8.10 prayANakAlE manasA’chalEna

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Chapter 8

<< Chapter 8 verse 9

SlOkam – Original

prayANakAlE manasA’chalEna bhakthyA yukthO yOgabalEna chaiva |
bhruvOr madhyE prANam AveSya samyak sa tham param purusham upaithi dhivyam ||

word-by-word meaning

bhaktyA yuktha: – with bhakthi
yOga balEna – with the strength of such [bhakthi] yOga
achalEna manasA – with the heart that is not chasing lowly pleasures
prayANa kAlE – during the last moments, at the time of death
bhruvO: madhyE prANam AvESya – holding the vital life air in between the eye-brows
ya: – whosoever
dhivyam param purusham – that divine parama purusha (supreme lord)
samyak anusmarEth – meditates upon well
sa: – he
tham Eva – that supreme purusha only
upaithi – attains (implies that he attains the wealth that is similar to that of such parama purusha).

Simple Translation

… whosoever with bhakthi, with the strength of such [bhakthi] yOga and with the heart that is not chasing lowly pleasures, during the last moments, at the time of death, holding the vital life air in between the eye-brows, meditates well upon that divine supreme purusha (supreme lord) only, he attains that supreme purusha only (implies that he attains the wealth that is similar to that of such parama purusha).

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

‘With, at time of departure, unwavering mind united to Bhakti, (God-love) and fortified by Yoga (meditation); and with Prāṇa well drawn in between the brows; (he) reaches that Purusha, Divine.’

Kavim=Sage=Sarvajñam=Him, who is Omniscient.

Purāṇam=The Ancient or Primeval.

Anusāsitāram=The Ruler or Law-Giver of the Universe.

Aṇor-aṇīyāmsam=The Minutose of the minute, or the Subtler than the subtile ātma (jīv-ātma).

Sarvasya-dhātāram=The Creator of all.

Achintya-rūpam=Possessing a Form inconceivable, i.e., not conceivable by comparison with other things conceivable, or Form transcendental; and Sun-Colored, or resplendently glorious as (for example) the Sun is; and beyond tamas (tamas=darkness=matter) meaning : possessing a metaphysical transcendant luminous divine Form, beyond our limited conception.

Whoso, with mind made steady and strengthened by the daily practice of meditative devotion (Bhakti-yukta-yoga-balena) gathers up, at the time of death, the prāṇa or life-breath at the point between the brows; and intently thinks at that place, of the Purusha Divine (or Spirit of God in the way described), goes to Himself, or achieves a state equal to Divinity; i.e., will become possessed of a power and glory such as those pertaining to Divinity Itself.

Next is described the mode of meditation, to be adopted by the ātma-seeker (Kaivaly-ārthi or jijñāsu).

>> Chapter 8 verse 11

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