Bhagavad-gītā 8.3
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
श्री भगवानुवाच अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते। भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः।।8.3।।
śhrī bhagavān uvācha akṣharaṁ brahma paramaṁ svabhāvo ’dhyātmam uchyate bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo visargaḥ karma-sanjñitaḥ
The Imperishable is the Supreme Brahman. Its dwelling in each individual body is called Adhyâtma; the offering in sacrifice which causes the genesis and support of beings, is called Karma.
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 |
|---|---|
| śhrī-bhagavān uvācha | the Blessed Lord said |
| akṣharam | indestructible |
| brahma | Brahman |
| paramam | the Supreme |
| svabhāvaḥ | nature |
| adhyātmam | one’s own self |
| uchyate | is called |
| bhūta-bhāva-udbhava-karaḥ | Actions pertaining to the material personality of living beings, and its development |
| visargaḥ | creation |
| karma | fruitive activities |
| sanjñitaḥ | are called |
Keep the verse in view while connecting śhrī-bhagavān uvācha (the Blessed Lord said), adhyātmam (one’s own self), and sanjñitaḥ (are called). 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 8.3.
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
The Imperishable is the Supreme Brahman
- 2
Its dwelling in each individual body is called Adhyâtma
- 3
the offering in sacrifice which causes the genesis and support of beings, is called Karma
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 8.3, 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 8.3 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 8.3 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 8.3 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 8.3, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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