Srimad Bhagavad Gita Shloka 8.25

“Smoke, night, the dark fortnight, the six months of the southern solstice—departing then, the yogi attains the lunar light and returns.”
Key Teaching: Departing in inauspicious times leads to rebirth via lunar light.
Theme: Guidance, Dharma, Akshara Brahma Yoga.
Description:
Krishna teaches that those who depart during smoke, night, the dark fortnight, or the six months of the southern solstice attain lunar light and return to rebirth. This verse, continuing 8.24, addresses Arjuna’s concern about death’s outcomes (8.2, 2.9). The themes of guidance, as Krishna instructs, dharma, as he clarifies the path of darkness, and Akshara Brahma Yoga, as he emphasizes cyclic return, are central.

In the Mahabharata, Arjuna’s fear of loss (1.28–46) ties to rebirth. Krishna’s teaching contrasts with Duryodhana’s material entrapment (1.3–11), urging Arjuna to avoid inauspicious paths for his Kshatriya duty, aligning with Karma Yoga (2.47, 8.24). The dark path leads to rebirth.

Philosophically, this verse addresses the human cycle of rebirth, a theme Krishna refines with teachings on cosmic paths (8.24). Arjuna’s reluctance complicates his dharma, necessitating Krishna’s guidance to understand cyclic outcomes. The theme of Akshara Brahma Yoga underscores the Gita’s focus on transcending rebirth.

Sanjaya’s narration frames Krishna’s teaching objectively, emphasizing its cyclic clarity. This verse serves as a metaphor for life’s impermanence, where inauspicious timing binds to rebirth. Krishna’s teaching prepares readers for performing duty with liberation in mind, aligning with liberation.