Bhagavad Gita — Akshara Brahma Yoga, Shloka 28
Akshara Brahma Yoga
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव दानेषु यत् पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् । अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ॥ ८.२८ ॥
vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva dāneṣu yat puṇyaphalaṃ pradiṣṭam | atyeti tat sarvam idaṃ viditvā yogī paraṃ sthānam upaiti cādyam || 8.28 ||
Whatever fruit of merit is declared in the Vedas, in sacrifices, in austerities, and in gifts—knowing all this, the yogin transcends it all and attains the supreme, primordial abode.
Whatever merit is declared from study of the Vedas, sacrifices, austerities, and gifts—knowing this (teaching), the yogin transcends all that and attains the supreme, primordial abode.
Whatever meritorious fruit is prescribed in the Vedas, sacrifices, austerities, and gifts—having known all this, the yogin surpasses it and reaches the supreme, primeval state/abode.
The input text was truncated; the supplied Sanskrit here follows the widely received reading. The interpretive point is consistent: yogic realization is presented as surpassing merit-based religious rewards, without necessarily rejecting those practices.
FAQs
It distinguishes between externally rewarded striving and inner transformation: mature practice aims at deep freedom rather than accumulating validation or ‘points’ of merit.
The verse contrasts finite, merit-conditioned results with an unconditioned supreme state, implying that liberation is not merely a heightened reward within the cosmos.
It closes the chapter by ranking the chapter’s teaching and yogic orientation above standard religious goods, reinforcing the chapter’s focus on ultimate attainment.
It supports prioritizing inner development and ethical clarity over purely performative religiosity or achievement-driven spirituality.