Skip to content
Live Gita
HomeExploreChatWisdomCoursesCommunityBookmarksSettings
Live Gita
HomeExploreChatWisdomCommunity
BG 15.8 — 15.8 When the Lord (as the individual soul) obtains a body and when He leaves it, He takes these and goes (with them) as the wind takes the scents from the
← Ch. 15
BG 15.8Sign in to save

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः |
गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ||१५-८||

śarīraṃ yadavāpnoti yaccāpyutkrāmatīśvaraḥ . gṛhitvaitāni saṃyāti vāyurgandhānivāśayāt ||15-8||


15.8 When the Lord (as the individual soul) obtains a body and when He leaves it, He takes these and goes (with them) as the wind takes the scents from their seats (flowers, etc.).

Word-by-word meanings

15.8 शरीरम् a body? यत् when? अवाप्नोति obtains? यत् when? च and? अपि also? उत्क्रामति leaves? ईश्वरः the Lord? गृहीत्वा taking? एतानि these? संयाति goes? वायुः the wind? गन्धान् the scents? इव as? आशयात् from (their) seats (the flowers).Commentary Here is a description of how the subtle body leaves the gross body.When the Jiva? the Lord of the aggregate of the body and the rest takes up this body he brings in with him the mind and the senses when he leavs the body at its dissolution he takes wi

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

15.8 Yat, when; isvarah, the master of the aggregate of the body etc., the individual soul; utkramati, leaves the body, then he draws. Thus, the second arter of the verse is treated first for the sake of consistency. [When the soul leaves the body, then it draws the organs (see previous verses) from that body. In this way, the second arter of the present verse is treated first, because going to another body follows the leaving of the earlier one.-M.S.] Ca api, and even; yat, when; it avapnoti, assumes a body other than the earlier one; then, grahitva, taking; etani, these, the organs with the mind as their sixth; samyati, he leaves, goes away totally [Samyak, totally-without returning in any way to the earlier body.-M.S.] Like what? In reply the Lord says: iva, as; vayuh, the wind (carries away); gandhan, odours; asayat, from their receptacles-flowers etc. Which, again, are those (organs)?

(Showing excerpt)

Swami Gambirananda

15.8 When the master leaves it and even when he assumes a body, he departs taking these, as wind (carries away) odours from their receptacles.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Want to explore this verse deeper?

Discuss with AI companion →
← 15.7
15.9→