Uttering Om, the one-syllable Brahman, and remembering Me, one who departs while leaving the body attains the supreme state.
— Krishna
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Bhagavad Gita · 8.13
Hindi · हिन्दी
इन्द्रियोंके सम्पूर्ण द्वारोंको रोककर मनका हृदयमें निरोध करके और अपने प्राणोंको मस्तकमें स्थापित करके योगधारणामें सम्यक् प्रकारसे स्थित हुआ जो साधक ऊँ इस एक अक्षर ब्रह्मका उच्चारण और मेरा स्मरण करता हुआ शरीरको छोड़कर जाता है, वह परमगतिको प्राप्त होता है ॥
A person who leaves the body while remembering Om and Krishna reaches the highest destination.
02
On the battlefield
Context & commentary
Krishna is still answering Arjuna on the battlefield, where death feels near and every choice is stripped bare. After explaining the path of disciplined departure, he says that one who leaves the body while uttering Om and remembering him reaches the supreme state.
03
In your life
Why this verse still matters
At a bedside, a family member grips your hand and the room goes quiet. In that stripped-down moment, what the mind holds most deeply matters more than anything spoken before.
The takeaway
“The final moment is not empty; it can carry the mind straight toward liberation.”
A person who leaves the body while remembering Om and Krishna reaches the highest destination.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 8.13?
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Akshara Brahma Yoga" (The Imperishable Absolute).
Which chapter of the Bhagavad Gita contains verse 8.13?
Verse 13 sits in Chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita — Akshara Brahma Yoga, "The Imperishable Absolute". The chapter has 28 verses in total.
Why does Bhagavad Gita 8.13 matter today?
At a bedside, a family member grips your hand and the room goes quiet. In that stripped-down moment, what the mind holds most deeply matters more than anything spoken before.
It shifts attention from panic at death to the quality of awareness carried into the final release.
What this verse means
A person who leaves the body while remembering Om and Krishna reaches the highest destination.
Context & commentary
Krishna is still answering Arjuna on the battlefield, where death feels near and every choice is stripped bare. After explaining the path of disciplined departure, he says that one who leaves the body while uttering Om and remembering him reaches the supreme state.
Why this verse still matters
At a bedside, a family member grips your hand and the room goes quiet. In that stripped-down moment, what the mind holds most deeply matters more than anything spoken before.
“The final moment is not empty; it can carry the mind straight toward liberation.”
Explore related themes: akshara brahma (12 verses)