Bhagavad Gita 1

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8
ATTAINING THE SUPREME

Introduction / Connection between Chapter 7 and Chapter 8

 Last two verses of Chapter 7 – Lord used 6 technical terms
 Arjuna asks for clarification of these terms and thus asks 8 questions in Text 8.1 – 8.2
 First, Krishna answers the first 7 questions and then discusses 8th question in detail
 Krishna also discusses:
 Yoga mishra bhakti (Devotional service mixed with yoga)
 Shuddha Bhakti (Unmixed, pure devotional service) and
 Factors that determine soul’s destination when it leaves the body

Breakdown of Chapter 8

SECTION I (TEXT 1 – 4): KRISHNA’S ANSWERS TO ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS

 Arjuna asks Krishna about Krishna’s words at the end of seventh chapter and He
replies to each one of Arjuna’s queries briefly
 Brahman is the indestructible living entity
 Adhyatma is the living entity’s nature, which is to serve
 Karma is that activity and its reactions which cause the development of a material
body
 Adhibuta is the ever changing material manifestation
 He who presides over all the demigods and their planets is Adhidaiva, the universal
form of the Lord
 Krishna, as the Supersoul, is within everyone’s heart and is Adhiyajna, the Lord of all
sacrifices
SECTION II (TEXT 5 – 8): REMEMBERING KRISHNA AT THE TIME OF DEATH
 One attains whatever one remembers at the time of death
 Krishna recommends Arjuna to undeviatingly meditate on Him, dedicate his activities
to Him and thus attain Him
SECTION III (9 – 13): REMEMBERING KRISHNA (Practice remembrance through Meditation)
 By meditating on Krishna and His qualities, or by practicing yoga-misra-bhakti, one
can think of Supreme Personality of Godhead when quitting the body and reach the
spiritual planets
SECTION IV (14 – 8): PURE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE (Remembrance of Krishna through Bhakti)
 By constant engagement in devotional service, one who undeviatingly remembers
Krishna easily attains the Lord’s abode, far from this miserable material world
SECTION V (17 – 22): COMPARING THE MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL WORLDS/GLORIES OF
SUPREME ABODE
 Material world continually being created and destroyed
 Beyond this ocean of creation and destruction lies Krishna’s abode, where He is
present and can be attained only by unalloyed devotion to Him
SECTION VI (23 – 28): SUPREMACY OF PURE DEVOTION IN ATTAINING KRISHNA
 To attain Krishna’s abode, yogis must pass from this world according to mystic
formulas
 Devotees need only remain fixed in devotion

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SECTION I (TEXT 1 – 4)
KRISHNA’S ANSWERS TO ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
MAIN THEME: “Understanding Krishna through proper inquiry”

 Arjuna asks 8 questions

 Krishna answers first 7 as follows (8.3 – 8.4):
1. ‘Brahman’ (Spirit) – Indestructible living entity
2. ‘Adhyatma’ (Controller of the body) – Eternal nature, the self (to serve the Supreme)
3. ‘Karma’ (Work/Fruitive activities) – Activity which generates a material body for living entity
4. ‘Adhbhuta’ (The material manifestation) – Constantly changing physical world
5. ‘Adhidaiva’ (The supreme demigod) – “The universal form” which includes all demigods and
their different planets
6. ‘Adhiyajna’ (The enjoyer of sacrifice) – Paramatma in every embodied being, Krishna Himself
7. Where does Adhiyajna reside? – In the heart of all
8. How to remember Krishna at the time of death?
Answer to 8th question is the main subject of the rest of chapter

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.1

a) Atma – according to Vedic dictionary – Refers to mind, soul, body and also senses
b) Brahman – refers to Supreme Absolute Truth or Individual Soul
c) Purusottama – Indicates Krishna to be the Supreme Person and not simply a friend;
But He is the Supreme authority able to give definite answers

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.2

a) Lord of sacrifice (Adhiyajna) – Can be Indra or Vishnu

 Vishnu – Chief of primal demigods including Brahma and Shiva
 Indra – Chief of administrative demigods
 Both are worshipped by yajna
 The question is “who is the actual Lord of yajna”
b) Lord as Madhusudana – to kill the demon of doubt, not expected to arise in the mind
of a Krishna conscious devotee (Arjuna)
c) Prayana-kale means – at the time of death
 Crucial time when whatever we do throughout life will be tested
 Indicates Arjuna’s anxiety to know the position of the Krishna conscious
devotee at death
o E.g: King Kulashekhar’s prayers – Prays to die immediately when
healthy because it is difficult to remember Supreme Lord when
bodily functions and mind is disturbed
o Analogy: “Swan of my mind can enter the stem of Your Lotus feet”

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FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.3

a) Living entity and Supreme Lord (Both called Brahman) – Living entity is called
Brahman because eternal and indestructible, therefore same in quality as Lord; But
Lord is differentiated by referring to as Para-Brahman
b) Difference between material consciousness and spiritual consciousness
 Material consciousness – “trying to lord over” – results in karma (different
bodies)
o Karma – It is the varied creation of material bodies by the force of
material consciousness
 Spiritual consciousness – to serve the Supreme

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.4

a) Six changes of body

b) “Eva” – Stresses that Paramatma is non-different from Supreme Lord Krishna Himself
c) Adhiyajna – Function of Supersoul
 Witness of soul’s activities
 Source of soul’s various types of consciousness
 Gives individual soul – free independence
d) Adhidaivata – Universal form
 Contemplated by neophytes who cannot approach the Supreme Lord in
manifestation as Supersoul
 Contemplated as follows:
o Legs – lower planets
o Head – upper plants
o Eyes – Sun and Moon
e) Who understands the functions of all these manifestations of Supreme Personality
of Godhead clearly – only a pure Krishna conscious devotee

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ACTIONS THAT RESULT IN A MATERIAL HUMAN BODY (8.3 Purport)

FURTHER IMPORTANT POINTS (8.3 Purport)

a) Living entity called marginal entity – Why?

 Because sometimes merges into matter
o Takes any one of 8,400,000 bodies
o Basis of transmigration – karma
o For elevation to heaven – performs yajna – read “Vedic Sacrificial Process” flowchart as
shown above
 And sometimes identifies with superior nature – then, he has only one spiritual body
 Krishna conscious viewpoint – Avoid such sacrifices, take direct Krishna consciousness and go
back to Godhead
b) Refutes Impersonal commentators who say – “Brahman takes the form of the jiva in material world”
 Ref. BG.15.7 – Living entity is ETERNAL fragmental part and parcel of Myself
 Vedic literatures distinguishes Brahman from Para-Brahman
 Supreme Lord is Achyuta – Never falls; but jiva may fall down

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SECTION II (TEXT 5 – 8)
REMEMBERING KRISHNA AT THE TIME OF DEATH
Text 5

THEME: Whoever remembers the Supreme (Krishna) at the point of death will attain the Supreme
destination (attains “My Nature”)

8.5 stresses “The Importance of Krishna Consciousness”

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.5

a) Krishna consciousness means Purest of the Pure – because of constant touch with
Supreme Lord who is the purest of pure
b) Smaran (Remembrance)
 Not possible for an impure soul
 Purify by practicing remembrance
 If not practiced, cannot remember at the end of his life
c) How to practice remembrance – to be effective (8.5 – 8.6)
 Live in the mode of goodness
 Life dedicated in service to Krishna and thus always thinking of Krishna
 Constant and incessant chanting of the Holy Name (best process)
 Tolerate all impediments like a tree (Lord Chaitanya – Shikshastakam)

Text 6

THEME: Mentions the General Law at time of death (Basis of 8.5)

 One’s state of mind at the time of death determines the destination attained in the next life
 Therefore, 8.6 explains “Process of changing one’s nature” at the critical moment of death – Best
process is chanting Hare Krishna
 How to think of Krishna at death: Practice remembrance DURING ONE’S LIFE; Not just at death

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.6

a) Refutes – “Thinking anything will give the same result” (Preaching Application)
b) E.g. Bharat Maharaja becoming a deer
c) Also establishes that Transcendental absorption in Krishna’s service assures next
body to be spiritual and not material

Link from 8.6 – 8.7 (SUM)

 Arjuna may think: “Remembering may be better advice than fighting; So Krishna clears away this
misconceptions in Text 8.7
 Lord does not recommend giving up prescribed duties

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Text 7

THEME:

 Principle – Throughout life, Practice remembering Krishna by dedicating mental, intellectual and
physical activities to Lord’s service e.g.:
 MENTAL – Think of Me in form of Krishna
 PHYSICAL – Carry out prescribed duty of fighting dedicated to me
 INTELLECTUAL – Mind and intelligence fixed on me
 Result – Surety of attaining Me
 How to practice?
 Chant – Constantly chant HARE KRISHNA
 Continue Duties – Performing active devotional service through your prescribed duties
 Text 8.7 is “Important Instruction” to all men engaged in material activities

Text 8

THEME: Assurance that such a person who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead (cf. Text 8.9
also discusses the aspect of meditation); and who constantly engages in remembering Me (Krishna):

 Will remember Krishna at the time of death and

 Will attain supreme abode
 In this verse the Lord stresses, “The Importance of Remembering Him”, this point is a repetition of
the previous verse, Text 8.7, by Lord Himself

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.7 – 8.8

a) Refutes – Smaran requires inactivity; It refutes the need to give up prescribed duty
to remember Krishna
b) Most effective means to remember the Supreme Lord (8.8) – Chanting Hare Krishna
– Benefits:
 Revival of memory of Krishna
 Ear, tongue and mind are engaged in Krishna’s service
 Attain Supreme Lord and His planet
 Analogy: Caterpillar to butterfly – Thinking of Krishna transfers one to
Krishna’s planet: one achieves same bodily constitution as Krishna
c) Importance of Purusha – Two points established
1. Lord is the real enjoyer and not the living entity, he is the marginal energy
and meant to be enjoyed
2. Confirms Lord as a person – connects to Text 8.9 – Meditating on Lord’s form
as a person
d) Thinking of Krishna–
 Constant thinking of Supreme Lord in any of His features is possible by
chanting Hare Krishna
 Practice is purifying – At the end of life one transfers to God’s kiongdom
 Yoga practice Vs Chanting of Hare Krishna – Yoga practice is meditating on
Supersoul within; while chanting Hare Krishna fixes the mind always on the
Lord

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SECTION III (TEXT 9 – 13)

REMEMBERING KRISHNA
(Practice Remembrance through Meditation)

Link from 8.8 to 8.9:

After “stressing Remembrance”, now He explains How He can be remembered

Text 8.9

THEME: Mentions 10 ways of PROCESS of thinking/ Meditating on SUPREME

 HOW TO THINK OF KRISHNA –

1. Kavi – Knower of everything (past, present and future)
2. Oldest – All born out of Him
3. Controller
4. Smaller than the smallest
 Enters into each atom
 Enters into the heart of the living entity; who is one ten-thousandth the tip of a hair
5. Maintainer of everything
6. Beyond all material conception – All big planets are floating by His energy
7. Achintya – Inconceivable
 God’s energy is beyond our thinking jurisdiction
 Logic and philosophical speculation cannot touch Him
 Sign of real intelligence –
o Accept the principles of sastra as it is
o Avoid useless arguments and speculations
8. Always a person – RUPAM
9. Luminous like sun
10. Transcendental, beyond this material nature

NOTE: Text 8.9 refutes “Absolute Truth As Impersonal”: Recommends Meditation On Personality

Link between 8.9 and 8.10:

 Krishna is thus discussing Bhakti, but Bhakti mixed with aspirations of a yogi seeking liberation from
birth and death “yoga misra bhakti” (SUM)
 Meditating on Him as possessor of these qualities enables one to realize Supersoul, the goal of
yoga practice done by yogis.

Text 10 – 13

THEME: Describes ‘Practice of these Yogis’ (Yoga-mishra bhakti)

 Practice sat chakra yoga, raise life air to ajna-chakra (8.10)

 Chant ’OM’ (8.11)
 Renounce all sense gratification, especially sex life (8.11 – 8.12)
 Fix mind ON heart (8.12)
 Fix mind in devotion to Supreme Personality of Godhead at death (8.10)

NOTE: All these practices assist yogis in remembering Krishna; they are not end in themselves

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FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.10

a) Sat-cakra-yoga recommended
b) Bhaktya-yukto – indicates “to fix mind in devotion at death”
c) Yoga-balena
 Indicates that without practice of yoga (Sat-caktra or Bhakti-yoga) one cannot
come to the transcendental stage of remembering the Lord at death.
 Advises”Practice transcendence through yoga during one’s life”
 REFUTES – “I WILL DO AT OLD AGE”

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.11 and 8.13

a) Who enters into Impersonal Brahman

 Those learned in Vedas
 Who utters “OM-KARA”
 Practice celibacy
 Great sages in renounced order of Life
b) OM and HARE KRISHNA MAHA-MANTRA (8.11 and 8.13)
 Vedic system – students learn to vibrate Om and learn of impersonal Brahman
by living in complete celibacy
 Modern system – No celibacy possible / No such institution
o Lord Chaitanya preaches according to the injunctions for Kali-yuga
o Only Yuga-dharma – Holy Name
 Om, Brahman and Krishna are non-different (also study Text 7.8 for OM and
Hare Krishna)
o Impersonal sound of Krishna is Om
o Hare Krishna contains Om
o If anyone quits body chanting Hare Krishna – goes to spiritual planet
c) OM and Brahman
 Brahman although is “one without second” has various manifestations
 For Impersonalists – OM-KARA is identical with Brahman

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.12

a) Pratyahara – Implies
 Withdraw senses from sense objects
o Control five jnanendriyas(Knowledge acquiring senses) fully .
o no sense gratification allowed
 Mind focused fully on Supersoul
 Life force on top of head
b) For Modern Age
 Above practices – impossible
 Best process – Krishna consciousness
 Somehow fix the mind on Krishna – immediately transcendence achieved.

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SECTION IV (8.14 – 8.16)

PURE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE
(Remembrance of Krishna through Bhakti)

Link between 8.13 and 8.14:

 Krishna next discusses Pure Devotional Service and Nature of Spiritual world, which one attains by
practicing pure devotional service

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXT 8.14 – 8.16

 The practice of Pure Devotional Service is the qualification for one to attain Lord’s favour
 By Lord’s mercy the pure devotee is promoted to spiritual realm

Text 14

THEME: Although Yoga practice of Text 8.10 – 8.13 is genuine, it is easier and more effective to remember
the Lord through unalloyed love and devotion (8.14)

 Mentions
 Pure Bhakti yogis (Ananya chetah -indicates “No other Desire”)
o Karmi – desires sense gratification
o Jnani – desires relief from material misery
o Yogi – desires mystic abilities
o Pure devotee – desires only Lord’s pleasure / Ready to even go to hell (cf. CC :
Niskama gets perfect peace)
 Their final destination – Easy to obtain Krishna. Why?
 Because
1. No material impediments in devotional service
 Only qualitifation is sincere desire to advance
 Jnana / Astanga yoga – depends on prior knowledge, renunciation and
favourable situations for practice
2. In Devotional service, Krishna gives intelligence on how to attain Him (Ref.BG 10.10
dadami buddhi yogam.... )

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.14

a) 8.14 describes final destination of unalloyed devotees who serve Supreme Personality of
Godhead in Bhakti-yoga
b) Ananya-cetah – pure Bhakti-yoga without Jnana / Karma / Hatha / No other desire but
Krishna.
c) Satatam / Nityasah – means always / regularly / every day – refers to pure devotees
constantly remembering Krishna and meditating on Him – Thus wins Lord’s attention
d) Creating Vrindavan - pure devotee can create Vrindavan anywhere – E.g. Sri Advaita tells
this to Lord Caitanya
e) Five ways of Bhakti-yoga – Shanta / Dasya / Sakhya / Vatsalya / Madhurya
f) Great blessing of Krishna conscious process of chanting Hare Krishna is – pure devotee
and Lord never forget each other for a moment

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Text 15 – 16

MAIN THEME: Describes “RESULT ACHIEVED BY PRACTICING PURE BHAKTI”

Text 15

THEME: Such ‘Bhakti Yogis’ achieve...

a) Krishna directly (the highest perfection)

b) Never fall down from highest Vaikuntha planet
c) No return to temporary world because
 Material world is full of miseries.
 They have attained the highest perfection.

NOTE: Text 8.15 refers to “Personalist devotees”

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.15

(a) Vedic Literatrures “DESCRIBE SUPREME PLANET” as Avyakta and Akshara and Parama-
Gati
 Planet beyond Material vision and inexplicable
 The Supreme destination, destination for Mahatmas
(b) “DESCRIBES MAHATMAS”
 They receive transcendental messages from the realised devotees
 Gradually develop devotional service in Krishna Consciosness
 Get so absorbed that No desire of any elevation to any Material or Spiritual
planets
 Only want Krishna and Krishna’s satisfaction-The HIGHEST PERFECTION of life

Text 16

THEME: Krishna glorifies the Supreme abode, by contrasting it to material world

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.16

a) To come to “Krishna consciousness is must” if you want to go to Krishna’s abode – All

other yogis have to come to this level
b) What about heaven – It is a place of return (birth, old-age, disease, death)
c) How to achieve Brahmaloka - By Panchagni-vidya of sacrifice (Chandogya Upanisad)
d) Fate on Brahmaloka-If we do not cultivate Krishna Consciousness, must return to earth.
e) Scope of progress on higher planets – If they progress in Krishna consciousness,
can gradually elevate to
 Higher and higher planets
 Can they go to Spiritual sky – if perfect in Krishna consciousness, can go to
spiritual kingdom at universal devastation ( Ref. Sridhar Swami)

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SECTION V (8.17 – 8.22)

COMPARING THE MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL WORLDS/
GLORIES OF SUPREME ABODE

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF 8.17 – 8.22

 The only refuge from ocean of birth and death is Lord’s Supreme abode
 This abode is only attainable by one who makes himself qualified to associate with the Lord
 This qualification is Pure Devotional Service

Text 17 – 19

THEME: In comparison to spiritual world, Material world is a place of repeated creation and destruction

 Material world is (a) Miserable and (b) Temporary

 Because, here everyone must suffer –
(a) Birth, Old age, disease, death (8.16)
(b) Constant creation and annihilation (8.17 – 8.19) – Bhutva Bhutva praliyate:
 3 types of annihilation a living entity experiences, as per the purport, with respect to
Brahma’s life
1. At death of the living entity
2. End of Brahma’s day
3. End of Brahma’s life

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.17 – 8.19

a) Duration of material universe is limited

 1 kalpa = 1 day of Brahma = 12 hours of Brahma = 1 night of Brahma
 1 kalpa = 1,000 yuga cycles. Each cycle has the following four yugas in this order
and duration:
o Satya-yuga = 1,728,000 years
o Treta-yuga = 1,296,000 years
o Dvapara-yuga = 8,64,000 years
o Kali-yuga = 4,32,000 years
 One lifespan of Brahma = 100 years of Brahma = 311 trillion and 40 billion earth
years
 Analogy
o Brahma’s lifespan compared to eternity is like lightning flash.
o Causal ocean has innumerable Brahmas like bubbles in Atlantic.
b) Brahmaloka if compared to material planets – not free from birth, disease, old-age and
death
c) Who goes to Brahmaloka – Elevated sannyasis
d) Fate of Brahma – Because of service to the Lord, gets liberation

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e) Bhutva Bhutva praliyate – Repeated creation and destruction – captivated by illusory

energy
 Annihilation at Brahma’s night – all living entities remain compact in body of
Vishnu.
 Again manifest at arrival of day.
 End of Brahma’s life all living entities remain unmanifest for millions of years,
again to be manifest in another millennium
f) Intelligent persons– Take to Krishna Consciousness
 Use human life fully in Devotional Service, chanting Hare Krishna.
 No more Rebirths- Transfer in this life to the spiritual planet of Krishna and
become eternally blissful

Text 20 – 21

THEME: Describes the spiritual world, the abode of the Lord

Spiritual world is

(a) Eternal – Free from birth and death

(b) Infallible, because Krishna’s superior energy is opposite to material energy in quality
(c) Full of unlimited bliss
(d) Fulfils all desires
(e) All attractive
(f) Unmanifest to mundane eyes
(g) Transcendental to manifest and unmanifest (difference from material world – repeatedly manifest
and unmanifest) – Lord’s abode never changes like material world / Composed of cit-sakti
(h) Supreme destination
(i) A place of no return

Text 22

THEME: How to attain that abode of Lord?

 By unalloyed Devotional Service – Ananya Bhakti

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FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 8.21: REFERENCES ON LORD’S ABODE

(a) Description of Abode – Brahma Samhita (chintamani...)Study Purport

(b) Lord’s abode as ultimate destination – Katha Upanishad
(c) A place of no return – Bhagavad Gita (8.15, 8.21, 15.6)
(d) Absolute nature – Krishna’s abode is non-different from Him
(e) Replica of Goloka Vrindavan – Bhauma Vrindavan(on this planet)

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORTS 8.22

(a) Lord is personally present in the Abode, but also all pervading
(b) Lord as all pervading by “Spiritual and material energies”
 Variegatedness of Spiritual energy – Ref.Brahma Samhita (ananda chinmaya
rasa...)
 Material energy – Ref.Brahma Samhita-- yasyantah sthani bhutani...
(c) Vedic description of “Supreme abode” – one “Supreme Personality of Godhead”
in Supreme abode, millions of plenary expansions. ( parasya shaktir....)
Analogy: Tree bearing many flowers, fruits, leaves etc

SECTION VI (8.23 – 8.28)

SUPREMACY OF PURE DEVOTION IN ATTAINING KRISHNA
Subsection A: 23-26: Attaining the Supreme through mystic yoga
Subsection B: 27-28: Supremacy of Bhakti in attaining the Supreme

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF 8.23 – 8.28

A devotee is confident about Krishna’s protection; he need not make any special endeavour for his
ultimate salvation.

Text 23

THEME: Lord declares to explain...

Process by which “Soul should leave the body to attain Supreme” – in the next few verses

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WAYS OF LEAVING BODY (8.24 – 8.26)

(1)
Which Path: In light, Influence of fiery God, auspicious moment of day,
Fort night of waxing moon, or 6 months when sun travels to north (8.24)
For whom: Path of yogis and Jnanis
Result: Brahmajyoti

(2)
Which Path: In darkness/night, during smoke, fortnight of waning moon or 6 months when sun passes
to south reaches the moon and again comes back (8.25)
For whom: Path of Karma-kandis
Result: Attain heavenly planets, and then return to earth

(3)
Which path: Any time (8.27)
For whom: Path of unalloyed devotees
Result: Krishna-loka

Why no time considerations for devotees?

(a) Krishna takes care and gives protection
(b) Devotional Service gives results of all other practices

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORTS 8.23 – 8.27

(a) Can a Yogi choose time of leaving – an expert yogi can choose;
 If not expert in choosing, then it depends upon accident or destiny
(b) Kala – refers to presiding deity of time
(c) Travel to moon planet
 Eligibility – one expert in fruitive acts/sacrificial methods ( Ref: Kapildev in Canto 3)
 Life duration – 10,000 years (demigod calculation)
 Engagement – soma rasa and other pleasures
 Fate – when credits finished, one return to earth
(d) Yoga – yukta – implies to engage constantly in Krishna Consciousness in all the activities.
 Example – Rupa goswami’s yukta vairagya
 Devotee not worries about different paths and is undisturbed (8.27), because...
o Firmly established in Krishna Consciousness and chant Hare Krishna
o Best way to absorb – dovetail in the service of Krishna.

Therefore, devotees don’t worry about proper time to leave the body, but leave everything in Krishna’s
hands and become fixed in devotion (8.27)

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Text 28

THEME:

 Explains the knowledge that fixes the devotee in the path of devotion
 Such a devotee automatically and effortlessly achieve all the results of Jnana, Yoga and Karma and
all the Vedic forms of purification
 Text 28 is a summation of Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 which particularly deals with Krishna
consciousness and Devotional service.

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORTS 8.28

(a) Path of Vedic Literatures

 Brahmachari life – study Vedas under Spiritual master, many austerities and
penances, trained in celibacy and menial services, beg alms, take food only under
master’s order
o Vedic study not meant for – recreation of armchair speculators, but for
building a perfect character
 Householder life – sacrifices, and, charity according to time, place and person.
 Retired life (Vanaprastha) – tapasya
 Sannyaas
 Purpose of vedic path – gradual elevation to perfectional stage
(b) Beauty of Krishna Consciousness – by one stroke of Devotional services, one surpasses all
the rituals of different ashrams.
(c) Idam viditva – it implies
 Understand the instruction of Krishna very scrutinizingly
 Which? – those in Chapters 7 and 8
 How? – by hearing in the association of devotees
 How not? – academic scholarship/mental speculation
 Great fortune? – To understand middle 6 chapters in the association of devotees
 Why fortune? – Because, life becomes glorified beyond all yajna, dana, tapa etc.,
and all the results of such activities are automatically achieved simply by Krishna
Consciousness

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 Bhagavad Gita 16
Chapter 8

RELISHING STUDY OF BHAGAVAD GITA

BG 8.28

Starting point: Little

faith in Bhagavad Gita

Sign of faith: Learn from

only qualified devotees/not
from mental speculators

Service in association dispels

all misgivings about God

One becomes fixed

in ones study

about Krishna
Relishes the study – attains a constant
state of full Krishna Consciousness

about Krishna
Advanced stage – falls completely
in love with Krishna (Highest
perfectional stage) about Krishna

Transfer to Krishna’s
abode: Eternal Happiness

about Krishna

************** END OF CHAPTER 8 **************

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