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Study a Verse
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Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 8.17
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदु: ।
रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जना: ॥ १७ ॥
sahasra-yuga-paryantam
ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ
te ’ho-rātra-vido janāḥ
By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together form the duration of Brahmā’s one day. And such also is the duration of his night.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
By human calculation, Brahmā’s day lasts a thousand ages, and his night lasts just as long.
Prabhupāda explains that the material universe has a limited duration. Even Brahmā is subject to death.
Brahmā directly serves the Supreme Lord by managing the universe, and therefore he attains liberation.
These notes cover verses 8.17–19
In comparison to spiritual world, Material world is a place of repeated creation and destruction
Material world is
Miserable and
Temporary
Because, here everyone must suffer –
Birth, Old age, disease, death (8.16)
Constant creation and annihilation (8.17 – 8.19) – ‘Bhutva Bhutva praliyate’
Duration of material universe is limited
1 kalpa = 1 day of Brahma = 12 hours of Brahma = 1 night of Brahma
1 kalpa = 1,000 yuga cycles. Each cycle has the following four yugas in this order and duration:
Satya-yuga = 1,728,000 years
Treta-yuga = 1,296,000 years
Dvapara-yuga = 8,64,000 years
Kali-yuga = 4,32,000 years
One lifespan of Brahma = 100 years of Brahma = 311 trillion and 40 billion earth years
Analogy:
Brahma’s lifespan as compared to eternity is like lightning flash
Causal ocean has innumerable Brahmas like bubbles in Atlantic
Brahmaloka if compared to material planets — not free from birth, disease, old-age and death
Who goes to Brahmaloka — Elevated sannyasis
Fate of Brahma — Because of service to the Lord, gets liberation
Bhutva Bhutva praliyate — Repeated creation and destruction because of being captivated by illusory energy – Explained as follows
Annihilation at Brahma’s night – all living entities remain compact in body of Vishnu.
Again manifest at arrival of day.
End of Brahma’s life all living entities remain unmanifest for millions of years, again to be manifest in another millennium FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORTS 8.17 – 8.19 continued…
3 types of annihilation a living entity experiences (as per the purport), with respect to Brahma’s life
At death of the living entity every time he takes a body
End of Brahma’s day
End of Brahma’s life
Intelligent persons– Take to Krishna Consciousness
Use human life fully in Devotional Service, chanting Hare Krishna.
No more Rebirths – Transfer in this life to the spiritual planet of Krishna and become eternally blissful
Glories of supreme abode
Material world is continually being created and destroyed
Beyond this ocean of creation and destruction lies Krishna’s abode, where He is present and can be attained only by unalloyed devotion to Him
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Key ideas: mokṣa, dhāma.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 8.17 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to liberation & destiny?
Reflect on what you want to remember at life's end.
Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.