Bhagavad-gītā 8.18
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे। रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके।।8.18।।
avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyahar-āgame rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyakta-sanjñake
At the dawn of that day, all objects in manifestation stream forth from the Unmanifest, and when evening falls, they are dissolved back into it again.
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 |
|---|---|
| avyaktāt | from the unmanifested |
| vyaktayaḥ | the manifested |
| sarvāḥ | all |
| prabhavanti | emanate |
| ahaḥ-āgame | at the advent of Brahma’s day |
| rātri-āgame | at the fall of Brahma’s night |
| pralīyante | they dissolve |
| tatra | into that |
| eva | certainly |
| avyakta-sanjñake | in that which is called the unmanifest |
When Brahma awakes, all manifestations, moving and unmoving (animate and inanimate) stream forth at the coming of the day from the Avyakta or the Unmanifested. When Brahma goes to sleep, all the manifestations merge in the Unmanifested, for the cosmic night has set in.
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 GambiranandaWith the coming of day, all manifested things emerge from the Unmanifest, and when night comes, they merge into that which is called the Unmanifested.
Rāmānuja edition witness
Swami AdidevanandaWith the coming of day, all manifested things emerge from the Unmanifest, and when night comes, they merge into that which is called the Unmanifested.
Sivananda commentary witness
Swami SivanandaWhen Brahma awakes, all manifestations, moving and unmoving (animate and inanimate) stream forth at the coming of the day from the Avyakta or the Unmanifested. When Brahma goes to sleep, all the manifestations merge in the Unmanifested, for the cosmic night has set in.
These are concise, attributed reading witnesses from identified editions. They are presented for comparison and are not merged into one anonymous interpretation.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
At the dawn of that day, all objects in manifestation stream forth from the Unmanifest
- 2
when evening falls, they are dissolved back into it again
- 3
avyaktāt: from the unmanifested
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture remembrance and destination.
Link
Use the line starts: avyaktād vyaktayaḥ / rātryāgame pralīyante.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
Turn this reading into a study record
Save it, return from memory, and write one idea in your own words. Your record stays in this browser unless you export it.