Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 8 · Akshara Brahma Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 8.17 सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः
श्लोक 8.17
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः ।
रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ॥
sahasrayugaparyantamaharyad brahmaṇo viduḥ |
rātriṃ yugasahasrāntāṃ te'horātravido janāḥ ||
हिन्दी अर्थ
जो दिन और रात के तत्व को जानते हैं, वे समझते हैं कि ब्रह्मा का एक दिन एक हजार युगों का होता है और उनकी रात भी एक हजार युगों की होती है।
Meaning in English
Those who understand day and night know that a day of Brahma lasts a thousand ages (yugas), and his night also lasts a thousand ages.
Bhagavad Gita 8.17 — word by word
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तम् | sahasra-yuga-paryantam | lasting a thousand yugas |
| अहः | ahaḥ | the day |
| यत् | yat | which |
| ब्रह्मणः | brahmaṇaḥ | of Brahma |
| विदुः | viduḥ | they know |
| रात्रिम् | rātrim | the night |
| युगसहस्रान्ताम् | yuga-sahasra-antām | ending after a thousand yugas |
| ते | te | they |
| अहोरात्रविदः | aho-rātra-vidaḥ | knowers of day and night |
| जनाः | janāḥ | people |
Explanation
Those who know that a day of Brahma lasts a thousand ages, and that his night likewise ends only after a thousand ages, truly understand day and night. By this measure even the longest ages are only moments in a greater cycle.
Krishna now places human life against the vast scale of cosmic time. In the Puranic reckoning a cycle of the four yugas (mahayuga) lasts 4,320,000 human years, and a thousand such cycles make one day of Brahma, called a kalpa; his night is equally long. Shankara and Ramanuja both point out that even Brahma's world, so long-lived, is bounded by time. The idea is that those who grasp this scale see how brief all created existence is, even at its grandest.
भावार्थ
जो लोग जानते हैं कि ब्रह्मा का एक दिन हज़ार युगों का होता है और उसकी रात भी हज़ार युगों की होती है, वे ही दिन और रात के तत्त्व को जानने वाले हैं।
Living it today
When a problem feels enormous, step back and imagine the vastness of time. Perspective often shrinks worry to its true size.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita 8.17?
Those who know that a day of Brahma lasts a thousand ages, and that his night likewise ends only after a thousand ages, truly understand day and night. By this measure even the longest ages are only moments in a greater cycle.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 8.17?
Sri Krishna speaks this verse, in Chapter 8 (Akshara Brahma Yoga) of the Bhagavad Gita.
How can I apply Bhagavad Gita 8.17 in daily life?
When a problem feels enormous, step back and imagine the vastness of time. Perspective often shrinks worry to its true size.
Reflected on verse 8.17?
Light a diya, add a note, or share this verse.