अग्निर्जोतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् | तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ||८-२४||
agnirjotirahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam . tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahmavido janāḥ ||8-24||
Chapter 8 · Verse 24
Akshara Brahma Yoga
अक्षरब्रह्मयोग
In plain words
This is the UttaraMarga or Devayana the northern path or the path of light by which the Yogis go to Brahman. This path leads to salvation. It takes the devotee to Brahmaloka.
Translation
8.24 Fire, light, daytime, the birght forrnight, the six months of the Northern solstice-by following this Path, persons who are knowers of Brahman attain Brahman when they die. 8.24 Fire, light daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern path of the sun (the northern solstice) departing then (by these) men who know Brahman go to Brahman. 8.24 Agnih, fire-is a deity presiding over a period of time; similarly, jyotih, light-also is a deity presiding over a period of time. Or fire and light are the well-known Vedic deities. As the expression 'mango grove' is used with regard to a place where mango trees are more numerous, similarly, the expressions 'at which time' and 'that time' (in the earlier verse) are used in view of the predominance (of the deities presiding over time). [If the first two (fire and light) are taken as Vedic deities, then the remaining three are the only deities of time. Still, the latter being numerically greater, all the five deities are referred to as deities of time. The deities of both the Paths-of gods and manes, or of the Northern and the Southern Paths as they are called-who are gods of time, are referred to here as 'time' by such words as day, fortnight, six months, etc.] So also, ahah, daytime, means the deity of daytime. Suklah, the bright fortnight, implies the deity presiding over the bright fortnight. Sanmasah uttarayanam, the six months of the Northern solstice-here, too, is understood the deity presiding over the Path. This is the principle (of interpretation followed elsewhere (in the Upanisads also). Tatra, following this Path; janah, persons; who are brahma-vidah, knowers of Brahman, those engaged in meditation on (the alified) Brahman; gacchanti, attain; brahma, Brahman; prayatah, when they die. It is understood that they attain Brahman through stages. Indeed, according to the Upanisadic text, 'His vital forces do not depart' (Br. 4.4.46), there is neither going nor coming back for those established in full realization, who are fit for immediate Liberation. Having their organs merged in Brahman, they are suffused with Brahman, they are verily identified with Brahman.
Meaning
This is the UttaraMarga or Devayana the northern path or the path of light by which the Yogis go to Brahman. This path leads to salvation. It takes the devotee to Brahmaloka. The six months of the northern solstice is from the middle of January to the middle of July. It is regarded as the better period for death. There is a vivid description in the Chhandogya Upanishad the Kaushitaki Upanishad and the Brahma Sutras chapter IV.3 and 4 ii. 18 and 21. On the road beginning with light (the departed soul proceeds) on account of that being widely known. Having reached the path of the gods he comes to the world of Agni (fire) to the world of Vayu (air) to the world of Varuna (rain) to the world of Indra (king of the gods) to the world of Prajapati (the Creator) to the world of Brahman. They go to the light from the light to day from day to the waxing half of the moon from the waxing half of the moon to the six months when the sun goes to the north from those months to the year from the year to the sun. When the person goes away from this world he comes to Vayu (air). Then Vayu room for him like the hole of a wheel and through it he mounts higher. He comes to the sun. From the moon to the lightning there a person that is not human leads him to Brahman. Time is here used in the sense of the path or the stage on the path. Fire and light are the deities who preside over time. Daytime is the deity who presides over the day. The bright fortnight is the deity presiding over it. The six months of the northern solstice are the deity who presides over the northern path. This is the path of illumination that leads to liberation. The lifreaths of the liberated sages who have attained knowledge of the Self do not depart. They are absorbed in Brahman. The Jivanmuktas who attain KaivalyaMoksha or immediate,salvation or liberation have no place to go to or return from. They become one with the allpervading Brahman. Each step may mean a plane or a state of consciousness or the degree of purity or illumination. The more the purity the more the divine light. There are bright objects throughout the course of the path. There is illumination or knowledge when one passes along this path. Hence it is called the path of light. After Bhishma was mortally wounded he lay on the bed of arrows till the onset of the northern solstice and then departed from here to the Abode of the Lord.
Word by word
अग्निः fire ज्योतिः light अहः day शुक्लः the bright fortnight षण्मासाः six months उत्तरायणम् the northern path of the sun तत्र there प्रयाताः departed गच्छन्ति go ब्रह्म to Brahman ब्रह्मविदः knowers of Brahman जनाः people.