vedeṣhu yajñeṣhu tapaḥsu chaiva
dāneṣhu yat puṇya-phalaṁ pradiṣhṭam
atyeti tat sarvam idaṁ viditvā
yogī paraṁ sthānam upaiti chādyam||28||
Meaning : O Arjuna, the yogi who understands these two paths (of the soul after death) is never confused. Therefore, at all times, remain devoted and connected to yoga (union with God).
naite sṛitī pārtha jānan yogī muhyati kaśhchana
tasmāt sarveṣhu kāleṣhu yoga-yukto bhavārjuna||27||
Meaning : O Arjuna, the yogi who understands these two paths (of departure after death) is never bewildered. Therefore, at all times, be steady in yoga (union with Me).
dhūmo rātris tathā kṛiṣhṇaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā dakṣhiṇāyanam
tatra chāndramasaṁ jyotir yogī prāpya nivartate||25||
śhukla-kṛiṣhṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śhāśhvate mate
ekayā yātyanāvṛittim anyayāvartate punaḥ||26||
Meaning : Those who die during smoke, night, the dark fortnight, and the six months of the sun’s southern path (dakṣiṇāyana) reach the lunar light and return again (are reborn).These two paths — the bright (śhukla) and the dark (kṛṣṇa) — are considered eternal. One leads to liberation and no return; the other leads to rebirth.
yatra kāle tvanāvṛittim āvṛittiṁ chaiva yoginaḥ
prayātā yānti taṁ kālaṁ vakṣhyāmi bharatarṣhabha||23||
agnir jyotir ahaḥ śhuklaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam
tatra prayātā gachchhanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ||24||
Meaning : O Arjuna (best of the Bharatas), I will now explain the times of leaving the body at which the yogis either do not return or return to this world.Those who die during the time of fire, light, the bright fortnight, and the six months of the sun’s northern path (uttarāyaṇa) go to the Absolute (Brahman); such people know Brahman.
puruṣhaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas tvananyayā
yasyāntaḥ-sthāni bhūtāni yena sarvam idaṁ tatam||22||
Meaning : O Arjuna, that Supreme Person (God) can be reached only through single-minded devotion. He lives within all living beings, and everything is spread out by Him.
avyakto ’kṣhara ityuktas tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim
yaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama||21||
Meaning : The invisible and never-dying reality is called the highest goal. Those who reach it never come back. That place is My eternal home.
paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo ’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ
yaḥ sa sarveṣhu bhūteṣhu naśhyatsu na vinaśhyati||20||
Meaning : But beyond this unmanifest, there is another eternal, unmanifest reality. Even when all beings are destroyed, that higher reality does not perish.
bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
rātryāgame ’vaśhaḥ pārtha prabhavatyahar-āgame||19||
Meaning : This group of living beings (bhūta-grāma) keeps taking birth again and again, and then dissolves at the arrival of Brahma’s night. Powerless, O Arjuna, they are born again at the coming of his day.
avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyahar-āgame
rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyakta-sanjñake||18||
Meaning : At the beginning of Brahma’s day, all living beings come into existence from the unmanifest. At the coming of night, they dissolve back into the unmanifest again.
sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ te ’ho-rātra-vido janāḥ||17||
Meaning : People who understand the truth know that one day of Brahma lasts for a thousand yugas, and his night also lasts for a thousand yugas. A day of Brahma (the creator) lasts for 1,000 yugas, and his night is equally long. Those who understand this know the vast scale of cosmic time.1,000 yugas = 1 day of Brahma = approx. 4.32 billion years
So 1 full day and night = 8.64 billion years
By Mounika Piratla 