THE HOLY GITA
CHAPTER NUMBER 08
AKSHARA BRAHMA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF THE IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN:
VERSES 12 AND 13
Verse No: 12
Text in Transliteration:
sarvadvaaraani samyamya mano hrdi nirudhya cha
murdhny aadhaayaa ‘tmanah praanam aasthito yogadhaa ranaam
Text in English:
Having closed all the gates, confined the mind in the heart and fixed the life-breath in the head, engaged in the practice of concentration,
Verse No: 13
Text in Transliteration:
Aum ity ekaaksaram brahma vyaaharan maam anusmaran
Yah prayaati tyajan deham sa yaati paramaam gatim
Text in English:
Uttering the one-syllabled Om—the Brahman—and remembering Me, he who departs, leaving the body, attains to the Supreme Goal.
Swami Sidbhavananda’s Translation of the two verses:
All the gates of the body closed, the mind confined within the heart, having fixed his life-energy in the head, engaged in firm yoga; uttering the one-syllabled ‘Om’, Brahman, thinking of Me, he who departs, leaving the body, attains the Supreme Goal.
COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA FOR BOTH THE VERSES:
This is how the yogi brings his embodied existence to an end. As the river brings his embodied existence to an end. As the river enters the ocean, the individual consciousness of the yogi merges in the Cosmic Consciousness, which is Brahman. The activities of the body and the senses all cease, as when going to sleep. As a bird returns to a tree to roost, the mind of the yogi gets settled in his heart, at the time of death. Contrary to this, the mind of the worldly wanders woefully on mundane things; Cold spreads all over the body as prana (life breath) leaves it. As a traveller goes to a vehicle station, the prana of the yogi finally comes to the head. For this reason the yogi’s head is the last region from which warmth vanishes. It is Yogadhaarana for the mind to be fixed in Iswara at the time of departure. The sound vibration, ‘Om’ persists then. The spiritual content of this vibration is experienced as Infinite Bliss and Brilliance of the Pure Consciousness. This Brahma-nirvanam is the Supreme Goal attained by the yogi.
SRI RAMAKRISHNA AS QUOTED BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:
The formative thought that dominates the mind of the one who leaves the body, is the factor that governs and contributes to the next birth of that individual. Spiritual discipline is therefore imperative to one and all. The devotee of the Lord is ever immersed in the thought of God. Being firmly fixed in it, he reaches the Lord on giving up the body.
COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:
FOR THE VERSE 12:
The body is called the nine gated city: V, 13. The mind which is confined within the heart means the mind whose functions are checked. The yoga saastra tells us that the soul which passes from the heart through sushumnanaadi( subtle psychic nerve channel) to the brahmarandhra( the hole of Brahman) in the bead and thence goes out, becomes one with the Supreme.
FOR THE VERSE 13:
Aum stands for the inexpressible Absolute.
maam anusmaran: remembering Me. The highest state can be obtained through the worship of God, according to the Yoga Sootra.
COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:
FOR THE VERSE 12:
The gates are the senses of knowledge. Closing the gates means control of all the senses by the practice of Pratyahara or withdrawal of the consciousness from them. Even if the senses are controlled, the mind will be dwelling on the sensual objects. Therefore the mind is confined or fixed in the lotus of the heart and thereby all the thoughts or mental modifications are also controlled. The whole life-breath modifications are also controlled. The whole life-breath is now taken up and fixed at the crown of the head (Brahmarandhra or the hole of Brahma)
FOR THE VERSE 13:
Having controlled the thoughts the Yogi ascends by the Sushumna, the Nadi (subtle psychic nerve channel) which passes upwards from the heart. He fixes his whole Prana or life breath in the crown of the head in the Brahmarandhra or the hole of Brahma. He utters the sacred monosyllable Om, meditates on Me and leaves the body.
Comments by the blogger:
The nine holes in the body are called the nine gates of the city. The mind of the ordinary men and women would dwell on the senses of knowledge and they would be woefully thinking of the mundane life even at the time of death, the most important moment after the birth. The birth is not in our control. And we can’t choose consciously the family and other circumstances of our birth. But the yogi shuts up all the nine gates through which Prana or Life breath leaves the body in case of ordinary Man and Woman and brings the mental consciousness to the lotus in the heart. We do not and cannot do this. Our senses are very active and the mind dwells on the worldly things like our sons and daughters and our assets and liabilities, and above all, we are seized with an all-consuming fear of death. We mumble this and that and we even instruct our close relations about this and that.
Then the yogi utters ‘Om’ the single-syllabled Brahman and the life breath is taken consciously to the crown of the head of the yogi and it leaves through Brahmandhra or the hole of Brahman. It is situated in the crown of the head. We do not and cannot use this way to pass away. The prana of ours goes through either one of the nine gates.
There is a certain indignity in the way an ordinary man or woman leaves his/her body. But there is a right royal route for the yogi.
So what do we do?
That is, how to die properly?
Even among us the most sattvic ones goes without losing his/her dignity.
But the point is even for us there is a most wonderful way to go. First, we should not think of our sons and daughters and spouse. If we have spent a lifetime of chanting the holy and auspicious name of the Lord or Goddess, then we could easily go with an inner chanting of the same even at the glorious time of our death. Whether you agree with me or not, Death has a certain glory with which it takes us. It is we who needlessly makes the last process very cumbersome and undignified. If we choose to go with an inward chanting of our Lord’s name, that would be the Bhakti Yogis death or the death of a yogi of Devotion. We all are yogis. We all are Bhakti Yogis. There could be no two opinions about this. And if we exerted a wee bit, we could also become a Karma Yogi, by carrying out our swadharmic or self-ordained duty without any expectation of the fruits thereof.
Whether we are Karma Yogis or not, we all are Bhakti Yogis. And if we make a habit of chanting the name of the Lord or Goddess then there is a sure chance for us to gain a good re-birth in a good and wealthy family and start on our spiritual life from where we left off in the present birth.
For the yogi mentioned in these two verses, the thinking and other faculties are taken up and lodged in the heart. And the Prana is taken up to the crown of the head for it to leave through the hole of Brahman.
For those who dwell woefully on the worldly things even at the time of death, the mental modifications along with other sheaths which enclose the Atman go up which decides the next birth. For the yogi, the mental modifications are stopped and lodged in the heart so there is simply his or her Atman leaving the body, and hence there will be no more birth for that yogi.
We must become staunch devotees and gladly chant the name of our Ishta Moorthy, or our personal God or Goddess. That alone will save us. We are ready for that, aren’t we?
Or we can simply gloriously chant ‘Om’, which fetches the same benefits as the chanting of our personal deity’s name.
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