Bhagavad Gita BG 8.5
Chapter 8, Verse 5 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् । यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥
anta-kale ca mam eva smaran muktva kalevaram yah prayati sa madbhavam yati nasty atra samshayah
Meaning
And whoever, at the time of death, departing while remembering Me alone — reaches My state. There is no doubt about this.
Understanding
The culminating answer to question 7 (how is the Lord known at death). Anta-kale (at the time of ending — death) mam eva smaran (remembering Me alone) — muktva kalevaram (releasing the body) — yah prayati (whoever departs) — sa madbhavam yati (reaches My state). Nasty atra samshayah — there is NO doubt about this. A direct, unconditional promise. What is remembered at the moment of death determines the destination. This is the opening of Chapter 8's great teaching on death-consciousness.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अन्तकाले | anta-kale | at the time of death/ending |
| स्मरन् | smaran | remembering, recalling, holding in mind |
| कलेवरम् | kalevaram | the body (the corpse) |
| मद्भावम् | madbhavam | My state/nature, My being |
| संशयः | samshayah | doubt, uncertainty |
| अन्त-काले | anta-kāle | at the time of death |
| च | ca | and |
| माम् | mām | Me |
| एव | eva | alone |
| मुक्त्वा | muktvā | having left, giving up |
| यः | yaḥ | whoever |
| प्रयाति | prayāti | departs, goes |
| सः | saḥ | he |
| मद्भावम् | madbhāvam | My state of being |
| याति | yāti | attains |
| न | na | not |
| अस्ति | asti | there is |
| अत्र | atra | here, in this |
| संशयः | saṃśayaḥ | doubt |