Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 Verse 25
भगवद् गीता अध्याय 8 श्लोक 25

धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्।
तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते।।8.25।।



English Translation - Swami Gambirananda
8.25 Smoke, night, as also the dark fortnight and the six months of the Southern solstice-following this Path the yogi having reached the lunar light, returns.


English Translation - Swami Sivananda
8.25 Attaining to the lunar light by smoke, night time, the dark fortnight also, the six months of the southern path of the sun (the southern solstice), the Yogi returns.


English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
8.25. The southern course [of the sun], consisting of six months, is smoke, night, and also dark.  [Departing] in it,  the Yogin attains the moons light and he returns.


English Commentary  - Swami Sivananda
8.25 धूमः smoke? रात्रिः night? तथा also? कृष्णः the dark (fortnight)? षण्मासाः the six months? दक्षिणायनम् the southern path of the sun? तत्र there? चान्द्रमसम् lunar? ज्योतिः light? योगी the Yogi? प्राप्य having attained? निवर्तते returns.Commentary This is the Pitriyana or the path of darkness or the path of the ancestors which leads to rirth. Those who do sacrifices to the gods and other charitable works with expectation of reward go to the Chandraloka through this path and come back to this world when the fruits of the Karmas are exhausted.Smoke? night time? the dark fortnight and the six months of the southern solstice are all deities who preside over them. They may denote the degree of ignorance? attachment and passion. There are smoke and darkcoloured objects throughout the course. There is no illumination when one passes along this path. It is reached by ignorance. Hence it is called the path of darkness or smoke.


English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's
8.25 Dhuman, smoke; and ratrih night, are the deities presiding over smoke and night. Similarly, krsnah, the dark fornight, means the deity of the dark fortnight. Just as before, by sanmasah daksinayanam the six months of the Southern solstice, also is verily meant a deity. Tatra, following this Path; yogi, the yogi who performs sacrifices etc., the man of actions; prapya, having reached; candramasam jyotih, the lunar light-having enjoyed the results (of his actions); nivartate, returns, on their exhaustion.


English Translation of Commentary  - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
8.24-25 Agnih etc. Dhumah etc.  Northern :  upper  (or upward).  Course :  the one taken  [by the sun] during the period of six months.  This course, on account of its illuminating nature, is figuratively described by the words denoting fire etc., and the course,  contrary to this, by opposite terms.  This course is intercepted with the lunar parts of enjoyment.  Hence [it leads to] the return for enjoyment.


English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary
8.25 This denotes the world of the manes etc., described by the term starting with smoke. Here the term Yogin connotes one associated with good actions.


Commentary  - Chakravarthi Ji
This verse describes the path of return taken by the karmi. Smoke indicates the deity of smoke, and similarly night indicates the deity of night. Similarly there are the deity of the dark fortnight and the deity of the daksinayana. The karma yogi who goes on the path represented by these devatas attains svarga loka indicated by the words candramasam jyotih. Having enjoyed there, he returns.


Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary





Now Lord Krishna explains the path that leads to a return of rebirth in  the
material existence. When one accedes to death at the times presided  by  the
demigods identified with smoke, with night, with the waning  moon  and  with
the suns waning southern course guided on these paths  those  who  performed
ritualistic Vedic activities will reach  the  celestial  heavens  and  after
amply enjoying the fruits of their actions will return again and  be  reborn
in the world of mortals. The Brihadaranyaka Upanisad VI.II.XVI states:  They
first reach the demigod identified with smoke, etc. Thus  by  mediation  and
performing  selfless  Vedic  activities  without  desire  for  rewards   one
gradually achieves moksa or liberation from  material  existence  and  those
who perform Vedic activities with a desire for rewards and  benefits  return
to the material  worlds  after  enjoying  their  accumulated  merit  in  the
heavens. But those who go against the injunctions of  the  Vedic  scriptures
and do prohibited activities only return to material worlds after  prolonged
and agonising  suffering  in  the  lower  hellish  planets  when  all  their
demerits have been purged. While ordinary creatures of flora and  fauna  are
reborn again and again incessantly and continuously.


Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary



Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary




The word dhumah meaning smoke indicates the presiding demigod of the path
in which lies the Pitri-loka the realm of the manes or ancestors. The word
yogi has been used to denote a spiritual person who performs Vedic
activities.


Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary
The word dhumah meaning smoke indicates the presiding demigod of the path
in which lies the Pitri-loka the realm of the manes or ancestors. The word
yogi has been used to denote a spiritual person who performs Vedic
activities.


Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 8.25Dhoomo raatristathaa krishnah shanmaasaa dakshinaayanam;
Tatra chaandramasam jyotir yogee praapya nivartate.


Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 8.25yatra—where; kāle—time; tu—certainly; anāvṛittim—no return; āvṛittim—return; cha—and; eva—certainly; yoginaḥ—a yogi; prayātāḥ—having departed; yānti—attain; tam—that; kālam—time; vakṣhyāmi—I shall describe; bharata-ṛiṣhabha—Arjun, the best of the Bharatas; agniḥ—fire; jyotiḥ—light; ahaḥ—day; śhuklaḥ—the bright fortnight of the moon; ṣhaṭ-māsāḥ—six months; uttara-ayanam—the sun’s northern course; tatra—there; prayātāḥ—departed; gachchhanti—go; brahma—Brahman; brahma-vidaḥ—those who know the Brahman; janāḥ—persons; dhūmaḥ—smoke; rātriḥ—night; tathā—and; kṛiṣhṇaḥ—the dark fortnight of the moon; ṣhaṭ-māsāḥ—six months; dakṣhiṇa-ayanam—the sun’s southern course; tatra—there; chāndra-masam—lunar; jyotiḥ—light; yogī—a yogi; prāpya—attain; nivartate—comes back; śhukla—bright; kṛiṣhṇe—dark; gatī—paths; hi—certainly; ete—these; jagataḥ—of the material world; śhāśhvate—eternal; mate—opinion; ekayā—by one; yāti—goes; anāvṛittim—to non return; anyayā—by the other; āvartate—comes back; punaḥ—again