Chapter 8 Shloka 11

यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद् यतयो वीतरागा:।

यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये।।११।।

That which is known as Indestructible

by those learned in the Vedas;

that which the detached aspirant merges into;

desiring which they practice Brahmcharya;

I shall now describe unto you That state briefly.

Chapter 8 Shloka 11

यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद् यतयो वीतरागा:।

यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये।।११।।

Eulogising that Name, meditating upon which at the time of death the individual attains salvation, the Lord says:

That which is known as Indestructible by those learned in the Vedas; that which the detached aspirant merges into; desiring which they practice Brahmcharya; I shall now describe unto you That state briefly.

The Lord said, “Let me explain to you That state which knowers of the Vedas call Akshar or Indestructible.”

1. Akshar is that which cannot be destroyed.

2. Akshar is that which is eternal.

3. Akshar is that which is fixed.

4. Akshar is that which is omnipresent.

5. Akshar is the Atma.

6. Akshar is a description of Brahm Himself.

That is:

a) That which the knowers of the Vedas call indestructible.

b) That which the aspirant, abandoning all attachments and aversions, makes strenuous efforts to attain – wherein he seeks absorption.

c) Aspiring which the seeker adopts a vow of Brahmcharya;

d) Seeking which, the individual tries to perform yagya, emulating the yagya of Brahm.

e) For the attainment of which people practice silence, just as Brahm is ever silent.

f) To attain which, people practice acceptance of the fact that all beings are That very Atma.

The Lord says, “I shall now describe to you That state, which encompasses Brahm in His entirety, all that is Atma itself, which includes the entire goal of the aspirant.”

Little one, it is clear here, that in order to enter into That Brahm,

1. It is essential to be without attachment.

2. It is imperative to make every effort to attain Yoga.

3. It is essential to adopt the practice of Brahmcharya.

Brahmcharya (ब्रह्मचर्य)

We have already elucidated the subject of Brahmcharya, but let us revise it again:

1. Conduct like that of Brahm is Brahmcharya.

2. To conduct one’s life in accordance with the code of Brahm’s conduct.

3. A state which is similar to Brahm’s state.

4. Spiritual learning and practice is also called Brahmcharya.

5. The observance of customs in keeping with Brahm’s constitution.

6. To do all and still remain silent as Brahm remains ever silent.

7. The practice of the fact that the entire universe exists in the wholeness of Brahm.

8. To adopt the qualities of Brahm and gain strength through them.

9. Brahm is ever blemishless; to be devoid of all aberrations is the practice of Brahmcharya.

10. Brahm is the epitome of yagya and the performer of the Supreme Yagya. To observe the principles of yagya in life is Brahmcharya.

11. Little one, just as Brahm permeates all equally, so also, the practice of being established in Advaita or non-duality is Brahmcharya.

12. A Brahmchari does not seek to control merely a single sense faculty; he endeavours to gain supremacy over them all. He finds satiation in forgetting his own tastes and likes and gives happiness to others. This is the practice of Brahmcharya.

13. Brahmcharya is to forget oneself and gain mastery over one’s mental reactions.

14. The life of a Brahmchari is extremely ordinary. However, such a one is indeed extraordinary, because his mind is ever fixed in the Supreme.

Little one,

a) Lord Krishna was a Brahmchari since childhood.

b) He is the embodiment of Brahmcharya.

c) He is Brahmcharya manifested.

d) He is the example of Brahmcharya in practice.

e) He is Brahmcharya in its entirety.

f) His very life is the knowledge of Brahmcharya.

If this is true, the commonly understood connotation of Brahmcharya – celibacy – is wrong.

Little one, if one takes the present connotation as true:

1. It will be impossible for any householder to practice Brahmcharya without renouncing his home.

2. No householder will be able to mould his life in accordance with the principles of yagya.

3. It would then be possible to follow the code of Brahmcharya only through escape from one’s everyday life.

Little one, the Lord has never enjoined escape from life’s duties.

1. He has stipulated, “Sanyas is the renunciation of attachment. An individual can gain salvation through giving up attachment.”

2. He bids us to relinquish desire for sense objects – not the object itself.

3. He asks us to renounce anger – not the one who instigates it.

Brahm Himself has forsaken none. The Lord has never rejected anybody. If the Lord – the embodiment of Brahmcharya – can lead an ordinary life of a householder, it is obviously wrong to adopt any different life style or code of conduct as the practice of Brahmcharya!

The Lord embodies scriptural knowledge

Little one, if in your view, there is any shloka of the Gita that is not in consonance with the life of Lord Krishna, become extremely vigilant. You can be sure that:

1. There could be a mistake in your understanding of that term – not in the Lord.

2. There could be some aberration in your practical usage of that term – not in the Lord.

3. The Lord’s very life is Gita embodied. If the Gita is the very essence of the Lord’s Being, then His body is its live image.

4. Knowledge – even of the Gita, finds its support in the life of the Lord.

5. Knowledge and the Scriptures gain their meanings from His life’s example.

6. His life sheds light on scriptural injunction.

What is Adhyatam? What is its manifestation and what is its essence? If you seek the answer to these questions, just focus on the Lord’s life.

Little one, the Gita is the Lord’s very core. His life is its manifestation. If the Gita is His Word – His Intellect, then His life is proof of His unbroken silence. In fact, the name ‘Lord’ is given to that embodied being, who is the manifestation of Adhyatam. The Lord takes birth so that the path of the aspirant of spiritual living may once more be irradiated by His life’s example.

Little one, the Lord can never vanquish all sinners, nor protect all virtuous people in any one birth! In fact, He cannot be recognised by those who take pride in their sagacity and saintliness. Nor can He be understood by those who are proud of their knowledge. He comes to prove the efficacy of spiritual living – Adhyatam – in ordinary everyday life.

a)   He is ever silent. His very life is proof of His eternal silence.

b)   He is the eternal Brahmchari; his life is proof of his state of Brahmcharya.

c)   He is ever detached. His life proves that He remains untouched in all circumstances.

d)   If detachment is His Essence, then love is His manifest form.

e)   If Brahmcharya lies latent in His very Being, His life is the epitome of identification with all beings.

f)   If unbroken silence is His essence, His words echo His deeds.

g)   If you cannot understand the secret behind these facts, it is well nigh impossible for you to understand Adhyatam.