Bhagavad Gita · Akshara Brahma YogaChapter 8, Shloka 19 (8.19)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते
रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे
॥ 8.19 ॥
bhūtagrāmaḥ sa evāyaṃ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
rātryāgame'vaśaḥ pārtha prabhavatyaharāgame
Translation
"O Partha, this very same multitude of beings, coming into being again and again, dissolves at the coming of night, and at the coming of day, helpless, comes into being once more."
Interpretation
Shankaracharya. Sa eva ayaṃ nānyaḥ — the same, not another (the continuity of the fruits of action: akṛtābhyāgama-kṛta-vipraṇāśa-doṣa-parihārārtham — to avoid the faults of receiving fruit for what was not done and of losing the fruit of what was done, end of 8.18); avaśaḥ asvatantra eva — wholly dependent; avidyādi-kleśa-mūla-karmāśaya-vaśāt — under the sway of the store of karmic impressions rooted in the afflictions such as ignorance (end of 8.18).
Acharya Ramanuja. Sa eva ayaṃ karma-vaśyo bhūta-grāmaḥ — the same multitude of beings, under the sway of karma; in the great dissolution, pṛthivī apsu pralīyate āpaḥ tejasi līyante ity-ādi-krameṇa avyaktākṣara-tamaḥ-paryantaṃ mayi eva pralīyante — earth into water, water into fire… up to the unmanifest, the akshara and tamas — finally dissolving into me; therefore aiśvarya-gatiṃ prāptānāṃ punarāvṛttiḥ aparihāryā, mām upetānāṃ tu na — for those who attain power, return is unavoidable; for those who reach me, it is not. Further: kaivalya-prāptānām api punarāvṛttiḥ na vidyate — those who attain kaivalya do not return either (8.20–8.21).
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.