Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 8 · Akshara Brahma Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 8.18 अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः
श्लोक 8.18
अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे ।
रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ॥
avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyaharāgame |
rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyaktasaṃjñake ||
हिन्दी अर्थ
ब्रह्मा के दिन के आरंभ में सभी व्यक्त पदार्थ अव्यक्त से प्रकट होते हैं, और रात आने पर उसी अव्यक्त में फिर से लीन हो जाते हैं।
Meaning in English
At the coming of Brahma's day, all manifest things emerge from the unmanifest; at the coming of his night, they dissolve back into that same unmanifest.
Bhagavad Gita 8.18 — word by word
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अव्यक्तात् | avyaktāt | from the unmanifest |
| व्यक्तयः | vyaktayaḥ | manifest things |
| सर्वाः | sarvāḥ | all |
| प्रभवन्ति | prabhavanti | come forth |
| अहरागमे | ahar-āgame | at the coming of day |
| रात्र्यागमे | rātry-āgame | at the coming of night |
| प्रलीयन्ते | pralīyante | they dissolve |
| तत्र एव | tatra eva | into that very |
| अव्यक्तसंज्ञके | avyakta-saṃjñake | which is called the unmanifest |
Explanation
When Brahma's day dawns, all manifest things emerge from the unmanifest. When his night falls, they dissolve back into that same source called the unmanifest. Creation and dissolution follow one another like waking and sleep, day and night. The cycle repeats without end.
Creation in the Gita is cyclical, not a single event: the universe repeatedly unfolds from and folds back into the avyakta, the unmanifest state of nature (prakriti). Shankara identifies the avyakta here with Brahma's sleep state, the seed condition of the world. Ramanuja reads it as subtle matter in which souls rest during dissolution. The image of day and night makes the cosmic process familiar, as with waking and sleeping. Krishna will contrast this unmanifest with a higher unmanifest in 8.20.
भावार्थ
ब्रह्मा के दिन के आरम्भ में सारी व्यक्त सृष्टि अव्यक्त से उत्पन्न होती है, और रात्रि के आगमन पर उसी अव्यक्त नामक मूल में लीन हो जाती है। सृष्टि और प्रलय दिन-रात की तरह चलते रहते हैं।
Living it today
Rhythms of rising and resting run through all of nature. Honour them in your own life, with real rest after real work.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita 8.18?
When Brahma's day dawns, all manifest things emerge from the unmanifest. When his night falls, they dissolve back into that same source called the unmanifest. Creation and dissolution follow one another like waking and sleep, day and night. The cycle repeats without end.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 8.18?
Sri Krishna speaks this verse, in Chapter 8 (Akshara Brahma Yoga) of the Bhagavad Gita.
How can I apply Bhagavad Gita 8.18 in daily life?
Rhythms of rising and resting run through all of nature. Honour them in your own life, with real rest after real work.
Reflected on verse 8.18?
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