Chapter 14 · Verse 14

Krishna speaks

यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत्⁠। तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते⁠॥

yadā sattve pravṛddhe tu pralayaṁ yāti dehabhṛt | tadottamavidāṁ lokānamalānpratipadyate ||

Word by Word

12 words

यदा

yadā when, at the time when

when

सत्त्वे

sat being, real, good tva the quality of

in sattva, in the bright, calm quality

प्रवृद्धे

pra forth, strongly vṛdh to grow, to increase

having grown strong, when it is at its height

तु

tu but, indeed

but, now

प्रलयम्

pra forth, away lī to dissolve, to melt away

dissolving away, death, the body's ending

याति

yā to go, to reach

goes to, reaches

देहभृत्

deha body bhṛ to bear, to carry

the body-bearer, the embodied one, the person

तदा

tadā then, at that time

then

उत्तमविदाम्

ut up, high tama most vid to know

of those who know the highest, of the wisest knowers

लोकान्

lok to see, to shine

worlds, bright realms

अमलान्

a not mala stain, dirt

spotless, pure, stainless

प्रतिपद्यते

prati toward pad to go, to attain, to step

reaches, attains, steps into

Krishna explains what happens at the very end of a life. If a person leaves the body at a time when sattva, the calm, bright, clear quality, is shining strongly inside them, then they go to the spotless, shining worlds of the wisest beings, those who know the highest truth. A clear and peaceful heart at the end leads to clear and peaceful places.

Bharata and the Mountain of Light

From the Bhagavata-style telling of the gunas

Long ago there lived a forest sage named Suchi, whose whole life had been quiet and clear. He woke before dawn, swept his little hut, fed the deer that came to his door, and sat in stillness watching the sun climb. His mind was like a clean pond — you could see all the way to the bottom.

One winter his body grew old and frail. His students gathered, sad, sure that the end was near. But Suchi was not afraid. He asked to be carried to the open hilltop he loved, where the morning light spilled over the valley.

"Why do you smile, teacher?" a young student asked, holding back tears.

"Because of how I feel," Suchi said softly. "There is no fog in me, no grabbing, no fear. Only a great, bright calm — like this very morning. The sages say that how you are at the end is the door you walk through. A heavy, dark mind walks into heavy, dark places. A grasping, restless mind walks into restless places. But a clear, calm, shining mind —"

He paused and looked at the brightening sky.

"— a clear mind walks into the spotless worlds of the wise, where there is nothing but light. I can feel that door opening even now."

The students watched as the sun crested the far ridge and poured gold across the hilltop. Suchi closed his eyes, his breathing slow and easy, a faint smile still on his lips. There was no struggle, no gasp — only a calm letting-go, like a lamp flame slipping quietly upward into the bright air.

The young student would say, years later, "I have seen many people die. But I never saw anyone leave so gently, like stepping from one bright room into a brighter one. He had spent his whole life keeping his heart clear. And at the end, that clearness carried him home."

चिन्तनम् Think about it

Krishna says a calm, clear heart leads to calm, bright places. The sage spent his whole life keeping his mind like a clean pond. What is one small habit that helps your own mind feel clear and peaceful instead of foggy or rushed?