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Chapter 8 Verse 21
Original Verse
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् | यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ||८-२१||

avyakto.akṣara ityuktastamāhuḥ paramāṃ gatim . yaṃ prāpya na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ mama ||8-21||

Interpretation Layers

Translations & Commentary

4 curated sources available for this verse.

English Translation by Swami Gambirananda

English Translation

8.21 He who has been mentioned as the Unmanifested, the Immutable, they call Him the supreme Goal. That is the supreme abode of Mine, reaching which they do not return.

English Translation by Swami Adidevananda

English Translation

8.21 He who has been mentioned as the Unmanifested, the Immutable, they call Him the supreme Goal. That is the supreme abode of Mine, reaching which they do not return. 8.21 What is called the Unmanifested and the Imperishable, That they say is the highest goal. They who reach It do not return (to this Samsara). That is My highest abode (place or state). 8.21 He Himself who has been uktah, meantioned; as avyaktah, Unmanifest; the aksarah, Immutable; ahuh, they call; tam, Him-that very unmanifest Reality which is termed as the Immutable; the paramam, supreme; gatim, Goal. Tat, That; is the paramam, supreme; dhama, abode, i.e. the supreme State; mama, of Mine, of Visnu; yam prapya, reaching which Reality; na nivartante, they do not return to the worldly state. The means for gaining That is being stated:

Hindi Translation + Commentary by Swami Ramsukhdas

Hindi Translation

।।8.21।। उसीको अव्यक्त और अक्षर कहा गया है और उसीको परमगति कहा गया है तथा जिसको प्राप्त होनेपर जीव फिर लौटकर नहीं आते, वह मेरा परमधाम है।

Hindi Commentary

।।8.21।। व्याख्या--'अव्यक्तोऽक्षर ৷৷. तद्धाम परमं मम'--भगवान्ने सातवें अध्यायके अट्ठाईसवें, उन्तीसवें और तीसवें श्लोकमें जिसको 'माम्', कहा है तथा आठवें अध्यायके तीसरे श्लोकमें 'अक्षरं ब्रह्म', चौथे श्लोकमें 'अधियज्ञः', पाँचवें और सातवें श्लोकमें 'माम्', आठवें श्लोकमें 'परमं पुरुषं दिव्यम्', नवें श्लोकमें 'कविं पुराणमनुशासितारम्' आदि, तेरहवें, चौदहवें, पन्द्रहवें और सोलहवें श्लोकमें 'माम्', बीसवें श्लोकमें,'अव्यक्तः' और 'सनातनः' कहा है, उन सबकी एकता करते हुए भगवान् कहते हैं कि उसीको अव्यक्त और अक्षर कहते हैं तथा उसीको परमगति अर्थात् सर्वश्रेष्ठ गति कहते हैं; और जिसको प्राप्त होनेपर जीव फिर लौटकर नहीं आते, वह मेरा परमधाम है अर्थात् मेरा सर्वोत्कृष्ट स्वरूप है। इस प्रकार जिस प्रापणीय वस्तुको अनेक रूपोंमें कहा गया है, उसकी यहाँ एकता की गयी है। ऐसे ही चौदहवें अध्यायके सत्ताईसवें श्लोकमें भी 'ब्रह्म, अविनाशी, अमृत, शाश्वत धर्म और ऐकान्तिक सुखका आश्रय मैं हूँ' ऐसा कहकर भगवान्ने प्रापणीय वस्तुकी एकता की है।लोगोंकी ऐसी धारणा रहती है कि सगुण-उपासनाका फल दूसरा है और निर्गुण-उपासनाका फल दूसरा है।,इस धारणाको दूर करनेके लिये इस श्लोकमें सबकी एकताका वर्णन किया गया है। मनुष्योंकी रुचि, विश्वास और योग्यताके अनुसार उपासनाके भिन्न-भिन्न प्रकार होते हैं, पर उनके अन्तिम फलमें कोई फरक नहीं होता। सबका प्रापणीय तत्त्व एक ही होता है। जैसे भोजनके प्राप्त न होनेपर अभावकी और प्राप्त होनेपर तृप्तिकी एकता होनेपर भी भोजनके पदार्थोंमें भिन्नता रहती है, ऐसे ही परमात्माके प्राप्त न होनेपर अभावकी और प्राप्त होनेपर पूर्णताकी एकता होनेपर भी उपासनाओंमें भिन्नता रहती है। तात्पर्य यह हुआ कि उस परमात्माको चाहे सगुण-निराकार मानकर उपासना करें, चाहे निर्गुण-निराकार मानकर उपासना करें और चाहे सगुण-साकार मानकर उपासना करें, अन्तमें सबको एक ही परमात्माकी प्राप्ति होती है।     ब्रह्मलोक आदि जितने भी लोक हैं, वे सभी पुनरावर्ती हैं अर्थात् वहाँ गये हुए प्राणियोंको फिर लौटकर जन्म-मरणके चक्करमें आना पड़ता है; क्योंकि वे सभी लोक प्रकृतिके राज्यमें हैं और विनाशी हैं। परन्तु भगवद्धाम प्रकृतिसे परे और अविनाशी है। वहाँ गये हुए प्राणियोंको गुणोंके परवश होकर लौटना नहीं पड़ता, जन्म लेना नहीं पड़ता। हाँ, भगवान् जैसे स्वेच्छासे अवतार लेते हैं, ऐसे ही वे भगवान्की इच्छासे लोगोंके उद्धारके लिये कारक पुरुषोंके रूपमें इस भूमण्डलपर आ सकते हैं।

English Translation + Commentary by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

English Translation

That which the Vedāntists describe as unmanifest and infallible, that which is known as the supreme destination, that place from which, having attained it, one never returns – that is My supreme abode.

English Commentary

The supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā as cintāmaṇi-dhāma, a place where all desires are fulfilled. The supreme abode of Lord Kṛṣṇa, known as Goloka Vṛndāvana, is full of palaces made of touchstone. There are also trees, called “desire trees,” that supply any type of eatable upon demand, and there are cows, known as surabhi cows, which supply a limitless supply of milk. In this abode, the Lord is served by hundreds of thousands of goddesses of fortune (Lakṣmīs), and He is called Govinda, the primal Lord and the cause of all causes. The Lord is accustomed to blow His flute ( veṇuṁ kvaṇantam ). His transcendental form is the most attractive in all the worlds – His eyes are like lotus petals, and the color of His body is like the color of clouds. He is so attractive that His beauty excels that of thousands of Cupids. He wears saffron cloth, a garland around His neck and a peacock feather in His hair. In the Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa gives only a small hint of His personal abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, which is the supermost planet in the spiritual kingdom. A vivid description is given in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Vedic literatures ( Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.11) state that there is nothing superior to the abode of the Supreme Godhead, and that that abode is the ultimate destination ( puruṣān na paraṁ kiñcit sā kāṣṭhā paramā gatiḥ ). When one attains to it, he never returns to the material world. Kṛṣṇa’s supreme abode and Kṛṣṇa Himself are nondifferent, being of the same quality. On this earth, Vṛndāvana, ninety miles southeast of Delhi, is a replica of that supreme Goloka Vṛndāvana located in the spiritual sky. When Kṛṣṇa descended on this earth, He sported on that particular tract of land known as Vṛndāvana, comprising about 168 square miles in the district of Mathurā, India.