Bhagavad Gita 8.26
Akshara Brahma Yoga · English Translation
Sanskrit
शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते | एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ||८-२६||
Transliteration
śuklakṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate . ekayā yātyanāvṛttimanyayāvartate punaḥ ||8-26||
The bright and the dark paths of the world are verily thought to be eternal; by the one (the bright path) a man goes not to return and by the other (the dark path) he returns.
Word by Word
शुक्लकृष्णे bright and dark, गती (two) paths, हि verily, एते these, जगतः of the world, शाश्वते eternal, मते are thought, एकया by one, याति (he) goes, अनावृत्तिम् to nonreturn, अन्यया by another, आवर्तते (he) returns, पुनः again
Classical Commentary
The bright path is the path to the gods taken by the devotees. The dark path is of the manes taken by those who perform sacrifices or charitable acts with the expectation of rewards. These two paths are not open to the whole world. The bright path is open to the devotees and the dark one to those who are devoted to the rituals. These paths are as eternal as the Samsara. World here means devotees or people devoted to ritual. Pitriloka or Chandraloka is Svarga or heaven.