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1036
GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः। यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्य चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥११॥ सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च । मून्याधायाऽऽत्मनः प्राणमास्थिती योगधारणाम् ॥ १२॥ ॐइत्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् ।
यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥ १३ ॥ Trans.) between the two eye-brows at the moment of death, such (a man) goes and is merged in that effulgent Highest Spirit. (11) I shall briefly describe to you that pada, (that is, the OM-formed Brahman), which is called "akşara' by the vedavit-s (that is, by those, who know the Vedas-Trans.); which, Yatins enter after having become vītaraga (that is, free from love-Trans.), and desiring which, they observe the rules laid down for brahmacārin-s. (12) Controlling all the openings in the shape of the organs), and taking the life-breath into the head, after having controlled the Mind in the heart, and becoming steady in the Yoga of Mental Absorption, (13) and meditating on "OM', the one-worded form of the Brahman, and thinking of Me, who gives up his body, he reaches a superlative state.
[The description of the form of the Paramešvara in stanzas 9 to 11, has been borrowed from the Upanişads. The words 'aņoranīyān' in the 9th stanza, as also the last quarter of that stanza is from the Svetāśvatara Upanisad (Sve. 3. 8 and 9); and the first quarter of stanza 11, according to its implication, and the second quarter of it, literally, are from the Kathopanisad (Katha. 2. 15). In the Kathopanisad, the words 'om tyetat' have been clearly expressed after the words“ tat te padań sangrahena bravimi". According to this, the words 'akşara' and 'pada', in the eleventh stanza, must be taken to mean "the Brahman in the shape of the word 'OM'", or "the word 'OM'"; and it is absolutely clear from stanza 13, that the worship of the OM-kāra is meant there (see, Praśna. 5). Nevertheless, it cannot be said that the Blessed Lord did not mean "the "imperishable Brahman" by the word 'OM', and 'the highest
