Bhagavad Gita · Akshara Brahma YogaChapter 8, Shloka 6 (8.6)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
यं यं वाऽपि स्मरन् भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम्
तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः
॥ 8.6 ॥
yaṃ yaṃ vā'pi smaran bhāvaṃ tyajatyante kalevaram
taṃ tamevaiti kaunteya sadā tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ
Translation
"O Kaunteya, whatever state a person remembers at the end while leaving the body, that very state he attains — because he was always steeped in that state."
Interpretation
Shankaracharya. Yaṃ yaṃ bhāvaṃ devatā-viśeṣaṃ smaran — remembering whatever particular deity; sadā sarvadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ … smaryamāṇatayā abhyastaḥ — one who has always practised remembering that state. Conclusion: antyā bhāvanā dehāntara-prāptau kāraṇam — the final contemplation is the cause of obtaining the next body.
Acharya Ramanuja — the key sentence. Antya-pratyayaś ca pūrva-bhāvita-viṣaya eva jāyate — the final thought arises only about an object already contemplated (practised) before. Pūrva-kālābhyasta-viṣaye eva antya-pratyayo jāyate — hence (8.7) the practice of a whole lifetime.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.