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Chapter 8 · Attaining the Supreme · 28 verses

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Liberation & destinyChapter 8 · Attaining the Supreme
8.178.19

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 8.18

Mortality, cosmic cycles and eternal destination

अव्यक्ताद्‍ व्यक्तय: सर्वा: प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे ।

रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ॥ १८ ॥

avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ

prabhavanty ahar-āgame

rātry-āgame pralīyante

tatraivāvyakta-saṁjñake

Translation

At the beginning of Brahmā’s day, all living entities become manifest from the unmanifest state, and thereafter, when the night falls, they are merged into the unmanifest again.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Brahmā’s Day and Night

  1. 1All living entities become manifest when Brahmā’s day begins and unmanifest again when night falls.
  2. 2They become manifest from an unmanifest state.
  3. 3At night, all living entities merge into the unmanifest again.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 8, Attaining the Supreme: mortality, cosmic cycles and eternal destination.

What it teaches

Theme summary

The soul's true destination is eternal.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: mokṣa, dhāma.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 8.18 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to liberation & destiny?

Practice

Reflect on what you want to remember at life's end.

4

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 8 ›
5

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 8.16Mortality, cosmic cycles and eternal destinationBG 8.17Mortality, cosmic cycles and eternal destination

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.