Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Now here we are discussing 8th chapter of BG, 7th Ch concluded with Sri Krishna’s glory by introduction of 3 new terms, Adi Bhuta, Adi Yagna, Adi Daiva, so 8th chapter begin by this question from Arjuna what does these terms mean? And Sri Krishna answers and the answer to the last terms takes significant amount of description in fact the whole chapter is centred around the answer to the last apart how can we remember Krishna at the time of death.

The question answer ends at verse 8th but the elaboration of the answers goes out through out the chapter,

Chapter 8 – overview

Verses 1& 2 are the questions than 3&4 are answers to the 6 questions 

1-4: Krishna’s answers Arjuna’s first 6 questions

5-8: Remembrance of Krishna at death –answer to 7th question

9-13: Remembrance by yoga-mishra bhakti

14-15-Remembrance by shuddha-bhakti

16-22: Remembrance by comparing natures of material and spiritual worlds (so we are attracted to the material world when we think that material world is place of enjoyment for us but when we understand that material world is not place of enjoyment then we turn towards spiritual world )

23-28: Remembrance by bhakti-yoga is easier than by ashtangayoga

So essentially the chapter talks about remembrance at the time of death so that we can attain the absolute truth so no doubt Srila Prabhupada titled the chapter as attaining the Supreme there are another title of this chapter as Akshar Brahma Yoga based on the first verse spoken by Sri Krishna Aksharam Paramam Brahmam.

Let us look at the questions from Arjuna.

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Bg 8.1

arjuna uvāca

kiṁ tad brahma kim adhyātmaṁ
kiṁ karma puruṣottama
adhibhūtaṁ ca kiṁ proktam
adhidaivaṁ kim ucyate

Word for word: 

arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said; kim — what; tat — that; brahma — Brahman; kim — what; adhyātmam — the self;kim — what; karma — fruitive activities; puruṣa–uttama — O Supreme Person; adhibhūtam — the material manifestation; ca — and; kim — what; proktam — is called; adhidaivam — the demigods; kim — what; ucyate — is called.

Translation: 

Arjuna inquired: O my Lord, O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is the self? What are fruitive activities? What is this material manifestation? And what are the demigods? Please explain this to me.

kiṁ tad brahma, what is Brahma

kim adhyātmaṁ, what is adyatma

kiṁ karma, what is Karma. puruṣottama, O puruṣottama

O Krishna you are the best of people so you are competent to tell me what is this ultimately.

adhibhūtaṁ ca kiṁ proktam, what is adhibhūtaṁ

adhidaivaṁ kim ucyate, what is adhidaivaṁ

so these are the words Krishna has used in verses 7.29 & 7.30.

So Brahma, Adyatma and Karma is introduced in 7.29 and Adibuta and Adi daiva are introduced in 7.30.

Now we may wonder what is the point in asking question like what is Karma, actually speaking we already know what is Karma, isn’t it? The word Karma is used in so many times in BG so yes it has come so many times, yes this word has come so many time in BG but here Arjuna is asking the question in context of Krishna’s use of that word in BG 07.29 verse Krishna has used the word Karma in interesting way. 

jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya
mām āśritya yatanti ye
te brahma tad viduḥ kṛtsnam
adhyātmaṁ karma cākhilam

jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya, so for getting free from old age and death

mām āśritya yatanti ye, those who take shelter of Me and then they try 

te brahma tad viduḥ kṛtsnam, they come to know Brahman, they themselves are Brahma and 

adhyātmaṁ karma cākhilam, and all their activities become transcendental.

So there the word Karma is used in interesting way, so what is the meaning of the word Karma? Krishna is being asked by Arjuna.

What is Brahma, let us look at the next verse then we will come back to this terms, when Krishna explains them.

End of transcription.