Chapter 8 · Verse 25 · Akshara Brahma Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 8.25
Sanskrit
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्। तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते।।8.25।।
Transliteration
dhūmo rātris tathā kṛiṣhṇaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā dakṣhiṇāyanam tatra chāndramasaṁ jyotir yogī prāpya nivartate
In plain words
You feel trapped in cycles—worry that repeats, anger that returns, patterns you can't break, choices that pull you back into the same pain. Krishna says: every day you're choosing between two paths, and the path matters more than you know. The path of distraction, numbness, and half-attention keeps you spinning; the path of steady presence, even in darkness, opens a door that doesn't lead back.
Word by Word
Krishna teaches here that there are two paths in the universe—one of return, one of no return. The path of smoke, night, and the dark fortnight leads the soul back to birth; but the path of light, reached through steady yoga practice, grants liberation.
When you cultivate unwavering awareness of the Divine through meditation and righteous living, you transcend the cycle of return and touch the eternal. In modern life, this invites us to examine whether our daily choices—our attention, our intentions, our disciplines—are pulling us toward distraction and repetition, or toward the light of genuine freedom.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 8.25 — BG 8.25
Your Mantra Prescription
This mantra is prescribed for clarity and purpose. Is that what you're going through?
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