Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 Verse 17 (8.17)
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 Verse 17 (8.17)
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः । रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः | | ८-१७ | |
sahasrayugaparyantamaharyad brahmaṇo viduḥ rātriṁ yugasahasrāntāṁ te’horātravido janāḥ
Word-by-word guide:
Line 1:
- सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तम्
(sahasra-yuga-paryantam)— हजार युगों तक(lasting a thousand yugas) - अहः
(ahah)— दिन(day) - यत्
(yat)— जो(which) - ब्रह्मणः
(brahmanah)— ब्रह्मा का(of Brahma) - विदुः
(viduh)— जानते हैं(know)
Line 2:
- रात्रिम्
(ratrim)— रात(night) -
yugasjoined in yugasahasrāntāṁ - अहः
(ahah)— दिन(day) -
rantamjoined in yugasahasrāntāṁ - ते
(te)— वे(they) - अहोरात्रविदः
(aho-ratra-vidah)— दिन-रात को जानने वाले(knowers of day and night) - जनाः
(janah)— लोग(people)
English: Those who understand the cosmic day and cosmic night know that one day of creation is a thousand cycles, and that the night is of equal length.
Learnings from Shloka 17:
- Cosmic Perspective:: Our individual struggles are tiny compared to the vast cycles of cosmic time.
- Wisdom of Time:: Real knowledge (Gyan) includes understanding the temporal nature of all cosmic creations.
Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz
Practice this shloka vocabularyMatch Sanskrit words from shloka 8.17 with their Hindi and English meanings.
Practice vocabulary
Krishna introduces a vast cosmic timescale, where a single day of Brahma lasts thousands of human ages (yugas). Understanding this context helps seekers develop detachment from brief human lives.