FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 8.3

श्रीभगवानुवाच अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते । भूतभावोद्भ‍वकरो विसर्ग: कर्मसंज्ञित: ॥ ३ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
akṣaraṁ brahma paramaṁ
[aksharam brahma paramam]
svabhāvo ’dhyātmam ucyate
[svabhaavo ’dhyaatmam uchyate]
bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo
[bhoota-bhaavodbhava-karo]
visargaḥ karma-saṁjñitaḥ
[visargah karma-samjnitah]
Word-for-word
śrī - bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said akṣaram — indestructible brahma — Brahman paramam — transcendental svabhāvaḥ — eternal nature adhyātmam — the self ucyate — is called bhūta - bhāva - udbhava - karaḥ — producing the material bodies of the living entities visargaḥ — creation karma — fruitive activities saṁjñitaḥ — is called .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
akṣaraṁ brahma paramaṁ
akṣaram
indestructible
brahma
Brahman
paramam
transcendental
svabhāvo ’dhyātmam ucyate
svabhāvaḥ
eternal nature
adhyātmam
the self
ucyate
is called
bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo
bhūta - bhāva - udbhava - karaḥ
producing the material bodies of the living entities
visargaḥ karma-saṁjñitaḥ
visargaḥ
creation
karma
fruitive activities
saṁjñitaḥ
is called .
Important Words
  • akṣaram — indestructible
    A-kṣara — literally 'non-perishing'. The technical Upaniṣadic word for Brahman as that which does not decay. Kṛṣṇa places it as the very first quality named in His answer: before defining Brahman by anything else, He defines it by what cannot happen to it.
  • brahma — Brahman
    Here Brahman is identified specifically with the eternal living entity, the jīva — not yet the Personality of Godhead but the indestructible spiritual particle. The chapter will build upward from this to paramam puruṣam (8.8).
  • svabhāvaḥ — eternal nature
    Sva (own) + bhāva (nature). The constitutional nature of the self — not what it has been conditioned into but what it intrinsically is. Adhyātma is precisely this svabhāva, the soul's own functioning.
  • adhyātmam — the self
    Defined here as the eternal nature of the indestructible. Adhyātma is the soul considered in its functional aspect — how the ātmā operates and expresses itself, distinct from the matter it animates.
  • bhūta - bhāva - udbhava - karaḥ — producing the material bodies of the living entities
    A four-part compound: bhūta (living entities), bhāva (state of being), udbhava (rising up), kara (cause). Karma is precisely this generative chain — the impulse that keeps producing new bodies for the embodied. Not all action, but the binding offering that drives saṁsāra.
  • visargaḥ — creation
    From vi + sṛj (to release, emit). The releasing or sending-forth of beings into manifestation. Karma is named here as the visarga, the cosmic emission — placing daily action within the same category as cosmic creation, both being modes of sending-forth.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called adhyātma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities.
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)
Kṛṣṇa answers three of the six terms: Brahman is the imperishable Supreme; adhyātma is the embodied self's innate nature; karma is the creative impulse — the very act of emanation — that manifests the becoming of beings. Each definition is terse, almost sūtra-like.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
'Visarga' (literally 'sending forth') is a striking word: karma is not merely human deed but the cosmic projection that gives rise to embodied existence. Vedic sacrificers used 'visarga' for the libational pouring-out that begins a yajña; Kṛṣṇa borrows that resonance — every action is a small offering. Adhyātma as 'svabhāva' will later (cf. 18.41ff) be elaborated as the guṇa-fixed nature of each living being.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
अक्षरम् परमम् ब्रह्म [इति उच्यते]; स्वभावः अध्यात्मम् उच्यते; भूत-भाव-उद्भव-करः विसर्गः कर्म-संज्ञितः [भवति]।
akṣaram paramam brahma [iti ucyate]; svabhāvaḥ adhyātmam ucyate; bhūta-bhāva-udbhava-karaḥ visargaḥ karma-saṃjñitaḥ [bhavati]|
The imperishable Supreme is called Brahman; one's own innate nature is called adhyātma; the creative impulse that brings forth the states of beings is named karma.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
श्रीभगवान् उवाच
śrībhagavān uvāca
अक्षरम् ब्रह्म परमम् स्वभावः अध्यात्मम् उच्यते । भूत-भाव-उद्भव-करः विसर्गः कर्म-संज्ञितः ॥
akṣaram brahma paramam svabhāvaḥ adhyātmam ucyate | bhūta-bhāva-udbhava-karaḥ visargaḥ karma-saṃjñitaḥ ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
अक्षरम् akṣaram अ + क्षर (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n., nañ-tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) 'non-perishing' imperishable
ब्रह्म brahma ब्रह्मन् (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) Brahman
परमम् paramam परम (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. supreme
स्वभावः svabhāvaḥ स्व + भाव (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) innate nature, one's own being
अध्यात्मम् adhyātmam अधि + आत्मन् (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) adhyātma
उच्यते ucyate √वच् pass. (passive) pres. (present) 3sg. is called
भूत-भाव-उद्भव-करः bhūta-bhāva-udbhava-karaḥ भूत (n.) + भाव (m.) + उद्भव (m.) + कर (agent-noun, m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) 'producer of the becomings of beings' that which produces the states of becoming of beings
विसर्गः visargaḥ वि + √सृज् → विसर्ग (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) creative release, emanation, projection
कर्म-संज्ञितः karma-saṃjñitaḥ कर्मन् (n.) + संज्ञित (p.p.p. (past passive participle)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) named 'karma'
Purport

Brahman is indestructible and eternally existing, and its constitution is not changed at any time. But beyond Brahman there is Para-brahman. Brahman refers to the living entity, and Para-brahman refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The constitutional position of the living entity is different from the position he takes in the material world. In material consciousness his nature is to try to be the lord of matter, but in spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his position is to serve the Supreme. When the living entity is in material consciousness, he has to take on various bodies in the material world. That is called karma, or varied creation by the force of material consciousness. In Vedic literature the living entity is called jīvātmā and Brahman, but he is never called Para-brahman. The living entity ( jīvātmā ) takes different positions – sometimes he merges into the dark material nature and identifies himself with matter, and sometimes he identifies himself with the superior, spiritual nature. Therefore he is called the Supreme Lord’s marginal energy. According to his identification with material or spiritual nature, he receives a material or spiritual body. In material nature he may take a body from any of the 8,400,000 species of life, but in spiritual nature he has only one body. In material nature he is manifested sometimes as a man, demigod, animal, beast, bird, etc., according to his karma. To attain material heavenly planets and enjoy their facilities, he sometimes performs sacrifices ( yajña ), but when his merit is exhausted he returns to earth again in the form of a man. This process is called karma. The Chāndogya Upaniṣad describes the Vedic sacrificial process. On the sacrificial altar, five kinds of offerings are made into five kinds of fire. The five kinds of fire are conceived of as the heavenly planets, clouds, the earth, man and woman, and the five kinds of sacrificial offerings are faith, the enjoyer on the moon, rain, grains and semen. In the process of sacrifice, the living entity makes specific sacrifices to attain specific heavenly planets and consequently reaches them. When the merit of sacrifice is exhausted, the living entity descends to earth in the form of rain, then takes on the form of grains, and the grains are eaten by man and transformed into semen, which impregnates a woman, and thus the living entity once again attains the human form to perform sacrifice and so repeat the same cycle. In this way, the living entity perpetually comes and goes on the material path. The Kṛṣṇa conscious person, however, avoids such sacrifices. He takes directly to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and thereby prepares himself to return to Godhead. Impersonalist commentators on the Bhagavad-gītā unreasonably assume that Brahman takes the form of jīva in the material world, and to substantiate this they refer to Chapter Fifteen, verse 7, of the Gītā. But in this verse the Lord also speaks of the living entity as “an eternal fragment of Myself.” The fragment of God, the living entity, may fall down into the material world, but the Supreme Lord (Acyuta) never falls down. Therefore this assumption that the Supreme Brahman assumes the form of jīva is not acceptable. It is important to remember that in Vedic literature Brahman (the living entity) is distinguished from Para-brahman (the Supreme Lord).

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
3. The Lord said: the Brahman is the supreme indestructible entity. Adhyātma is the jīva. Karma refers to transmigration arising from the creation of bodies made of material elements.
Commentary

The Lord answers. Brahman refers to the akṣara—that which does not get destroyed, that which is eternal and supreme. The śruti says etad vai tad akṣaram gārgi brāhmaṇā abhivadanti: the knowers of Brahman call the Supreme Lord (tad) the indestructible (akṣaram). [Note: In verse 21 Viśvanatha says that the akṣara is Nārāyaṇa.] (Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.8) Svabhāva means “that which produces one’s self (svaṁ bhāvayati), from imposition of a body.” In other words, it means the jīva, since it creates the body. The jīva is called adhyātma. Or the meaning of svabhāva can be “that which causes one to attain the Paramātmā (sva meaning the Lord in this case). In this case adhyātma refers to the purified jīva, since only the pure jīva is qualified to attain Paramātmā. The word karma refers to transmigration (visarga) of the jīva, the creation of bodies (bhāva) through the material elements (bhūta). It is called karma because it is produced from actions.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
3. The Lord said: Brahman is the indestructible jīvātma separate from the body. Adhyātma refers to impressions which accompany the jīva. Karma refers to the creative force which gives rise to bodies through the combination of subtle and gross elements.
Commentary

Being asked, the Lord replies to these seven questions one by one. Akṣaram means that which does not perish. I call the jīvātmā, which does not perish, distinct from the body (paramam), brahma. The śruti states that jīva is called brahma and akṣaraṁ: avyaktam akṣare līyate’kṣaraṁ tamasi līyate tama ekībhavati parasminn Avyakta (subtle state of prakṛti) merges into aksara (aggregate of the jīvas). Aksara merges into tamas (subtle state of prakṛti with jīva). Tamas becomes one with the Supreme Lord. [Note: Akṣara cannot refer to the Supreme Lord in this verse, since akṣaraṁ merges into tamas and tamas merges into the Lord.] Subāla Upaniṣad 1 vijñānaṁ brahma ced veda If one knows the ātmā, called brahman, as vijñāna, one does not become bewildered. [Note: See Baladeva’s commentary on Vedānta Sūtra 1.1.12 for further explanation. When food, prāṇa, mind, and vijñāna are called brahman, brahman means jīva. When bliss is called brahman it refers to the Supreme Lord.] Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.5 I refer to the svabhāva as adhyātma. Svabhāva is that substance (bhāva means padārtha) intimately connected to the jīva (sva)—the impressions held in the subtle elements which accompany the jīva birth after birth. Because the impressions are closely related to the ātmā, described as such in the pañcāgni vidyā of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, they are called svabhāva. This svabhāva is what I call adhyātma, that which governs the body. That creative force (visarga) which gives rise (udbhava kara) to the bodies (bhāva) of men and others by combination of the subtle elements (bhūta) with the gross elements (bhūta) is called karma. By performance of jyotistoma sacrifice one goes to svarga and in the body of a devatā one enjoys. The remnants coming from pious actions, which are similar to the remnants of ghee gathered in a pot for enjoyment, but which eventually are depleted, appear on this earth for giving the gross body of human or other form to the jīva. This is what I call karma. In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, Chapter 5, it is described that five offerings of faith, god of the moon, rain, food and semen are offered into the five fires of heaven, the god of rain, earth, man and woman. The meaning is this. The jīva following the Vedas in this world offers yogurt and other items with faith. Because they are made of the five elements, those offerings with faith take the form of the five elements, and particularly water. [Note: At the beginning of the fifth chapter of the Upaniṣad, it was asked, “Do you know how the fifth oblation in the form of water becomes man?” Water represents all the elements but is mentioned because water makes up most of the human body. It is said that water means the elements water, earth and fire in subtle form as senses, as these accompany the jīva in all his bodies, and act as a base for the prāṇas and mind which also go with the jīva. These rudimentary elements follow the jīva and assist in producing his gross bodies, as well as carrying previous impressions and karmic reactions.] Because of offering water with faith, it becomes an oblation of faith. This envelops the jīva and goes with him. When the person dies, the devas presiding over the senses offer the oblations of faith to the fire called heaven. That means they lead the jīva to heaven. Those offerings transform into a heavenly body called Somarāja, King of the Moon. In that body, the jīva enjoys the results of his actions. At the end of enjoyment, the offerings along with the jīva are offered by the devas into the fire of Parjanya, God of Rain, and become rain. That rain along with the jīva is offered by the devas into the fire called earth and become food such as rice. The rice offerings along with the jīva are offered into the fire called man, and then become semen. The semen along with the jīva is offered into the fire called woman, and becomes an embryo, and transforms into man. The cause of such states, the consequence of actions, the residue from actions, is called karma. Thus the writer of the Sūtras has said tad-antara-pratipattau: in going to another body, the jīva takes the subtle elements. [Note: This description and the quotation from the Vedānta Sūtra is given to show that the jīva assumes a gross body by combination of subtle and gross elements (bhūta), which are mentioned in the verse: bhūta bhāva udbhāva kara, This particular sūtra refers to the description of the five oblations mentioned Chāndogya Upaniṣad and Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad.] (Vedānta Sūtra 3.1.1)

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Srila Prabhupada explains in detail, according to the Chandogya Upanisad, about the meaning of karma. It means specifically, technically, according to the Purport: 'Karma means after one performs yajna or sacrifice, he goes to the heavenly planets. Then just before the 'punya' or good karma that is holding him up in the heavenly planets, expires, when there is just a little bit left, he comes down in the form of rain and that rain is absorbed to make the grains grow and the grains are eaten and become semen and the semen gives origin to a child gradually ‑ that is karma ‑ that action which develops material body for a soul when he descends from the heavenly planets. That specifically is what Krsna explains as karma. This body is composed of karma.

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
8.3 Aksaram means that which does not perish (na ksarati), the supreme Self. This agrees with the Upanisadic text, 'Under the mighty rule of this Immutable, O Gargi৷৷.' (Br. 3.8.9). And (the letter) Om is not accept here [as the meaning of aksara (lit. letter)], because of its being mentioned (as a letter) later on in, 'The single letter Om, which is Brahman' (13). Besides, the adjective 'supreme' is more apporpriate with regard to the absolute, immutable Brahman. By svabhava, self-hood, is meant the eixtence of that very supreme Brahman in every body as the indwelling Self. Svabhavah ucyate, self-hood is said to be, is referred to by the word; adhyatmam, the entity which, as the indwelling Self, exists in the body (atma) by making it its habitat (adhikrtya), and which in the ultimate analysis is the supreme Brahman. Visargah, the offerings, the giving away to gods of things like porridge [Caru: An oblations of rice, barley and pulse boiled-together to be offered to gods.], cake, etc.; bhuta-bhava-udbhava-karah, which bring about the origin of the existence of things; is karma-sanjnitah, meant by action. This sacrifice consisting in pouring of oblations is called action. The existence (bhava) of (moving and nonmoving) things (bhuta) is bhuta-bhava. The coming into being (udbhava) of that (existence) is bhuta-bhava-udbhavah. That which causes (karoti) this is bhuta-bhava-udbhava-karah, i.e. the originator of existing things. It is needed from this source that all bengs, moving and non-moving, originate thorugh the successive processes of railfall etc. (see 3.14-15).
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
8.3 The Lord said That which is the Supreme Imperishable (Aksara) has been named 'that brahman' The Aksara is that which cannot be destroyed and forms the totality of all individual selves. The Srutis say to this effect: 'The Avyakta is dissolved into the Aksara, the Aksara is dissolved into Tamas' (Su. U., 2). The supreme Aksara is the essential form of the self, separated from Prakrti. One's own material nature (the body) is spoken of as Adhyatma or that which dwells with the self. This material nature (Svabhava) is Prakrti. It does not form the self but attaches itself to the self in the form of subtle elements, impressions etc. This has been taught in the Vidya of Five Fires (Cha. U., 5). Both these (the Aksara and the Adhyatma) should be known by the aspirants for liberation (Kaivalya) - the former as what should be attained and the latter as what should be relinished. Karma is that force which produces the origination of mundane beings. 'Beings' here means beings such as the human beings. The creative force which produces their origination is contact with woman. It has been described in the Sruti passage thus: 'The waters sacrificed in the fifth oblations become those who are named Purusas' (Cha. U., 5.3.3). That creative force is called Karma. All the acts associated with that should be considered by aspirants after release as calling for abstention. This abstention will also be inculcated immediately in the text, 'Desiring which they practise the vow of continence' (8.11).
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
8.3 Aksaram etc. the Supreme is [called] Brahman because It is big and causes everything to grow [in It]. On the same ground, what is termed 'as the Lord-of-self' is that thing which bears the name Consciousness which never ceases to be in It (Brahman) and which is nothing but the Brahman (svah bhavah). This Brahman, which is nothing but Consciousness, embraces the Power of [creating] the universe because of Its unlimited aspect of being external; and on account of Its freedom in the form of supremacy there arises the emitting (i.e. creative) activity [in it] in the form of manifesting Itself as the external inanimate beings and also as various external animate ones. [These two aspects of] this activity cause respectively the birth of the inanimate beings - i.e. the insentient beings, and the animate ones i.e. the sentient beings like Brahman etc. [In other words], It manifests as varigated insentient and sentient beings. Again this activity bestows on what is real, its intrinsic nature i.e. creates a reality for the one from which all that is false is excluded. this emitting activity is what is known as 'action'.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
8.3 The Blessed Lord said Brahman is the Imperishable, the Supreme; Its essential nature is called Self-knowledge; the offering (to the gods) which causes existence and manifestation of beings and which also sustains them is called action.
Commentary

8.3 अक्षरम् imperishable? ब्रह्म Brahman? परमम् Supreme? स्वभावः (His) Nature? अध्यात्मम् Selfknowledge? उच्यते is called? भूतभावोद्भवकरः that which causes the origin and growth of beings? विसर्गः offering (to gods)? कर्मसंज्ञितः is called action.Commentary Brahman is imperishable? immutable? eternal? selfexistent? selfluminous? unchanging and allpervading. It is the source? root and womb of everything. In It all beings that are manifested live? move and have their very being. Hence? It is Paramam? the Supreme and Akshara.Its essential nature or Svabhava is Adhyatma. Brahmans dwelling in each individual body as the innermost Self (the Pratyagatma) is called Adhyatma. Yajnavalkya (a great sage of the Upanishadic period) said O Gargi Heaven and earth stand upheld in their places. The Brahmanas call this (Brahman) the Akshara (the imperishable). It is neither red nor white It is not shadow? not darkness? nor air? not ehter? without adhesion? without smell? without eyes? without ears? without speech? without mind? without light? without breath? without a mouth or door? without measures? having nothing within and nothing outside It. It does not consume anything? nor does anyone consume It. Akshara is the Supreme Brahman only.Akshara here does not mean the holy word Om? or the Avyakta (the unmanifested source of all that is in Nature). There is Laya (absorption) for Om. There is destruction for the unmanifested Nature also. Therefore Brahman is the Akshara? the Imperishable? the Supreme Being.Offering All virtuous work.The sacrificial act which consists of offering cooked rice? cakes? etc.? to the gods and which causes the genesis and support of beings is called Karma. The oblations in the sacrifice assume a subtle form and reach the sphere of the sun. Through the sun there is rain? and various sorts of grains? vegetables and fruits crop up. The living beings (Bhutas) live and develop on account of rice and other foodstuffs. Therefore Yajnas are the cause of the genesis and support of all beings.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
8.3 The Blessed Lord said The Immutable is the supreme Brahman; self-hood is said to the entity present in the individual plane. By action is meant the offerings which bring about the origin of the existence of things.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
8.3 The Lord Shri Krishna replied: The Supreme Spirit is the Highest Imperishable Self, and Its Nature is spiritual consciousness. The worlds have been created and are supported by an emanation from the Spirit which is called the Law.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.20 BG 15.7 BG 3.14 SB 11.13.24 SB 3.26.3 SB 7.7.19 CC Madhya 20.108 CC Madhya 22.5 CC Ādi 7.117 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.18Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.9
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Brahman is the supreme indestructible; the self's eternal nature is called adhyātma; the offering generating beings is karma.
Practical Applications
  • Memorize the threefold map: Brahman, adhyātma, karma.
  • Use it to organize your thinking about reality.
  • Don't conflate these layers.
Reflection Questions
  • Where in my life is each of the three (Brahman, self, action) relevant right now?
  • Where do I conflate them?
Analogy

Kṛṣṇa is like a teacher labeling the parts of a great mechanism: 'This unbreakable axle is Brahman. This rotation pattern of the wheels is adhyātma. This dust thrown up by the spokes is karma.' Three names for three layers, each in its proper place, none confused with the others.

Stories
Yājñavalkya and Maitreyī

When the sage Yājñavalkya was about to leave home for the forest, he sat his wife Maitreyī down and offered to divide his wealth between her and his other wife. Maitreyī asked instead: will this wealth make me immortal?

Yājñavalkya answered no, and then began the great teaching of the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad — the indestructible (akṣara) on which everything rests, by knowing which all is known. The Bhāgavatam reads that akṣara back to its source: the jīva is brahman, but Para-brahman is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's compressed map in 8.3 names the same indestructible — and in the verses to follow, locates it within Himself, the puruṣottama whom even Yājñavalkya's akṣara serves.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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