Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8, Verse 21 (BG 8.21) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

In the previous verse, what was referred to as the eternal, immutable state—that which remains imperishable—is here indicated by the word "akshara" (the Imperishable). At the beginning of this chapter, it was stated that the akshara principle is Brahman, the substratum upon which the entire universe rests. The sacred syllable Om is the indicator and revealer of that Brahman, upon which we have been instructed to meditate. This imperishable, conscious essence—the atman—bestows existence and consciousness upon the unmanifest nature, thereby enabling nature to express this variegated creation. This eternal, unmanifest, imperishable principle of the atman is the supreme goal worthy of attainment for humanity. Whatever state or objective we attain in the world, we must repeatedly return from it. The very meaning of the word "world" is that which is in constant flux. Sleep is not an end to life, but rather a period of rest between two action-filled waking states; similarly, death is not the termination of life. It is generally a moment of rest in an unmanifest state between a being's assumption of two different bodies. It has already been explained that all realms, even up to Brahmaloka, are cyclical, from which beings must again assume bodies to exhaust their desires. Since rebirth is called the abode of suffering, the supreme goal of bliss must be that place from which there is no return to the world. Seekers of Vedanta often ask: Why will there be no return after Self-realization? Though such a question is natural, it cannot withstand even a moment's scrutiny. Generally, we seek the cause only of that which is produced or that which occurs—not of that which is unproduced or does not occur. No one eagerly asks me why I am not in a hospital, whereas upon going to a hospital, it would be appropriate to know the reason. We may ask how the infinite Brahman became limited, but there is no validity to the question of why the infinite will not become limited again. This question is absurd because if something is infinite in nature, it never became limited in the past, nor can it ever become so in the future. We cannot describe to a small girl the physical and emotional pleasures of married life, nor can we make her understand them. She lacks the physical and mental maturity to comprehend such matters. In childhood, she merely wishes her mother to arrange her marriage; but that same girl, upon entering youth, becomes capable of understanding the subject. For this reason, a person dwelling in the unclean atmosphere of ignorance—the heap of dung of an impure inner faculty—can never perceive the fragrance of the gentle breeze flowing through the open sky. When that person, through the practice of the prescribed meditation, removes the false identification with the limiting adjuncts, then he directly experiences his own pure, infinite nature. Only upon awakening from a dream does one recognize the illusory nature of the dream; not otherwise. And once one has awakened to the waking state, one becomes entirely free from the influence of the joys and sorrows of the dream. Here, the great sage Vyasa has described the pure conscious essence—the atman—in poetic language as the dwelling place of Lord Krishna: "That is My supreme abode." In many places, it has been made clear that in the Gita, Lord Krishna uses the word "I" from the perspective of the atman. Therefore, here too, the word "abode" does not refer to any particular place, but to His very nature. This realization of the atman is the goal of the seeker, and it is always available to him. In the section dealing with the attainment of the Supreme Divine Person through meditation, this has been described in detail. Now the direct means of attaining that supreme abode is explained—