यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति
विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः।
यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति
तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये।।
yad akṣaraṁ Veda-vido vadanti
viśanti yad yatayo vīta-rāgāḥ
yad icchanto brahmacaryaṁ caranti
tat te padaṁ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣye
Word by Word
yat (which) — akṣaram (indestructible) — Veda-vidaḥ (knower of the Vedas) — vadanti (say) — viśanti (enter) — yat (which) — yatayaḥ (the great sages) — vīta-rāgāḥ (in the renounced order of life) — yat (which) — icchantaḥ (desiring) — brahmacaryam (celibacy) — caranti (practice) — tat (that) — te (unto you) — padam (position) — saṅgraheṇa (in summary) — pravakṣye (I shall explain)
Translation
Persons who are learned in the Vedas, who utter omkara and who are great sages in the renounced order enter into Brahman.
Desiring such perfection, one practices celibacy. I shall now briefly explain to you this process by which one may attain salvation.
Meaning
Kṛṣṇa summarizes the destination of the Vedic path. He speaks of that ‘akṣaraṁ’, or indestructible state, which the scholars of the Vedas describe and into which great, passionless sages enter. To reach this state, many seekers practice the strict vow of ‘brahmacarya’, or celibacy, to focus all their energy inward.
He promises to explain this supreme destination to Arjuna in summary. Kṛṣṇa is acknowledging the traditional path of the ascetics and monks who seek to merge into the Absolute. He is showing that He is the goal of all these different disciplines—whether they use knowledge, renunciation, or intense focus.
By mentioning these rigorous requirements, Kṛṣṇa sets the stage for the contrast He will soon provide. While the path of the ascetics is valid and ancient, He will later show Arjuna a path that is more accessible and based on love. However, the first step is to recognize that the goal is the same: the indestructible realm beyond this world.
