Bhagavad Gita · Akshara Brahma YogaChapter 8, Shloka 1 (8.1)
Original Sanskrit · अर्जुनः
अर्जुन उवाच
किं तद् ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम
अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते
॥ 8.1 ॥
kiṃ tad brahma kimadhyātmaṃ kiṃ karma puruṣottama
adhibhūtaṃ ca kiṃ proktamadhidaivaṃ kimucyate
Translation
"Arjuna said: O Purushottama, what is that Brahman? What is adhyatma? What is karma? What is called adhibhuta, and what is said to be adhidaiva?"
Interpretation
Seven questions (8.1–8.2): (1) Brahman, (2) adhyatma, (3) karma, (4) adhibhuta, (5) adhidaiva, (6) adhiyajna — who and how, (7) how are you known at the time of departure.
Shankaracharya. He reads the two verses together; Krishna, eṣāṃ praśnānāṃ yathā-kramaṃ nirṇayāya — settles these questions in order.
Acharya Ramanuja — which question belongs to which aspirant. Jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya bhagavantam āśritya yatamānānāṃ jñātavyatayā uktaṃ tad brahma adhyātmaṃ ca karma ca kim — what are Brahman, adhyatma and karma, which those seeking freedom from old age and death (the seekers of kaivalya) need to know; aiśvaryārthināṃ jñātavyam adhibhūtam adhidaivaṃ ca kim — what are the adhibhuta and adhidaiva that the seekers of prosperity need to know; trayāṇāṃ jñātavyaḥ adhiyajña-śabda-nirdiṣṭaś ca kaḥ — who is the one called adhiyajna, whom all three need to know; and prayāṇa-kāle ca ebhiḥ tribhiḥ niyatātmabhiḥ kathaṃ jñeyaḥ asi — how are you known by these three at the time of departure.
The difference: Ramanuja divides the questions among the three kinds of aspirants of 7.29–7.30; Shankara treats them as a single general series of questions.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.