BG 08.10 prayana-kale manasacalena... cited

Expressions researched:
"bhaktya yukto yoga-balena caiva" |"bhruvor madhye pranam avesya samyak" |"prayana-kale manasacalena" |"sa tam param purusam upaiti divyam"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 8.10, Translation and Purport:

One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and, by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In this verse it is clearly stated that at the time of death the mind must be fixed in devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those practiced in yoga, it is recommended that they raise the life force between the eyebrows (to the ājñā-cakra). The practice of ṣaṭ-cakra-yoga, involving meditation on the six cakras, is suggested here. A pure devotee does not practice such yoga, but because he is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at death he can remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His grace. This is explained in verse fourteen.

The particular use of the word yoga-balena is significant in this verse because without practice of yoga—whether ṣaṭ-cakra-yoga or bhakti-yoga—one cannot come to this transcendental state of being at the time of death. One cannot suddenly remember the Supreme Lord at death; one must have practiced some yoga system, especially the system of bhakti-yoga. Since one's mind at death is very disturbed, one should practice transcendence through yoga during one's life.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 1, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Paramahaṁsa means he's above. Paramo nirmatsarānām (SB 1.1.2). That is paramahaṁsa.

Chandobhai: Paramaṁ puruṣaṁ divyaṁ yāti pārthānucintayan.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Paramaṁ puruṣaṁ divyaṁ yāti.

Dr. Patel: Pārthānucintayan. By thinking about... (break)

Prabhupāda: Smartavyaḥ satato viṣṇuḥ. Therefore one has to think of Viṣṇu always, twenty-four hours, in so many ways.

Chandobhai: Kaviṁ purāṇam anuśāsitāram.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Chandobhai: Aṇor aṇīyān anusmared yaḥ, sarvasya dhātāram acintya-rūpam...

Prabhupāda: This is the description of the param.

Chandobhai: Āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt. Prayāṇa-kāle manasācalena...

Prabhupāda: (break) ...varṇa. That is... Āditya-varṇa means self-effulgent. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). That is āditya-varṇa. Āditya is never in darkness.

Chandobhai: Prayāṇa-kāle manasācalena...

Dr. Patel: Prayāṇa-kāle manasācalena. Acalena.

Prabhupāda: Again... Acalena. Acalena means he has been practiced to fix his mind to Kṛṣṇa. Then, if he's successful, the prayāṇa-kāle, he must remember.

Chandobhai: Yes, yes. Here. Bhaktyā yukto yoga-balena caiva.

Prabhupāda: Yoga. Bhaktya. That is the bhakti-yoga. Not otherwise.

Chandobhai: Bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśya samyak.

Prabhupāda: Ah. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...they meditate all the life, the so-called yogis. Something impersonal... Some light, like this, like that. Light may be also, if that Brahmān light. But here it is specifically mentioned...

Dr. Patel: Especially spontaneously you feel some light...

Prabhupāda: That's all right, Brahma-light. But the Brahma-light, according to Bhāgavata philosophy, even one enters in the Brahman effulgence, still he falls down. Still he falls down. Arūhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādhṛta-yusmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Unless one is fixed up in the personal form of the Lord, there is chance of falling down. They fall down actually. We have seen so many sannyāsīs. Just like at the present moment, Korpatali(?). He's now busy in politics.

Room Conversation with Mr. Tran-van-Kha, and President & Members of the Society of Buddhists in France -- June 15, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: That is yogic process. Those who are trying to find out the Supreme from the body, for them the different cakras mean the active principle, how He is working in different places. From the abdomen to the heart, then here, then here, then here. Ṣaṭ-cakra, six cakras. That is yogic system.

Guest (1): (French)

Yogeśvara: Do we have a meaning, do we have a definition for the third eye?

Prabhupāda: Humm?

Yogeśvara: The third eye.

Prabhupāda: Third eye. The future. Future.

Yogeśvara: Future?

Prabhupāda: Past, present and future.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: There is a philosophy, Śrīla Prabhupāda, they say that you meditate on some third eye, and this opens up into the..., some spiritual realization, a mystical realization. It is very popular.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Between the two eyebrows, that is said, explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhruvor madhye..., ante kāle ca mām...

Pṛthu Putra: (French)

Prabhupāda: That's Eight Chapter, I think, bhruvor madhye. Eighth Chapter? Hmm. Is it the Eighth Chapter?

Yogeśvara: That is the Eighth Chapter, text 21, 22.

Prabhupāda: Ten. Read.

Pṛthu Putra:

prayāṇa-kāle manasā 'calena

bhaktyā yukto yoga-balena caiva

bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśya samyak

sa taṁ paraṁ puruṣam upaiti divyam

(French translation) "One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and in full devotion engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Prabhupāda: This is bhruvor madhye.

Guest (3): (French)

Yogeśvara: He says: today, is it wise to practice this kind of meditation?

Prabhupāda: Useless. They cannot. It takes very, very, long time to get perfection. Vālmīki Muni got perfection in 60,000 years. Oh, Sixth Chapter. Read this, Arjuna uvāca.

Yogeśvara:

arjuna uvāca

yo 'yaṁ yogas tvayā proktaḥ

sāmyena madhusūdana

etasyāhaṁ na paśyāmi

cañcalatvāt sthitiṁ sthirām

(French translation) "Arjuna said, O Madhusūdana, the system of yoga which you have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is restless and unsteady."

Prabhupāda: Yoga, this yoga system means controlling the mind. But 5,000 years ago a person like Arjuna, who had his friend Kṛṣṇa, he is saying that it is not possible for him. And at the present moment people are so degraded—not in the position of Arjuna—how they can get success? He is not ordinary man. Such a great warrior belonged to the royal family, and so qualified that he could talk with Kṛṣṇa personally, he says that it is not possible. So, do you think that you are..., become more than Arjuna that you can get success?