Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 5

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् |
य: प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशय: || 5||

anta-kāle cha mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti nāstyatra sanśhayaḥ

anta-kāle—at the time of death; cha—and; mām—Me; eva—alone; smaran—remembering; muktvā—relinquish; kalevaram—the body; yaḥ—who; prayāti—goes; saḥ—he; mat-bhāvam—godlike nature; yāti—achieves; na—no; asti—there is; atra—here; sanśhayaḥ—doubt

Translation

BG 8.5: Those who relinquish the body while remembering Me at the moment of death will come to Me. There is certainly no doubt about this.

Commentary

Shree Krishna declares in this verse that, whoever remembers Him at the time of death, attains Him and becomes God-like in character. He uses the words mad bhāvaṁ, which means “godlike nature.” Therefore, one can achieve the cherished goal of God-realization by consciously absorbing one’s mind in the transcendental Names, Forms, Virtues, Pastimes, and Abodes of God, even at the time of death.

It is one’s state of consciousness and the object of their absorption at the time of death; that determines their next birth. Shree Krishna will explain this principle in the next verse.

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