Bhagavad-gītā 8.9
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
कविं पुराणमनुशासितार मणोरणीयांसमनुस्मरेद्यः। सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूप मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात्।।8.9।।
kaviṁ purāṇam anuśhāsitāram aṇor aṇīyānsam anusmared yaḥ sarvasya dhātāram achintya-rūpam āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt
Whoever remembers the ancient seer and ruler, smaller than the smallest, supporter of all, inconceivable in form, radiant like the sun and beyond darkness,
English rendering by Dharma Open School. Original school translation.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| kavim | poet |
| purāṇam | ancient |
| anuśhāsitāram | the controller |
| aṇoḥ | than the atom |
| aṇīyānsam | smaller |
| anusmaret | always remembers |
| yaḥ | who |
| sarvasya | of everything |
| dhātāram | the support |
| achintya | inconceivable |
| rūpam | divine form |
| āditya-varṇam | effulgent like the sun |
| tamasaḥ | to the darkness of ignorance |
| parastāt | beyond |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from kavim (poet), sarvasya (of everything), and parastāt (beyond). 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 8.9.
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
Whoever remembers the ancient seer and ruler, smaller than the smallest, supporter of all, inconceivable in form, radiant like the sun and beyond darkness,
- 2
kavim: poet
- 3
sarvasya: of everything
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture remembrance and destination.
Link
Use the line starts: kaviṁ purāṇam / aṇor aṇīyānsam / sarvasya dhātāram / āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ.
Cover
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Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 8.9, 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 8.9 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 8.9 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 8.9 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 8.9, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition