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Bhagavad-gītā 8.13

ॐ इत्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् । य: प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥ १३ ॥
oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ brahma
[om ity ekaaksharam brahma]
vyāharan mām anusmaran
[vyaaharan maam anusmaran]
yaḥ prayāti tyajan dehaṁ
[yah prayaati tyajan deham]
sa yāti paramāṁ gatim
[sa yaati paramaam gatim]
Word-for-word
oṁ — the combination of letters oṁ ( oṁ-kāra ) iti — thus eka - akṣaram — the one syllable brahma — absolute vyāharan — vibrating mām — Me (Kṛṣṇa) anusmaran — remembering yaḥ — anyone who prayāti — leaves tyajan — quitting deham — this body saḥ — he yāti — achieves paramām — the supreme gatim — destination .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ brahma
oṁ
the combination of letters oṁ ( oṁ-kāra )
iti
thus
eka - akṣaram
the one syllable
brahma
absolute
vyāharan mām anusmaran
vyāharan
vibrating
mām
Me (Kṛṣṇa)
anusmaran
remembering
yaḥ prayāti tyajan dehaṁ
yaḥ
anyone who
prayāti
leaves
tyajan
quitting
deham
this body
sa yāti paramāṁ gatim
saḥ
he
yāti
achieves
paramām
the supreme
gatim
destination .
Important Words
  • oṁ — the combination of letters oṁ ( oṁ-kāra )
    The praṇava — A, U, M combined. The seed-syllable of the Vedas, the sonic body of Brahman. Vibrated at the moment of death, it functions as the boat across the subtle waters of departure.
  • eka - akṣaram — the one syllable
    Eka (one) + akṣara (syllable, imperishable). The 'single syllable' — but also the 'one imperishable'. The pun is not accidental: oṁ is both monosyllabic and identical with the imperishable Brahman. The grammar carries the doctrine.
  • brahma — absolute
    Here brahma is applied to the syllable itself. Sound-Brahman (śabda-brahman) is a recognized category in the Vedic tradition — the syllable is not merely a pointer to Brahman; it is Brahman in audible form.
  • vyāharan — vibrating
    From vi + ā + hṛ — 'to utter, articulate, pronounce'. Not silent meditation on the syllable but its actual sonic articulation. The verb specifies that the oṁ is vibrated, not merely thought.
  • mām anusmaran — remembering Me
    The crucial pairing. The syllable oṁ alone is not enough; the impersonalist who vibrates oṁ without remembering Kṛṣṇa attains a different destination. Kṛṣṇa insists: the vibration must carry His person as its content.
  • tyajan deham — quitting the body
    Tyaj — to abandon. The dying person actively abandons the body. The same root as tyāga, renunciation. Dying, for the prepared yogi, is the final act of renunciation, not a passive event.
  • paramām gatim — the supreme destination
    Paramā (highest, feminine) + gati (going, destination). The 'supreme going-place'. Gati comes from gam, to go — the destination is named by the verb of moving toward it. Liberation is named as a place attained by motion, not a state realized in stillness alone.
After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable oṁ, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the spiritual planets.
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 praṇava-verse: oṁ is named 'the one-syllable Brahman,' to be uttered at death together with remembrance of Kṛṣṇa. Note the deft welding — the impersonal akṣara is voiced, but the personal Lord is the object of recollection. Two practices, one act.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
'Oṁ ekākṣaraṁ brahma' is a near-direct lift from Maitri Upaniṣad 6.4 and recalls Māṇḍūkya 1's identification of oṁ with everything that was, is, and will be. Kṛṣṇa marries this Upaniṣadic praṇava-upāsanā ('vyāharan') with bhakti-smaraṇa ('mām anusmaran'), so the phonetic vibration carries the personal name. The 'paramā gati' here is identical with the 'paraṁ puruṣa' of 8.8-10.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
ॐ इति एक-अक्षरम् ब्रह्म व्याहरन् माम् अनुस्मरन् देहम् त्यजन् यः प्रयाति, सः परमाम् गतिम् याति।
oṃ iti eka-akṣaram brahma vyāharan mām anusmaran deham tyajan yaḥ prayāti, saḥ paramām gatim yāti|
Whoever, uttering the single syllable 'oṁ' — Brahman — and remembering Me, departs leaving the body, he reaches the supreme goal.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
ॐ इति एक-अक्षरम् ब्रह्म व्याहरन् माम् अनुस्मरन् । यः प्रयाति त्यजन् देहम् सः याति परमाम् गतिम् ॥
oṃ iti eka-akṣaram brahma vyāharan mām anusmaran | yaḥ prayāti tyajan deham saḥ yāti paramām gatim ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
ॐ oṃ ind. (indeclinable), the sacred praṇava oṁ
इति iti ind. (indeclinable), quotative thus, namely
एक-अक्षरम् eka-akṣaram एक (num.) + अक्षर (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular), karmadhāraya cpd. (compound) the one-syllabled
ब्रह्म brahma ब्रह्मन् (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) Brahman
व्याहरन् vyāharan वि + आ + √हृ pres. (present) act. participle nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. uttering, vibrating
माम् mām अस्मद् pron. (pronoun) acc.sg. (accusative singular) Me
अनुस्मरन् anusmaran अनु + √स्मृ pres. (present) act. participle nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. remembering
यः yaḥ यद् rel. pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. who
प्रयाति prayāti प्र + √या pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) departs
त्यजन् tyajan √त्यज् pres. (present) act. participle nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. abandoning
देहम् deham देह (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) the body
सः saḥ तद् dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. he
याति yāti √या pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) goes, attains
परमाम् paramām परम (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)f. supreme
गतिम् gatim गति (f.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) goal, destination
Purport

It is clearly stated here that oṁ, Brahman and Lord Kṛṣṇa are not different. The impersonal sound of Kṛṣṇa is oṁ, but the sound Hare Kṛṣṇa contains oṁ. The chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is clearly recommended for this age. So if one quits his body at the end of life chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, he certainly reaches one of the spiritual planets, according to the mode of his practice. The devotees of Kṛṣṇa enter the Kṛṣṇa planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana. For the personalists there are also innumerable other planets, known as Vaikuṇṭha planets, in the spiritual sky, whereas the impersonalists remain in the brahma-jyotir .

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
12-13. He who leaves his body while withdrawing the senses from senses objects, concentrating the mind in the heart, fixing the prāṇa at the ājñā-cakra, completely absorbing his thoughts in Me, uttering “om” and remembering Me constantly, attains My planet.
Commentary

Elaborating what was previous spoken, the Lord describes the method of yoga. Withdrawing the openings of all the senses (sarva-dvārāṇi) from the external objects; confining the mind to the heart, with no desire for other objects; fixing the prāṇa between the brows (mūrdhni); and taking shelter of Me completely (yoga-dhāraṇām); uttering just one syllable, om, the form of Brahman; and meditating continuously upon Me (mām anusmaran) represented by om— giving up his body, he attains sālokyam (paramāṁ gatim). [Note: From this statement it would appear that this yoga-miśra-bhakta attains a similar state as the three types of sakāma-bhaktas mentioned in chapter 7.]

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
12-13. He who leaves his body while withdrawing the senses from senses objects, concentrating the mind in the heart, fixing the prāṇa at the ajña cakra, completely absorbing his thoughts in Me, uttering “om” and remembering Me constantly, attains My planet.
Commentary

This verse speaks of the method of yoga. One should control all the external doors of knowledge (the senses such as the ear), withdrawing them (pratyahara) from the sense objects such as sound, receiving the sense objects by senses disinterested in enjoyment by repeatedly seeing their faults. But even in controlling the senses, the mind will wander. Therefore, concentrate the mind, the door to internal knowledge, upon Me, situated in the heart, even though by the mind one remembers the sense objects. Then, one should control the prāṇa, the door to actions, in the lotus of the heart, and then one should gradually, as one gains control, establish it at the ājñā cakra and then at the top of the head (mūrdhṇy ādhāya), on the path of the suṣumna moving upwards, under the instruction of the guru. Doing this, one should carry out the practice of thinking (yoga dhāraṇām) of Me (ātmanaḥ) from foot to head. One should pronounce internally om, representing brahman. Om is praised with the words eka akṣaram. Om is the chief sound (eka) which is indestructible (akṣaram). Then one should meditate (anusmaran means dhyāna) on Me, paramātmā, indicated by that sound. Meditating in this way, when he departs, giving up the body, he attains liberation in the form of attaining My planet—sālokya (paramam gatim). [Note: Perhaps there is a distinction between the yoga miśra bhakta and the aṣṭaṅga yogī described in chapter 6, who attained liberation through vision of ātmā and paramātmā.]

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Again, 'mam anusmaram' ‑ remembering Krsna. Chant OM and remember Krsna, because Krsna has said already, 'pranavah vedesu' (Ch. 7), 'I am OM in the Vedic mantras.' That was how to remember Krsna including yoga misra bhakti ‑ how to remember Krsna, even if one is a yogi. The next section describes something different from yoga misra bhakti ‑ it describes 'pure devotional service'.

[ D . PURE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE (14‑16) 1 . One who undeviatingly remembers Krsna easily attains the Lord because of his constantly engaging in devotional service.(14) ]

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
8.13 Yah, he who; prayati, departs, dies; tyajan, by leaving; deham, the body-the phrase 'leaving the body' is meant for alifying departure; thery it is implied that the soul's departure occurs by abandoning the body, and not through the destruction of its own reality, having abandoned thus-; vyaharan, while uttering; the eka-adsaram, single syllable; om iti brahma, viz Om, which is Brahman, Om which is the name of Brahman; and anusmaran, thinking; mam, of Me, of God who is implied by that (syllable); sah, he; yati, attains; the paramam, supreme, best; gatim, Goal. Further,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
8.12 - 8.13 Subduing all the senses like ear etc., which constitute the 'doorways' for sense impressions, i.e., withdrawing them from their natural functions; holding the mind in Me, the imperishable 'seated within the lotus of the heart'; practising 'steady abstraction of mind (Dharana) which is called concentration or Yoga,' i.e., abiding in Me alone in a steady manner; uttering the sacred 'syllable Om,' the brahman which connotes Me; remembering Me, who am expressed by the syllable Om; and fixing his 'life-breath within the head' - whosoever abandons the body and departs in this way reaches the highest state. He reaches the pure self freed from Prakrti, which is akin to My form. From that state there is no return. Such is the meaning. Later on Sri Krsna will elucidate: 'They describe that as the highest goal of the Atman, which is not destroyed when all things are destroyed, which is unmanifest and imperishable' (8.2021). Thus, the modes of contemplation on the Lord by the aspirants after prosperity and Kaivalya (Atmann-consciousness) have been taught according to the goal they lead to. Now, Sri Krsna teaches the way of meditation on the Lord by the Jnanin and the mode of attainment by him.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
8.13 See Comment under 8.14
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
8.13 Uttering the one-syllabled Om the Brahman and remembering Me, he who departs, leaving the body, attains to the Supreme Goal.
Commentary

8.13 Om? इति thus? एकाक्षरम् onesyllabled? ब्रह्म Brahman? व्याहरन् uttering? माम् Me? अनुस्मरन् remembering? यः who? प्रयाति departs? त्यजन् leaving? देहम् the body? सः he? याति attains? परमाम् supreme? गतिम् goal.Commentary Having controlled the thoughts the Yogi ascends by the Sushumna? the Nadi (subtle psychic nervechannel) which passes upwards from the heart. He fixes his whole Prana or lifreath in the crown of the head in the Brahmarandhra or the hole of Brahman. He utters the sacred monosyllable Om? meditates on Me and leaves the body.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
8.13 He who departs by leaving the body while uttering the single syllable, viz Om, which is Brahman, and thinking of Me, he attains the supreme Goal.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
8.13 Repeating Om, the Symbol of Eternity, holding Me always in remembrance, he who thus leaves his body and goes forth reaches the Spirit Supreme.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)
Related verses
BG 8.11 BG 7.8 BG 17.23 SB 2.2.30 SB 11.21.36 SB 12.6.43 CC Ādi 7.128 CC Madhya 6.220 CC Ādi 7.131 Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 12Praśna Upaniṣad 5.5
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Vibrating the syllable Om, remembering Me — leaving the body, one attains the spiritual planets.
Practical Applications
  • Use mantra at moments of fear or transition, not just formal practice.
  • Make Kṛṣṇa-remembrance the content paired with the syllable.
  • Trust the simple instruction.
Reflection Questions
  • When did I last let mantra carry me through a hard moment?
  • What hard moment is on the horizon to prepare for?
Analogy

Oṁ is the bow-string and Kṛṣṇa is the target. The dying yogi vibrates the syllable and lets the soul fly along that single vibration toward the named Person. Vibrating oṁ without remembering Kṛṣṇa is a string drawn without an arrow on it; remembering Kṛṣṇa without the syllable is an arrow without the bow's tension. The verse names both halves of the technique.

Stories
Ajāmila revisited

Ajāmila's call of 'Nārāyaṇa' at the moment of death — recorded in the Bhāgavatam — is the principle of 8.13 in its bare, even accidental form. He did not vibrate oṁ; he uttered the Lord's name. But the structure is the same: a sacred sound paired with the act of dying, and the result of attaining the spiritual planets follows.

For the Kali-yuga, the Gauḍīya line teaches, the holy name is the more accessible form of what 8.13 prescribes — oṁ-kāra is the Vedic version, harināma is the form available to all. Same principle, more merciful access.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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