Akṣhar Brahma Yog: The Yog of the Eternal God/ Immutable Consciousness or Attaining the Supreme

Chapter 8: With 28 verses or shlokas, the eighth chapter is of intermediate length (i.e.,<5%) and is mostly a monologue by Lord Bhagavan Sri Krishna, except for the first two Shlokas.

Arjuna (Shloka 2): 2 shloka

Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Shloka 3-28): 26 shlokas

Brief Summary: In this chapter, Arjuna asks several questions, which are subsequently answered by Lord Bhagavan Sri Krishna, the supreme personality of Godhead.

Arjuna's questions are:

1. What is brahman?
2. What is the self (adhyatma)?
3. What are fruitive activities (karma)?
4. What is this material manifestation (adhibhuta)? 
5. What are the demigods (Adhidaiva)? 
6. How does the Lord of sacrifice (adhiyajna) live in the body? and in which part does he live?
7. How can those engaged in devotional service know you at the time of death?

The lord's answers are as follows:

1. Brahman: The Supreme Indestructible Entity
2. Adhyatma: one’s own self
3. Karma: fruitive activities. i.e., actions that pertain to the material personality of living beings and their development
4. Adhibhūta: the constantly changing material manifestation 
5. Adhidaiva: the universal form of the lord, which includes all the demigods
6. Adhiyajna: I, the supreme lord represented as the super soul, in the heart of every embodied being
7. Those beings who quit their body remembering Lord Sri Krishna attains Moksha. However, those engaged in other contemplations at the time of their death attain that same consciousness. Hence, with practice, one should acquire the skill of remembering the Lord at all times.

Spiritual planets can also be attained by Yogic practices. The Vedic scholars practice celibacy, chant Omkara, and remain detached from all sensual engagements. Those yogis who constantly think of me with exclusive devotion can attain me easily. These great souls who have attained me never return to this world filled with misery as they are immune to rebirth. 

All the material planets, including the Bramha planet, are subject to misery and rebirth. Only upon attaining the Lord's abode is one freed from re-birth. The time calculations are different for different planets. For instance, one day on the Bramha planet equals four yugas rotating thousand times for a human. Hence, in one Bramha day, many living entities come into being and culminate at night, and the same cycle continues. 

If one leaves the body at the auspicious time given in the Vedic literature, even accidentally will escape from the cycle of birth and death. However, for the devotees, there are no such limitations. 

Devotional service is equivalent to:

1. Studying the Vedas
2. Performing sacrifices
3. Undergoing austerities
4. Giving charity
5. Pursuing philosophical or fruitive activities

Favorite Shlokas:

Shloka 1-2:

kiṁ tad brahma kim adhyātmaṁ kiṁ karma puruṣhottama

adhibhūtaṁ cha kiṁ proktam adhidaivaṁ kim uchyate

adhiyajñaḥ kathaṁ ko ’tra dehe ’smin madhusūdana

prayāṇa-kāle cha kathaṁ jñeyo ’si niyatātmabhiḥ

Shloka 5:

anta-kāle cha mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram

yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti nāstyatra sanśhayaḥ