18. At the approach of (Brahma's) day, all manifestations proceed from the unmanifested state; at the approach of night, they merge verily into that alone, which is called the unmanifested.

19. The very same multitude of beings (that existed in the preceding day of Brahma), being born again and again, merge, in spite of themselves, O son of Pritha, (into the unmanifested), at the approach of night, and re-manifest at the approach of day.

20. But beyond this unmanifested, there is that other Unmanifested, Eternal Existence--That which is not destroyed at the destruction of all beings.

21. What has been called Unmanifested and Imperishable, has been described as the Goal Supreme. That is My highest state, having attained which, there is no return.

22. And that Supreme Purusha is attainable, O son of Pritha, by whole-souled devotion to Him alone, in Whom all beings dwell, and by Whom all this is pervaded.

23. Now I shall tell thee, O bull of the Bharatas, of the time (path) travelling in which, the Yogis return, (and again of that, taking which) they do not return.

24. Fire, flame, day-time, the bright fortnight, the six months of the Northern passage of the sun, taking this path, the knowers of Brahman go to Brahman.

25. Smoke, night-time, the dark fortnight, the six months of the Southern passage of the sun--taking this path the Yogi, attaining the lunar light, returns.

26. Truly are these bright and dark paths of the world considered eternal: one leads to non-return; by the other, one returns.

27. No Yogi, O son of Pritha, is deluded after knowing these paths. Therefore, O Arjuna, be thou steadfast in Yoga, at all times.

28. Whatever meritorious effect is declared (in the Scriptures) to accrue from (the study of) the Vedas, (the performance of) Yajnas, (the practice of) austerities and gifts,--above all this rises the Yogi, having known this, and attains to the primeval, supreme Abode.

The end of the eighth chapter designated, THE WAY TO THE IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN.

Footnotes

^180:3 Offering in sacrifice--includes here all virtuous works.

Karma: Cf. III. 14, 15.

^181:4 Adhibhuta: that perishable adjunct which is different from, and yet depends for its existence on the self-conscious principle, i.e., everything material, everything that has birth.

Adhidaivata: The universal Self in Its subtle aspect: the Centre from which all living beings have their sense-power.

Adhiyajna: the presiding deity of sacrifice,--Vishnu.

^182:6 Constant thought: the idea is, that the most prominent thought of one's life occupies the mind at the time of death. One cannot get rid of it, even as one cannot get rid of a disagreeable thought-image in a dream; so the character of the body to be next attained by one is determined accordingly, i.e., by the final thought.