Bhagavad Gita · Akshara Brahma YogaChapter 8, Shloka 2 (8.2)
Original Sanskrit · अर्जुनः
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन् मधुसूदन
प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः
॥ 8.2 ॥
adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko'tra dehe'smin madhusūdana
prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo'si niyatātmabhiḥ
Translation
"O Madhusudana, who is the adhiyajna in this body, and how is he (the adhiyajna)? And how do the self-controlled know you at the time of death?"
Interpretation
Two things in one question: who the adhiyajna is (the person), and how he is so (in what sense the presiding one of yajna) — and atra dehe asmin — in this body.
Shankaracharya (8.1–8.2 combined) — the questions are settled one by one in 8.3–8.4.
Acharya Ramanuja (8.1 = 8.2): tasya ca adhiyajña-bhāvaḥ kathaṃ — how is he the adhiyajna; prayāṇa-kāle ca ebhiḥ tribhiḥ niyatātmabhiḥ kathaṃ jñeyaḥ asi — how should the three kinds of aspirants know you at the time of death.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.