Bhagavad-gītā 8.13
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ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन्। यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम्।।8.13।।
oṁ ityekākṣharaṁ brahma vyāharan mām anusmaran yaḥ prayāti tyajan dehaṁ sa yāti paramāṁ gatim
Repeating Om, the symbol of eternity, and holding Me always in remembrance, he who thus leaves his body and goes forth reaches the Supreme Spirit.
English rendering by Shri Purohit Swami. Each source voice remains named.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| om | sacred syllable representing the formless aspect of God |
| iti | thus |
| eka-akṣharam | one syllabled |
| brahma | the Absolute Truth |
| vyāharan | chanting |
| mām | me (Shree Krishna) |
| anusmaran | remembering |
| yaḥ | who |
| prayāti | departs |
| tyajan | quitting |
| deham | the body |
| saḥ | he |
| yāti | attains |
| paramām | the supreme |
| gatim | goal |
Having controlled the thoughts the Yogi ascends by the Sushumna, the Nadi (subtle psychic nervechannel) which passes upwards from the heart. He fixes his whole Prana or lifreath in the crown of the head in the Brahmarandhra or the hole of Brahman.
Attributed explanatory witness: Swami Sivananda. Chapter lens: Track Arjuna’s questions and Kṛṣṇa’s answers about Brahman, action, remembrance, destination and cosmic time.
Three named reading witnesses
Śaṅkara edition witness
Swami GambiranandaHe who departs, leaving the body while uttering the single syllable, "Om," which is Brahman, and thinking of Me, attains the supreme Goal.
Rāmānuja edition witness
Swami AdidevanandaHe who departs, leaving the body while uttering the single syllable, viz. "Om," which is Brahman, and thinking of Me, attains the supreme Goal.
Sivananda commentary witness
Swami SivanandaHaving controlled the thoughts the Yogi ascends by the Sushumna, the Nadi (subtle psychic nervechannel) which passes upwards from the heart. He fixes his whole Prana or lifreath in the crown of the head in the Brahmarandhra or the hole of Brahman.
These are concise, attributed reading witnesses from identified editions. They are presented for comparison and are not merged into one anonymous interpretation.
Meaning map
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- 1
Repeating Om, the symbol of eternity
- 2
holding Me always in remembrance, he who thus leaves his body and goes forth reaches the Supreme Spirit
- 3
om: sacred syllable representing the formless aspect of God
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