The Bhagavadgîtâ, with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ — SBE Vol. 8 (trans. K. T. Telang, 1882)
The translator’s English as printed (K. T. Telang). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
And he who leaves this body and departs (from this world) remembering me in (his) last moments, comes into my essence. There is no doubt of that. Also whichever form 1 (of deity) he remembers when he finally leaves this body, to that he goes, O son of Kunti! having been used to ponder on it. Therefore, at all times remember me, andengage in battle. Fixing your mind and understanding on me, you will come to me, there is no doubt. He who thinks of the supreme divine Being,Oson of Pṛithâ! with a mind not(running) to other (objects), and possessed of abstraction in the shape of continuous meditation (about the supreme), goes to him. He who, possessed of reverence (for the supreme Being) with a steady mind, and with the power of devotion, properly concentrates the life-breath between the brows 2, and meditates on the ancient Seer, the ruler, more minute than the minutest atom, the supporter of all, who is of an unthinkable form, whose brilliance is like that of the sun, and who is beyond all darkness‘, he attains to that transcendent and divine Being. 15 will tell you briefly about the seat, which those who know the Vedas declare to be indestructible; which is entered by ascetics from whom all desires have departed; and wishing for which, people pursue the mode of life of Brahmakârins'. He who leaves the body and departs (from this world), stopping up all passages ?, and confining the mind within the heart, placing the life-breath in the head, and adhering to uninterrupted meditation‘, repeating the single syllable ‘ Om,’ (signifying) the eternal Brahman 5, and meditating on me, he reaches the highest goal. To the devotee who constantly practises abstraction, O son of Pṛithâ! and who with a mind not (turned) to anything else, is ever and constantly meditating on me, I am easy of access. The high-souled ones, who achieve the highest perfection, attaining to me, do not again come to life, which is transient, a home of woesf. All worlds, O Arguna! up to the world of Brahman, are (destined) to return’. But, O son of Kunti! after attaining to me, there is no birth again. Those who know a day of Brahman to end after one thousand ages, and the night to terminate after one thousand ages, are the persons who know day and night’. On the advent of day, all perceptible things are produced from the unperceived ; and on the advent of night they dissolve in that same (principle) called the unperceived. This same assemblage of entities, being produced again and again, dissolves on the advent of night, and, O son of Prithâ ! issues forth on the advent of day, without a will of its own? But there is another entity, unperceived and eternal, and distinct from this unperceived (principle), which is not destroyed when all entities are destroyed. It is called the unperceived, the indestructible; they call it the highest goal. Attaining to it, none returns*. That is my supreme abode. That supreme Being, O son of Pṛithâ! he in whom all these entities dwell 4, and by whom all this is permeated, is to be attained to by reverence not (directed) to another. I will state the times, O descendant of Bharata! at which devotees departing (from this world) go, never to return, or to return. The fire, the flame, the day, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern solstice, departing (from the world) in these, those who know the Brahman go to the Brahman. Smoke, night, the dark fortnight, the six months of the southern solstice, (dying) in these, the devotee goes to the lunar light and returns!, These two paths, bright and dark, are deemed to be eternal in this world’. By the one, (a man) goes never to return, by the other he comes back. Knowing these two paths, O son of Pṛithâ! no devotee is deluded *. Therefore at all times be possessed of devotion, O Arguna! A devotee knowing all this +, obtains all the holy fruit which is prescribed for (study of) the Vedas, for sacrifices, and also for penances and gifts, and he attains to the highest and primeval seat.
action, cf. pp. 53, 54. Adhibhôta is apparently the whole inanimate creation, and Adhidaivata is the being supposed to dwell in the sun. Adhiyagña is Kṛishṇa. Cf. too PP'113, TF 4.
* Some commentators say ‘whatever thing’ generally. The ‘form’ remembered in one’s last moments would be that which had been most often meditated on during life. ? Cf. supra, p. 67. * Kasha, p. 105; Svetâsvatara, p. 333.
* Cf. Svetâsvatara-upanishad, p. ae ° Kaṭhopanishad, p. roa.
And he who leaves this body and departs from this world remembering me in his last moments comes into my essence. There is no doubt of that. Also, whichever form 1 of deity he remembers when he finally leaves this body, to that he goes, O son of Kunti! having been used to ponder on it. Therefore, at all times remember me, and engage in battle. Fix your mind and understanding on me, and you will come to me — there is no doubt. He who thinks of the supreme divine Being, O son of Prithâ! with a mind not running to other objects, and possessed of abstraction in the shape of continuous meditation about the supreme, goes to him. He who, with reverence for the supreme Being, a steady mind, and the power of devotion, properly concentrates the life-breath between the brows 2 and meditates on the ancient Seer, the ruler, more minute than the minutest atom, the supporter of all, of an unthinkable form, whose brilliance is like that of the sun, and who is beyond all darkness — he attains to that transcendent and divine Being. 15 will tell you briefly about the seat which those who know the Vedas declare to be indestructible, which is entered by ascetics from whom all desires have departed, and wishing for which people pursue the mode of life of Brahmaârins 4. He who leaves the body and departs from this world, stopping up all passages 5, confining the mind within the heart, placing the life-breath in the head, adhering to uninterrupted meditation 7, repeating the single syllable 'Om,' signifying the eternal Brahman 5, and meditating on me — he reaches the highest goal. To the devotee who constantly practises abstraction, O son of Prithâ! and who with a mind not turned to anything else is ever and constantly meditating on me, I am easy of access. The high-souled ones who achieve the highest perfection, attaining to me, do not again come to life, which is transient, a home of woes. All worlds, O Arjuna! up to the world of Brahman, are destined to return. But, O son of Kunti! after attaining to me, there is no birth again. Those who know a day of Brahman to end after one thousand ages, and the night to terminate after one thousand ages, are the persons who know day and night. On the advent of day, all perceptible things are produced from the unperceived; and on the advent of night they dissolve in that same principle called the unperceived. This same assemblage of entities, being produced again and again, dissolves on the advent of night, and, O son of Prithâ! issues forth on the advent of day, without a will of its own. But there is another entity, unperceived and eternal, and distinct from this unperceived principle, which is not destroyed when all entities are destroyed. It is called the unperceived, the indestructible; they call it the highest goal. Attaining to it, none returns. That is my supreme abode. That supreme Being, O son of Prithâ! — he in whom all these entities dwell 4, and by whom all this is permeated — is to be attained to by reverence not directed to another. I will state the times, O descendant of Bharata! at which devotees departing from this world go never to return, or go to return. The fire, the flame, the day, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern solstice — departing from the world in these, those who know the Brahman go to the Brahman. Smoke, night, the dark fortnight, the six months of the southern solstice — dying in these, the devotee goes to the lunar light and returns. These two paths, bright and dark, are deemed to be eternal in this world. By the one a man goes never to return; by the other he comes back. Knowing these two paths, O son of Prithâ! no devotee is deluded. Therefore at all times be possessed of devotion, O Arjuna! A devotee knowing all this obtains all the holy fruit prescribed for study of the Vedas, for sacrifices, and also for penances and gifts, and he attains to the highest and primeval seat.
action, cf. pp. 53, 54. Adhibhôta is apparently the whole inanimate creation, and Adhidaivata is the being supposed to dwell in the sun. Adhiyajña is Kṛishṇa. Cf. too pp. 113, TF 4.
* Some commentators take 'whatever thing' in a general sense. The 'form' recalled in one's last moments would be whichever one had meditated on most often during life. † Cf. supra, p. 67. ‡ Kasha, p. 105; Svetâsvatara, p. 333.
* Cf. Svetâsvatara-upanishad, p. ae ° Kaṭhopanishad, p. roa.