ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन्।
यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम्।।8.13।।
8.13 He who departs by leaving the body while uttering the single syllable, viz Om, which is Brahman, and thinking of Me, he attains the supreme Goal.
8.13 Uttering the one-syllabled Om the Brahman and remembering Me, he who departs, leaving the body, attains to the Supreme Goal.
8.13. Reciting the single-syllabled Om, the very Brahman; meditating on Me; whosoever travels well, casting away [his] body-surely he attains My State.
8.13 Om? इति thus? एकाक्षरम् onesyllabled? ब्रह्म Brahman? व्याहरन् uttering? माम् Me? अनुस्मरन् remembering? यः who? प्रयाति departs? त्यजन् leaving? देहम् the body? सः he? याति attains? परमाम् supreme? गतिम् goal.Commentary Having controlled the thoughts the Yogi ascends by the Sushumna? the Nadi (subtle psychic nervechannel) which passes upwards from the heart. He fixes his whole Prana or lifreath in the crown of the head in the Brahmarandhra or the hole of Brahman. He utters the sacred monosyllable Om? meditates on Me and leaves the body.
8.13 Yah, he who; prayati, departs, dies; tyajan, by leaving; deham, the body-the phrase leaving the body is meant for alifying departure; thery it is implied that the souls departure occurs by abandoning the body, and not through the destruction of its own reality, having abandoned thus-; vyaharan, while uttering; the eka-adsaram, single syllable; om iti brahma, viz Om, which is Brahman, Om which is the name of Brahman; and anusmaran, thinking; mam, of Me, of God who is implied by that (syllable); sah, he; yati, attains; the paramam, supreme, best; gatim, Goal. Further,
8.13 See Comment under 8.14
8.12 - 8.13 Subduing all the senses like ear etc., which constitute the doorways for sense impressions, i.e., withdrawing them from their natural functions; holding the mind in Me, the imperishable seated within the lotus of the heart; practising steady abstraction of mind (Dharana) which is called concentration or Yoga, i.e., abiding in Me alone in a steady manner; uttering the sacred syllable Om, the brahman which connotes Me; remembering Me, who am expressed by the syllable Om; and fixing his life-breath within the head - whosoever abandons the body and departs in this way reaches the highest state. He reaches the pure self freed from Prakrti, which is akin to My form. From that state there is no return. Such is the meaning. Later on Sri Krsna will elucidate: They describe that as the highest goal of the Atman, which is not destroyed when all things are destroyed, which is unmanifest and imperishable (8.2021). Thus, the modes of contemplation on the Lord by the aspirants after prosperity and Kaivalya (Atmann-consciousness) have been taught according to the goal they lead to. Now, Sri Krsna teaches the way of meditation on the Lord by the Jnanin and the mode of attainment by him.
(combined commentary for verses 12 and 13) Explaining what was previous said, the Lord describes the method of yoga. Withdrawing the openings of all the senses (sarva dvarani) from the external objects and confining the mind to the heart, not desiring other objects, fixing the prana between the brows (murdhni), and taking shelter of me from head to foot (yoga dharanam); uttering just one syllable, om, the form of brahman, and meditating continuously upon me represented by om, giving up his body, he attains salokyam, (paramam gatim).
This verse reveals that one should repeatedly vibrate the sacred syllable OM the personalised sound vibration of the Supreme Lord which is non- different from the brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence; both being different aspects of the Supreme, and think of Lord Krishna who is manifest by expressing the vibration of OM. One who departs their life in this way at the moment death attains the eternal, ultimate destination and attains the Supreme Lord who is one without a second.
Except through the Brahmanadi which is one of the 100 nerve centers in the crown of the head; if the life force of a jiva or living entity exits the body by any of the other 99 nerve centers it gets diverted and recycled back into samsara the perpetual cycle of birth and death without attaining moksa or liberation. Both the Vedic scriptures Vyasa Yoga and Moksa Dharma are specify that when jivas exits through the eyes they go to the sun, when they exit through the ears or any of the 99 centers they go to the place that corresponds with it but they all remain in the physical manifestation and do not lead to the spiritual plane as does the Brahmanadi.The word hrdi- nirudhya means confined to the heart and denotes meditating on the atma or soul and the Supreme Lord Krishna. The Padma Purana states: Because He attracts He is in the hearts of all jivas and attracts them towards Himself, He is known as Hrdi the heart. When the life force is stationed in the head it is not possible to abide in the heart. The Vyas Yoga states: Wherever the life force abides that is where the jiva and the mind also abide. Thus only the one who has prepared themselves throughout their lives in proper mediation is able to concentrate in equanimity and is fully able to be in equanimity. This is the purport. Now begins the summation. As the Supreme Lord Krishna is symbolised by the one word OM His personalised transcendental sound vibration, the brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence is also known by the one word OM.
Systematically vibrating the singular syllable OM vibrated as A-U-M. It is the personal sign, symbol and sound of the aksaram or imperishable. OM is the indicator and Lord Krishna is the indicated Who is to be to be profoundly and humbly meditated upon. Whomsoever departs from this life at the moment of death fixing the prana or life force in the crown of their head in the manner so indicated goes to the exalted, eternal spiritual worlds. The words paramam gatim mean the supreme destination from where there is no return granting moksa or liberation and includes atma tattva or realisation of the soul which is in essence comparable to the Supreme Lord and contra distinguished from matter and everything material. More evidence of this will be given later in this chapter in verses 20 and 21. So the method of meditation for those who are atharthi or seekers of fortune and for those who are jijnansur or those aspiring realisation of the soul has been duly given being similar. Next the method of divine meditation suited for the jnani or the aspirant for the Supreme Lord and the nature of their goal will be revealed.
Systematically vibrating the singular syllable OM vibrated as A-U-M. It is the personal sign, symbol and sound of the aksaram or imperishable. OM is the indicator and Lord Krishna is the indicated Who is to be to be profoundly and humbly meditated upon. Whomsoever departs from this life at the moment of death fixing the prana or life force in the crown of their head in the manner so indicated goes to the exalted, eternal spiritual worlds. The words paramam gatim mean the supreme destination from where there is no return granting moksa or liberation and includes atma tattva or realisation of the soul which is in essence comparable to the Supreme Lord and contra distinguished from matter and everything material. More evidence of this will be given later in this chapter in verses 20 and 21. So the method of meditation for those who are atharthi or seekers of fortune and for those who are jijnansur or those aspiring realisation of the soul has been duly given being similar. Next the method of divine meditation suited for the jnani or the aspirant for the Supreme Lord and the nature of their goal will be revealed.
Omityekaaksharam brahma vyaaharan maamanusmaran; Yah prayaati tyajan deham sa yaati paramaam gatim.
om—sacred syllable representing the formless aspect of God; iti—thus; eka-akṣharam—one syllabled; brahma—the Absolute Truth; vyāharan—chanting; mām—Me (Shree Krishna); anusmaran—remembering; yaḥ—who; prayāti—departs; tyajan—quitting; deham—the body; saḥ—he; yāti—attains; paramām—the supreme; gatim—goal
