Shrimad Bhagavad-gita

by Narayana Gosvami | 2013 | 327,105 words

The Bhagavad-gita Verse 8.6, English translation, including the Vaishnava commentaries Sarartha-varsini-tika, Prakashika-vritti and Rasika-ranjana (excerpts). This is verse 6 from the chapter 8 called “Taraka-brahma-yoga (the Yoga of Absolute Deliverance)”

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 8.6:

यं यं वापि स्मरन् भावं त्यजत्य् अन्ते कलेवरम् ।
तं तम् एवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्-भाव-भावितः ॥ ६ ॥

yaṃ yaṃ vāpi smaran bhāvaṃ tyajaty ante kalevaram |
taṃ tam evaiti kaunteya sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
|| 6 ||

yam yam–whatever; vā api–anything; smaran–remembering; bhāvam–contemplation; tyajati–one gives up; ante–at the last moment; kalevaram–the body; tam tam–that very same (state); eva–certainly; eti–one attains; kaunteya–O son of Kuntī; sadā–always; tat–of that; bhāva–contemplation; bhāvitaḥ–absorbed.

Whatever one remembers at the time of giving up the material body, O son of Kuntī, one is sure to attain that same state again, due to being always absorbed in such contemplation.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

“Just as one attains Me by remembering Me exclusively, similarly, one attains the state corresponding to whatever else or whoever else one remembers.” To explain this, Śrī Bhagavān is speaking these words yaṃ yaṃ. People are absorbed in a particular state of existence due to remembrance of it through continuous meditation on it.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

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

By remembering Bhagavān at the time of death, one attains His nature. Similarly, one attains a nature corresponding to the other beings and objects one remembers [at the time of death]. Bharata Mahārāja thought of a young deer at the time of death, and in his next life he received the body of a deer. For this reason, at the time of death, one must not think of anything except Bhagavān. To attain such consciousness, it is imperative that one endeavour in this direction from the very beginning of one’s life. Although Bharata Mahārāja was a devotee of high calibre, being situated on the platform of bhāva, he was reborn as a young deer by the will of the Lord to set an example for humanity. Then, in his next two births, he completely avoided the association of materialistic persons, because he was able to remember his past life. Thus he remained engaged in the cultivation of bhakti. The ordinary jīvas, who are bound by the results of their actions, or karma, should take a good lesson from the example of Bharata Mahārāja and should not commit any offence at his feet, thinking him to be bound by the result of his karma as they are.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also relates the story of Purañjana, who attained the body of a woman in his next life, all because he was thinking of a woman at the time of death. Actually, whatever we do in the course of our lives influences our consciousness at the time of death, and we take another birth accordingly. This is why sādhakas should chant the holy name and practise pure devotion in this life, so that at the time of death, their intense remembrance of Bhagavān will guide them on the path of auspiciousness.

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