Chapter 8: Attaining the Supreme |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 8.10
prayāṇa-kāle manasācalena
bhaktyā yukto yoga-balena caiva
bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśya samyak
sa taḿ paraḿ puruṣam upaiti divyam
SYNONYMS
prayāṇa-kāle — at the time of death; manasā — by the mind; acalena — without its being deviated; bhaktyā — in full devotion; yuktaḥ — engaged; yoga-balena — by the power of mystic yoga; ca — also; eva — certainly; bhruvoḥ — the two eyebrows; madhye — between; prāṇam — the life air; āveśya — establishing; samyak — completely; saḥ — he; tam — that; param — transcendental; puruṣam — Personality of Godhead; upaiti — achieves; divyam — in the spiritual kingdom.
TRANSLATION
One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and, by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
In this verse it is clearly stated that at the time of death the mind must be fixed in devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those practiced in yoga, it is recommended that they raise the life force between the eyebrows (to the ājñā-cakra). The practice of ṣaṭ-cakra-yoga, involving meditation on the six cakras, is suggested here. A pure devotee does not practice such yoga, but because he is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at death he can remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His grace. This is explained in verse fourteen.
The particular use of the word yoga-balena is significant in this verse because without practice of yoga — whether ṣaṭ-cakra-yoga or bhakti-yoga — one cannot come to this transcendental state of being at the time of death. One cannot suddenly remember the Supreme Lord at death; one must have practiced some yoga system, especially the system of bhakti-yoga. Since one's mind at death is very disturbed, one should practice transcendence through yoga during one's life.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness