Sanskrit
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन । प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ॥
adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko'tra dehe'smin madhusūdana prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo'si niyatātmabhiḥ
Translation
What is the knowledge of Sacrifice in this body, and how, O, Madhusûdana? And how, at the time of forthgoing art Thou known by the Self-controlled?
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
The sixth definitional term, adhiyajna, and the death-moment question arrive together in one verse — a hint that Krishna is going to fold them into the same answer. Verse 4 will identify adhiyajna with Krishna’s own embodied presence, and verse 5 pivots straight into what a person thinks of at the moment of death, which occupies the rest of the chapter far longer than the definitional list does. Pairing adhiyajña with prayāṇa-kāle — “at the hour of departure” — in a single breath is the tell: the sacrifice-within and the practice of dying well are the same subject, and BG 8.5 onward is where the chapter actually lives.
Study deeper
Word by word
- adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko'traअधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र
- how, and who, is the adhiyajña here? (adhiyajñaḥ + katham + kaḥ + atra)
- dehe'smin madhusūdanaदेहेऽस्मिन् मधुसूदन
- in this body, O Madhusūdana (dehe + asmin)
- prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃप्रयाणकाले च कथं
- and at the hour of departure, how (prayāṇa-kāle + ca + katham)
- jñeyo'si niyatātmabhiḥज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः
- are you to be known by the self-controlled? (jñeyaḥ + asi + niyata-ātmabhiḥ)
Commentary
Site Commentary
Arjuna bundles adhiyajna, easily the most abstract term on his list, with the single most personal and urgent thing anyone can ask — what happens to me when I die. Krishna’s answer, arriving two verses later, treats them as one topic, not two: some abstract-sounding questions turn out to be the concrete, personal question in disguise, and answering them well means noticing which concrete fear they’re actually standing in for.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Apply this verse
Lessons
Personal
- When an abstract question keeps nagging at you, ask whether it's really standing in for a more concrete, personal fear — puzzling over the abstract version often distracts from the specific worry actually driving it.
Professional
- When a colleague raises an abstract architectural question in a meeting, check whether it's actually a stand-in for a concrete operational worry — answering only the abstract version can leave the real concern unaddressed.
Family & Social
- If someone raises a broad, philosophical-sounding worry with you, listen for the specific, personal fear it might be standing in for — answering the abstract question alone can miss what they actually needed to ask.
Ask yourself
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