Whatever a person remembers at the moment of leaving the body, that he becomes. So practise the remembrance of the Divine throughout life. The two paths of the departed — the bright path of return and the dark path of return — are described.
अर्जुन उवाच । किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम । अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ॥
arjuna uvāca | kiṃ tad brahma kim-adhyātmaṃ kiṃ karma puruṣottama | adhi-bhūtaṃ ca kiṃ proktam-adhi-daivaṃ kim-ucyate ||
Arjuna said: What is that Brahman? What is adhyatma? What is karma, O supreme person? What is called adhibhuta, and what is said to be adhidaiva?
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन । प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ॥
adhi-yajñaḥ kathaṃ ko’tra dehe’smin madhusūdana | prayāṇa-kāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo’si niyatātmabhiḥ ||
Who is adhiyajna, and how does he dwell in this body, O Madhusudana? And how are you to be known at the time of departure by those of disciplined self?
श्रीभगवानुवाच । अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते । भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca | akṣaraṃ brahma paramaṃ svabhāvo’dhyātmam-ucyate | bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo visargaḥ karma-saṃjñitaḥ ||
The Blessed Lord said: The supreme Imperishable is Brahman. Its essential nature is called adhyatma. The creative force that causes beings to come into being is called karma.
अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् । अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ॥
adhi-bhūtaṃ kṣaro bhāvaḥ puruṣaś-cādhi-daivatam | adhi-yajño’ham-evātra dehe deha-bhṛtāṃ vara ||
The perishable principle is adhibhuta. The cosmic person is adhidaiva. I myself am adhiyajna here in this body, O best of the embodied.
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् । यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥
anta-kāle ca mām-eva smaran muktvā kalevaram | yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṃ yāti nāsty-atra saṃśayaḥ ||
One who at the hour of death remembers me alone and leaves the body — he comes to my state. Of this there is no doubt.
यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् । तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ॥
yaṃ yaṃ vāpi smaran bhāvaṃ tyajaty-ante kalevaram | taṃ tam-evaiti kaunteya sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ ||
Whatever state of being one remembers when one gives up the body at the end, that very state one attains, O son of Kunti — being ever absorbed in that state.
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च । मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम् ॥
tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu mām-anusmara yudhya ca | mayy-arpita-mano-buddhir-mām-evaiṣyasy-asaṃśayam ||
Therefore remember me at all times and fight. With mind and intellect surrendered to me, you shall surely come to me.
अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना । परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ॥
abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā | paramaṃ puruṣaṃ divyaṃ yāti pārthānucintayan ||
With mind united by the yoga of practice, not straying to anything else, meditating — one attains the supreme divine person, O Partha.
कविं पुराणमनुशासितारमणोरणीयांसमनुस्मरेद्यः । सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूपमादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ॥
kaviṃ purāṇam-anuśāsitāram-aṇor-aṇīyāṃsam-anusmared yaḥ | sarvasya dhātāram-acintya-rūpam-āditya-varṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt ||
One who meditates on the all-knowing, ancient, ruler, smaller than the smallest, supporter of all, of inconceivable form, of sun-like brilliance, beyond darkness—
प्रयाणकाले मनसाचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव । भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक्स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥
prayāṇa-kāle manasācalena bhaktyā yukto yoga-balena caiva | bhruvor-madhye prāṇam-āveśya samyak sa taṃ paraṃ puruṣam-upaiti divyam ||
— at the hour of departure, with unwavering mind, united by devotion and the strength of yoga, fixing the prana between the eyebrows — he reaches that supreme divine person.
यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः । यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं सङ्ग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥
yad-akṣaraṃ veda-vido vadanti viśanti yad-yatayo vīta-rāgāḥ | yad-icchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tat te padaṃ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣye ||
That Imperishable which knowers of the Veda declare, which the passion-free sages enter, desiring which one lives the life of brahmacharya — I shall briefly tell you of that state.
सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च । मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् ॥
sarva-dvārāṇi saṃyamya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca | mūrdhny-ādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇam-āsthito yoga-dhāraṇām ||
Closing all the gates of the body, confining the mind in the heart, and placing the prana at the top of the head — established in yogic concentration—
ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् । यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥
om-ity-ekākṣaraṃ brahma vyāharan mām-anusmaran | yaḥ prayāti tyajan dehaṃ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim ||
— chanting Om, the one-syllable Brahman, remembering me, one who departs leaving the body — he reaches the supreme goal.
अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः । तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः ॥
ananya-cetāḥ satataṃ yo māṃ smarati nityaśaḥ | tasyāhaṃ su-labhaḥ pārtha nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ ||
One who constantly remembers me with undeviating mind — to that ever-united yogi, O Partha, I am easily attained.
मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् । नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ॥
mām-upetya punar-janma duḥkhālayam-aśāśvatam | nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṃsiddhiṃ paramāṃ gatāḥ ||
Reaching me, the great souls do not return to this temporary abode of sorrow — for they have attained the highest perfection.
आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन । मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥
ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar-āvartino’rjuna | mām-upetya tu kaunteya punar-janma na vidyate ||
All the worlds up to Brahmaloka are subject to return, O Arjuna. But having attained me, O son of Kunti, there is no rebirth.
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदुः । रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ॥
sahasra-yuga-paryantam-ahar-yad-brahmaṇo viduḥ | rātriṃ yuga-sahasrāntāṃ te’ho-rātra-vido janāḥ ||
Those who know that the day of Brahma lasts a thousand yugas and his night extends through a thousand yugas — they know day and night.
अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे । रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ॥
avyaktād-vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavanty-ahar-āgame | rātry-āgame pralīyante tatraivāvyakta-saṃjñake ||
At the coming of day all manifestations issue forth from the unmanifest; at the coming of night they dissolve into that same called the unmanifest.
भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते । रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ॥
bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṃ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate | rātry-āgame’vaśaḥ pārtha prabhavaty-ahar-āgame ||
This same host of beings, coming into being again and again, helplessly dissolves at the approach of night and emerges at the approach of day, O Partha.
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः । यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥
paras-tasmāt tu bhāvo’nyo’vyakto’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ | yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati ||
But higher than that is another unmanifest state — eternal, beyond the unmanifest — which does not perish when all beings perish.
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् । यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥
avyakto’kṣara ity-uktas-tam-āhuḥ paramāṃ gatim | yaṃ prāpya na nivartante tad-dhāma paramaṃ mama ||
That unmanifest is called the Imperishable, and is said to be the supreme goal. Having attained which, one does not return — that is my supreme abode.
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया । यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ॥
puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas-tv-ananyayā | yasyāntaḥ-sthāni bhūtāni yena sarvam-idaṃ tatam ||
That supreme person, O Partha, in whom all beings dwell and by whom all this is pervaded — is attained by single-pointed devotion.
यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः । प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ॥
yatra kāle tv-anāvṛttim-āvṛttiṃ caiva yoginaḥ | prayātā yānti taṃ kālaṃ vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha ||
I shall tell you, O bull of the Bharatas, of the times at which yogis depart, never to return, or to return again.
अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् । तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ॥
agnir-jyotir-ahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam | tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ ||
Fire, light, day, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northward sun — departing then, knowers of Brahman go to Brahman.
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् । तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ॥
dhūmo rātris-tathā kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇ-māsā dakṣiṇāyanam | tatra cāndramasaṃ jyotir-yogī prāpya nivartate ||
Smoke, night, the dark fortnight, the six months of the southward sun — by these the yogi reaches the lunar light and returns.
शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते । एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ॥
śukla-kṛṣṇe gatī hy-ete jagataḥ śāśvate mate | ekayā yāty-anāvṛttim-anyayāvartate punaḥ ||
These two paths of the world, the bright and the dark, are considered eternal. By one, one departs not to return; by the other one returns again.
नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन । तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ॥
naite sṛtī pārtha jānan yogī muhyati kaścana | tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu yoga-yukto bhavārjuna ||
Knowing these two paths, O Partha, no yogi is deluded. Therefore at all times be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna.
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् । अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ॥
vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥ-su caiva dāneṣu yat puṇya-phalaṃ pradiṣṭam | atyeti tat sarvam-idaṃ viditvā yogī paraṃ sthānam-upaiti cādyam ||
The yogi who knows this transcends all the merit of the Vedas, of sacrifices, of austerities, and of charities, and attains the supreme primal abode.