Devanagari
अधियज्ञ: कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन ।
प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभि: ॥ २ ॥
Verse text
adhiyajṣaḥ kathaṁ ko ’tra
dehe ’smin madhusūdana
prayāṇa-kāle ca kathaṁ
jṣeyo ’si niyatātmabhiḥ
Synonyms
adhiyajṣaḥ
—
the Lord of sacrifice
;
katham
—
how
;
kaḥ
—
who
;
atra
—
here
;
dehe
—
in the body
;
asmin
—
this
;
madhusūdana
—
O Madhusūdana
;
prayāṇa-kāle
—
at the time of death
;
ca
—
and
;
katham
—
how
;
jṣeyaḥ asi
—
You can be known
;
niyata-ātmabhiḥ
—
by the self-controlled.
Translation
Who is the Lord of sacrifice, and how does He live in the body, O Madhusūdana? And how can those engaged in devotional service know You at the time of death?
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
1-2. Arjuna said: What is Brahman, what is adhyātma, what is karma, what is adhibhūta and what is adhidaiva, O Supreme Person? Who is the adhiyajṣa, and how is he known in the body? How are You to be known at the point of death by those with concentrated minds?
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
1-2. Arjuna said: What is brahman, what is adhyātma, what is karma, what is adhibhūta and what is adhidaiva, O Supreme Person? Who is the adhiyajṣa, and how is he known in the body? How are You to known at the point of death by those with concentrated minds?
Purport
“Lord of sacrifice” may refer to either Indra or Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is the chief of the primal demigods, including Brahmā and Śiva, and Indra is the chief of the administrative demigods. Both Indra and Viṣṇu are worshiped by yajṣa performances. But here Arjuna asks who is actually the Lord of yajṣa (sacrifice) and how the Lord is residing within the body of the living entity.
Arjuna addresses the Lord as Madhusūdana because Kṛṣṇa once killed a demon named Madhu. Actually these questions, which are of the nature of doubts, should not have arisen in the mind of Arjuna, because Arjuna is a Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee. Therefore these doubts are like demons. Since Kṛṣṇa is so expert in killing demons, Arjuna here addresses Him as Madhusūdana so that Kṛṣṇa might kill the demonic doubts that arise in Arjuna’s mind.
Now the word prayāṇa-kāle in this verse is very significant because whatever we do in life will be tested at the time of death. Arjuna is very anxious to know of those who are constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What should be their position at that final moment? At the time of death all the bodily functions are disrupted, and the mind is not in a proper condition. Thus disturbed by the bodily situation, one may not be able to remember the Supreme Lord. Mahārāja Kulaśekhara, a great devotee, prays, “My dear Lord, just now I am quite healthy, and it is better that I die immediately so that the swan of my mind can seek entrance at the stem of Your lotus feet.” The metaphor is used because the swan, a bird of the water, takes pleasure in digging into the lotus flowers; its sporting proclivity is to enter the lotus flower. Mahārāja Kulaśekhara says to the Lord, “Now my mind is undisturbed, and I am quite healthy. If I die immediately, thinking of Your lotus feet, then I am sure that my performance of Your devotional service will become perfect. But if I have to wait for my natural death, then I do not know what will happen, because at that time the bodily functions will be disrupted, my throat will be choked up, and I do not know whether I shall be able to chant Your name. Better let me die immediately.” Arjuna questions how a person can fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet at such a time.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In the eighth chapter, the Lord speaks about pure bhakti and yoga-miśra-bhakti, in reply to Arjuna’s questions. He also describes the two destinations of the yogīs.
At the end of the previous chapter, the Lord mentioned knowledge of seven items (Brahman, adhyātma, karma, adhibhūta, adhidaiva, adhiyajṣa, and Himself, Kṛṣṇa). Wanting to know about these things, Arjuna asks questions about them in the first two verses of this chapter.
Who is the ruler of yajṣa in the body (atra dehe) and how should He be known in the body at the point of death? The sentence is completed with the next line of verse 2.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
In the eighth chapter, being questioned by Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa will explain the different items starting with brahman mentioned at the end of the last chapter. He will then explain two paths of bhakti: bhakti mixed with yoga and pure bhakti.
Arjuna asks questions in order to understand the meaning of the seven items starting with brahman, mentioned as objects of knowledge for the person desiring liberation in the last chapter. What is that brahman? Is it the conscious paramātmā or the conscious jīva? What is adhyātma: what is it that superintends the body (ātmā)? Is it the group of senses or a group of subtle elements? What is karma? Does it refer to ordinary day to day actions, or actions prescribed by the Vedas? Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa as Puruṣottama in order to counteract a possible objection by Kṛṣṇa, “Since we are equals, why do you ask Me?” “Because you are the Supreme Lord, You know everything, whereas I do not.”
What is adhibhūta? What is it that rules (adhi) the living entity within the body (bhūta)? Is it the products of the elements such as pots or the gross bodies of the jīva? What is adhidaivam? Is it meditation on the devatās (concerning the devatās) or the universal form (that which governs the devatās), the personification of everything in the universe? Who is adhiyajṣa? Does Indra or Viṣṇu own the sacrifice? What also is the nature of this ruler of sacrifice? Arjuna then addresses Kṛṣna as Madhusūdana, killer of the Madhu demon, letting Him understand that it will be easy for the Lord to remove all his doubts. At the time of death, because of the impossibility of concentrating the mind due to disturbance of all the senses, how are You to be known?
Surrender Unto Me
Here Arjuna asks about the 6th concept ‑ the adhiyajna. Who is the adhiyajna and where does He live inside the body?
And an 8th question that Arjuna puts is 'how can those engaged in devotional service can know You at the time of death?'
In the next two verses Krsna quickly answers seven of the questions.