Chapter 8, Verse 17 (Bhagavad Gita 8.17)
Chapter 8: Akṣhar Brahma Yog – Path of the Eternal God
Sanskrit Shloka
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदुः। रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः
Transliteration
sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ te ’ho-rātra-vido janāḥ
Word Meanings
sahasra—one thousand; yuga—age; paryantam—until; ahaḥ—one day; yat—which; brahmaṇaḥ—of Brahma; viduḥ—know; rātrim—night; yuga-sahasra-antām—lasts one thousand yugas; te—they; ahaḥ-rātra-vidaḥ—those who know his day and night; janāḥ—people
Translation
Those who know that the day of Brahma lasts a thousand Yugas and that the night of Brahma also lasts a thousand Yugas, are the ones who truly know what day and night are.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Bhagwan Shri Krishna instructs Arjuna on the vast, cyclical nature of time within the material cosmos. By delineating the staggering scale of Brahma’s day and night, Lord Krishna reveals the insignificance of our petty worldly concerns compared to the eternal cycles of creation and dissolution. He invites the seeker to look beyond the fleeting temporal reality and recognize the existence of an unchanging, transcendent truth. By understanding the relative nature of time, a devotee becomes detached from material illusions and turns their focus toward the eternal abode of Shri Krishna. Ultimately, this wisdom serves as a key for the soul to transcend the cycle of birth and death, aiming for liberation in the supreme presence of the Lord.