Chapter 8, Verse 19 (Bhagavad Gita 8.19)
Chapter 8: Akṣhar Brahma Yog – Path of the Eternal God
Sanskrit Shloka
भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते। रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे
Transliteration
bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate rātryāgame ’vaśhaḥ pārtha prabhavatyahar-āgame
Word Meanings
bhūta-grāmaḥ—the multitude of beings; saḥ—these; eva—certainly; ayam—this; bhūtvā bhūtvā—repeatedly taking birth; pralīyate—dissolves; rātri-āgame—with the advent of night; avaśhaḥ—helpless; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; prabhavati—become manifest; ahaḥ-āgame—with the advent of day
Translation
O Arjuna, this very same multitude of beings, repeatedly coming into existence, helplessly dissolves at the arrival of the night, and again emerges at the arrival of the day, all by the will of the Supreme Lord.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound verse, Bhagwan Shri Krishna reveals the cyclical nature of cosmic existence, governed by the unfolding of His own divine time. He explains that souls are caught in a repetitive loop of birth and dissolution, forced by the momentum of their own karma and the cosmic rhythms of Brahman. By highlighting this 'helpless' state of the embodied soul, Shri Krishna invites the seeker to look beyond the transient cycles of time and seek refuge in His eternal, transcendental abode. Liberation, or Moksha, is attained only when the soul transcends these cycles by surrendering completely to the feet of Shri Krishna. Through this realization, the devotee breaks free from the endless cycle of manifest and unmanifest existence to attain the ultimate peace in the Lord.