Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 Verse 2 — Aksara Brahma Yoga
Sanskrit
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन | प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ||८-२||
Transliteration
adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko.atra dehe.asminmadhusūdana . prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo.asi niyatātmabhiḥ ||8-2||
Hindi Meaning
।।8.2।। और हे मधुसूदन ! यहाँ अधियज्ञ कौन है? और वह इस शरीर में कैसे है? और संयत चित्त वाले पुरुषों द्वारा अन्त समय में आप किस प्रकार जाने जाते हैं,
English Meaning
Who is the Lord of sacrifice, and how does He live in the body, O Madhusūdana? And how can those engaged in devotional service know You at the time of death?
Commentary
“Lord of sacrifice” may refer to either Indra or Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is the chief of the primal demigods, including Brahmā and Śiva, and Indra is the chief of the administrative demigods. Both Indra and Viṣṇu are worshiped by yajña performances. But here Arjuna asks who is actually the Lord of yajña (sacrifice) and how the Lord is residing within the body of the living entity. Arjuna addresses the Lord as Madhusūdana because Kṛṣṇa once killed a demon named Madhu. Actually these questions, which are of the nature of doubts, should not have arisen in the mind of Arjuna, because Arjuna is a Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee. Therefore these doubts are like demons. Since Kṛṣṇa is so expert in killing demons, Arjuna here addresses Him as Madhusūdana so that Kṛṣṇa might kill the demonic doubts that arise in Arjuna’s mind. Now the word prayāṇa-kāle in this verse is very significant because whatever we do in life will be tested at the time of death. Arjuna is very anxious to know of those who are constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What should be their position at that final moment? At the time of death all the bodily functions are disrupted, and the mind is not in a proper condition. Thus disturbed by the bodily situation, one may not be able to remember the Supreme Lord. Mahārāja Kulaśekhara, a great devotee, prays, “My dear Lord, just now I am quite healthy, and it is better that I die immediately so that the swan of my mind can seek entrance at the stem of Your lotus feet.” The metaphor is used because the swan, a bird of the water, takes pleasure in digging into the lotus flowers; its sporting proclivity is to enter the lotus flower. Mahārāja Kulaśekhara says to the Lord, “Now my mind is undisturbed, and I am quite healthy. If I die immediately, thinking of Your lotus feet, then I am sure that my performance of Your devotional service will become perfect. But if I have to wait for my natural death, then I do not know what will happen, because at that time the bodily functions will be disrupted, my throat will be choked up, and I do not know whether I shall be able to chant Your name. Better let me die immediately.” Arjuna questions how a person can fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet at such a time.
Hinglish Commentary
"Yajña ke Lord" ka matlab ya to Indra ya phir Vishnu ho sakta hai. Vishnu primal demigods ka chief hai, jisme Brahma aur Shiva bhi hain, aur Indra administrative demigods ka chief hai. Dono hi Indra aur Vishnu ko yajña ke zariye pooja kiya jata hai. Lekin yahan Arjuna poochta hai ki asli Lord of yajña kaun hai aur wo kaise living entity ke sharir mein rehta hai. Arjuna Krishna ko Madhusudana kehkar bulata hai kyunki Krishna ne ek demon ka naam Madhu maar diya tha. Waise toh ye sawaal, jo doubts ki tarah hain, Arjuna ke mann mein nahi aane chahiye the, kyunki wo ek Krsna conscious bhakt hai. Isliye ye doubts demons ki tarah hain. Krishna jo demons ko maarne mein expert hai, Arjuna yahan unhe Madhusudana kehkar bulata hai taaki wo in demonic doubts ko khatam kar sake. Ab is verse mein "prayāṇa-kāle" ka shabd bahut maayne rakhta hai kyunki jo bhi hum jeevan mein karte hain, wo death ke samay par test hota hai. Arjuna ko ye jaanne ki bahut chinta hai ki jo log hamesha Krishna consciousness mein lage rehte hain, unka final moment kya hoga? Death ke waqt sab bodily functions disrupt ho jate hain, aur mann sahi condition mein nahi hota. Isliye jab body disturb hoti hai, tab koi Supreme Lord ko yaad nahi kar pata. Maharaja Kulaśekhara, ek mahan bhakt, prarthana karte hain, "Mere pyare Lord, abhi main bilkul healthy hoon, aur behtar hoga agar main turant mar jaun taaki meri man ki hansa aapke lotus feet ki taraf ja sake." Ye metaphor isliye hai kyunki hansa, jo paani ka pakshi hai, lotus flowers mein khud ko khojne mein khushi mehsoos karta hai. Maharaja Kulaśekhara kehte hain, "Ab mera mann disturbed nahi hai, aur main bilkul healthy hoon. Agar main turant mar jaun, aapke lotus feet ko sochkar, toh mujhe yakeen hai ki meri bhakti sahi se hogi. Lekin agar mujhe apne natural death ka intezar karna pada, toh mujhe nahi pata kya hoga, kyunki tab bodily functions disturb honge, meri gala band ho jayegi, aur mujhe nahi pata ki main aapka naam yaad kar paunga ya nahi. Behtar hai ki main turant mar jaun." Arjuna yeh sawaal uthata hai ki aisa waqt aane par koi kaise Krishna ke lotus feet par apna mann laga sakta hai.
Chinmaya Commentary
पूर्व अध्याय के अन्तिम दो श्लोकों में अकस्मात् ब्रह्म अध्यात्म अधिभूत आदि जैसे नवीन पारिभाषिक शब्दों का प्रयोग किया गया है और कहा है कि ज्ञानी पुरुष मरण काल में भी चित्त युक्त होकर मुझे इनके सहित जानते हैं। इससे अर्जुन कुछ भ्रमित हो गया।इस अध्याय का प्रारम्भ अर्जुन के प्रश्न के साथ होता है जिसमें वह उन शास्त्रीय शब्दों की निश्चित परिभाषायें जानना चाहता है जिनका प्रयोग भगवान् ने अपने उपदेश में किया था। वह यह भी जानने को उत्सुक है कि जीवन काल में सतत आध्यात्मिक साधना के अभ्यास के फलस्वरूप प्राप्त पूर्ण आत्मसंयम के द्वारा मरणकाल में भी आत्मा का अनुभव किस प्रकार प्राप्त किया जा सकता है।भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण प्रत्येक शब्द की परिभाषा देते हुए कहते हैं