**2.72:** O son of Prithā, this is the state of Brahman. Having attained it, one is never deluded. If one is established in this state even at the time of death, one attains the tranquil Brahman (nirvāṇa).
**Commentary:** 'Eṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha' – This is the state of Brahman, meaning the state of a person who has attained Brahman. When, due to the absence of ego, individuality is dissolved, then one's state is automatically in Brahman. This is because individuality existed only due to association with the world. By completely renouncing that association, the yogi has no individual state of his own. Due to indicating something extremely proximate, the word 'eṣā' (this) here refers to the terms 'vihāya kāmān' (having abandoned desires), 'niḥspṛhaḥ nirmamaḥ' (free from longing and possessiveness), and 'nirahaṅkāraḥ' (without ego) from the previous verse.
Having heard from the Lord's mouth, "When your intellect crosses beyond the mire of delusion and the confusion arising from conflicting scriptures, then you will attain Yoga," a curiosity arose in Arjuna's mind: What would that state be? On this, Arjuna asked four questions regarding the 'sthita-prajña' (one of steady wisdom). After answering those four questions, the Lord here states that state is the 'brāhmī sthiti' (state of Brahman). The implied meaning is that it is not an individual state; i.e., individuality does not remain in it. It is the attainment of eternal Yoga (nityayoga). Only one Reality remains. To draw attention to this subject, the address 'Pārtha' is given here.
'Naināṁ prāpya vimuhyati' – As long as ego remains in the body, the possibility of being deluded remains. But when, with the complete absence of ego, one experiences one's state in Brahman, then, because individuality is broken, there remains no possibility of ever being deluded again.
Not knowing the Real (Sat) and the unreal (asat) properly is delusion (moha). The implied meaning is that even while being Sat oneself, to continue considering oneself one with the asat is delusion. When the sādhaka properly knows the asat, his connection with the asat is severed, and he experiences his real state in Sat. Upon experiencing this state, delusion never occurs again (Gītā 4.35).
'Sthitvāsyām antakāle'pi brahma-nirvāṇam ṛcchati' – This human body is obtained solely for attaining the Supreme Self. Therefore, the Lord gives this opportunity: however ordinary or however sinful a person may be, if even at the time of death he establishes his state in the Supreme Self—i.e., severs his connection with insentience—then he too will attain the tranquil Brahman (nirvāṇa); he will be liberated from birth and death. The Lord said a similar thing in the thirtieth verse of the seventh chapter: "Those who know Me as the Adhibhūta, the Adhidaiva, and the Adhiyajña even at the time of departure, they know Me in reality, i.e., they attain Me." In the fifth verse of the eighth chapter, it is said: "And whoever, at the time of death, gives up the body remembering Me alone, he attains My being; there is no doubt about this."
Secondly, through the above words, the Lord describes the glory of that brāhmī sthiti: if one becomes established in it even at the time of death, one attains the tranquil Brahman. Just as the Lord said regarding 'samabuddhi' (evenness of mind) that even a little practice of this protects one from great fear (2.40), similarly here He says that if the brāhmī sthiti is attained even at the time of death—if connection with insentience is severed—then one attains nirvāṇa Brahman. In experiencing this state, attachment to insentience alone is the obstacle. If someone renounces this attachment even at the time of death, then he experiences his self-evident, real state.
Here a doubt may arise: How can an experience that did not occur in a lifetime happen at the time of death? That is, in a healthy state, the sādhaka's intellect will be healthy, he will have the power of discrimination, he will be alert, so he will experience the brāhmī sthiti; but at the time of death, when the vital force is departing, the intellect becomes disturbed, alertness is lost—in such a state, how will the experience of the brāhmī sthiti occur? The resolution is this: At the time of death, when the vital force departs, connection with the body etc. is automatically severed. If at that time one's focus turns towards that self-evident Reality, its experience occurs easily. The reason is that for attaining the state of nirvikalpa (thought-free), intellect, discrimination etc. are necessary, but for attaining the state-transcending Reality, only focus is necessary. That focus may occur due to prior practice, due to some auspicious impression (saṁskāra), or due to the causeless grace of God or a saint—once focus occurs, its attainment is self-evident.
Here, the implication of the word 'api' (even) is that if one attains this state before the time of death, i.e., while alive, he becomes a jīvanmukta (liberated while living); but if this state occurs even at the time of death—i.e., one becomes free from possessiveness and ego—then he too is liberated. This implies that this state occurs instantly. For this state, there is not the slightest need to practice, meditate, or enter samādhi.
Here, in the context of Karmayoga, the Lord has used the term 'brahma-nirvāṇam'. Its meaning is that just as the Sāṅkhyayogī attains nirvāṇa Brahman (Gītā 5.24-26), similarly the Karmayogī also attains nirvāṇa Brahman. This very point is stated in the fifth verse of the fifth chapter: The state attained by the Sāṅkhyayogī is also attained by the Karmayogī.
**Special Point:**
Insentient (jaḍa) and sentient (cetana)—these are two entities. The essential nature of every being is sentient, but it has associated with the insentient. Attraction towards the insentient is to go towards downfall, and attraction towards the consciousness-principle (cinmaya-tattva) is to go towards upliftment, to do one's own welfare. In going towards the insentient, 'delusion' (moha) is predominant, and in going towards the Supreme Self principle, 'discrimination' (viveka) is predominant.
From the perspective of understanding, moha and viveka can be divided into two types each: (1) Moha accompanied by egoism and possessiveness (ahaṁtā-mamatā), and moha accompanied by desire. (2) Discrimination between the Real and the unreal (Sat-asat), and discrimination between duty and non-duty (kartavya-akartavya).
To consider the acquired objects, body etc., as 'I' and 'mine'—this is moha accompanied by egoism and possessiveness. And to desire unacquired objects, events, situations etc.—this is moha accompanied by desire. The embodied soul (śarīrī, the dweller in the body) is separate and the body is separate; the śarīrī is Sat and the body is asat; the śarīrī is sentient and the body is insentient—to know this properly as separate is the discrimination between Sat and asat. And to understand properly what is duty and what is non-duty, what is dharma and what is adharma, and to act accordingly, performing duty and renouncing non-duty, is the discrimination between duty and non-duty.
In the first chapter, Arjuna too was afflicted by two types of moha, in which all beings are entangled. Taking up egoism: "We are righteous souls who know faults," and taking up possessiveness: "These kinsmen will die"—this was moha accompanied by egoism and possessiveness. "Sin should not accrue to us, the blame for the destruction of the family should not accrue, the sin of betraying friends should not accrue, we should not have to go to hell, our ancestors should not fall"—this was moha accompanied by desire.
To remove these two types of moha, the Lord explained two types of discrimination in the second chapter: discrimination between the śarīrī and the śarīra, Sat and asat (2.11-30), and discrimination between duty and non-duty (2.31-53).
Explaining the discrimination between śarīrī and śarīra, the Lord said: "It is not that I, you, and these kings did not exist before, nor is it that we will not exist hereafter"—meaning, we all existed before and will exist hereafter, and these bodies did not exist before and will not exist hereafter, and are changing every moment even in between. Just as childhood, youth, and old age—these states change in the body, and just as a person discards old garments and wears new ones, similarly the soul, leaving the former body, assumes another body—this is an incontrovertible law. What is there for sorrow or lamentation in this?
Explaining the discrimination between duty and non-duty, the Lord said: For a Kṣatriya, there is no dharma greater than righteous war. A war that comes unsought is an open gateway to heaven. If you do not perform your own dharma in the form of battle, sin will accrue to you. If you fight, treating victory and defeat, gain and loss, and pleasure and pain as equal, then sin will not accrue to you. You have a right to action alone, never to its fruits. Do not be the cause of the fruits of action, nor have attachment to inaction. Therefore, being equipoised in success and failure, and established in evenness, perform actions; for evenness is Yoga. The man who performs action endowed with evenness of mind becomes free from merit and demerit even while living.
When your intellect crosses beyond the mire of delusion and the confusion arising from conflicting scriptures, then you will attain Yoga.
Thus, with the utterance of the names of the Lord 'Tat Sat', the second chapter named Sāṅkhyayoga, in the dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, which is the Upaniṣad of the Śrīmad Bhagavadgītā, composed of Brahmavidyā and Yogaśāstra, is complete.
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