FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 8.10

प्रयाणकाले मनसाचलेन भक्त्य‍ा युक्तो योगबलेन चैव । भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्य- क्स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥ १० ॥
prayāṇa-kāle manasācalena
[prayaana-kaale manasaachalena]
bhaktyā yukto yoga-balena caiva
[bhaktyaa yukto yoga-balena chaiva]
bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśya samyak
[bhruvor madhye praanam aaveshya samyak]
sa taṁ paraṁ puruṣam upaiti divyam
[sa tam param purusham upaiti divyam]
Word-for-word
prayāṇa - kāle — at the time of death manasā — by the mind acalena — without its being deviated bhaktyā — in full devotion yuktaḥ — engaged yoga - balena — by the power of mystic yoga ca — also eva — certainly bhruvoḥ — the two eyebrows madhye — between prāṇam — the life air āveśya — establishing samyak — completely saḥ — he tam — that param — transcendental puruṣam — Personality of Godhead upaiti — achieves divyam — in the spiritual kingdom .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
prayāṇa-kāle manasācalena
prayāṇa - kāle
at the time of death
manasā
by the mind
acalena
without its being deviated
bhaktyā yukto yoga-balena caiva
bhaktyā
in full devotion
yuktaḥ
engaged
yoga - balena
by the power of mystic yoga
ca
also
eva
certainly
bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśya samyak
bhruvoḥ
the two eyebrows
madhye
between
prāṇam
the life air
āveśya
establishing
samyak
completely
sa taṁ paraṁ puruṣam upaiti divyam
saḥ
he
tam
that
param
transcendental
puruṣam
Personality of Godhead
upaiti
achieves
divyam
in the spiritual kingdom .
Important Words
  • manasā acalena — by the mind without its being deviated
    Manas in the instrumental, acala (un-moving) as its qualifier. Yogic dying requires a mind that does not flinch at the moment of departure. Not a mind that has merely been told to be still — a mind whose stillness has been cultivated long enough to hold under the pressure of dying.
  • bhaktyā — in full devotion
    Instrumental of bhakti. The crucial qualifier — without it, the same yogic technique becomes a stunt. Kṛṣṇa places bhakti at the center of even this most technical of dying-instructions, refusing to separate method from devotion.
  • yoga - balena — by the power of mystic yoga
    Yoga (yoking) + bala (strength). The technical force of trained yoga, accumulated over years of practice. Bala here is not muscular but yogic — the strength of disciplined consciousness that has earned the right to direct subtle bodily processes.
  • bhruvoḥ madhye — between the two eyebrows
    The ājñā-cakra, the technical site for the final ascent. Anatomically precise: the prāṇa is to be lifted to this point. The Gītā is not vague about the body's geography in the dying-yoga it describes.
  • prāṇam āveśya — establishing the life air
    Prāṇa (life-breath, vital air) + āveśya (causing to enter, absolutive of ā-viś). The breath is gathered and lodged in a specific location. The verb āveśya is the same root as āveśa, 'absorption' — the breath is absorbed into the focal point.
  • samyak — completely
    From sam + añc — 'gone together'. Properly, fully, in the right way. A small word but doing real work: the technique only delivers if performed samyak — incomplete attempts do not partially succeed.
  • param puruṣam — transcendental Personality of Godhead
    Param (supreme) + puruṣa (Person). The same naming as in 8.8 — the goal of the technical dying-yoga is not impersonal Brahman but the Supreme Person. The technique serves devotion, not the other way around.
  • upaiti — achieves
    Upa (near) + i (to go). 'Approaches', 'comes close to'. The Gītā's vocabulary for liberation is one of approach and arrival, not merger. The soul comes to the Person, retains its distinctness, and dwells near.
One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and, by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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)
The death-moment technique: bhakti plus yogic power plus an immovable mind, with prāṇa lifted between the brows. Such a one attains the divine Supreme Person. Note that bhakti is listed before yoga-bala — devotion supplies the orientation, yoga the mechanics.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Bhruvor madhye — the ājñā-cakra of later tantric anatomy — is the haṭha-yogic last station for the upward-flowing prāṇa via the suṣumnā. Kṛṣṇa's freight here is conservative: He uses the standard yoga-śāstra technique to describe what an advanced practitioner does, but the outcome ('upaiti taṁ paraṁ puruṣam') is bhakti-coloured. Cf. Kaṭha 6.10-11 for parallel.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
[यः] भक्त्या योग-बलेन च एव युक्तः अचलेन मनसा प्रयाण-काले भ्रुवोः मध्ये प्राणम् सम्यक् आवेश्य [स्थितः], सः तम् दिव्यम् परम् पुरुषम् उपैति।
[yaḥ] bhaktyā yoga-balena ca eva yuktaḥ acalena manasā prayāṇa-kāle bhruvoḥ madhye prāṇam samyak āveśya [sthitaḥ], saḥ tam divyam param puruṣam upaiti|
[One who], yoked by devotion and the power of yoga, at the moment of departure, with an unmoving mind, having fully fixed the life-breath between the brows — he attains that divine, Supreme Person.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
प्रयाण-काले मनसा अचलेन भक्त्या युक्तः योग-बलेन च एव । भ्रुवोः मध्ये प्राणम् आवेश्य सम्यक् सः तम् परम् पुरुषम् उपैति दिव्यम् ॥
prayāṇa-kāle manasā acalena bhaktyā yuktaḥ yoga-balena ca eva | bhruvoḥ madhye prāṇam āveśya samyak saḥ tam param puruṣam upaiti divyam ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
प्रयाण-काले prayāṇa-kāle प्रयाण (n.) + काल (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) at the time of departure
मनसा manasā मनस् (n.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by the mind
अचलेन acalena अ + चल (adj.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular)n., nañ-tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) 'not-moving' unmoving
भक्त्या bhaktyā भक्ति (f.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by devotion
युक्तः yuktaḥ √युज् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. joined, endowed
योग-बलेन yoga-balena योग (m.) + बल (n.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) by the power of yoga
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
एव eva ind. (indeclinable), emphatic indeed
भ्रुवोः bhruvoḥ भ्रू (f.) gen.du. (genitive dual) of the two brows
मध्ये madhye मध्य (n.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in the middle
प्राणम् prāṇam प्राण (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) life-breath
आवेश्य āveśya आ + √विश् caus. (causative) abs. (lyap) having fixed, having entered
सम्यक् samyak ind. (indeclinable) properly, fully
सः saḥ तद् dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. he
तम् tam तद् dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) acc.sg. (accusative singular)m. that
परम् param पर (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)m. supreme
पुरुषम् puruṣam पुरुष (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) Person
उपैति upaiti उप + √इ pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) approaches, attains
दिव्यम् divyam दिव्य (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)m. divine
Purport

In this verse it is clearly stated that at the time of death the mind must be fixed in devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those practiced in yoga, it is recommended that they raise the life force between the eyebrows (to the ājñā-cakra ). The practice of ṣaṭ-cakra-yoga, involving meditation on the six cakras, is suggested here. A pure devotee does not practice such yoga, but because he is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at death he can remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His grace. This is explained in verse 14. The particular use of the word yoga-balena is significant in this verse because without practice of yoga – whether ṣaṭ-cakra-yoga or bhakti-yoga – one cannot come to this transcendental state of being at the time of death. One cannot suddenly remember the Supreme Lord at death; one must have practiced some yoga system, especially the system of bhakti-yoga. Since one’s mind at death is very disturbed, one should practice transcendence through yoga during one’s life.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
9-10. At the time of death, a person endowed with devotion and with unwavering mind, who concentrates between the brows through the strength of yoga practice, and who remembers He who is omniscient, beginningless, the teacher, smaller than the smallest, the container of everything, the inconceivable, an independent form like the sun, who is above prakṛti—that person attains the transcendental supreme person.
Commentary

Without practice of yoga it is difficult to withdraw the mind from sense objects. Without withdrawing the mind from sense objects, it is difficult to think constantly of the Lord. Therefore one should execute bhakti along with some type of yoga practice. The Lord here speaks of such bhakti mixed with aṣṭāṅga-yoga (yoga-miśra-bhakti) in five verses. The Lord is omniscient (kavi). But though one may be omniscient, like Sanaka and others, one may not be eternal. Therefore, the Lord is described as purāṇa, without beginning. Though He is both omniscient and without beginning, this does not indicate that He becomes the instructor of bhakti as Paramātmā. Therefore He is called anuśāsitāram, the teacher, who by His mercy gives instructions about devotion to Himself when He appears as Kṛṣṇa or Rāma. Though He is merciful, He is still a difficult object to know factually: compared to the smallest He is even smaller. Then, is He like the jīva, the size of an atom? No, He is also of the greatest size, spreading everywhere, since everything is contained within Him (sarvasya dhātāram). Thus He is said to be inconceivable in form (acintya-rūpam). Though He appears of medium size, as a human being, His manifestation is independent of all others. Thus He has a form (varṇa) which is like that of the sun (āditya), revealing both Himself and all others. Thus, though He is the possessor of māyā-śakti (prakṛti), His form is transcendental to prakṛti or māyā (tamasaḥ parastāt). At the time of death (prayāṇa-kāle), with unwavering mind, engaged in bhakti with constant remembrance of Me as described above, the yogī attains Me. How does he attain unwavering mind? He attains it through the strength of his practice of yoga (yoga-balena). The yoga process is then described. Fixing his prāṇa in the ājñā-cakra (bhruvor madhye), he attains Me. [Note: From verse 13 it seems that attaining the Lord means attaining His abode, attaining a distant relationship with the Lord.]

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
9-10. At the time of death, one who remembers with devotion the person who is omniscient, without beginning, the teacher, smaller than the smallest, the container of everything, the inconceivable, an independent form like the sun, who is above prakṛti, with unwavering mind concentrating between the brows through strength of yoga practice, attains that transcendental supreme person.
Commentary

Unwavering concentration of the mind mentioned in the previous verse is very difficult to achieve, unless one practices yoga. Yoga miśra bhakti is therefore described in five verses. One should remember He who is omniscient (kavim); who gives beneficial teachings as in the case of Rāma (anuśāsitāram); who has the power to enter within the jīva and is thus smaller than the jīva (aṇor aṇīyāmsam). The śruti also says antaḥ praviṣṭaḥ śāstā janānām: He has entered within and is the teacher of men. (Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 3.11) And though He is very small, He is spread everywhere: he holds the whole universe within Himself (sarvasya dhātāram). But how is that possible? His very form is inconceivable (acintya rūpam). It is said: ekam eva brahma puruṣa-vidhatvena madhyama-parimāṇam aṇor aṇīyāṁsam This one brahman is of medium size in the form of a man, and also smaller than the smallest. paramāṇu-parimāṇaṁ sarvasya dhātāram He is the size of the smallest atom and the container of the universe. paraṁ mahā-parimāṇaṁ He is great in size. There is no opportunity to use logic here. The Lord is self-revealing. Like the sun (aditya varṇam), He reveals Himself and others. He is not touched by māyā (tamasaḥ parastāt). He is situated above māyā. The maker of māyā is beyond māyā. He who remembers such a person at every moment attains that supreme person. The lines of this verse connect with last line of the next verse. He who remembers that person with undeviating mind at the time of death, with prema for paramātmā (bhaktyā), through the accumulation of impressions arising from the experience of samādhi (yoga balena), carefully establishing the prāṇa in the ājñā cakra (here the yoga process is described), attains that person.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Ultimately the point we will hear is 'to remember Krsna', not the 'fixing the mind on the eyebrows, etc, etc,.'

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

COMMON THEME: Describes ‘Practice of these Yogis’ (Yoga-mishra bhakti). All these practices assist yogis in

remembering Krishna; they are not end in themselves

Practice sat-chakra-yoga, raise life air to ajna-chakra (8.10)
Chant ’OM’ (8.11)
Renounce all sense gratification, especially sex life (8.11 – 8.12)
Fix mind on heart (8.12)

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION III

By strict yoga practice one can fix the mind on Krishna’s transcendental qualities, and go to Him at death
Remembrance of Krishna means to meditate on His qualities. This is an important point because it reiterates the Supremacy of Krishna’s personality. Qualities arise from personality, not from a void
Steady yoga practice gives strength for one to focus his mind on Krishna (yoga balena) Preparing for the critical moment of death
Fix mind in devotion to Supreme Personality of Godhead at death (8.10 & 8.13)
Focus of Learning

share similar theme)

(a) Who enters into impersonal Brahman

Those learned in Vedas
Who utters “om-kara”
Practice celibacy
Great sages in renounced order of Life

(b) Om and Hare Krishna Maha-mantra

Vedic system – students learn to vibrate Om and learn of impersonal Brahman by living in complete celibacy
Modern system – No celibacy possible / No such institution
Lord Chaitanya preaches according to the injunctions for Kali-yuga
Only Yuga-dharma – Holy Name
Om, Brahman and Krishna are non-different (also study Text 7.8 for Om and Hare Krishna)
Impersonal sound of Krishna is Om
Hare Krishna contains Om
If anyone quits body chanting Hare Krishna – He goes to the spiritual planet

(c) Om and Brahman

Brahman although is “one without second” has various manifestations
For Impersonalists – Om-kara is identical with Brahman

(a) Sat-cakra-yoga recommended in this verse

(b) Bhaktya-yukto – indicates “to fix mind in devotion at death”

(c) Yoga-balena

Indicates that without practice of yoga (Sat-caktra-yoga or Bhakti-yoga) one cannot come to the transcendental stage of remembering the Lord at death.
Advises “Practice transcendence through yoga during one’s life”
Refutes the idea that – “I will take up spiritual path at old age”
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
8.10 Prayana-kale, at the time of death; after first brining the mind under control in the lotus of the heart, and then lifting up the vital force-through the nerve going upward-by gradually gaining control over (the rudiments of nature such as) earth etc. [Space, air, fire, water and earth.] and after that, samyak, avesya, having fully fixed; pranam, the Prana (vital force); madhye, between; the bhruvoh, eye-brows, without losing attention; acalena manasa, with an unwavering mind; he, the yogi possessed of such wisdom, yuktah, imbued; bhaktya, with devotion, deep love; ca eva, as also; yoga-balena, [Yoga means spiritual absorption, the fixing of the mind on Reality alone, to the exclusion of any other object.] with the strength of concentration-i.e; imbued with that (strength) also, consisting in steadfastness of the mind arising from accumulation of impressions resulting from spiritual absorption; upaiti, reaches; tam, that; div yam, resplendent; param, supreme; purusam, Person, described as 'the Omniscient, the Ancient,' etc. The Lord again speaks of Brahman which is sought to be attained by the process going to be stated, and which is described through such characteristics as, 'What is declared by the knowers of the Vedas,'etc.:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
8.9 - 8.10 He who focusses his life-breath between the eyrows at the time of death with a mind rendered unswerving through its purification achieved by the strength of Yoga conjoined with Bhakti practised day after day; and he who contemplates on the 'Kavi' i.e., the Omniscient, the 'Primeval', i.e., who existed always, 'the Ruler,' i.e., who governs the universe, 'who is subtler than the subtle,' i.e., who is subtler than the individual self, 'who is the Dhata' of all, i.e., the creator of all, 'whose nature is inconceivable,' i.e., whose nature is other than everything else, 'who is sun-coloured and beyond darkness,' i.e., who possesses a divine form peculiar to Himself - he who concentrates on Him, the Divine Person described above, between the eyrows, attains Him alone. He attains His state and comes to have power and glory similar to His. Such is the meaning. Then He describes the mode of meditation to be adopted by the seeker of Kaivalya or the Jijnasu (i.e., of one who seeks to know his own self or Atman in contrast to one whose object is God-realisation).
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
8.9-10 Kavim etc. Prayana-etc. He who would meditate in this manner (i.e. as described in the verse) etc. The Sun-coloured. The Sun-colour does not delmit the Absolute (Vasudeva-tattva). However, a comparison with the sun is drawn because the absolute too transcends the darkness of ignorance consisting of the varied wrong notions, like fancying forms etc. This is the idea here. In between the eye-brows : [This may be understood] as above.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
8.10 At the time of death, with unshaken mind, endowed with devotio, by the power of Yoga, fixing the whole life-breath in the middle of the two eyrows, he reaches that resplendent Supreme Person.
Commentary

8.10 प्रयाणकाले at the time of death? मनसा with mind? अचलेन unshaken? भक्त्या with devotion? युक्तः joined? योगबलेन by the power of Yoga? च and? एव only? भ्रुवोः of the two eyrows? मध्ये in the middle? प्राणम् Prana (breath)? आवेश्य having placed? सम्यक् thoroughly? सः he? तम् that? परम् Supreme? पुरुषम् Purusha? उपैति reaches? दिव्यम् resplendent.Commentary The Yogi gets immense inner strength and power of concentration. His mind becomes ite steady through constant practice of concentration and meditation. He practises concentration first on the lower Chakras? viz.? Muladhara? Svadhishthana and Manipura. He then concentrates on the lotus of the heart (Anahata Chakra). Then he takes the lifreath (Prana) through the Sushumna and fixes it in the middle of the two eyrows. He eventually attains the resplendent Supreme Purusha (Person) by the above Yogic practice.This is possible for one who has devoted his whole life to the practice of Yoga.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
8.10 At the time of death, having fully fixed the Prana (vita force) between the enrows with an unswering mind, and being imbued with devotion as also the strength of concentration, he reaches that resplendent supreme person.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
8.10 He who leaves the body with mind unmoved and filled with devotion, by the power of his meditation gathering between his eyebrows his whole vital energy, attains the Supreme.
Related values & verses
Related values
Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 5.27 BG 6.13 BG 8.12 SB 2.2.19 SB 2.2.21 SB 3.24.43 CC Madhya 19.167 CC Madhya 22.29 CC Ādi 7.72 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.3.16Praśna Upaniṣad 3.7
Concepts
Maya
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
At the time of death, with mind unmoving, with full devotion, by the power of yoga, fixing the breath between the eyebrows — attains the Supreme.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize the technical specifics of yogic dying — not casually attempted.
  • Cultivate the underlying conditions: unmoving mind, devotion.
  • Don't dabble in subtle techniques without guidance.
Reflection Questions
  • What is my path's prescription for the moment of death?
  • Am I cultivating its prerequisites?
Analogy

Yogic dying is like a sailor pulling in the lines of his vessel in the right order before lifting anchor — the senses are coiled inward, the breath is gathered up the spine, the mind is moored at the point between the brows. Only then does the ship lift. The instruction is not metaphorical; it is the technical sequence of an art most never even begin to learn.

Stories
Bhīṣma's chosen hour

Granted his father's boon to choose the time of his own death, Bhīṣma waited months on the bed of arrows for uttarāyaṇa. When it came, he gathered the prāṇa upward, fixed his mind on Kṛṣṇa standing before him, and quit the body in the disciplined yogic manner the Gītā describes here.

He did not merely die; he departed — the technical sequence of 8.10 was visible in him because it had been cultivated over a lifetime of celibacy, austerity, and devotion. The verse names the conditions; Bhīṣma was their living illustration.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 8