Chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita opens with Prince Arjuna asking Krishna questions, based on his statements at the close of the prior chapter. Krishna responds with 7 definitions that are the aspects of life to be realized in the Yoga of Imperishable Brahman. Quotes are from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s translation and commentary*.
They are:
1) Brahman: “the Imperishable, the Transcendent. (His) nature is said to be Adhyatma.”
2) Adhyatma: Atman is “unborn, changeless and eternal, appears in the form of Jiva, which is the experiencer and enjoyer in the individual life.” Some might define Jiva as the soul. Atman is known as consciousness and the cosmic Self. It is the silent witness. Adhya means full, so Brahman is the fullness of Atman.
Maharishi describes Jiva (the local experiencer) as the subjective expression of Atman and the body as its objective expression. “the eternal, divine aspect in the Jiva is called Adhyatma.””the Jiva has a status in both the perishable and the imperishable aspects of life.”
First, we realize Atman as the Self in Self Realization, then as the world in Unity Consciousness, and finally as Brahman in that stage.
“The drop becomes the ocean, and the purpose of cosmic evolution gains fulfillment.”
3) Karma: means action or activity. “…the first rise of karma is the subtlest state of thought, which develops to give rise to grosser states of karma.” Thought, in this case, is cosmic thought. Karma begins with “the aspiration of Brahman for creation””which causes [the] origin of beings.”
“The creative power of Brahman sets forth the Unmanifest, the one immutable, eternal, to manifest as the ever changing, multiple creation.” This act of manifestation is called karma. The display of the creative power of Brahman is karma. This creative power is also called Shakti.
4) Adhibhuta: the perishable existence, the world of experiences. Adhi means more or greater. Bhuta is the physical world. From the perspective of Brahman, the world is uncreated but has a purpose or intention to appear as a vehicle of experience and evolution.
5) Adhidaiva: We might call this the body deva, the deva that maintains our body as a whole. “That which upholds Adhibhuta is Adhidaiva, the Purusha, the Cosmic Spirit, consisting of innumerable spirits of the individual beings in creation.” Our body has devas responsible for the various functions, but also has an overall deva for the whole system. This is partly why we relate to the body as a single thing when it’s made of trillions of life forms. Our body deva is also part of the hierarchy of devas, hence guided by cosmic laws. There are multiple ways we can experience this, depending on what level (kosha) we’re experiencing them from.
6) Adhiyagya: Yagya is action leading to evolution. “Adhiyagya, which is the very basis of yagya and which upholds it, is the divine power in nature.”
“The intellect in tune with being [resolute] is the intellect which naturally supports action leading to evolution. Such an intellect is the individual expression of divine intelligence.”
Krishna said “I am Myself, Adhiyagya.” He expresses the maintaining aspect of the Divine and none other than the divine power of nature. Or we could say Shakti powers him. Knowing the Divine, we know nature, although our humanity limits us from knowing all of it at once.
7) Approach to Death: “And he who gives up his body at the time of death and departs thinking of Me alone comes to Me.” In other words, with our attention on Divine consciousness, or on transcendent pure Being, whichever we have access to.
When the karma that drew us into this life completes, the last of what drove this life and form into expression is complete. We roasted our backlog with awakening. If we’ve avoided creating new karma, we’re complete. Depending on our depth of development, we settle to a higher plane.
“Remembering whatever object at the time of death… he attains that.” v8.6
On the flip side, if we die dwelling on what is unresolved in us, that will call us back for completion. Another good reason to add supplemental healing to our transcending practice.
Realize these and our purpose here is fulfilled.
Davidya
* Maharishi’s translation and commentary on chapter 8 was published in 2010 in Europe but was later withdrawn in favour of publishing Chapters 7-12 in one book, as was done with the first 6 chapters. This has not yet been published.