YOGA OF THE ETERNAL TRUTH – AKSHARA BRAHMA YOGA

By

Dr. R. J. Kalpana Ph.D

Visvaayudha May 2025

vasudevasutaḿ devaḿ kaḿsa-cāṇūra-mardanam

devakī-paramānandaḿ kṛṣṇaḿ vande jagadgurum

I bow down to Sri Krishna, who is the Master of the Universe, beloved son of Vasudeva, who vanquished Kamsa and Chanura, who brings immense joy to his mother, Devaki.

Pranams from Dr. R J Kalpana, Welcome to the study of The Bhagavad Gita.

In the last chapter on the Yoga of Manifested Reality and Unmanifested Divinity, we studied the nature of Divinity in both formless and with form. We left off at a very important sloka that carried certain terms.

For they know Brahman (the Absolute), Adhyatma (embodied souls), field of Karma (action), as well as Adhibhuta (matter), Adhidaiva (Brahma), and Adhiyajna (unmanifested Divinity that exists in the hearts as sakshi – witness). If they know this at the time of death, they know Krishna, the Divine.

So naturally, Arjuna, the disciple asks for further clarification as to what do these terms mean. He asks, “Krishna, who is Adhiyajna here and how does he dwell in the body? And how are you to be realized at the time of death by those of steadfast mind?”

Very critical questions that we all, as students on the spiritual path have and so, Shri Krishna explains that that which is Indestructible is Brahma and one’s own individual self which is destructible is Adhyatma or the individual soul. What is Karma or action? It is the discharge of fluids, called Visarga, that brings forth the birth of beings.

All objects that are perishable are Adhibhuta, because they are bound to earth, bhu or Prakriti and Purusha is Adhidaiva, which is the vital energy of creation. And Shri Krishna Himself, lives on as Adhiyajna in the human body as the inner witness.

At the time of death, if we are able to focus our mind on Shri Krishna, then we will be able to attain His Divine condition. But unfortunately, old age plays havoc with our memories. We remember things that happened when we were young; of what was served in some relative’s wedding feast but we forget what we had for breakfast. We open the door to the fridge and forget what we wanted to take from it.

If such is our condition now, what speak of the time of death? Therefore, it is imperative that we cultivate the habit of constant remembrance of the Divine. When we create a samskara of Divine Consciousness then we can never be freed from it and how blissful it would be to remain in eternal remembrance of the Divine.

We have to inculcate discipline along with Yoga and meditation to focus our mind only on the Divine so that at the time of death we will be automatically absorbed in Divine thoughts so we can attain the supremely effulgent Divine Light.

Patanjali’s Yogasutras have detailed Ashtanga Yoga – the Eight Limbed path of Yoga that teaches us how to develop our character, our ethics and morals, our physical health, our mind and finally how to meditate to achieve the Divine.

We will study the practice of meditation in great detail in one of the following chapters but for now, let us focus on the goal that we are achieve with our meditation and with the disciplining of our mind to focus on the Eternal Truth – Akshara Brahma.

Now, here’s the caveat. At the time of death, we must focus on the formless aspect of the Divine and not on the form aspect. Shri Krishna categorically states in sloka 12-13. Sit in meditation, He advises, by closing down the senses, and withdrawing our attention from the external world to the internal world of our heart and there fixing our attention we focus on the Divine and if we are able to utter the Pranava mantra Om and dwell on the formless aspect of the Divine then we will be able to reach the Unmanifested Reality. For the God with form, Manifested Divinity, can only take us thus far and no further.

The difference lies in this secret that every world from Brahmaloka downwards is subject to appear and reappear. Because they all belong to the realm of Manifested Divinity. Therefore, our goal must be to go beyond Manifested Divinity Nirguna Brahma, attain the highest perfection and go beyond rebirth, towards Unmanifested Reality, beyond Time itself. For Manifested Divinity is subject to Time and worlds like Brahmaloka and other remaining 13 lokas are transitory.

The transitory nature of the worlds is calculated according to Brahma’s night and day. To understand Time in its right context, we have to understand that Brahma’s day covers a 1000 Mahayugas and his night is a 1000 Mahayugas.

24 celestial hours = 1 human year

1 celestial month = 30 human years

1 celestial year = 360 human years

12,000 celestial years (1 Mahayuga) = 43, 20,000 human years

1000 Mahayugas = 1 day of Brahma = 4,32,00,00,000 human years

 Kaliyuga = 1200 celestial years = 4,32,000 human years

Dvaparayuga = 2400 celestial years = 8,64,000 human years

Tretayuga = 3600 celestial years = 12,96,000 human years

Satyayuga = 4800 celestial years = 17,28,000 human years (Manusmriti: I:64-73)

1 day of Brahma, creative cycle is known as Kalpa

1 night of Brahma, dissolution is known as Pralaya

30 Brahma days and nights = 1 Brahma month

12 Brahma months = 1 Brahma year

100 Brahma years = lifespan of Brahma

Although the numbers can be mindboggling, Shri Krishna indicates that they are still transient. So what say we of our tiny human lifespan? How fleeting are our lives and even more fleeting are the pleasures. Therefore, wisdom lies in devoting oneself completely to constant remembrance of the Divine and realizing Him at the earliest moment possible. Make haste, lest Time makes waste of our lives.

Shri Krishna goes on to explain that all beings emanate from the Unmanifested Reality at the coming of the cosmic day, which is the dawn of creation and at the cosmic nightfall, they merge into the same Unmanifested Reality.

All beings here references the entities that have not been liberated or even after liberation they have not attained merger with the Divine. So the cycle for such sentient and insentient beings continues age after age, time after time.

Now, the question arises that is the Unmanifested Reality the highest state of consciousness or Truth or is there something beyond that as well?

Here in sloka 20, Shri Krishna reveals a great spiritual secret that even beyond the Manifested Divinity and the Unmanifested Reality, there is yet another Existence, the Absolute!

The goal of human life is to seek merger with the Unmanifested Reality which Shri Krishna claims to be His abode; having attained that we need no longer return to this mortal world.

This eternal unmanifest supreme Purusha in whom all beings reside and who pervades the world is attainable only through exclusive devotion. Just as the panchabhutas the five elements are part of the material world so does the entire creation is part of the Unmanifested Reality.

Having explained where the souls go after their death, Shri Krishna explains the path the Yogis take by which they return to earth and the path by which there is no return,

Of the path from which there is no return is the path of brilliant effulgent presided by the fire-god consisting of the bright fortnight where the sun traverses the northward course in the sky. The Yogis, who have known Brahma, who have been liberated proceed along this path and led by the gods guarding the bright fortnight finally reach Brahma.

agnir jyotir ahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam
tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ [8.24]

The bright fortnight refers to Shukla paksha and Shukla’s jurisdiction extends beyond earth and covers the region lying between earth and heaven. The six months of the year, when the sun moves in a northern direction is called Uttarayana. The god of fire receives the soul and hands it over to the god of daylight ahah whose jurisdiction lies over the entire Bhuloka and hands over the soul to Shukla, who presides over the bright fortnight which is when the moon is waxing and then hands the soul over to Sanmasah who presides over the northward course of the sun and hands the soul over to the god of the year as described in the Upanishads and finally the soul comes face to face with God.

The other path from which the souls return for rebirth is the dark path, the dark fortnight of Krishna Paksha and the six months of southward travel of the sun Dakshinayana. Those Yogis who perform their actions with interested motive take this path and attain the luster of the moon and after spending some time in swargaloka enjoying the fruit of their meritorious deeds, then they return to this mortal world.

dhumo ratris tatha krsnah san-masa daksinayanam
tatra candramasam jyotir yogi prapya nivartate [8.25]

Dhumah, the god of smoke receives the soul and hands the soul over to Ratri, the goddess of night whose jurisdiction is the entire planet and she hands the soul over to Krishnah, the god presiding over the dark fortnight, when the moon wanes and whose jurisdiction lies in the intermediate region lying between the earth and heaven. The soul is then handed over to Dakshinayana which is both the name of the god presiding over the southward course and also the six months of the southward course. The soul is then handed over to the god presiding over Pitraloka who then takes him to the moon world. When the soul’s allotted time is expended, it then descends in the form of ether, air, smoke, vapour, cloud, raindrops and seeds and then is reborn again.

If one is aware of these two paths prescribed for the Yogis and those who possess Brahma Vidya, no one can be deluded for these two paths are eternal for those following the path of dharma. The Yogi realizing this truth applies himself and transcends all the rewards ascribed in the scriptures to attain that Supreme State or that condition by remaining steadfast in their constant remembrance of the Divine and by maintaining equanimity at all times.

yogeśaṁ(m) saccidānandaṁ(v̐), vāsudevaṁ(v̐) vrajapriyam,

dharmasaṁsthāpakaṁ(v̐) vīraṁ(ṅ), kṛṣṇaṁ(v̐) vande jagadgurum

I bow to the Master of Yoga, who is the beloved son of Vasudeva, the brave warrior who established Dharma, the spiritual guru of the world.

                                             OM ŚRĪKṚṢṆĀRPAṆAMASTU

Note: The talks can be accessed on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@kalpanarj3101