Diya Scripture guide
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8: The Imperishable
Read all 28 verses of Bhagavad Gita chapter 8, The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman, in Sanskrit with transliteration and English translation.
The short answer
Chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita, traditionally titled The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman, has 28 verses.
In Diya's summary: Krishna teaches remembrance, death, and the imperishable Reality. Below are all 28 verses of chapter 8 in Sanskrit, each with a transliteration and Diya's English translation.
Bhagavad Gita chapter 8 in English
Every verse below comes from Diya's Bhagavad Gita library, in verse order.
| Sanskrit and transliteration | English |
|---|---|
| 8.1 किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम। अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते॥ kiṃ tadbrahma kimadhyātmaṃ kiṃ karma puruṣottama | adhibhūtaṃ ca kiṃ proktamadhidaivaṃ kimucyate || | What is that Brahman, what is Adhyatma, what is karma, O best of Purushas? What is called Adhibhuta, and what Adhidaiva? |
| 8.2 अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन। प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः॥ adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko’tra dehe’sminmadhusūdana | prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo’si niyatātmabhiḥ || | Who, and in what way, is Adhiyajna here in this body, O destroyer of Madhu? And how are You known at the time of death, by the self-controlled? |
| 8.3 अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते। भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः॥ akṣaraṃ brahma paramaṃ svabhāvo’dhyātmamucyate | bhūtabhāvodbhavakaro visargaḥ karmasaṃjñitaḥ || | The Imperishable is supreme Brahman; one's essential nature is called adhyatma; the creative outpouring that brings beings into existence is called karma. |
| 8.4 अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम्। अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर॥ adhibhūtaṃ kṣaro bhāvaḥ puruṣaścādhidaivatam | adhiyajño’hamevātra dehe dehabhṛtāṃ vara || | Perishable existence is adhibhuta, and the cosmic Person is adhidaiva; I alone am adhiyajna here in this body, O best of embodied beings. |
| 8.5 अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्। यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः॥ antakāle ca māmeva smaranmuktvā kalevaram | yaḥ prayāti sa madbhāvaṃ yāti nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ || | Also, he, who at the time of death, meditating on Me alone, goes forth, leaving the body, attains My Being: there is no doubt about this. |
| 8.6 यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम्। तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः॥ yaṃ yaṃ vāpi smaranbhāvaṃ tyajatyante kalevaram | taṃ tamevaiti kaunteya sadā tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ || | Whatever state one remembers when leaving the body at death, that state one reaches, being shaped by that remembrance. |
| 8.7 तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च। मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयः॥ tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu māmanusmara yudhya ca | mayyarpitamanobuddhirmāmevaiṣyasyasaṃśayaḥ || | Therefore remember Me at all times and also fight. With mind and intellect offered to Me, you will come to Me without doubt. |
| 8.8 अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना। परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन्॥ abhyāsayogayuktena cetasā nānyagāminā | paramaṃ puruṣaṃ divyaṃ yāti pārthānucintayan || | With the mind not moving toward anything else, made steadfast by the method of habitual meditation, and dwelling on the Supreme, Resplendent Purusha, O son of Pritha, one goes to Him. |
| 8.9 कविं पुराणमनुशासितारमणोरणीयांसमनुस्मरेद्यः। सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूपमादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात्॥ kaviṃ purāṇamanuśāsitāramaṇoraṇīyāṃsamanusmaredyaḥ | sarvasya dhātāramacintyarūpamādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt || | One should meditate on the Omniscient, the Ancient, the Overruler, minuter than an atom, the sustainer of all, of inconceivable form, self-luminous like the sun, and beyond the darkness of maya. |
| 8.10 प्रयाणकाले मनसाचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव। भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक् स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम्॥ prayāṇakāle manasācalena bhaktyā yukto yogabalena caiva | bhruvormadhye prāṇamāveśya samyak sa taṃ paraṃ puruṣamupaiti divyam || | At the time of death, endowed with devotion, an unmoving mind, and the power of yoga, placing the vital breath properly between the eyebrows, one reaches that supreme, radiant Person. |
| 8.11 यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः। यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं सङ्ग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये॥ yadakṣaraṃ vedavido vadanti viśanti yadyatayo vītarāgāḥ | yadicchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tatte padaṃ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣye || | What the knowers of the Veda speak of as Imperishable, what the self-controlled (Sannyasins), freed from attachment enter, and to gain which goal they live the life of a Brahmacharin, that I shall declare to you in brief. |
| 8.12 सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च। मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम्॥ sarvadvārāṇi saṃyamya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca | mūrdhnyādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇamāsthito yogadhāraṇām || | One should control all the senses, confine the mind in the heart, draw the Prana to the head, and remain established in yogic concentration. |
| 8.13 ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन्। यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम्॥ omityekākṣaraṃ brahma vyāharanmāmanusmaran | yaḥ prayāti tyajandehaṃ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim || | Uttering the one-syllabled "Om," the Brahman, and meditating on Me—one who thus departs, leaving the body, attains the Supreme goal. |
| 8.14 अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः। तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः॥ ananyacetāḥ satataṃ yo māṃ smarati nityaśaḥ | tasyāhaṃ sulabhaḥ pārtha nityayuktasya yoginaḥ || | I am easy to attain for the ever-disciplined yogi who remembers Me constantly with an undivided mind. |
| 8.15 मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम्। नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः॥ māmupetya punarjanma duḥkhālayamaśāśvatam | nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṃsiddhiṃ paramāṃ gatāḥ || | Having attained Me, those great souls who have reached the highest perfection do truly not take birth again in this impermanent abode of sorrow. |
| 8.16 आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन। मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते॥ ābrahmabhuvanāllokāḥ punarāvartino’rjuna | māmupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate || | All the worlds, O Arjuna, including the realm of Brahma, are subject to return, but after attaining Me, O son of Kunti, there is no re-birth. |
| 8.17 सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदुः। रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः॥ sahasrayugaparyantamaharyadbrahmaṇo viduḥ | rātriṃ yugasahasrāntāṃ te’horātravido janāḥ || | They who know (the true measure of) day and night, know the day of Brahma, which ends in a thousand Yugas, and the night which (also) ends in a thousand Yugas. |
| 8.18 अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे। रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके॥ avyaktādvyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyaharāgame | rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyaktasaṃjñake || | At the approach of (Brahma's) day, all manifestations proceed from the unmanifest state; at the approach of night, they merge into that alone, which is called the unmanifest. |
| 8.19 भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते। रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे॥ bhūtagrāmaḥ sa evāyaṃ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate | rātryāgame’vaśaḥ pārtha prabhavatyaharāgame || | The very same multitude of beings (that existed in the preceding day of Brahma), being born again and again, merge, in spite of themselves, O son of Pritha, (into the unmanifest), at the approach of night, and re-manifest at the approach of day. |
| 8.20 परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः। यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति॥ parastasmāttu bhāvo’nyo’vyakto’vyaktātsanātanaḥ | yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati || | But beyond this unmanifest, there is that other Unmanifest, eternal Existence—That which is not destroyed at the destruction of all beings. |
| 8.21 अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्। यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम॥ avyakto’kṣara ityuktastamāhuḥ paramāṃ gatim | yaṃ prāpya na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ mama || | What has been called Unmanifest and Imperishable, has been described as the goal Supreme. That is My highest state, having attained which, there is no return. |
| 8.22 पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया। यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम्॥ puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyastvananyayā | yasyāntaḥsthāni bhūtāni yena sarvamidaṃ tatam || | And that Supreme Purusha is attainable, O son of Pritha, by whole-souled devotion to Him alone, in Whom all beings dwell, and by Whom all this is pervaded. |
| 8.23 यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः। प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ॥ yatra kāle tvanāvṛttimāvṛttiṃ caiva yoginaḥ | prayātā yānti taṃ kālaṃ vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha || | Now I shall tell you, O bull of the Bharatas, of the time (path) travelling in which, the Yogis return, (and again of that, taking which) they do not return. |
| 8.24 अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम्। तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः॥ agnirjyotirahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam | tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahmavido janāḥ || | Fire, flame, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the Northern passage of the sun, taking this path, the knowers of Brahman go to Brahman. |
| 8.25 धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्। तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते॥ dhūmo rātristathā kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇmāsā dakṣiṇāyanam | tatra cāndramasaṃ jyotiryogī prāpya nivartate || | Smoke, nighttime, the dark fortnight, the six months of the Southern passage of the sun—taking this path the yogi, attaining the lunar light, returns. |
| 8.26 शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते। एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः॥ śuklakṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate | ekayā yātyanāvṛttimanyayāvartate punaḥ || | Truly are these bright and dark paths of the world considered eternal: one leads to non-return. by the other, one returns. |
| 8.27 नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन। तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन॥ naite sṛtī pārtha jānanyogī muhyati kaścana | tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu yogayukto bhavārjuna || | No yogi, O son of Pritha, is deluded after knowing these paths. Therefore, O Arjuna, be you steadfast in yoga, at all times. |
| 8.28 वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम्। अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम्॥ vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva dāneṣu yatpuṇyaphalaṃ pradiṣṭam | atyeti tatsarvamidaṃ viditvā yogī paraṃ sthānamupaiti cādyam || | Whatever meritorious effect is declared (in the Scriptures) to accrue from (the study of) the Vedas, (the performance of) Yajnas, (the practice of) austerities and gifts,—above all this rises the yogi, having known this, and attains to the primeval, supreme abode. |
You can read all 18 chapters in Diya. To see where chapter 8 sits in the whole text, start with the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, or read how to start the Bhagavad Gita as a beginner.
Previous chapter: Chapter 7: Knowing the Divine. Next chapter: Chapter 9: The Royal Secret.
Related reading
Questions people ask
How many verses are in Bhagavad Gita chapter 8?
Chapter 8 has 28 verses.
What is chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita called?
Its traditional title is The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman. Diya calls it The Imperishable.
What is Bhagavad Gita chapter 8 about?
In Diya's summary: Krishna teaches remembrance, death, and the imperishable Reality.
Research notes
Sources
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- Bhagavad Gita chapter 8 (Diya Gita library)
DiyaPublished by Houdini Apps, LLC
- Bhagavad Gita chapter titles (Diya Gita library)
DiyaPublished by Houdini Apps, LLC
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