Verse 8.11

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 8.11:

यद् अक्षरं वेद-विदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद् यतयो वीत-रागाः ।
यद् इच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत् ते पदं सङ्ग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥ ११ ॥

yad akṣaraṃ veda-vido vadanti viśanti yad yatayo vīta-rāgāḥ |
yad icchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tat te padaṃ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣye || 11 ||

yat–which; akṣaram–indestructible; veda-vidaḥ–those conversant with the Vedas; vadanti–speak of; viśanti–enter; yat–into which; yatayaḥ–renunciants; vīta-rāgāḥ–who are free from material attachment; yat–which; icchantaḥ–desire; brahmacaryam–celibacy; caranti–they practise; tat–that; te–to you; padam–state or object (worthy of attainment); saṅgraheṇa–in summary; pravakṣye–I shall describe.

I will now tell you in summary about the ultimate goal, which those who are learned in the Vedas describe as imperishable. Those in the renounced order who are free from all material desires enter there, as well as those desirous of attaining that state and who thus observe the vow of celibacy.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

One may ask, “Can He be known simply by fixing the life-air between the eyebrows? What type of yoga is this? What is japa? What is the object of meditation? What is the ultimate goal? Please explain these in brief.” Anticipating these questions, Śrī Bhagavān speaks this verse beginning with yad, as well as the next two verses. “Oṃkāra (oṃ), the sound manifestation of brahma, is akṣara, imperishable, and it is identical with brahma. Those who know the Vedas proclaim this. The ascetics enter the syllable oṃ, that imperishable reality. Please listen as I explain what this goal is and how it can be achieved.”