Verse 8.26

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 8.26:

शुक्ल-कृष्णे गती ह्य् एते जगतः शाश्वते मते ।
एकया यात्य् अनावृत्तिम् अन्ययावर्तते पुनः ॥ २६ ॥

śukla-kṛṣṇe gatī hy ete jagataḥ śāśvate mate |
ekayā yāty anāvṛttim anyayāvartate punaḥ || 26 ||

śukla–by light; kṛṣṇe–and by darkness; gatī–two paths; hi–certainly; ete–these; jagataḥ–of the cosmic manifestation; śāśvate–eternal; mate–have been accepted (by the sages); ekayā–by one; yāti–one enters; anāvṛttim–liberation, the state of no return; anyayā–by the other; āvartate–one returns; punaḥ–again.

In departing from this world, only two paths, the bright (śukla) and the dark (kṛṣṇa), are considered to be eternal. Passing through the bright path (śukla-pakṣa), one attains liberation, and passing through the dark path (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa), one returns to this world.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Now in this verse beginning with the words śukla-kṛṣṇa, Śrī Bhagavān is concluding the topic on the above-mentioned two paths. Śāśvat means that there are two eternal paths in this beginningless material existence. One is the path of light (śukla-pakṣa), by which one attains liberation, and the other is the path of darkness (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa), by which one returns to the material world.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

The above-mentioned paths of arci, etc., or deva-yāna (voyage through the paths of the demigods), are the illuminators of knowledge and are well known by the name śukla-gati (the bright path). The path of smoke etc., or pitṛ-yāna (voyage through the path of the forefathers) is full of darkness and ignorance and is called kṛṣṇa-gati (the dark path). From time immemorial, these two paths have functioned in this world. Those yogīs who know spiritual reality take shelter of the bright path and, passing through the planets of arci and so forth, they attain liberation. On the other hand, those yogīs who engage in karma to satisfy their own desires take shelter of kṛṣṇa-gati through the path of the forefathers (pitṛ-yāna). They enjoy the pleasures of the heavenly planets, having passed through the paths of the presiding demigods of darkness and so on, and finally they return to the material realm in the cycle of birth and death. A detailed description of these two paths is given in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad.