Now Lord Krishna explains the other padaṃ or state which is for those aspirants who wish for ātma-tattva or realisation of the soul and the secure and permanent destination of mokṣa or liberation from material existence. This state is akṣaram or imperishable.

In the Brihadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad V.VIII.VIII beginning sahovacha-itad vai tad explains that this state is not material. It is that which the ascetics of the world attempt to gain access to. It is that ardent longing for which men strictly follow the vow of brahmacharya or voluntary celibacy.

Padam is that which one mentally proceeds to achieve the goal of their endeavours. Padyate is non- different from gamyate meaning that which is followed being the method adopted by the mind.

The purport is that Lord Krishna is giving a brief description of the methodology by which an aspirant for ātma-tattva and mokṣa must meditate on Him to achieve the ultimate goal they have envisioned.

Meditation upon Lord Krishna in His aspect of akṣaram or imperishable is described in the Brihadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad V.VIII.VIII-XI.

“तदेव सध्येयं प्रपञ्चयति - यदक्षरम् इत्यादिना | प्राप्यते मुमुक्षिभिः इति पदम् स्वरूपम् | पदलु गतौ, इति धातोः | तद् विष्णोः परमं पदम् इति श्रुतेश्च | गीयसे पदमित्येव मुनिभिः पद्यसे यतः | इति नारादीये ||” - The noble goal is explained explaining the immutable nature of the Lord. Since the aspirants attain that form, it is said to be पदम्. Since that state is reached it is designated by the root गतौ. “That supreme state which is Sri Vishnu”, thus in various scriptures. Since this state is acquired by ascetics, that state is पदम्, the state” thus in Narada Puraana.

“ब्रह्मनाडी विना यद्यन्यत्र गच्छति तर्हि विना मोक्षं स्थानान्तरं प्राप्नोति इति सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य | निर्गं च्छश्चक्षुषा सूर्यं दिशः श्रोत्रेण चैवहि | इत्यादिवचनाद् व्यासयोगे मोक्षधर्मे च || हृदि नारायणे - हीयते त्वया जगद् यस्माद्वदित्येवं प्रभाप्यसे || इति हि पादमे | नहि मूर्ध्नि प्राणस्थितेः हृदि मनसः स्थितिः सम्भवति | यत्र प्राणो मनस्तत्र तत्र जीवः परस्तथा || इति व्यासयोगे | योगधारणामादिस्थतः योगभरण एवाभियुक्त इत्यर्थः ||” - Except through the Brahmanaadi, when the life goes over to other stages, the Jiva gets displaced without attaining deliverance. As said in Vyasa Yoga and Moksha Dharma, “When the Jiva goes through eyes, he goes to the Sun, similarly through the ears etc...”. hridi, in the heart means in Sriman Narayana. Thus, in Padma Puraana - “Attracts this world towards Yourself, therefore, You are known as the heart”. When the Primal Breath is stationed in the head, it is not possible to abide in the Heart, thus, in Vyas Yoga. “Wherever the Primal Breath abides, even there the Jiva and the Mind abide”. The one who is concentrating on equanimity he is fully equipped for equanimity. This is the meaning:

11 “That Immutable One which Veda-knowers speak of, that within which the ascetics free of passions enter, out of yearning for which they take up the Vedic student’s career: that Abode I shall succinctly expound unto thee. (100)

That Being is given the name of Akshara (अक्षर –Immutable) from the conviction of the men who are in possession of the true knowledge and it is the very mine of the best of knowledge—and the be-all and end-all of all knowledge. That which does not get blown up even by violent wind is indeed real sky, or else if it were only a cloud it cannot hold firm before the wind: even so what the learned know is thus measured by that knowledge; and what is not thus known is well called Immutable Being as the men of knowledge say: and therefore that (which) the knowers of the Vedas name Immutable and (which) is beyond the Prakriti is the very essential being of the Supreme; It is the Supreme good and the haven of rest, which recluses, freed from worldly affection and passions, biding their time in the shadow of their bodies in a perfectly detached condition long for, for they have their minds rid of the poison of the sense-objects and they are ever eager to reach it. It is also wished for by persons that have no desires left in them, and My devotees, who spurning the troubles and hardships of a virtuous life of celibacy, have with great vigour laid low the tyrants of passions. This highest good—hard to reach and to grasp—is of eternal and unfathomable glory, on the skirts of which, even the Vedas are humbled. It is secured by such as meditate on Me at the time of their death. Now, Oh Arjuna, I repeat once more the description of that stage.” Arjuna there-on said, “Oh Lord, I was just going to ask you about it, but since you yourself are, without any prompting from me, showing such mercy, do tell me about it, and in a simple way.” There-on the giver of Light to the Universe said, “I know your need: hear, I tell you in a simple way. Only beware that your mind is curbed in its habit of moving in outward life and is made to turn inward and to dive deep in the depths of soul-life.

[The attributeless and formless Lord, who was touched upon in brief, in the twenty-ninth verse of the seventh chapter, is described in detail in the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth verses.]

'Yadakṣaraṁ vedavido vadanti'—That which, the knowers of Vedas, term as the Imperishable—attributeless-formless, and that ever remains uniform and has been called, the Supreme Imperishable Brahma, in the third verse of this chapter, is described here.

'Viśanti yadyatayo vītarāgāḥ'—Those striving recluses, who are totally free from attachment, who have become pure, and who have a yearning to attain Him, reach Him.

'Yadicchanto brahmacaryaṁ caranti'—Those, whose aim is only to realize God, and to realize Him, they practise celibacy, by controlling their senses, and passions.

'Tatte padaṁ saṅgraheṇa pravaksye'—I shall speak to you, well in brief, of that essence, which has been described in the scriptures, as the Supreme, the Unique, the Absolute and, which is attained by worshippers. 'Speaking well', means speaking in

such a way that adorers of the Absolute, will attain Him.

**Appendix**—In this verse secondarily the description of the four 'āśramas' (stages of life may be taken—as in 'yadakṣaram vedavido vadanti' expression, there is a hint for household life because study of the Vedas is the main duty of a Brāhmaṇa (priest class). In the expression 'viśanti yadyatayo vitarāgāh—there is a hint for the retired order and the renounced order. In the expression 'yadicchanto brahmacaryam caranti' there is a hint for the stage of celibacy.

A man can attain salvation in all the orders (varṇas) and stages of life (āśramas). Therefore the Lord has not described the stages of life clearly and He has described the Varṇas clearly in order to explain the people of the four Varṇas (castes) their different duties ordained by the scriptures. Arjuna was a Kṣatriya (a member of the warrior class) and he wanted to give up his duty of fighting in the war. Therefore the Lord described the duties of the four orders of life in order to remind Arjuna of his duty. To wage a war is 'varṇadharma', rather than 'āśramadharma'.

*Link:—Lord Kṛṣṇa, in the next two verses, explains the means to attain the attributeless-formless Lord, at the time of death.*

यत् अक्षरं न क्षरतीति अक्षरं अविनाशि वेदविदः वेदार्थज्ञाः वदन्ति, ``तद्वा एतदक्षरं गार्गि ब्राह्मणा अभिवदन्ति'' (बृ. उ. ३-८-८) इति श्रुतेः, सर्वविशेषनिवर्तकत्वेन अभिवदन्ति ``अस्थूलमनणु'' इत्यादि । किञ्च -- विशन्ति प्रविशन्ति सम्यग्दर्शनप्राप्तौ सत्यां यत् यतयः यतनशीलाः सन्न्यासिनः वीतरागाः वीतः विगतः रागः येभ्यः ते वीतरागाः । यच्च अक्षरमिच्छन्तः -- ज्ञातुं इति वाक्यशेषः -- ब्रह्मचर्यं गुरौ चरन्ति आचरन्ति, तत् ते पदं तत् अक्षराख्यं पदं पदनीयं ते तव सङ्ग्रहेण सङ्ग्रहः सङ्क्षेपः तेन सङ्क्षेपेण प्रवक्ष्ये कथयिष्यामि ॥ ``स यो ह वै तद्भगवन्मनुष्येषु प्रायणान्तमोङ्कारमभिध्यायीत कतमं वाव स तेन लोकं जयतीति ।'' (प्र. उ. ५-१) ``तस्मै स होवाच एतद्वै सत्यकाम परं चापरं च ब्रह्म यदोङ्कारः'' (प्र. उ. ५-२) इत्युपक्रम्य ``यः पुनरेतं त्रिमात्रेणोमित्येतेनैवाक्षरेण परं पुरुषमभिध्यायीत -- स सामभिरुन्नीयते ब्रह्मलोकम्'' (प्र. उ. ५-५) इत्यादिना वचनेन, ``अन्यत्र धर्मादन्यत्राधर्मात्'' (क. उ. १-२-१४) इति च उपक्रम्य ``सर्वे वेदा यत्पदमामनन्ति । तपांसि सर्वाणि च यद्वदन्ति । यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं सङ्ग्रहेण ब्रवीम्योमित्येतत्'' (क. उ. १-२-१५) इत्यादिभिश्च वचनैः परस्य ब्रह्मणो वाचकरूपेण, प्रतिमावत् प्रतीकरूपेण वा, परब्रह्मप्रतिपत्तिसाधनत्वेन मन्दमध्यमबुद्धीनां विवक्षितस्य ओङ्कारस्य उपासनं कालान्तरे मुक्तिफलं उक्तं यत्, तदेव इहापि ``कविं पुराणमनुशासितारम्'' (भ. गी. ८-९) ``यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति'' (भ. गी. ८-११) इति च उपन्यस्तस्य परस्य ब्रह्मणः पूर्वोक्तरूपेण प्रतिपत्त्युपायभूतस्य ओङ्कारस्य कालान्तरमुक्तिफलम् उपासनं योगधारणासहितं वक्तव्यम्, प्रसक्तानुप्रसक्तं च यत्किञ्चित्, इत्येवमर्थः उत्तरो ग्रन्थ आरभ्यते --

फिर भी भगवान् आगे बतलाये जानेवाले उपायोंसे प्राप्त होनेयोग्य और 'वेदविदो वदन्ति' इत्यादि विशेषणोंद्वारा वर्णन किये जानेयोग्य ब्रह्मका प्रतिपादन करते हैं—

'हे गार्गि! ब्राह्मणलोग उसी इस अक्षरका वर्णन किया करते हैं' इस श्रुतिके अनुसार वेदके परम अर्थको जाननेवाले विद्वान् जिस अक्षरका अर्थात् जिसका कभी नाश न हो, ऐसे परमात्माका 'वह न स्थूल है, न सूक्ष्म है' इस प्रकार सब विशेषोंका निराकरण करके वर्णन किया करते हैं,

तथा जिनकी आसक्ति नष्ट हो चुकी है, ऐसे वीतराग, यत्नशील संन्यासी यथार्थ ज्ञानकी प्राप्ति हो जानेपर जिसमें प्रविष्ट होते हैं।

एवं जिस अक्षरको जानना चाहनेवाले (साधक) गुरुकुलमें ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतका पालन किया करते हैं,

वह अक्षरनामक पद अर्थात् प्राप्त करनेयोग्य स्थान में तुझे संग्रहसे—संक्षेपसे बतलाता हूँ। संग्रह संक्षेपको कहते हैं

सकळां जाणणेयां जे लाणी । तिये जाणिवेची जे खाणी । तयां ज्ञानियांचिये आयणी । जयातें अक्षर म्हणिपे ॥ १००॥

चंडवातेंही न मोडे । तें गगनचि कीं फुडें । वांचूनि जरे होईल मेहुडें । तरी उरेल कैंचे ॥ १०१॥

तेविं जाणणेया जें आकळिलें । तें जाणवलेपणेंचि उमाणलें । मग नेणवेचि तया म्हणितलें । अक्षर सहजें ॥ १०२॥

म्हणोनि वेदविद नर । म्हणती जयातें अक्षर । जें प्रकृतीसी पर । परमात्मरूप ।। १०३॥

आणि विषयांचें विष उलंडूनि । जे सर्वेंद्रियां प्रायश्चित देऊनि । आहाति देहाचिया बैसोनि । झाडातळी ॥ १०४॥

ते यापरी विरक्त । जयाची निरंतर वाट पाहात । निष्कामासि अभिप्रेत । सर्वदा जें ॥ १०५॥

जयाचिया आवडी । न गणिती ब्रह्मचर्यादि सांकडी । निष्ठुर होऊनि बापुडी । इंद्रिये करिती ॥ १०६॥

ऐसें जें पद । दुर्लभ आणि अगाध । जयाचिये थडिये वेद । चुबुकळिले ठेले ॥ १०७॥

तें तें पुरूष होती । जे यापरी लया जाती । तरी पार्था हेचि स्थिती । एक वेळ सांगो ॥ १०८॥

तेथ अर्जुनें म्हणितलें स्वामी । हेंचि म्हणावया होतों पां मी । तंव सहजें कृपा केली तुम्ही । तरी बोलिजो कां ॥ १०९॥

परि बोलावें तें अति सोहोपें । तेथें म्हणितलें त्रिभुवनदीपें । तुज काय नेणों संक्षेपें । सांगेन ऐक ॥ ११०॥

तरी मना या बाहेरिलीकडे । यावयाची साविया सवे मोडे । हें हृदयाचिया डोहीं बुडे । तैसें कीजे ॥ १११॥

(8.100) सब ज्ञानों के सीमारूपी आत्मज्ञान की खानि जो ज्ञानीजन हैं वे जिसे अपनी मति के अनुसार अक्षर कहते हैं;

(8.101) जो वास्तव में एक ऐसा आकाश है कि प्रचण्ड वायु से भी नहीं टूटता; (अन्यथा, मेघ होता तो कैसे टिक सकता?)

(8.102) और जो वस्तु बुद्धिगत होती है वह ज्ञान से परिमित हो जाती है, इसलिए जो वस्तु ज्ञात नहीं होती वह स्वभावतः अक्षर कहाती है,

(8.103) अतएव जो वेदार्थ-ज्ञानी पुरुष हैं वे जिसे अक्षर कहते हैं; जो प्रकृति के परे हैं — परमात्मरूप है;

(8.104) और जो पुरुष विषयों का विष खाली कर सब इन्द्रियों को प्रायश्चित देकर देहरूपी वृक्ष के नीचे बैठे हैं,

(8.105) वे इस प्रकार विरक्त हो जिसकी निरन्तर बाट जोह रहे हैं; जो सर्वदा निष्काम पुरुषों का इष्ट है; (8.106) जिसकी इच्छा के सम्मुख वे बेचारे ब्रह्मचर्यादि संकटों की परवाह नहीं करते और निष्ठुर हो इन्द्रियों को दीन कर डालते हैं;

(8.107) ऐसा जो दुर्लभ और अगाध स्थल है; वेद जिसके तीर पर ही डूब कर रह गये हैं;

(8.108) वह पद उन पुरुषों को प्राप्त होता है जो उपर्युक्त रीति से लय को प्राप्त होते हैं। हे पार्थ! यही स्थिति फिर एक बार हम वर्णन करते हैं।

(8.109) अर्जुन ने कहा — हे स्वामी! मैं यही कहनेवाला था इतने में आप ने सहज कृपा की। तो अब इसका वर्णन कीजिए।

(8.110) परन्तु अत्यन्त सुलभ शब्दों से कहिए। तब त्रिभुवन के दीपक श्रीकृष्ण ने उत्तर दिया कि तुम्हारा अधिकार क्या हम नहीं जानते? हम संक्षेप से कहेंगे, सुनो।

(8.111) ऐसा यत्न करना चाहिए कि मन को बाहर की ओर आने की टेव सर्वथा टूट जाय और वह हृदयरूपी दह में डूबा रहे।

संगति— उपर्युक्त श्लोकों में भक्ति और योग दो मार्गों का वर्णन हुआ है। अब अगले श्लोक में ज्ञान का वर्णन है।

भावार्थ— वेद को जानने वाले जिसे अक्षर (अविनाशी) ब्रह्म कहते हैं वीतरागी यति जिसमें अभेद भाव से प्रवेश करते हैं, और जिसकी प्राप्ति की इच्छा से ब्रह्मचर्य का आचरण करते हैं, उस पद का मैं तुमसे संक्षेप में वर्णन करूँगा।

व्याख्या— ‘वीतरागा विशन्ति’ अर्थात् निरन्तर अभ्यासी और वैराग्यवान् ही उस परम पुरुष में प्रवेश पा सकते हैं। ब्रह्मचर्य का आचरण इसलिए करते हैं जिससे उस परम पद को ग्रहण करने की शक्ति बनी रहे।

[सातवें अध्यायके उन्तीसवें श्लोकमें जो निर्गुण-निराकार परमात्माका वर्णन हुआ था, उसीको यहाँ ग्यारहवें, बारहवें और तेरहवें श्लोकमें विस्तारसे कहा गया है।]

**‘यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति’**—वेदोंको जाननेवाले पुरुष जिसको अक्षर-निर्गुण-निराकार कहते हैं, जिसका कभी नाश नहीं होता, जो सदा-सर्वदा एकरूप, एकरस रहता है और जिसको इसी अध्यायके तीसरे श्लोकमें ‘अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमम्’ कहा गया है, उसी निर्गुण-निराकार तत्त्वका यहाँ ‘अक्षर’ नामसे वर्णन हुआ है।

**‘विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः’**—जिनके अन्तःकरणमें रागका अत्यन्त अभाव हो गया है; अतः जिनका अन्तःकरण महान् निर्मल है और जिनके हृदयमें सर्वोपरि अद्वितीय परम तत्त्वको पानेकी उत्कट लगन लगी है, ऐसे प्रयत्नशील यति महापुरुष उस तत्त्वमें प्रवेश करते हैं—उसको प्राप्त करते हैं।

**परिशिष्ट भाव**—इस श्लोकमें गौणतासे चारों आश्रमोंका वर्णन ले सकते हैं; जैसे—‘यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति’ पदोंसे गृहस्थाश्रमका संकेत है; क्योंकि वेदोंका अध्ययन करना ब्राह्मणका खास काम है। ‘विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः’ पदोंसे संन्यास और वानप्रस्थाश्रमका संकेत है। ‘यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्य चरन्ति’ पदोंसे ब्रह्मचर्याश्रमका संकेत है।

मुक्ति सभी वर्णों, आश्रमोंमें हो सकती है। इसलिये भगवान्ने आश्रमोंका स्पष्टरूपसे वर्णन नहीं किया है और वर्णोंका स्पष्टरूपसे वर्णन भी कर्तव्य-पालनकी दृष्टिसे किया है। अर्जुन क्षत्रिय थे और वे अपने युद्धरूप कर्तव्यको छोड़ना चाहते थे। इसलिये भगवान्ने उनको अपने कर्तव्यमें लगानेके उद्देश्यसे वर्णधर्मका वर्णन किया। युद्ध करना वर्णधर्म है, आश्रमधर्म नहीं।

**सम्बन्ध**—अन्तकालमें उस निर्गुण-निराकार तत्त्वकी प्राप्तिकी फलसहित विधि बतानेके लिये आगेके दो श्लोक कहते हैं।