Verse 8.1

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 8.1:

अर्जुन उवाच–
किं तद् ब्रह्म किम् अध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम ।
अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तम् अधिदैवं किम् उच्यते ॥ १ ॥

arjuna uvāca–
kiṃ tad brahma kim adhyātmaṃ kiṃ karma puruṣottama |
adhibhūtaṃ ca kiṃ proktam adhidaivaṃ kim ucyate || 1 ||

arjuna uvāca–Arjuna said; kim–what?; tat–that; brahma–spiritual substance; kim–what?;adhyātmam–the principle of the jīvātmā; kim–what?; karma–the principle of karma, action and reaction; puruṣottama–O Supreme Person; adhibhūtam–the basis of the gross material elements; ca–and; kim–what?; proktam–said to be; adhidaivam–the principle underlying the celestial deities; kim–what?; ucyate–it is said.

Arjuna inquired: O Puruṣottama, what is brahma (Spiritual Reality)? What is adhyātma (the pure self)? What is karma (the principle of action)? What is adhibhūta (the basis of this material manifestation)? And what is adhidaiva (the principle underlying the demigods)?

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

In the first two verses of this chapter, Arjuna raises seven questions. Six of these relate to the factual meanings of the six words mentioned at the end of the last chapter: brahma, adhyātma, karma, adhibhūta, adhidaiva and adhiyajña.

The seventh question is, “How does a man whose senses are controlled know You at the time of death?” In this chapter, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa explains these topics in detail, answering all of Arjuna’s questions.