Chapter 8, Verse 24 (Bhagavad Gita 8.24)
Chapter 8: Akṣhar Brahma Yog – Path of the Eternal God
Sanskrit Shloka
अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम्। तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः
Transliteration
agnir jyotir ahaḥ śhuklaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam tatra prayātā gachchhanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ
Word Meanings
agniḥ—fire; jyotiḥ—light; ahaḥ—day; śhuklaḥ—the bright fortnight of the moon; ṣhaṭ-māsāḥ—six months; uttara-ayanam—the sun’s northern course; tatra—there; prayātāḥ—departed; gachchhanti—go; brahma—Brahman; brahma-vidaḥ—those who know the Brahman; janāḥ—persons;
Translation
Fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, and the six months of the northern solstice—those who depart through this path, knowing the Supreme Brahman, attain Brahman.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound verse, Lord Krishna delineates the path of light, known as archir-marga, reserved for the illumined souls who have realized the nature of the Supreme. Bhagwan Shri Krishna reveals that the outer elements—fire, light, and the solar journey—symbolize the inner clarity and illumination attained by a seeker whose consciousness is established in the Divine. By abandoning ignorance, these realized beings transcend the cycles of material entanglement and return to their eternal source. Shri Krishna emphasizes that for the devotee, death is not an end but a glorious transition into the infinite bliss of Brahman. Ultimately, Lord Krishna invites every soul to cultivate such steady wisdom that their final departure becomes an effortless union with the Divine.