paths but share a destination: the supreme imperishable state. From the next verse the Lord teaches the practice that leads there.

Context

Up to 8.10 the meditation on the personal supreme Person at death was described. From here to 8.13 the Lord speaks of the imperishable goal and the practice of Om.

Life lesson

All the best efforts of life, whether study, dispassion or discipline, lead to one goal. Keep your efforts tied to that highest aim and they will not scatter.

Key terms

अक्षर: the imperishable supreme principle
पद: the goal to be reached
यति: self-controlled striver, ascetic
ब्रह्मचर्य: disciplined life devoted to Brahman