THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER 08, VERSE 28, AKSHARA BRAHMA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF THE IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 08

AKSHARA BRAHMA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF THE IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN:

VERSE NUMBER 28

Text in Transliteration:

vedeshu yajneshu tapahsu chai ‘va

   daaneshu yat punyaphalam pradishtam

atyeti tat sarvam idam viditvaa

   yogee param sthaanam upaiti chaa ‘dyam

  

Text in English:

The yogi who knows this transcends the fruits of meritorious deeds attached to the study of the Vedas, sacrifices, austerities and gifts, and attains to the supreme primeval Abode.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

This chapter commenced with seven questions raised by Arjuna. And the Lord has answered all of them in order. He who understands the explanation understands “Akshara Brahman.” The regular chanting of the Vedas, the correct performance of the ritualistic Yajnas, the ardent doing of the austerities and the reverent payment of gifts are all meritorious acts conducive to the attainment of Svarga or heaven. But this high state also comes within the wheel of birth and death. On the other hand, an intellectual grasp of Akshara Brahman and attuning oneself to the attainment of Him steadily lead one towards that Supreme Goal. Blessed is the yogi that wends his way towards this primeval Abode.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

The states which result from the study of the Vedas, sacrifices, austerities and gifts are all lower stages to be passed over by the Yogi who soars beyond them to the final goal.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:

The glory of Yoga is described in this verse.

Whatever meritorious effect is declared in the scriptures to accrue from the proper study of the Vedas, from the performance of sacrifices properly, from the practice of austerities—above all these rises the Yogi who rightly understands and follows the teaching imparted by Lord Krishna, and who meditates on Brahman. He attains to the Supreme Abode of Brahman Which existed even in the beginning (primeval), and is the first or ancient.

Idam Viditva: Having known this, Having known properly the answers given by the Lord to the seven questions put by Arjuna at the beginning of this chapter.

(This chapter is known by the name Abhyasa Yoga also)

iti srimad bhagavadgeetaasoopanishatsu brahmavidyaayaam yogasaastre sree krsnaarjuna samvaade aksharabrahma yogo naama astamo ‘dhyaayah

In the Upanishad of the Bhagavad Gita, the knowledge of Brahman, the Supreme, the science of Yoga and the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, this is the eighth discourse designated:

THE YOGA OF THE IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN

Comments by the blogger:

In Hinduism, there is a term, “prastanatrayam”. The Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita and The Brahma Sutra are called “prastranatrayam” that is, the important three authorities. The Bhagavad Gita too is an Upanishad. For all the Upanishads (they say there are 108 Upanishads) the Four Vedas are the authorities. The principal Upanishads are 14 in number. They are: Esopanishad, kenopanishad, kadopanishad, Prasna Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad, Mandukya( Maandookya) Upanishad, Aitreya Upanishad, Taitiriya (Taitireeya) Upanishad, Chandokya Upanishad, Bruhadharanya Upnishad, Swetasvatra Upanishad, Kausheedahi Upanishad, Maha Narayana Upanishad, Maitrayani Upanishad.  Adi Shankara has written able commentaries on the first 10 Upanishads.

So these Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita and The Brahmasutra are the three authoritative Scriptures for Hinduism. Any writing or saying that is not in consonance with these three works (Prastanatrayam) must be discarded as invalid.

For all the Upanishads, the Four Vedas are the authorities in the sense they all came into being only to explain one or several aspects of the Vedas.

The Fourteen Upanishads mentioned above arose out of the concerned Veda as given below:

Out of Rig Veda arose Aitreya Upanishad and Kausheetahi or Kausheetaki Upanishad.

Out of Yajur Veda arose Esopanishad, Kadopanishad, Taitireeya Upanishad, Bruhadharanyaka Upanishad, Swetaasvatara Upanishad, Maitrayani Upanishad, Maha Nayana Upanishad.

Out of Sama Veda arose, Kenopanishad and Chandokya Upanishads.

Out of Adharvana Veda arose Prasna Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad and Mandukya Upanishad.

Still, Sri Krishna speaks in terms not so glamorous whenever he speaks about the Vedas. He has said that for a Brahmin who has understood the Brahman the use of the four Vedas would be the same as a well in a place inundated by water!

Like this wherever the Lord of Gita refers to the Vedas, He never forgets to say, “Don’t aspire for the swarga or the Heaven as the fruits of the recitation of the Vedas and performing sacrifices enshrined in them.”

However, this is to the merits of the Hinduism. It is like the grandson who knows everything about the modern gadgets teaching his grandfather on the use of them exhorting him to give up his old-time and old-fashioned ideas! The grandfather would not get offended. On the contrary, he would take pride in his grandson’s knowledge.

Knowledge of the Brahman is the superior knowledge.

Here Swami Chidbhavananda’s words should be noted. He says an intellectual understanding of the Knowledge of Brahman as taught by the Lord in this chapter would lead one toward a realization of the same.