All 18 Chapters
Chapter 146 verses
Arjuna Viṣāda Yoga
अर्जुनविषादयोग
Chapter 272 verses
Sāṅkhya Yoga
साङ्ख्ययोग
Chapter 343 verses
Karma Yoga
कर्मयोग
Chapter 442 verses
Jñāna Karma Sannyāsa Yoga
ज्ञानकर्मसंन्यासयोग
Chapter 529 verses
Karma Sannyāsa Yoga
कर्मसंन्यासयोग
Chapter 647 verses
Dhyāna Yoga
ध्यानयोग
Chapter 730 verses
Jñāna Vijñāna Yoga
ज्ञानविज्ञानयोग
Chapter 828 verses
Akṣara Brahma Yoga
अक्षरब्रह्मयोग
Chapter 934 verses
Rāja Vidyā Rāja Guhya Yoga
राजविद्याराजगुह्ययोग
Chapter 1042 verses
Vibhūti Yoga
विभूतियोग
Chapter 1155 verses
Viśvarūpa Darśana Yoga
विश्वरूपदर्शनयोग
Chapter 1220 verses
Bhakti Yoga
भक्तियोग
Chapter 1335 verses
Kṣetra Kṣetrajña Vibhāga Yoga
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञविभागयोग
Chapter 1427 verses
Guṇatraya Vibhāga Yoga
गुणत्रयविभागयोग
Chapter 1520 verses
Puruṣottama Yoga
पुरुषोत्तमयोग
Chapter 1624 verses
Daivāsura Sampad Vibhāga Yoga
दैवासुरसम्पद्विभागयोग
Chapter 1728 verses
Śraddhātraya Vibhāga Yoga
श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोग
Chapter 1878 verses
Mokṣa Sannyāsa Yoga
मोक्षसंन्यासयोग
Chapter 8 – Akṣara Brahma Yoga
Verse 8.1
First Verse
Next
8.2
अर्जुन उवाच किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम । अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ॥ १ ॥
Transliteration
arjuna uvāca kiṁ tad brahma kim adhyātmaṁ kiṁ karma puruṣottama adhibhūtaṁ ca kiṁ proktam adhidaivaṁ kim ucyate
Synonyms
arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said; kim — what; tat — that; brahma — Brahman; kim — what; adhyātmam — the self; kim — what; karma — fruitive activities; puruṣa-uttama — O Supreme Person; adhibhūtam — the material manifestation; ca — and; kim — what; proktam — is called; adhidaivam — the demigods; kim — what; ucyate — is called.
Translation
Arjuna inquired: O my Lord, O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is the self? What are fruitive activities? What is this material manifestation? And what are the demigods? Please explain this to me.
Purport
In this chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa answers different questions from Arjuna, beginning with “What is Brahman?” The Lord also explains karma (fruitive activities), devotional service and yoga principles, and devotional service in its pure form. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains that the Supreme Absolute Truth is known as Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. In addition, the living entity, the individual soul, is also called Brahman. Arjuna also inquires about ātmā, which refers to body, soul and mind. According to the Vedic dictionary, ātmā refers to the mind, soul, body and senses also.
Arjuna has addressed the Supreme Lord as Puruṣottama, Supreme Person, which means that he was putting these questions not simply to a friend but to the Supreme Person, knowing Him to be the supreme authority able to give definitive answers.