Death

Beings are unmanifest in their beginnings, manifest in their middle states, and unmanifest again at their end, Bharata. What cause for grief is there in this?

अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत | अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना ||२-२८||

For death is certain for the born, and birth is certain for the dead. Therefore you should not grieve over what is unavoidable.

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च | तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ||२-२७||

The Blessed Lord said: I am Time, mighty and world-destroying, here set upon annihilating the worlds. Even without you, none of these warriors arrayed in the opposing ranks shall survive.

श्रीभगवानुवाच | कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः | ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः ||११-३२||

whoever departs, leaving the body while uttering Om, the single syllable that is Brahman, and remembering me, reaches the supreme goal.

ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् | यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ||८-१३||

And whoever, at the hour of death, departs leaving the body while remembering me alone, attains my state of being — of this there is no doubt.

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् | यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ||८-५||

Whatever state of being one remembers as one leaves the body at the end, that alone one reaches, son of Kunti, having always dwelt on that state.

यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् | तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ||८-६||

'Maghavan, this body is mortal, held in the grip of death. But it is the seat of that immortal, bodiless Self. One who has a body is held in the grip of the pleasant and the unpleasant, and while one has a body there is no freedom from the pleasant and the unpleasant. But the pleasant and the unpleasant do not touch one who is bodiless.'

मघवन्मर्त्यं वा इदꣳ शरीरमात्तं मृत्युना तदस्यामृतस्याशरीरस्यात्मनोऽधिष्ठानमात्तो वै सशरीरः प्रियाप्रियाभ्यां न वै सशरीरस्य सतः प्रियाप्रिययोरपहतिरस्त्यशरीरं वाव सन्तं न प्रियाप्रिये स्पृशतः

'Understand, my dear, that it is just so,' he said. 'When abandoned by the living self, this body dies, but the living self does not die. That which is this finest essence — this whole world has that as its self. That is the truth. That is the Self. That you are, Svetaketu.' 'Please, sir, explain it to me further.' 'So be it, my dear,' he said.

एवमेव खलु सोम्य विद्धीति होवाच जीवापेतं वाव किलेदं म्रियते न जीवो म्रियते इति स य एषोऽणिमैतदात्म्यमिदꣳ सर्वं तत्सत्यꣳ स आत्मा तत्त्वमसि श्वेतकेतो इति भूय एव मा भगवान्विज्ञापयत्विति तथा सोम्येति होवाच

What is here, that is there; what is there, that too is here. He goes from death to death who sees any difference here.

यदेवेह तदमुत्र यदमुत्र तदन्विह । मृत्योः स मृत्युमाप्नोति य इह नानेव पश्यति ॥ १०॥

As moths rush headlong into a blazing flame to their destruction, so too do these people rush headlong into your mouths to their destruction.

यथा प्रदीप्तं ज्वलनं पतङ्गा विशन्ति नाशाय समृद्धवेगाः | तथैव नाशाय विशन्ति लोकास्- तवापि वक्त्राणि समृद्धवेगाः ||११-२९||

Knowing these two paths, Arjuna, no yogi is ever deluded. Therefore, at all times be steadfast in yoga, Arjuna.

नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन | तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ||८-२७||

Who is the lord of sacrifice, and how, within this body, Krishna? And at the moment of departure, how are you to be known by those who are self-controlled?

अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन | प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ||८-२||

Those who know me together with the physical realm, the divine realm, and the sacrificial realm — they, their minds steadfast, know me even at the moment of departure.

साधिभूताधिदैवं मां साधियज्ञं च ये विदुः | प्रयाणकालेऽपि च मां ते विदुर्युक्तचेतसः ||७-३०||

Now I shall tell you this secret, eternal Brahman, and what becomes of the Self after reaching death, O Gautama.

हन्त त इदं प्रवक्ष्यामि गुह्यं ब्रह्म सनातनम् । यथा च मरणं प्राप्य आत्मा भवति गौतम ॥ ६॥

As the many torrents of rivers rush toward the ocean, so do these heroes of the world of men enter your blazing mouths.

यथा नदीनां बहवोऽम्बुवेगाः समुद्रमेवाभिमुखा द्रवन्ति | तथा तवामी नरलोकवीरा विशन्ति वक्त्राण्यभिविज्वलन्ति ||११-२८||

at the hour of departure, with an unwavering mind, endowed with devotion and the power of yoga, drawing the life-breath fully between the eyebrows — that person reaches the supreme, divine Person.

प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव | भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक् स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ||८-१०||