Bhagavad-gītā 8.24
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अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम्। तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः।।8.24।।
agnir jyotir ahaḥ śhuklaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam tatra prayātā gachchhanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ
If the sage, knowing the Supreme Spirit, goes forth with fire and light during the day, in the fortnight of the waxing moon, and in the six months before the Northern summer solstice, he will attain the Supreme.
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 |
|---|---|
| agniḥ | fire |
| jyotiḥ | light |
| ahaḥ | day |
| śhuklaḥ | the bright fortnight of the moon |
| ṣhaṭ-māsāḥ | six months |
| uttara-ayanam | the sun’s northern course |
| tatra | there |
| prayātāḥ | departed |
| gachchhanti | go |
| brahma | Brahman |
| brahma-vidaḥ | those who know the Brahman |
| janāḥ | persons |
This is the UttaraMarga or Devayana, the northern path or the path of light, by which the Yogis go to Brahman. The six months of the northern solstice is from the middle of January to the middle of July.
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 GambiranandaFire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern solstice:by following this path, persons who are knowers of Brahman attain Brahman when they die.
Rāmānuja edition witness
Swami AdidevanandaFire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern solstice:by following this path, persons who are knowers of Brahman attain Brahman when they die.
Sivananda commentary witness
Swami SivanandaThis is the UttaraMarga or Devayana, the northern path or the path of light, by which the Yogis go to Brahman. The six months of the northern solstice is from the middle of January to the middle of July.
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
If the sage, knowing the Supreme Spirit, goes forth with fire and light during the day, in the fortnight of the waxing moon
- 2
in the six months before the Northern summer solstice, he will attain the Supreme
- 3
agniḥ: fire
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