धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्।
तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते।।8.25।।
8.25 Smoke, night, as also the dark fortnight and the six months of the Southern solstice-following this Path the yogi having reached the lunar light, returns.
8.25 Attaining to the lunar light by smoke, night time, the dark fortnight also, the six months of the southern path of the sun (the southern solstice), the Yogi returns.
8.25. The southern course [of the sun], consisting of six months, is smoke, night, and also dark. [Departing] in it, the Yogin attains the moons light and he returns.
8.25 धूमः smoke? रात्रिः night? तथा also? कृष्णः the dark (fortnight)? षण्मासाः the six months? दक्षिणायनम् the southern path of the sun? तत्र there? चान्द्रमसम् lunar? ज्योतिः light? योगी the Yogi? प्राप्य having attained? निवर्तते returns.Commentary This is the Pitriyana or the path of darkness or the path of the ancestors which leads to rirth. Those who do sacrifices to the gods and other charitable works with expectation of reward go to the Chandraloka through this path and come back to this world when the fruits of the Karmas are exhausted.Smoke? night time? the dark fortnight and the six months of the southern solstice are all deities who preside over them. They may denote the degree of ignorance? attachment and passion. There are smoke and darkcoloured objects throughout the course. There is no illumination when one passes along this path. It is reached by ignorance. Hence it is called the path of darkness or smoke.
8.25 Dhuman, smoke; and ratrih night, are the deities presiding over smoke and night. Similarly, krsnah, the dark fornight, means the deity of the dark fortnight. Just as before, by sanmasah daksinayanam the six months of the Southern solstice, also is verily meant a deity. Tatra, following this Path; yogi, the yogi who performs sacrifices etc., the man of actions; prapya, having reached; candramasam jyotih, the lunar light-having enjoyed the results (of his actions); nivartate, returns, on their exhaustion.
8.24-25 Agnih etc. Dhumah etc. Northern : upper (or upward). Course : the one taken [by the sun] during the period of six months. This course, on account of its illuminating nature, is figuratively described by the words denoting fire etc., and the course, contrary to this, by opposite terms. This course is intercepted with the lunar parts of enjoyment. Hence [it leads to] the return for enjoyment.
8.25 This denotes the world of the manes etc., described by the term starting with smoke. Here the term Yogin connotes one associated with good actions.
This verse describes the path of return taken by the karmi. Smoke indicates the deity of smoke, and similarly night indicates the deity of night. Similarly there are the deity of the dark fortnight and the deity of the daksinayana. The karma yogi who goes on the path represented by these devatas attains svarga loka indicated by the words candramasam jyotih. Having enjoyed there, he returns.
Now Lord Krishna explains the path that leads to a return of rebirth in the material existence. When one accedes to death at the times presided by the demigods identified with smoke, with night, with the waning moon and with the suns waning southern course guided on these paths those who performed ritualistic Vedic activities will reach the celestial heavens and after amply enjoying the fruits of their actions will return again and be reborn in the world of mortals. The Brihadaranyaka Upanisad VI.II.XVI states: They first reach the demigod identified with smoke, etc. Thus by mediation and performing selfless Vedic activities without desire for rewards one gradually achieves moksa or liberation from material existence and those who perform Vedic activities with a desire for rewards and benefits return to the material worlds after enjoying their accumulated merit in the heavens. But those who go against the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures and do prohibited activities only return to material worlds after prolonged and agonising suffering in the lower hellish planets when all their demerits have been purged. While ordinary creatures of flora and fauna are reborn again and again incessantly and continuously.
The word dhumah meaning smoke indicates the presiding demigod of the path in which lies the Pitri-loka the realm of the manes or ancestors. The word yogi has been used to denote a spiritual person who performs Vedic activities.
The word dhumah meaning smoke indicates the presiding demigod of the path in which lies the Pitri-loka the realm of the manes or ancestors. The word yogi has been used to denote a spiritual person who performs Vedic activities.
Dhoomo raatristathaa krishnah shanmaasaa dakshinaayanam; Tatra chaandramasam jyotir yogee praapya nivartate.
yatra—where; kāle—time; tu—certainly; anāvṛittim—no return; āvṛittim—return; cha—and; eva—certainly; yoginaḥ—a yogi; prayātāḥ—having departed; yānti—attain; tam—that; kālam—time; vakṣhyāmi—I shall describe; bharata-ṛiṣhabha—Arjun, the best of the Bharatas; 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; dhūmaḥ—smoke; rātriḥ—night; tathā—and; kṛiṣhṇaḥ—the dark fortnight of the moon; ṣhaṭ-māsāḥ—six months; dakṣhiṇa-ayanam—the sun’s southern course; tatra—there; chāndra-masam—lunar; jyotiḥ—light; yogī—a yogi; prāpya—attain; nivartate—comes back; śhukla—bright; kṛiṣhṇe—dark; gatī—paths; hi—certainly; ete—these; jagataḥ—of the material world; śhāśhvate—eternal; mate—opinion; ekayā—by one; yāti—goes; anāvṛittim—to non return; anyayā—by the other; āvartate—comes back; punaḥ—again
