—json {

  "name":"Bg. 8.26",
  "h1":"Bg. 8.26",
  "label":"Text 26",
  "title":"Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 8.26",
  "description":"According to the Vedas, there are two ways of passing from this world—one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not come back; but when one passes in darkness, he returns."

} —

Bg. 8.26

शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते ।
एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ॥२६॥

Text

śukla-kṛṣṇe gatī hy ete
jagataḥ śāśvate mate
ekayā yāty anāvṛttim
anyayāvartate punaḥ

Synonyms

śukla—light; kṛṣṇe—darkness; gatī—passing away; hi—certainly; ete—all these; jagataḥ—of the material world; śāśvate—the Vedas; mate—in the opinion; ekayā—by one; yāti—goes; anāvṛttim—no return; anyayā—by the other; āvartate—comes back; punaḥ—again.

Translation

According to the Vedas, there are two ways of passing from this world—one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not come back; but when one passes in darkness, he returns.

Purport

The same description of departure and return is quoted by Ācārya Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa from the Chandogya Upaniṣad. In such a way, those who are fruitive laborers and philosophical speculators from time immemorial are constantly going and coming. Actually they do not attain ultimate salvation, for they do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa.