Chapter 8, Verse 25
Chapter 8 · karma-yoga
Shloka
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् | तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ||८-२५||
dhūmo rātristathā kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇmāsā dakṣiṇāyanam . tatra cāndramasaṃ jyotiryogī prāpya nivartate ||8-25||
English Meaning
English Meaning
Attaining to the lunar light by smoke, night time, the dark fortnight also, the six months of the southern path of the sun (the southern solstice), the Yogi returns.
Hindi Meaning
धूम, रात्रि, कृष्णपक्ष और दक्षिणायन के छः मास वाले मार्ग से चन्द्रमा की ज्योति को प्राप्त कर, योगी (संसार को) लौटता है।।
Russian Meaning
Достигнув лунного света посредством дыма, в ночное время, а также в темные две недели, в шесть месяцев южного пути Солнца (южное солнцестояние), Йог возвращается.
Spanish Meaning
Al alcanzar la luz lunar a través del humo, la noche, también la quincena oscura, los seis meses del camino meridional del sol (el solsticio austral), el Yogui regresa.
Commentary
This is the Pitriyana or the path of darkness or the path of the ancestors which leads to rirth. Those who do sacrifices to the gods and other charitable works with expectation of reward go to the Chandraloka through this path and come back to this world when the fruits of the Karmas are exhausted.Smoke? night time? the dark fortnight and the six months of the southern solstice are all deities who preside over them. They may denote the degree of ignorance? attachment and passion. There are smoke and darkcoloured objects throughout the course. There is no illumination when one passes along this path. It is reached by ignorance. Hence it is called the path of darkness or smoke.