Chapter 8: Attaining the Supreme

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 8.13

oḿ ity ekākṣaraḿ brahma

vyāharan mām anusmaran

yaḥ prayāti tyajan dehaḿ

sa yāti paramāḿ gatim

SYNONYMS

oḿ — the combination of letters oḿ (oḿkāra); iti — thus; eka-akṣaram — the one syllable; brahma — absolute; vyāharan — vibrating; māmMe (Kṛṣṇa); anusmaran — remembering; yaḥ — anyone who; prayāti — leaves; tyajan — quitting; deham — this body; saḥhe; yāti — achieves; paramām — the supreme; gatim — destination.

TRANSLATION

After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable oḿ, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the spiritual planets.

PURPORT

It is clearly stated here that oḿ, Brahman and Lord Kṛṣṇa are not different. The impersonal sound of Kṛṣṇa is oḿ, but the sound Hare Kṛṣṇa contains oḿ. The chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is clearly recommended for this age. So if one quits his body at the end of life chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, he certainly reaches one of the spiritual planets, according to the mode of his practice. The devotees of Kṛṣṇa enter the Kṛṣṇa planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana. For the personalists there are also innumerable other planets, known as Vaikuṇṭha planets, in the spiritual sky, whereas the impersonalists remain in the brahmajyoti.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness