Bhagavad-gītā 8.21
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्। यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम।।8.21।।
avyakto ’kṣhara ityuktas tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim yaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama
The wise say that the Unmanifest and Indestructible is the highest goal of all; when once that is reached, there is no returning. That is my blessed home.
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 |
|---|---|
| avyaktaḥ | unmanifest |
| akṣharaḥ | imperishable |
| iti | thus |
| uktaḥ | is said |
| tam | that |
| āhuḥ | is called |
| paramām | the supreme |
| gatim | destination |
| yam | which |
| prāpya | having reached |
| na | never |
| nivartante | come back |
| tat | that |
| dhāma | abode |
| paramam | the supreme |
| mama | my |
Para Brahman is called the Unmanifested because It cannot be perceived by the senses. It is allpervading, allpermeating and interpenetrating.
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 GambiranandaThey call Him who has been mentioned as the Unmanifested, the Immutable, the supreme Goal. That is the supreme abode of Mine, from which they do not return once they reach it.
Rāmānuja edition witness
Swami AdidevanandaThey call Him who has been mentioned as the Unmanifested, the Immutable, the supreme Goal. That is the supreme abode of Mine, from which they do not return once they reach it.
Sivananda commentary witness
Swami SivanandaPara Brahman is called the Unmanifested because It cannot be perceived by the senses. It is allpervading, allpermeating and interpenetrating.
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
The wise say that the Unmanifest and Indestructible is the highest goal of all
- 2
when once that is reached, there is no returning
- 3
That is my blessed home
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