Bhagavad Gita · 8.26 · Path of the Eternal God·26 of 28
शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते।एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययाऽऽवर्तते पुनः ॥
śhukla-kṛiṣhṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śhāśhvate
mate ekayā yātyanāvṛittim anyayāvartate punaḥ
Sanskrit recitation
Leaving and returning · 8.23–8.28 · Teaching
Translation
The bright and dark paths of the world are thought to be eternal; one leads to no return, and the other leads to return.
Meaning
The bright path is the path to the gods taken by the devotees. The dark path is of the manes taken by those who perform sacrifices or charitable acts with the expectation of rewards. These two paths are not open to the whole world. The bright path is open to the devotees and the dark one to those who are devoted to the rituals. These paths are as eternal as the Samsara.World here means devotees or people devoted to ritual.Pitriloka or Chandraloka is Svarga or heaven.
After Swami Sivananda
Leaving and returning· 8.23–8.28→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 8.23Now I will tell you, O chief of the Bharatas, the times of departure at which the Yogis will return or not return.
- 8.24Fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern path of the sun (the northern solstice) departing, then men who know Brahman go to Brahman.
- 8.25Attaining the lunar light through smoke, night time, the dark fortnight, and the six months of the southern path of the sun (the southern solstice), the yogi returns.
8.26The bright and dark paths of the world are thought to be eternal; one leads to no return, and the other leads to return.
- 8.27Knowing these paths, O Arjuna, no yogi is deluded; therefore, at all times, be steadfast in yoga.
- 8.28Whatever fruit of merit is declared (in the scriptures) to accrue from (the study of) the Vedas, (the performance of) sacrifices, (the practice of) austerities, and gifts, beyond all this goes the Yogi, having known this; and he attains to the Supreme, Primeval (first or ancient) Abode.
Word-by-word→
- śhukla
- bright
- kṛiṣhṇe
- dark
- gatī
- paths
- hi
- certainly
- ete
- these
- jagataḥ
- of the material world
- śhāśhvate
- eternal
- mate
- opinion
- ekayā
- by one
- yāti
- goes
- anāvṛittim
- to non return
- anyayā
- by the other
- āvartate
- comes back
- punaḥ
- again
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