Shloka 25
विभूति-योगः (Vibhūti-yoga) — Exemplary Manifestations as a Contemplative Index
धूमो3 रात्रिस्तथारं कृष्ण:5 षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्ईः | तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते
dhūmo rātris tathā kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇmāsā dakṣiṇāyanam | tatra cāndramasaṃ jyotir yogī prāpya nivartate ||
Arjuna said: The path marked by smoke, by night, by the dark fortnight, and by the six months of the sun’s southern course—following that route, a yogin who acts with desire (seeking results) attains the lunar radiance; having enjoyed the fruits of meritorious deeds in the heavenly realm, he returns again (to mortal existence).
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Two broad post-mortem trajectories are implied: one leading to a temporary heavenly attainment (the lunar radiance) and eventual return, and another (contrasted in nearby verses) leading beyond return. Here the emphasis is that desire-driven merit yields finite results; when the merit is spent, the soul returns to embodied life.
Arjuna is describing a cosmological-ethical map of outcomes after death. He lists the markers of the ‘smoke/night/dark fortnight/southern course’ route and states that a yogin who still seeks results reaches the lunar realm, enjoys heavenly fruits, and then returns to the world.