Verse 8.24

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 8.24:

अग्निर् ज्योतिर् अहः शुक्लः षण्-मासा उत्तरायणम् ।
तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्म-विदो जनाः ॥ २४ ॥

agnir jyotir ahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam |
tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ || 24 ||

agniḥ–fire; jyotiḥ–light; ahaḥ–an auspicious day; śuklaḥ–the moon’s bright fortnight; ṣaṭ-māsāḥ–the six months; uttarāyaṇam–of the sun’s northern course; tatra–then; prayātāḥ–who depart from the body; gacchanti–they enter; brahma–the realm of Supreme Absolute; brahma-vidaḥ–conversant with brahma; janāḥ–persons.

Those who know the Supreme Absolute Reality and who depart from this world during the influence of the presiding deities of fire, light, auspicious days, the fortnight of the waxing moon and the six months of the sun’s northern course, attain the realm of the Supreme Absolute (brahma).

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

Here, Śrī Bhagavān is explaining how to follow the path from which there is no return. It is said in Chāndogya Upaniṣad, “te ’rciṣam abhisambhavanti–they attain the presiding demigod of the sun-rays (arci).” Therefore, the words agniḥ and jyotiḥ indicate the presiding demigod of arci (light). The word ahaḥ refers to the presiding demigod of the daytime, and the word uttarāyaṇam refers to the presiding demigod of the six months of the northern course of the sun. The jñānīs, or those who are brahma-vid (who know brahma), attain the Supreme Absolute by following this path. In this regard, the Śrutis say that they attain the demigod presiding over arci, and after that they attain the demigods presiding over the day, the fortnight and then the month, in that order. From the demigod of a particular month, they attain the demigod of the year, and then Āditya, the sun-god.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

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

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, “Those who know brahma, the Supreme Absolute, and who give up their bodies at the times of fire and light, on an auspicious day and when the sun is in the northern course, attain brahma. The words agniḥ and jyotiḥ refer to the presiding demigod of arci (light), and the word ahaḥ refers to the presiding demigod of the day. The word śukla refers to the presiding demigod of the bright fortnight, and uttarāyaṇa refers to the demigod presiding over the six months of the sun’s northern course. The only course for a yogī desiring to attain brahma is to successively pass through the day, the bright fortnight and so forth, at a particular time when the mind and the senses are satisfied and joyful. Yogīs who die at these times never return to this world.”