Gita Bhashya -Sankara 336

Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya

(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)

CHAPTER -8

Avyaktād-vyaktayah sarvāh prabhavantyahardgame Rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyakta samjñake 18. From the unmanifested (state), all manifestations proceed at the coming on of day; at the coming on of night, they merge there alone, in what is called the unmanifested. From the unmanifested, the state of sleep of Prajāpati, all manifestations, all creatures, the immobile and the mobile, proceed, come into view, at the coming on of day, the time of Brahma's (Prajapati's) waking. So also, at the coming on of night, when Brahmā goes to sleep,they, all the manifestations, merge there alone, in the aforesaid, in what i called the unmanifested. In order to repel the faulty inference that one would be subject to a result not produced by his own action or would not reap the fruit of what he has himself committed; in order to show that the teaching of the Scripture regarding bondage (bandha) and liberation (moksa) is fruitful (i.e. has a definite purpose); and, in order to teach non-attachment (vairāgya) to worldly life (samsara) by showing that the multitude of creatures is born again and again, each in spite of itself, as a result of the store of karma produced by nescience (avidyā) and the other troubles, the Lord says, as follows: