Category Archives: tat

Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 13

13 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.12, amritam, anaadimat, asat, ashnute, brahma, chapter 13 verse 12, jneyam, jnyaatvaa, param, pravakshyaami, sat, tat, uchyate, yat

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jneyam yattatpravakshyaami yajjnyaatvaamritamashnute |
anaadimatparam brahma na sattannaasaduchyate || 12 ||
 
I will describe that which is to be known, by realizing which, immortality is attained. The supreme brahman is without beginning, said to be neither manifest nor unmanifest.
 
jneyam : known
yat : which
tat : that
pravakshyaami : I will describe
yat : which
jnyaatvaa : having realized
amritam : immortality
ashnute : attain
anaadimat : without beginning
param : supreme
brahma : brahman
na : not
sat : manifest
tat : that
na : not
asat : unmanifest
uchyate : said
 
In the beginning of this chapter, Shri Krishna set out to explain what is kshetra or the field, and what is kshetrajnya or the knower of the field. He then set to list out various aspects of the field, which are also known as upaadhis or conditionings. This list included upaadhis such as the intellect, the mind, the five elements and so on. Shri Krishna also asserted there is only one knower of the field that is limited or conditioned by all of these upaadhis. He then gave us twenty attributes that we should cultivate in order to reduce the importance we give to these upaadhis, so that we can slowly uncover and get to the kshetrajnya, the knower of the field.
 
After assuming that we have cultivated these twenty qualities, and consequently learned how to reduce the importance of the field in our lives, Shri Krishna now gets to the main topic of this chapter. He says that he will now reveal what is the real knowledge, what all of us should know in this world as the culmination of all of our knowledge, what is “jneyam”. We learn so many things in our life through schools, colleges, professional training, street smarts and so on. But none of them can give us immortality. None of them can give us a permanent solution from the sorrows that we experience day in and day out. Each time we leave our self and go through our senses into the world to fulfill a desire, we generate sorrow, we create “death” in each such departure.
 
So then, what is this immortality-giving knowledge? Shri Krishna says that it is brahman, which is the very same eternal essence that is within us, and within everything else in the universe. It is “param” or supreme, beyond which nothing else needs to be known. It is “anadimat”, eternal, without any beginning, beyond all notions of time. It is not manifest, which means it is not accessible to the senses or the mind as an object of perception or a thought. But it is also not unmanifest. For instance, our unfulfilled desires lie dormant in our unconscious mind, but do not manifest as thoughts in our mind. The eternal essence is beyond our unconscious as well.
 
We now see why it is so difficult to understand the eternal essence. It is not like any object or form that can be described in words. It is also not an abstract concept that can be explained through logic, or by comparing it to something else or by combining one concept with another. In earlier chapters we saw how such situations can be handled with negation. If we want to instruct someone on how to select a maroon shirt, we tell them ignore all of the other colours of shirts. The one that is left will be the maroon shirt. Similarly, the eternal essence cannot be comprehended by our mind and senses because it is beyond the mind and senses. It can only be attained through negating everything that is not the eternal essence – by negating the upaadhis or fields.
 
Now, in the upcoming shlokas, Shri Krishna proceeds step by step to negate the upaadhis of the eternal essence, starting with the most visible ones.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 13

03 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.3, chapter 13 verse 3, kshetram, me, saha, samaasena, tat, yaadrika, yadvikaari, yataha, yatprabhaavaha

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tatkshetram yachcha yaadrika cha yadvikaari yatashcha yata |
sa cha yo yatprabhaavashcha tatsamaasena me shrunu || 3 ||
 
And what is that field, and of what is its nature, and what are its modifications, and from where it was born; and who is he and what are his powers, listen from me in brief.
 
tat : that
kshetram : field
yat : which
cha : and
yaadrika : what is its nature
cha : and
yadvikaari : what are its modifications
yataha : from where it was born
cha : and
yat : who is
saha : he
cha : and
yaha : what
yatprabhaavaha : his powers
cha : and
tat : that
samaasena : in brief
me : from me
shrunu : listen
 
Since we covered a lot of ground in the prior two shlokas, let us do a quick recap. Shri Krishna said that there is only one kind of knowledge that has to be known by a seeker: that there are several bodies or conditionings called fields, and there is just one knower of the field that is as though limited by these bodies due to ignorance or avidyaa. Since there is a lot more to be said about this subject, Shri Krishna lists all the relevant topics that he has to cover.
 
With regards to the kshetra, the field, we have to learn about what it is, what are its characteristics, how does it undergo modifications and what it its source. With regards to the knower of the field, the kshetragnya, we have to also learn what it is, what are its powers and what are its effects. This is the theoretical aspect of this chapter. All this will be covered in just a few shlokas, or “in brief” from Shri Krishna’s standpoint, but we will study it elaborately.
 
Another topic that will be covered in this chapter is the comparison between the individual and the world, how does the individual come in contact with the world, how does he transact with the world, and what are the means of knowledge he can use to maintain the awareness of the field and its knower throughout his life. This is an extremely practical and useful aspect of this chapter.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 13

02 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.2, api, bhaarata, chapter 13 verse 2, jnyaanam, kshetragnya, kshetrakshetragnayoho, maam, mama, matam, sarvakshetreshu, tat, viddhi, yat

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kshetragnya chaapi maam viddhi sarvakshetreshu bhaarata |
kshetrakshetragnayorjnyaanam yattajgnyaanam matam mama || 2 ||
 
And also, understand that I am the knower of all fields, O Bhaarata. That knowledge which pertains to the field and its knower, in my opinion, that is (real) knowledge.
 
kshetragnya : knower of the field
cha : and
api : also
maam : I
viddhi : understand
sarvakshetreshu : all fields
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
kshetrakshetragnayoho : field and its knower
jnyaanam : knowledge
yat : that which
tat : that
jnyaanam : knowledge
matam : opinion
mama : my
 
Shri Krishna began the previous chapter by defining two terms: kshetra which means field, and kshetragnya which means the knower of the field, one who knows himself as distinct from the field. In this shloka, Shri Krishna uses these terms to indicate the identity or oneness of the kshetragnya in all kshetras. Let us try to understand this very important point. Like Arjuna did in the first chapter, most of us consider our self, our “I”, as this body, and therefore get stuck in the sorrows of this world. As we understand the message of the first six chapters, we understand that we are the eternal essence which is different than our body. We then understand from the next six chapters that Ishvara is the foundation of this world as the lower Prakriti or matter, and higher Prakriti or consciousness. Now, in this shloka, Shri Krishna says that there is no such distinction between the individual eternal essence and the foundation of this world. There is only one kshetragnya, and any notion of separation is illusory, caused by avidyaa or ignorance. This is the great statement, the mahaa vaakya “Tat Tvam Asi” of the Vedas. You and Ishvara are the same in essence, there is no difference.
 
When we first hear someone say that we are the same as Ishvara, we don’t find it quite logical. We say, how can a body that is five feet eight inches tall be the same as Ishvara who is large enough to contain all the planets and stars of the universe within him? To answer this, we have to first remember that “Tat Tvam Asi” is not meant to be taken literally. Again, let us proceed step by step. First, let us understand the term “upaadhi”. It means something that limits or conditions a more general thing. A wave is an upaadhi of water. A light bulb is an upaadhi of electricity. An ornament is an upaadhi of gold. We can obtain the general thing that the upaadhi limits or hides by a process of mental removal. Mentally remove the wave, and you get water. Mentally remove the bulb, you get electricity. Mentally remove the ornament, you get gold. We can take this even further. Mentally remove the labels Mercedes Benz and Maruti 800 from the word car, and you get metal, rubber, petrol and plastic. Mentally remove the labels Indian and American from the word person, and you get flesh, bones and blood.
 
Now, having undersood what an upaadhi is, and how it can be mentally removed, let us proceed to understand what the word “Asi” in “Tat Tvam Asi” indicates. It is not to be literally interpreted as Tvam (You) Asi (are equal to) Tat (Ishvara). Asi means “are equal to, when you remove the upaadhi”. If we apply this meaning, the mahaa vaakya reads : Tvam (You) Asi (are equal to) Tat (Ishvara) when you remove both the upaadhis of You and Ishvara. I as a human have the upaadhi of the physical body and everything it contains. Ishvara has the upaadhi of the entire universe in its visible form including all the trees, plants, animals, people, stars, planets etc that we see with our senses. If we mentally remove our body as an upaadhi, and we also mentally remove the visible universe as an upaadhi, we are left with the same eternal essence in both cases. That same eternal essence, that same kshetragnya, is present in all kshetras, which are the same as upaadhis.
 
Another meaning of the word “upaadhi” is title or qualification, which can help us understand this shloka in a different way. Let’s say there are two brothers in a house. One of them has a PhD in physics, and the other is a manager in a multinational. When each of them is in their respective offices, they use their titles as part of their job responsibilities. But when they perform a pooja or a holy ritual, lets say, they mentally remove their upaadhis or titles. If they did not remove their titles, their conversation would go like this: “Hey PhD in physics, do this. Hey manager, pour the clarified butter”. They would never see that they are really the same family under the titles that seemingly create differences. This means that removing upaadhis to realize our oneness with Ishvara can be difficult, but it is not impossible. We know how to remove small upaadhis. Shri Krishna will teach us how to remove the biggest upaadhis in this chapter through practical techniques. He says that ultimately, knowledge of the kshetragnya, the kshetras or upaadhis, and how to realize oneness under the kshetras, is the ultimate knowledge that one has to learn, and not any other type of knowledge.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 42, Chapter 11

25 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.42, achyuta, aham, api, aprameyam, asatkritaha, asi, athavaa, avahaasaartham, bhojaneshu, chapter 11 verse 42, ekaha, kshaamaye, tat, tatsamaksham, tvaam, vihaarashayyasanaha, yat

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yacchaavahaasaarthamasatkritosi vihaarashayyasanabhojaneshu |
ekothavaapyachyuta tatsamaksham tatkshaamaye tvaamahamaprameyam || 42 ||
 
Whatever insults were said to you in jest, while resting, sleeping, sitting, dining, O resolute one, while in solitude or in front of others, for all that, I ask your forgiveness, O immeasureable one.
 
yat : whatever
cha : and
avahaasaartham : said in jest
asatkritaha : insults
asi : happened
vihaarashayyasanaha : resting, sleeping or sitting
bhojaneshu : dining
ekaha : in solitude
athavaa: or
api : also
achyuta : O resolute one
tatsamaksham : in front of others
tat : that
kshaamaye : forgiveness
tvaam : your
aham : I
aprameyam : O immeasureable one
 
Throughout the Gita, Shri Krishna repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining an attitude of equanimity, of sameness, to objects, situations and people that we encounter. He used phrases like “do not view a brahmin different that an outcaste”, “view gold and clay as the same”, “one who views friends, enemies and well wishers with the same vision is superior”. But when Arjuna examined his past treatment of Krishna, he found that he did not live up to that standard.
 
Now that he had received the knowledge of equanimity from Shri Krishna, Arjuna wanted to confess his misbehaviour and ask for forgiveness from Shri Krishna. He acknowledged that his behaviour was purely driven by ignorance and jest. It is said in the Mahaabhaarata that Arjuna was fond of pulling pranks on Shri Krishna during their childhood days. He once pulled a chair on which Shri Krishna was about to sit. He wanted to reassure Shri Krishna that in all those pranks, he meant no malice whatsoever.
 
As he implored for forgiveness, Arjuna addressed Shri Krishna as “achyuta”, one who never falls from his position, asserting that Shri Krishna’s conduct was beyond reproach, that he practised what he preached. He also addressed him as “aprameyam”, one who is so infinite that he cannot be measured. Forgiveness can only come from one who has a large heart. Confessing his wrongdoings to Shri Krishna enabled Arjuna to start with a clean slate and begin to follow his teachings.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 11

18 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in 11.4, aatmaanam, avyayam, chapter 11 verse 4, darshaya, drishtum, iti, manyase, mayaa, me, prabho, shakayam, tat, tataha, tvam, yadi, yogeshvara

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manyase yadi tachchakayam mayaa drishtumiti prabho |
yogeshvara tato me tvam darshayaatmaanamavyayam || 4 ||
 
O Lord, if you think that it is possible for this to be seen by me, then O Yogeshvara, you show me your undivided form.
 
manyase : you think
yadi : if
tat : that
shakayam : possible
mayaa : by me
drishtum : seen
iti : this
prabho : O Lord
yogeshvara : O Yogeshvara
tataha : then
me : me
tvam : you
darshaya : show
aatmaanam : your
avyayam : undivided form
 
We come across another aspect of Arjuna’s request in this shloka. Imagine the plight of an movie actor who is absolutely devoted to his craft. He has worked day and nights for a whole year in a movie as a supporting actor. After the shooting ends, he is filled with a burning desire to see the entire movie. Why so? It is because he has only seen the bits and pieces of the movie that he was involved with, and he is not satisfied unless he sees it as a single story, end to end.
 
Likewise, Arjuna is no longer content with seeing bits and pieces of Ishvara’s expressions. He wants to see how it all comes together as one undivided entity. This is indicated by Arjuna’s use of the word “avyayam” which means undivided, without any discontinuity. And like the only person who can reveal the whole movie is the director, the only person that can reveal the undivided nature of the universe is the “prabhu”, the governor, master and controller.
 
Now, Arjuna knows that he has to approach Shri Krishna with humility. That’s why he politely says: “show me that form only if you think that I am qualified to see it”. Morever, Arjuna does not want to imagine it or dream it up, he wants to see it with his eyes, with his “drishti”. He also refers to Shri Krishna as “yogeshwara”, the teacher of several yogas in the Gita such as karma yoga, dhyana yoga, jnyana yoga and bhakti yoga. The yoga in “Vibhooti yoga” is the power that creates variety in the one undivided Ishvara.
 
So, does Shri Krishna agree to this request? We shall see next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 41, Chapter 10

11 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.41, ansha, avagaccha, chapter 10 verse 41, eva, mama, oorjitam, sambhavam, satvam, shreemat, tat, tejaha, tvam, vaa, vibhootimat, yat

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yadyadvibhootimatsatvam shreemadoorjitameva vaa |
tattadevaavagaccha tvam mama tejonshasambhavam || 41 ||
 
Whichever entity is endowed with majesty, prosperity and also energy, you should understand that all those as born out of a fraction of my power.
 
yat : whichever
vibhootimat : endowed with majesty
satvam : entity
shreemat : prosperity
oorjitam : energy
eva : also
vaa : and
tat : all those
eva : and
avagaccha : understand
tvam : you
mama : my
tejaha : power
ansha : fraction
sambhavam : born out of
 
Since it is difficult for someone in our time to identify with Puraanic expressions of Ishvara, Shri Krishna gives us a simple suggestion. He says that anything that appeals to our mind and senses, any object or person that is endowed with grandeur, perfection, knowledge and power, anything that inspire awe and wonder is Ishvara’s expression. So we are free to choose anything that meets this criteria.
 
So if we live in India, the Taj Mahal becomes Ishvara’s expression and in USA, the Grand Canyon. If we like western classical music, the Mahler Symphony No. 9 in D Major becomes Ishvara’s vibhooti and if we like Indian classical music, a rendition by Bhimsen Joshi. An engineer can admire marvels such as the tallest building in the world or the space shuttle. And all of us can admire the thousands of nameless people who are working in NGOs to better the world as yet another expression of Ishvara.
 
Now, Shri Krishna makes another important point here. If we add up all the glories in the universe, that glory is but a fraction of Ishvara’s glory. Just like we always think of a country’s government whenever we see a police officer, we should always think of Ishvara whenever we see or think of any of his expressions. Arjuna had asked the question as to how he could know Ishvara. With this shloka, Shri Krishna has provided the answer. We use the visible expression to remind us of the invisible Ishvara.
 
What should we do? Whenever we see something wonderful and glorious, we should remember that the glory is coming from Ishvara, not from that object or person. Next, we should remember that Ishvara is infinitely more powerful and glorious than the object or person. In this manner, we will be able to maintain a constant awareness of Ishvara.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 39, Chapter 10

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.39, acharam, aham, api, arjuna, asti, beejam, bhootam, cha, chapter 10 verse 39, chara, mayaa, na, sarvabhootaanaam, syaat, tat, vinaa, yat

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yatchaapi sarvabhootaanaam beejam tadahamarjuna |
na tadasti vinaa yatsyaanmayaa bhootam charaacharam || 39 ||
 
And O Arjuna, whatsoever is the seed of all beings, I am that. No moving or non-moving being can exist without me.
 
yat : whatsoever
cha : and
api : also
sarvabhootaanaam : all beings
beejam : seed
tat : that
aham : I am
arjuna : Arjuna
na : it is not
tat : that
asti : there is
vinaa : without
yat: which
syaat : can exist
mayaa : me
bhootam : being
chara : moving
acharam : non-moving
 
Now Shri Krishna begins to conclude the teaching of this chapter. Having provided a long list of Ishvara’s divine expressions, he now gives us a simple formula to recognize him. He says that whatever we come across in the world, whether it is a living or a non-living entity, or whether it is moving or stationary, it has arisen from the seed that is Ishvara. In other words, Ishvara is the cause or the seed of everything in this universe.
 
One way of understanding this is as follows. When we refer to an object, let’s say it’s a book, we say : “This is a book”. There are two aspects pointed out here. First is the book, which is quite obvious. But we also use the word “is” to indicate that the book exists, that the book is visible, and it will be visible to someone else. Shri Krishna says that the very existence of the book, the “is-ness” of the book, is nothing but Ishvara.
 
In other words, this entire universe will not exist without Ishvara. All of the names and forms in the universe use Ishvara are their basis. If we comprehend this, and develop our vision based on this knowledge, we will automatically see Ishvara everywhere, just like we automatically “see” electricity in every electrical gadget.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 27, Chapter 9

22 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.27, ashnaasi, chapter 9 verse 27 karoshi, dadaasi, juhoshi, kaunteya, kurushva, madarpanam, tapasyasi, tat, yat

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yatkaroshi yadashnaasi yajjuhoshi dadaasi yata |
yattapasyasi kaunteya tatkurushva madarpanam || 27 ||
 
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in a sacrifice, whatever you donate, whatever you practice as penance, O Kaunteya, offer it to me.
 
yat : whatever
karoshi : you do
ashnaasi : you eat
juhoshi : you offer in a sacrifice
dadaasi : you donate
tapasyasi : you practice as penance
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
tat : that
kurushva : do
madarpanam : offer it to me
 
Shri Krishna explains the technique of bringing worship into daily life. Previously we learnt the technique of worshipping Ishvara using simple offerings like water. Once we get used to the worship of Ishvara in the home and in the temple, we need to bring that spirit of worship into all of our actions. In other words, we need to learn how to bring divinity into our actions. To that end, this shloka urges us to perform all actions as an act of worship towards Ishvara.
 
The simplest and most common action we perform is that of eating. Shri Krishna says that even the act of eating should be considered an act of worship. Traditionally, before every meal, the first five morsels are offered to the deity within with the words “praanaaya svaaha”. The rest of the meal should be consumed with the attitude that the act of eating is occurring in the service of Ishvara, and not for the appeasement of our senses.
 
Now, take another action like exercising, for instance. How do we transform that into an act of worship? Anything that causes discomfort in the short term, but gets us gains in the long term, is an act of “tapas” or penance. Shri Krishna says that we can convert any action into a penance if we imbibe it with the attitude of worship. So if we have to take a long walk for exercising, for example, we can imagine that we are doing a “pradakshina”, that we walking around a temple. In this manner, even a discomforting act becomes divine.
 
Similarly, any action that requires strenuous effort and long hours can be made into an act of sacrifice. If we have to put in extra hours of work, we have to sacrifice our leisure time in the process. We can think of those extra hours of work as an offering in a “yagnya” or sacrifice.
 
In other words, we need go through elaborate rituals with fire and butter and priests and so on. Any action can be converted into an act of worship. When we donate, we can think that we are returning to Ishvara what was Ishvara’s to begin with. When we go on a diet, we can imagine that we are conserving Ishvara’s energy, and so on.
 
What is the rationale for “divinizing” all of our actions? The notion of doership and enjoyership, the two main obstacles to liberation, get progressively diluted. Instead of thinking “I did this” and “I enjoyed this”, we begin to think that “Ishvara did it, and Ishvara gets the results”. Consequently, our stress levels and worries begin to reduce as well.
 
This takes us back full circle to karma yoga, but with the added dimension of devotion. Karma yoga without bhakti yoga is incomplete. Without the attitude of devotion, we can potentially commit wrong or harmful actions that we will hesitate to perform in front of Ishvara. With devotion, karma yoga is complete.
 
Shri Krishna reveals the result of worshipful actions in the next shloka.
 
Footnotes:
1. Devotion comprises three aspects: seva (service), shraddha (faith) and Ishvara mahaanata (greatness of Ishvara)

Bhagavad Gita Verse 26, Chapter 9

21 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.26, aham, ashnaami, bhaktyaa, bhaktyupahritam, chapter 9 verse 26, me, patram, phalam, prayacchati, prayataatmanaha, pushpam, tat, toyam, yaha

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patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktyaa prayacchati |
tadaham bhaktyupahritamashnaami prayataatmanaha || 26 ||
 
One who presents a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water with devotion to me, I will consume that loving gift from that pure hearted being.
 
patram : leaf
pushpam : flower
phalam : fruit
toyam : water
yaha : one who
me : to me
bhaktyaa : with devotion
prayacchati : presents
tat : that
aham : me
bhaktyupahritam : loving gift
ashnaami : I will consume
prayataatmanaha : pure hearted being
 
Having described the incorrect method of worship earlier, Shri Krishna now explains the correct method in yet another gem of a shloka in this chapter. He says that Ishvara does not want any expensive gifts. To become his devotee, we can give him something that nature offers in plenty for free: a leaf, a flower, a fruit or even some water.
 
Why is it important to give a gift to Ishvara? Building strong relationships requires actions and attitude. Take the example of a newly married husband and wife. How do they ensure that they maintain a strong bond? To start with, they can exchange gifts during events such as Valentine’s day, their wedding anniversary with cards, flowers and so on.
 
But material exchanges in themselves are not sufficient. There has to be quality time spent with each other. Also, there has to be an exchange of meaningful thoughts, meaningful dialogue, not just talk about movies and sports etc.
 
The same thing also applies to worship. When we do all kinds of rituals for ourselves such as taking a bath, applying fragrance, eating food and so on, we can at least begin worshipping Ishvara by offering a flower or some water daily. Unless our mind and our actions are both engaged in Ishvara’s worship, it will be difficult to build a strong bond with him.
 
Now, why is all this needed? One could say that we should just practice karma yoga by doing actions selflessly. But, karma yoga is incomplete without surrender to a higher ideal, and Ishvara is the highest possible ideal. Moreover, without the right emotional link to Ishvara, our pursuit will become dry and academic.
 
So therefore, when we offer a simple gift to Ishvara, but with an attitude of devotion, Ishvara happily consumes the gift. Our attitude should be similar to a small child presenting a gift to his father or mother, because in reality, we are offering to Ishvara what was his to begin with.
 
Once we have created this habit of worshipping Ishvara daily in our house, we should slowly bring it out of the house and into every action, as described in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21, Chapter 8

18 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.21, aahuhu, aksharaha, avyaktaha, chapter 8 verse 21, dhaama, gatim, iti, mama, na, nivartante, paramaam, paramam, praapya, tam, tat, uktaha, yam

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avyaktokshara ityuktastamaahuhu paramaam gatim |
yam praapya na nivartante taddhaama paramam mama || 21 ||
 
He who is called unmanifest and imperishable, he who has been spoken of as the supreme goal; having attained him (beings) do not return, that is my supreme abode.
 
avyaktaha : unmanifest
aksharaha : imperishable
iti : in this manner
uktaha : has been called
tam : he
aahuhu : spoken
paramaam : supreme
gatim : goal
yam : he who
praapya : having attained
na : do not
nivartante : return
tat : that
dhaama : abode
paramam : supreme
mama : my
 
Earlier in this chapter, Shri Krishna had mentioned that those who attain Ishvara are not subject to further rebirth. In this shloka, he says that the “another unmanifest” that remains unaffected by the day and night of Lord Brahma is nothing but Ishvara. He also mentions the nature of Ishvara as imperishable, unmanifest and supreme.
 
With this shloka, we come back to the main theme that began in chapter seven – Ishvara. After having explained that this universe is subject to cycles of creation and dissolution, and that unless we take effort, we are stuck in this infinite cycle, Shri Krishna reiterates the need for the pursuit of Ishvara as the means of liberation.
 
So therefore, for the seeker who performs karma yoga and upaasanaa or devotion towards Ishvara attains Ishvara after he has completed his time on earth and in the abode of Lord Brahma. Shri Krishna summarizes the means of attaining Ishvara in the next shloka, which also concludes the topic of liberation from rebirth.