Bhagavad Gita BG 8.28
Chapter 8, Verse 28 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् । अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ॥
vedeshu yajneshu tapahsu caiva daneshu yat punya-phalam pradishtam atyeti tat sarvam idam viditva yogi param sthanam upaiti cadyam
Meaning
Whatever meritorious fruit is declared in the Vedas, in sacrifices, in austerities, and in gifts — the yogi who knows this (supreme teaching) transcends all that and reaches the primordial, supreme abode.
Understanding
The closing verse of Chapter 8, summarizing its scope: the yogi who knows this (idam viditva — knowing all that has been taught in this chapter) transcends (atyeti) all the punya-phala (merit-fruits) declared in Vedas, yajna, tapas, and dana. Not that these are useless, but: the yogi's knowledge of the Supreme and the path to it supersedes all these intermediate fruits. The destination is: param sthanam adyam — the primordial, supreme abode. The first/original (adya — primordial) supreme dwelling — which was never lost, only forgotten.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| पुण्यफलम् | punya-phalam | meritorious fruit, the result of virtuous action |
| अत्येति | atyeti | transcends, goes beyond |
| परं स्थानम् | param sthanam | the supreme abode |
| आद्यम् | adyam | primordial, original, the first/primeval |
| वेदेषु | vedeṣu | in the Vedas |
| यज्ञेषु | yajñeṣu | in sacrifices |
| तपःसु | tapaḥsu | in austerities |
| च | ca | and |
| एव | eva | indeed |
| दानेषु | dāneṣu | in charity |
| यत् | yat | whatever |
| पुण्य-फलम् | puṇya-phalam | the merit, the pious result |
| प्रदिष्टम् | pradiṣṭam | ordained, decreed |
| तत् | tat | that |
| सर्वम् | sarvam | all |
| इदम् | idam | this |
| विदित्वा | viditvā | having known, understanding this |
| योगी | yogī | the yogi |
| परम् | param | supreme |
| स्थानम् | sthānam | abode, destination |
| उपैति | upaiti | attains, reaches |
| च | ca | and |
| आद्यम् | ādyam | the primeval, the original |