BG 08.05 anta-kale ca mam eva... cited

Expressions researched:
"anta-kale ca mam eva" |"attains immediately to My nature" |"smaran muktva kalevaram" |"whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me" |"yah prayati sa mad-bhavam" |"yati nasty atra samsayah"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "8.5" or "anta-kale ca mam eva" or "attains immediately to My nature" or "smaran muktva kalevaram" or "whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me" or "yah prayati sa mad-bhavam" or "yati nasty atra samsayah"

BG Preface and Introduction

BG Introduction:

Next, one may raise the question of how one goes about approaching that abode of the Supreme Lord. Information of this is given in the Eighth Chapter. It is said there:

anta-kāle ca mām eva

smaran muktvā kalevaram

yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ

yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

"And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me, attains immediately to My nature; and there is no doubt of this." (BG 8.5) One who thinks of Kṛṣṇa at the time of his death goes to Kṛṣṇa. One must remember the form of Kṛṣṇa; if he quits his body thinking of this form, he surely approaches the spiritual kingdom. Mad-bhāvam refers to the supreme nature of the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1)—that is, His form is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss.

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 8.5, Translation and Purport:

And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

In this verse the importance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is stressed. Anyone who quits his body in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is at once transferred to the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the purest of the pure. Therefore anyone who is constantly Kṛṣṇa conscious is also the purest of the pure. The word smaran ("remembering") is important. Remembrance of Kṛṣṇa is not possible for the impure soul who has not practiced Kṛṣṇa consciousness in devotional service. Therefore one should practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning of life. If one wants to achieve success at the end of his life, the process of remembering Kṛṣṇa is essential. Therefore one should constantly, incessantly chant the mahā-mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Lord Caitanya has advised that one be as tolerant as a tree (taror iva sahiṣṇunā). There may be so many impediments for a person who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nonetheless, tolerating all these impediments, one should continue to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, so that at the end of one's life one can have the full benefit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.2.13, Purport:

"Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination." Unless one is freed from all sinful reactions, one cannot be promoted to the platform of devotional service. Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gītā (8.5) it is stated:

anta-kāle ca mām eva

smaran muktvā kalevaram

yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ

yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

If one remembers Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, at the time of death, one is certainly eligible to return immediately home, back to Godhead.

SB 6.10.12, Purport:

The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (8.5):

anta-kāle ca mām eva

smaran muktvā kalevaram

yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ

yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

"Whoever, at the time of death, quits his body remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt." Of course, one must practice before one is overcome by death, but the perfect yogī, namely the devotee, dies in trance, thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

Now a question may be raised, what is the way how to approach the supreme abode of the Lord. That is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is said on the 8th Chapter, verses 5, 6, 7, 8, the process of approaching the Supreme Lord or Supreme Lord's abode is also given there. It is said like this:

anta-kāle ca mām eva

smaran muktvā kalevaram

yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ

yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

Anta-kāle, at the end of life, at the time of death. Anta-kāle ca mām eva, one who thinks of Kṛṣṇa, smaran, if he can remember. A dying person, at the time of death, if he remembers the form of Kṛṣṇa and while remembering in that way, if he quits the present body, then surely he approaches the spiritual kingdom, mad-bhāvam. Bhāvam means the spiritual nature. Yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti. Mad-bhāvam means just like the nature or the transcendental nature of the Supreme Being. As we have described above, that the Supreme Lord is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

The body is perishable, full of ignorance, and nirānanda. Instead of becoming full of bliss, it is full of miseries. All the miseries that we experience in this material world, it is all due to this body. The Lord says that anta-kāle ca mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram (BG 8.5). One who quits this material body, simply by remembering Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he at once gets the spiritual body of sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). The process of quitting this body and getting another body in the material world is also organized.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

One who is engaged always... Just like the materialist is always engaged in reading some material literature like newspaper, magazines, and fiction, novel, etc., and so many scientific or philosophies, all these things of different degrees of thought. Similarly, if we transfer our, that reading capacity for these Vedic literatures, as presented by, as very kindly presented by Vyāsadeva, then it is quite possible for us to remember at the time of death the Supreme Lord. That is the only way suggested by the Lord Himself. Not suggested, it is the fact. Nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ (BG 8.5). Undoubtedly. There is no doubt about it.

Lecture on BG 7.28-8.6 -- New York, October 23, 1966:

The Supersoul is called adhiyajña, and the soul is called adhibhūta. Now, Kṛṣṇa says... These technical terms, of course, one should know, but it requires very long description. We have to give our attention with separately for understanding. Generally, we can take out.

Now, the real fact is that why these things are to be known? Now, Lord Kṛṣṇa says,

anta-kāle ca mām eva

smaran muktvā kalevaram

yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ

yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

(BG 8.5)

Now here is the critical point. The critical point is anta-kāle. Now, if you go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your, the ultimate result of Kṛṣṇa consciousness... What is the ultimate result? The ultimate result is described here. Now, anta-kāle: "at the time of your death." That is called anta-kāle—now end everything, all our activities, all this proprietorship, everything is now ended. Not end. It is just going to, just at the verge of your point of death... Anta-kāle ca mām eva (BG 8.5). Mām eva. Kṛṣṇa says, mām: "unto Me, Kṛṣṇa." So therefore one who is always, constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, naturally, at the time of his death he'll think of Kṛṣṇa. This is a practice. This is a practice.

Lecture on BG 7.28-8.6 -- New York, October 23, 1966:

Here it is stated, anta-kāle ca mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram (BG 8.5). Just kalevaram. Kalevaram means this body, and when becomes freed from this body, he..., or gets out of the body and at the very same time he remembers Kṛṣṇa, then one who passes this body, life, in this way, yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti... Mad-bhāvaṁ yāti means he at once attains the nature of Kṛṣṇa: eternity, blissful and knowledge. This is the advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 7.28-8.6 -- New York, October 23, 1966:

Because at the time of death, whatever you practice now in your healthy life, that will be... Just like asleep we dream of the things of our activities, similarly, this death is also a kind of dream. Death is a dream, er, sleep, sleeping. Death is nothing but sleeping for seven months. That's all. Sleeping for seven months, that is called death. Just like, in the operation table, one becomes unconscious for one hour, half an hour. Then he comes to his consciousness. Again he comes to the same point. So similarly, death is nothing but to remain practically unconscious for seven months. That's all. This body is left, and we enter into a particular womb of mother, and just to develop another body it takes about seven months. Then, after seven months, when the body is fit, then our consciousness comes back. Then we want to come out of the womb. And at the tenth month we come out. That is a very miserable condition. That is the miserable condition of birth. "But one who leaves his body in Kṛṣṇa consciousness," anta-kāle, "at the point of death," Kṛṣṇa says, yaḥ prayāti, "who leaves his body in this way," sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti (BG 8.5), "he at once attains the perfection like Me, like My nature. His nature is transcendental. Therefore one attains at once, transcendental." Yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ: "These things are to be taken up." Nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ: "There is no doubt about it."

Lecture on BG 8.1 -- Geneva, June 7, 1974:

So after explaining all these different items, adhibhūtam adhiyajñam, the Supersoul, the material creation, the Puruṣottama, everything, then Kṛṣṇa said,

anta-kāle ca mām eva

smaran muktvā kalevaram

yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ

yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

(BG 8.5)

This is the ultimate end of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that anta-kāle, at the time of death, at the end of life, anta-kāle ca mām, "unto Me," anta-kāle ca mām eva (BG 8.5), "certainly," smaran, "remembering..." The Deity worship especially meant for this purpose, so that you go on worshiping the Deity of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, naturally you'll be practiced to think of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa always within your heart. This practice required. Anta-kāle ca mām eva smaran muktvā (BG 8.5). This is the mukti.

Lecture on BG 8.1 -- Geneva, June 7, 1974:

So that mukti you can have if you can remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of your death. So this is possible. If we are practiced to think of Kṛṣṇa always, naturally, at the time of death, at the time of end of this body, if we are so fortunate to think of Kṛṣṇa, His form, then we become materially free, no more this material body. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Practice. Yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti (BG 8.5). In the fourth chapter, I think, we have read that,

vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā

man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ

bahavo jñāna-tapasā

pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ

(BG 4.10)

So that mad-bhāva, here it is said, yaḥ prayāti. Anyone who is passing away, who is leaving this body, thinking of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death, yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti (BG 8.5). Mad-bhāvam means spiritual nature, this spiritual world. This is also Kṛṣṇa's world, but this is not the spiritual world. This is material world. We have already discussed that He has got two energies, material and spiritual. This material world is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's material energy. Similarly, He has got a spiritual world also. Because He, His spiritual energy's also one of the energies. So mad-bhāvam yāti means that spiritual energy... Because Kṛṣṇa remains in that spiritual world, therefore He says mad-bhāvam, "the spiritual nature."

Lecture on BG 8.1 -- Geneva, June 7, 1974:

So this is the simple process. Anta-kāle ca mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram, yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti (BG 8.5), "He goes." Na asti atra saṁśayaḥ: "You do not doubt it." If you have taken Kṛṣṇa as the supreme authority, and Kṛṣṇa says there is no doubt about it, then why shall I become doubtful? Why shall I disbelieve Kṛṣṇa? This is the process. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Always remember Kṛṣṇa. And death may take place at any time. There is no guarantee that after so much time you'll die. At any moment, you can die. Death, there is no guarantee. But it is a guarantee that you must die. That is guaranteed. But when you will die, that is not guaranteed.

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

In the Eighth Chapter, Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa says,

anta-kāle ca mām eva

smaran muktvā kalevaram

yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ

yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

(BG 8.5)

Anta-kāle means "at the time of death." "At the time of death, one who remembers Me..." Anta-kāle ca mām eva. Mām eva. Mām eva means... Eva means "certainly," and me means..., mām means "me." "Certainly Me." The Supreme Personality of Godhead says, "Certainly Me." That means Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's expansion, the form—not formless. Mām.

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

So His form..., His form, His name, His quality, His pastimes—everything transcendental. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, anta-kāle ca mām eva. Mām eva (BG 8.5). "Only unto Me." If you simply practice the Kṛṣṇa's form to see... Just like if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, at once you see the form of Kṛṣṇa within your mind. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says "One who is thinking of Me, Kṛṣṇa, always, He is the greatest yogi."

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

As soon as you chant this transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, immediately the form of Kṛṣṇa is within yourself, without yourself. And here in the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, anta-kāle ca mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram (BG 8.5). "One who at the time of death simply thinks of Me," smaran, "simply by remembering," muktvā, "immediately he becomes liberated." Muktvā kalevaram, yaḥ prayāti. "Anyone who passes away from this body..." So what is the result? Yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvam. Mad-bhāvam means he gets the next body just like Kṛṣṇa. That means that sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal body, blissful life, and full of knowledge. Yaḥ prayāti sa mad...yāti. He attains, yāti. Nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ (BG 8.5). Do not be doubtful. It is fact.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 6.2.13 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1975:

It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that yeṣāṁ tu anta-gataṁ pāpam: by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one gradually becomes free from all sinful reaction. Yeṣāṁ tu anta-gataṁ. Te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 7.28). And the proof is, as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā,

anta-kāle ca mām eva

smaran muktvā kalevaraṁ

yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ

yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

(BG 8.5)

If at the time of death one can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then he is glorious. Nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ. Here is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāsty atra. Anta-kāle: "At the time of..." I have several times said, the test will be examined at the time of death.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is... These are the questions. So this will be answered.

Dr. Patel: In the next chapter it will be answered. This is the beginning of... This is the question put to raise the new chapter.

Mr. Sar: But there in the next chapter, anta-kāle ca mām eva smaran muktvā... (BG 8.5). (break) Yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ...

Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Dr. Patel: That is the fact. But anta-kāle you remember Him...? (break)

Prabhupāda: ...practice remembering Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, how you'll be able. Anta-kāle. There, there will be so many disarrangement of the body. You see? But if you practice, if you practice, then it is possible.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Gandharva -- Bombay 6 November, 1974:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 19, 1974 and have noted the contents. So you have done you duty at the last moments of your wife's life so that she could hear them chanting. As to where she has gone, that depends on what she was thinking of at the time of her passing away. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: anta-kale ca mam eva/ smaran muktva kalevaram/ yah prayati sa mad bhavam/ yati nasty atra samsayah (BG 8.5). "And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt." To remember Krishna requires practice, and this is most easily done by chanting Hare Krishna mantra. I have told Nitai to spread the ashes here in the sea. The maha mantra is the only mantra that need be chanted. Do not neglect this.