Bhagavad-gītā 8.2
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन। प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः।।8.2।।
adhiyajñaḥ kathaṁ ko ’tra dehe ’smin madhusūdana prayāṇa-kāle cha kathaṁ jñeyo ’si niyatātmabhiḥ
Who, and in what way, is Adhiyajna here in this body, O destroyer of Madhu? And how art Thou known at the time of death, by the self-controlled?
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| adhiyajñaḥ | the Lord all sacrificial performances |
| katham | how |
| kaḥ | who |
| atra | here |
| dehe | in body |
| asmin | this |
| madhusūdana | Shree Krishna, the killer of the demon named Madhu |
| prayāṇa-kāle | at the time of death |
| cha | and |
| katham | how |
| jñeyaḥ | to be known |
| asi | are (you) |
| niyata-ātmabhiḥ | by those of steadfast mind |
Use the word map to follow the relation among adhiyajñaḥ (the Lord all sacrificial performances), madhusūdana (Shree Krishna, the killer of the demon named...), and niyata-ātmabhiḥ (by those of steadfast mind). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to remembrance that shapes one's destination. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 8.2.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Track Arjuna’s questions and Kṛṣṇa’s answers about Brahman, action, remembrance, destination and cosmic time.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
in what way, is Adhiyajna here in this body, O destroyer of Madhu? And how art Thou known at the time of death, by the self-controlled?
- 2
adhiyajñaḥ: the Lord all sacrificial performances
- 3
madhusūdana: Shree Krishna, the killer of the demon named Madhu
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
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Link
Use the line starts: adhiyajñaḥ kathaṁ / prayāṇa-kāle cha.
Cover
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Teach
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 8.2, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 8.2 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 8.2 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 8.2 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 8.2, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition