Bhagavad Gita · 8.18

Chapter 8, Verse 18

Akshara Brahma Yoga — Sanskrit shloka, transliteration, word meanings, English translation, and commentary.

Original Sanskrit verse

अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे। रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके।।8.18।।

Transliteration

avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyahar-āgame rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyakta-sanjñake

Word meanings

avyaktāt—from the unmanifested; vyaktayaḥ—the manifested; sarvāḥ—all; prabhavanti—emanate; ahaḥ-āgame—at the advent of Brahma’s day; rātri-āgame—at the fall of Brahma’s night; pralīyante—they dissolve; tatra—into that; eva—certainly; avyakta-sanjñake—in that which is called the unmanifest

English translation

From the Unmanifested, all the manifested worlds proceed upon the arrival of the 'day'; upon the arrival of the 'night', they dissolve indeed into that which is known as the Unmanifested.

— Swami Sivananda

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Commentary

When Brahma awakes; all manifestations; moving and unmoving (animate and inanimate) stream forth at the coming of the day from the Avyakta or the Unmanifested. When Brahma goes to sleep; all the manifestations merge in the Unmanifested; for the cosmic night has set in. Coming of the day Commencement of creation. Coming of the night Commencement of dissolution. (Cf. IX.7and8)

Commentary by Swami Sivananda

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