Verse 8.24

Verse 8.24: “Fire, Flame, Day, Bright (Fortnight), the Six Months (that mark) the Northern Path: the Brahman knowing peoples who depart (along the Path marked) by these, attain the Brahman. (220)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

Inside, there should be the light of the internal fire, and outside, there should be the bright half (śuklapakṣa) and also the daytime, and anyone of the six months during which the Sun is in the Northern Hemisphere. Those, that lay down their bodies at an auspicious juncture, reach the Supreme Brahman, and undoubtedly become the Supreme itself. Hear, O Dhanurdhara, such is the power of this coincidence of such favourable auspices that it is the only straight way to reach the Supreme. The first step on this way, is the internal fire, the second, its bright flame, the third, the day-time, and the fourth, is the bright half of the month. One of the six months during which the sun is in the Northern hemisphere, is the highest step of the ladder of five steps, which the Yogins scale and then reach the home of salvation—absorption in the Supreme Brahman. This should be considered as the most auspici-ous time for dropping down the body, and it is called the bright “path way”. Now, I tell you about the inauspicious time also.