(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

Only The One Who Remembers Ishvara At The Time Of Death Will Attain Ishvara

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् |
य: प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशय: || 8.5||

anta-kāle cha mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti nāstyatra sanśhayaḥ|| 8.5||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 8- Ver. 5:

There is no question that whoever abandons his body while remembering me, even at the instant of death, realises my full nature.

Explanation

In this passage, Shree Krishna declares that whomever remembers Him at the time of death attains Him and gains God-like qualities. He used the phrase “Godlike nature, As a result, even after death, one can attain the desired goal of God-realization by intentionally immersing one’s consciousness in the transcendental Names, Forms, Virtues, Pastimes, and Abodes of God. The next birth is determined by one’s state of consciousness and the object of their absorption at the time of death.

Verse & what we can learn

Only those who remember Ishvara when they die will reach Ishvara. Our ultimate purpose in life should be to remember Ishvara when we pass away. Shri Krishna affirms this, saying, “In this subject, there is no doubt.” It’s all laid out in front of us. It may appear straightforward at first look.

All we have to do is remember Ishvara when we pass away. However, this is not the case. Most of the time, we have no idea when we will die. It’s possible that we’ll perish in a car accident. It’s possible that we’ve lost our mental faculties. Our feelings for our family will fill our thoughts. There are numerous obstacles that will prohibit us from remembering Ishvara solely at this time.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There are also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

In the Next verse, What are our options for dealing with this issue? Shri Krishna briefly addresses the issue. To begin, he explains why our thoughts at the moment of death are so important.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…