Episode 8 – Akshara Brahma Yoga: The Yoga of the Imperishable Absolute
The stillness before battle continues. Arjuna’s doubts are fewer, his heart more steady, but he now seeks to know the eternal in its highest form. He looks at Krishna with eyes filled with devotion and humility, and asks.
O Krishna, what is Brahman? What is the self? What is karma? What is the nature of the gods and of sacrifice? And at the moment of death, how is the soul united with You?
Krishna smiles gently, His voice carrying the weight of eternity.
Arjuna, Brahman is the imperishable, the supreme reality beyond all change. The self, the adhyatma, is the eternal essence that dwells within all beings. Karma is the creative power that brings beings into existence, the force of action that sustains the cycle of life and death.
The gods are manifestations of My divine power. Sacrifice is the offering that sustains harmony between man, nature, and the eternal. And I Myself am the Supreme Lord who dwells within, receiving every act of devotion, every offering, every breath.
At the moment of death, he who remembers Me alone, leaving the body with his mind fixed upon Me, comes to Me without doubt. For whatever a man’s consciousness is at the time of death, to that he goes. Therefore, Arjuna, remember Me at all times and fight. With mind and heart fixed on Me, you shall come to Me.
Arjuna’s eyes shine with intensity. Krishna continues, His words rolling like the eternal sound of Om itself.
He who meditates upon Me, the Supreme, with mind undistracted, with devotion unwavering, reaches Me. I am the eternal Lord, the knower of all, the sustainer of the universe, the witness of all, the one to be realized through discipline and devotion.
Arjuna listens with awe as Krishna reveals the deepest mysteries.
Those who know the Vedas, who recite Om, who perform sacrifice with faith, reach the world of the gods. But those who surrender to Me with devotion, fixing their mind on Me, attain Me beyond return.
Arjuna, there are two paths at the time of death — the path of light and the path of darkness. The yogi who departs on the path of light, with mind steady, reaches liberation and does not return. The one who departs on the path of darkness returns again to the cycle of birth.
But the yogi who knows both these paths is not deceived. He fixes his mind on Me and walks beyond them, attaining supreme freedom.
Therefore, Arjuna, be steadfast in devotion. Fix your mind upon Me, surrender your heart to Me. In doing so, you surpass all rituals, all sacrifices, all austerities. With faith and devotion, you shall reach Me, the eternal dwelling.
The battlefield itself seems to dissolve into eternity as Krishna speaks. Arjuna no longer sees merely armies awaiting battle, but glimpses the truth that all creation is sustained by the eternal, that death itself is but a doorway, that remembrance of Krishna is the highest refuge.
Closing Reflection in Krishna’s Voice
O listener, hear this truth. Life is fleeting. The body perishes, wealth vanishes, power fades. But the soul endures, and what the soul clings to at the final moment carries it onward. If you cling to fear, you are bound. If you cling to desire, you are trapped. But if you remember the eternal, if you remember Krishna, you are free.
Therefore live as you wish to die — in remembrance of the eternal. Let every action be offering, every breath be devotion, every thought be surrender. Then at the final hour, the soul will not falter. It will rise, and it will unite with the imperishable.
This is Akshara Brahma Yoga, the yoga of the imperishable absolute.
Soft Call to Action
If Krishna’s words brought clarity to your path, support this Dharma work with a symbolic offering of eleven dollars. Or unlock the Dharma Vault, through the link. Walk this journey fully, with Krishna’s wisdom as your eternal guide.