Bhagavad Gita · Akshara Brahma YogaChapter 8, Shloka 28 (8.28)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव
दानेषु यत् पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम्
अत्येति तत् सर्वमिदं विदित्वा
योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाऽऽद्यम्
॥ 8.28 ॥
vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva
dāneṣu yat puṇyaphalaṃ pradiṣṭam
atyeti tat sarvamidaṃ viditvā
yogī paraṃ sthānamupaiti cā''dyam
Translation
"Whatever fruit of merit is declared for the Vedas, for yajnas, for austerities and for gifts — knowing this (teaching), the yogi goes beyond all of it and attains the supreme, primal abode."
Interpretation
Shankaracharya. Vedeṣu samyag-adhīteṣu yajñeṣu ca sādguṇyena anuṣṭhiteṣu tapaḥsu ca sutapteṣu dāneṣu ca samyag-datteṣu — the Vedas well studied, yajnas performed with every detail complete, austerities well undertaken, gifts rightly given — their fruits; idaṃ viditvā sapta-praśna-nirṇaya-dvāreṇa uktam arthaṃ samyak avadhārya anuṣṭhāya — understanding the meaning given through the answers to the seven questions and putting it into practice; paraṃ … aiśvaraṃ sthānam … ādyam ādau bhavaṃ kāraṇaṃ brahma.
Acharya Ramanuja — the fruit of the two chapters. Idam adhyāya-dvayoditaṃ bhagavan-māhātmyaṃ viditvā tat sarvam atyeti — knowing the greatness of the Lord described in chapters 7–8, he goes beyond all fruits of merit; etad-vedana-sukhātirekeṇa tat sarvaṃ tṛṇavat manyate — out of the surpassing joy of this knowledge, he regards all of them as a blade of grass; yogī jñānī ca bhūtvā jñāninaḥ prāpyam paraṃ ādyaṃ sthānam upaiti.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.