FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 8.1

अर्जुन उवाच किं तद्‌ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम । अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ॥ १ ॥
arjuna uvāca
[arjuna uvaacha]
kiṁ tad brahma kim adhyātmaṁ
[kim tad brahma kim adhyaatmam]
kiṁ karma puruṣottama
[kim karma purushottama]
adhibhūtaṁ ca kiṁ proktam
[adhibhootam cha kim proktam]
adhidaivaṁ kim ucyate
[adhidaivam kim uchyate]
Word-for-word
arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said kim — what tat — that brahma — Brahman kim — what adhyātmam — the self kim — what karma — fruitive activities puruṣa - uttama — O Supreme Person adhibhūtam — the material manifestation ca — and kim — what proktam — is called adhidaivam — the demigods kim — what ucyate — is called .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
arjuna uvāca
arjunaḥ uvāca
Arjuna said
kiṁ tad brahma kim adhyātmaṁ
kim
what
tat
that
brahma
Brahman
kim
what
adhyātmam
the self
kiṁ karma puruṣottama
kim
what
karma
fruitive activities
puruṣa - uttama
O Supreme Person
adhibhūtaṁ ca kiṁ proktam
adhibhūtam
the material manifestation
ca
and
kim
what
proktam
is called
adhidaivaṁ kim ucyate
adhidaivam
the demigods
kim
what
ucyate
is called .
Important Words
  • brahma — Brahman
    Arjuna's first term. He is not asking about ritual or society but about the Absolute itself. Placing brahma first signals that all subsequent terms (ātmā, karma, adhibhūta, adhidaiva) will be unfolded against this horizon.
  • adhyātmam — the self
    Literally 'pertaining to the self' — adhi (over, concerning) + ātman. A technical Vedāntic term distinguishing the soul's own constitutional nature from action (karma) and from gross matter (adhibhūta).
  • karma — fruitive activities
    In this chapter karma is used in its narrower meaning — the offering or creative impulse that produces material bodies. Not 'work' in general but the specific generative force that keeps embodiment turning.
  • puruṣa - uttama — O Supreme Person
    Arjuna's address. Uttama is the superlative — the Person beyond all persons. By using this vocative, Arjuna is acknowledging that the answers he is about to receive carry final authority.
  • adhibhūtam — the material manifestation
    Adhi + bhūta (element, being). The realm of the gross elements, the ever-changing physical field. Naming it as one of the five terms shows that even matter has its own ontological status, not merely illusion.
  • adhidaivam — the demigods
    Adhi + daiva (divine). The presiding deity-level of cosmic functions. The very category is foreign to flat materialism; Arjuna asks because he wants the layered cosmology, not a simplified one.
Arjuna inquired: O my Lord, O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is the self? What are fruitive activities? What is this material manifestation? And what are the demigods? Please explain this to me.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna opens the chapter with a rapid-fire list of six terms Kṛṣṇa used in 7.29-30 — Brahman, adhyātma, karma, adhibhūta, adhidaiva, adhiyajña — and asks them clarified. The questions are compact, almost catechetical, the mark of a student wanting his teacher to nail down vocabulary.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
These six items form the conceptual scaffolding of the chapter. Kṛṣṇa had introduced them at the very end of chapter 7 (sa-adhibhūtādhidaivaṁ māṁ sa-adhiyajñaṁ ca ye viduḥ) as the knowledge that those who 'know Me at the time of death' carry across. Arjuna, sensing their soteriological weight, asks for definitions before the death-meditation theme can be unfolded. The address 'puruṣottama' anticipates chapter 15's puruṣottama-yoga.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे पुरुषोत्तम! तत् ब्रह्म किम्? अध्यात्मम् किम्? कर्म किम्? अधिभूतम् च किम् प्रोक्तम्? अधिदैवम् किम् उच्यते?
he puruṣottama! tat brahma kim? adhyātmam kim? karma kim? adhibhūtam ca kim proktam? adhidaivam kim ucyate?
O Puruṣottama, what is that Brahman? What is adhyātma? What is karma? And what is declared to be adhibhūta? What is called adhidaiva?
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
अर्जुनः उवाच
arjunaḥ uvāca
किम् तत् ब्रह्म किम् अध्यात्मम् किम् कर्म पुरुषोत्तम । अधिभूतम् च किम् प्रोक्तम् अधिदैवम् किम् उच्यते ॥
kim tat brahma kim adhyātmam kim karma puruṣottama | adhibhūtam ca kim proktam adhidaivam kim ucyate ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
किम् kim interr. (interrogative) pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. what
तत् tat तद् dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. that
ब्रह्म brahma ब्रह्मन् (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) Brahman, the Absolute
अध्यात्मम् adhyātmam अधि + आत्मन् (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), avyayībhāva-cpd. (compound) used as noun adhyātma, that which pertains to the self
कर्म karma कर्मन् (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) action, work
पुरुषोत्तम puruṣottama पुरुष (m.) + उत्तम (adj.) voc.sg. (vocative singular), karmadhāraya cpd. (compound) O best among persons
अधिभूतम् adhibhūtam अधि + भूत (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), avyayībhāva-cpd. (compound) used as noun adhibhūta, that which pertains to created beings
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
प्रोक्तम् proktam प्र + √वच् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. declared, said to be
अधिदैवम् adhidaivam अधि + दैव (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), avyayībhāva-cpd. (compound) used as noun adhidaiva, that which pertains to the gods
उच्यते ucyate √वच् pass. (passive) pres. (present) 3sg. is called
अर्जुनः arjunaḥ अर्जुन (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) Arjuna
उवाच uvāca √वच् perf. (perfect) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) said
Purport

In this chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa answers different questions from Arjuna, beginning with “What is Brahman?” The Lord also explains karma (fruitive activities), devotional service and yoga principles, and devotional service in its pure form. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains that the Supreme Absolute Truth is known as Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. In addition, the living entity, the individual soul, is also called Brahman. Arjuna also inquires about ātmā, which refers to body, soul and mind. According to the Vedic dictionary, ātmā refers to the mind, soul, body and senses also. Arjuna has addressed the Supreme Lord as Puruṣottama, Supreme Person, which means that he was putting these questions not simply to a friend but to the Supreme Person, knowing Him to be the supreme authority able to give definitive answers.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
1-2. Arjuna said: What is Brahman, what is adhyātma, what is karma, what is adhibhūta and what is adhidaiva, O Supreme Person? Who is the adhiyajña, and how is he known in the body? How are You to be known at the point of death by those with concentrated minds?
Commentary

In the eighth chapter, the Lord speaks about pure bhakti and yoga-miśra-bhakti, in reply to Arjuna’s questions. He also describes the two destinations of the yogīs. At the end of the previous chapter, the Lord mentioned knowledge of seven items (Brahman, adhyātma, karma, adhibhūta, adhidaiva, adhiyajña, and Himself, Kṛṣṇa). Wanting to know about these things, Arjuna asks questions about them in the first two verses of this chapter. Who is the ruler of yajña in the body (atra dehe) and how should He be known in the body at the point of death? The sentence is completed with the next line of verse 2.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
1-2. Arjuna said: What is brahman, what is adhyātma, what is karma, what is adhibhūta and what is adhidaiva, O Supreme Person? Who is the adhiyajña, and how is he known in the body? How are You to known at the point of death by those with concentrated minds?
Commentary

In the eighth chapter, being questioned by Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa will explain the different items starting with brahman mentioned at the end of the last chapter. He will then explain two paths of bhakti: bhakti mixed with yoga and pure bhakti. Arjuna asks questions in order to understand the meaning of the seven items starting with brahman, mentioned as objects of knowledge for the person desiring liberation in the last chapter. What is that brahman? Is it the conscious paramātmā or the conscious jīva? What is adhyātma: what is it that superintends the body (ātmā)? Is it the group of senses or a group of subtle elements? What is karma? Does it refer to ordinary day to day actions, or actions prescribed by the Vedas? Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa as Puruṣottama in order to counteract a possible objection by Kṛṣṇa, “Since we are equals, why do you ask Me?” “Because you are the Supreme Lord, You know everything, whereas I do not.” What is adhibhūta? What is it that rules (adhi) the living entity within the body (bhūta)? Is it the products of the elements such as pots or the gross bodies of the jīva? What is adhidaivam? Is it meditation on the devatās (concerning the devatās) or the universal form (that which governs the devatās), the personification of everything in the universe? Who is adhiyajña? Does Indra or Viṣṇu own the sacrifice? What also is the nature of this ruler of sacrifice? Arjuna then addresses Kṛṣna as Madhusūdana, killer of the Madhu demon, letting Him understand that it will be easy for the Lord to remove all his doubts. At the time of death, because of the impossibility of concentrating the mind due to disturbance of all the senses, how are You to be known?

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Arjuna is asking what is brahma, what is adhyatma, what is karma, what is adhibhuta, what is adhidaiva. He is asking about five of those six concepts that Krsna mentioned in the last two verses of the previous chapter.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: “Understanding Krishna through proper inquiry”

Arjuna asks 8 questions
Krishna answers first 7 as follows (8.3 – 8.4): 1. ‘Brahman’ (Spirit) – Indestructible living entity 2. ‘Adhyatma’ (Controller of the body) – Eternal nature, the self (to serve the Supreme) 3. ‘Karma’ (Work/Fruitive activities) – Activity which generates a material body for the living entity 4. ‘Adhibhuta’ (The material manifestation) – Constantly changing physical world 5. ‘Adhidaiva’ (The supreme demigod) – “The universal form” which includes all demigods and their different planets 6. ‘Adhiyajna’ (The enjoyer of sacrifice) – Paramatma in every embodied being, Krishna Himself 7. Where does Adhiyajna reside? – In the heart of all
8th Question –8. How to remember Krishna at the time of death?
Answer to 8th question is the main subject of the rest of chapter
Focus of Learning

(a) Lord of sacrifice (Adhiyajna) – Can be Indra or Vishnu

Vishnu – Chief of primal demigods including Brahma and Shiva
Indra – Chief of administrative demigods
Both are worshipped by yajna
The question is “who is the actual Lord of yajna”

(b) Lord as ‘Madhusudana’ – to kill the demon of doubt, not expected to arise in the mind of a

Krishna conscious devotee (Arjuna)

(c) ‘Prayana-kale’ means – at the time of death

Crucial time when whatever we do throughout life will be tested
Indicates Arjuna’s anxiety to know the position of the Krishna conscious devotee at death
e.g. King Kulashekhar’s prayers – He prays to die immediately when healthy because it is difficult to remember Supreme Lord when bodily functions and mind is disturbed
Analogy: “Swan of my mind can enter the stem of Your Lotus feet” (study purport)

(a) Atma – according to Vedic dictionary – Refers to mind, soul, body and also senses

(b) Brahman – It can refer to the Supreme Absolute Truth or individual soul

(c) Purushottama –

Indicates Krishna to be the Supreme Person and not simply a friend
He is the Supreme authority able to give definite answers
ACTIONS THAT RESULT IN A MATERIAL HUMAN BODY (8.3 purport)

(a) Living entity and Supreme Lord (Both called Brahman) –

Living entity is called ‘Brahman’ because eternal and indestructible, therefore same in quality as Lord
But Lord is differentiated by referring to as ‘Para-Brahman’

(b) Difference between material consciousness and spiritual consciousness

Material consciousness – “trying to lord over” – results in karma (different bodies) – Such consciousness results in generating karma
Karma – It is the varied creation of material bodies by the force of material consciousness
Spiritual consciousness – to serve the Supreme

(c) Living entity is called marginal entity – Why?

Because the living entity sometimes identifies with matter
And sometimes identifies with superior nature – then, he has only one spiritual body

(d) What happens when the living entity identifies with matter –

Takes any one of 8,400,000 bodies
Basis of transmigration – karma
For elevation to heaven – performs yajna (see “Vedic Sacrificial Process” below)

(e) Krishna conscious viewpoint – Avoid such sacrifices, take direct Krishna consciousness and go

back to Godhead

(f) This verse refutes impersonal commentators who say – “Brahman takes the form of the jiva in

material world”. They misunderstand Bg. 15.7

The living entity is an eternal individual supported by two references:
Ref. Bg. 15.7: Living entity is an ‘eternal’ fragmental part and parcel of Myself
Ref. Vedic literatures – Distinguishes Brahman from Para-Brahman
Supreme Lord is Achyuta – He never falls; but jiva may fall down

(g) Vedic sacrificial process – See diagram below

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
Sri Shankaracharya did not comment on this sloka
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
Sri Ramanuja did not comment on this sloka
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
Sri Abhinavgupta did not comment on this sloka
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
Swami Sivananda did not comment on this sloka
Commentary

Swami Sivananda did not comment on this sloka

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
Swami Gambirananda did not comment on this sloka
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
Shri Purohit Swami did not comment on this sloka
Related values & verses
Related values
Prema (Divine Love)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God)Discriminative WisdomVairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related verses
BG 7.29 BG 13.1 BG 4.34 SB 1.1.1 SB 1.19.37 SB 2.8.1 CC Madhya 20.108 CC Madhya 8.58 CC Madhya 19.53 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.1.29Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12
Concepts
Jiva
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Arjuna asks the foundational questions: what is Brahman, the self, action, the material manifestation, the demigods? — every serious seeker eventually wants this map.
Practical Applications
  • Honor your need for definitions; the spiritual journey requires clarity.
  • Bring foundational questions to your guide rather than guessing.
  • Don't be embarrassed by 'basic' questions.
Reflection Questions
  • What foundational question am I avoiding asking?
  • Whom should I bring it to?
Analogy

Arjuna is like a traveler at a crossroads pulling out a map and asking the guide to name every road, every landmark, every term written in the legend. He refuses to walk further until the territory has been named. The Gītā honors the question; spiritual life begins with the courage to ask what the words actually mean.

Stories
Naciketas before Yama

The boy Naciketas, sent to the house of Death by his father's hasty word, refused the wealth, sons, and long life Yama offered as boons. He fixed instead on one foundational question: what happens to the self after the body falls?

Yama tested him repeatedly, but Naciketas would not be diverted from the question that mattered. The Kaṭha Upaniṣad records the dialogue that followed — the entire science of the ātman pried open by one boy's refusal to settle for less.

Arjuna in 8.1 stands in the same posture: a serious seeker, with the guide before him, asking for the map itself rather than for prizes along the way.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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