BhG 8.24

syntax

agniḥ (fire) jyotiḥ (light) ahaḥ (day) śuklaḥ (bright [fortnight]) ṣaṇ-māsāḥ uttarāyaṇam (six months of the northern path),
tatra (here) prayātā (departed) brahma-vidaḥ janāḥ (people who know Brahman) brahma (to Brahman) gacchanti (they go).

grammar

agniḥ	–	agni 1n.1 m. – fire (from: √ag – to move tortuously);
jyotiḥ	–	jyotiḥ 1n.1 n. – light, brightness, fire, eye;
ahaḥ	–	ahar / ahan 1n.1 n. – day;
śuklaḥ	–	śukla 1n.1 m. – white, clear, bright fortnight (śukla-pakṣa – half the month when the Moon waxes);
ṣaṇ-māsāḥ	–	ṣaṇ-māsa 1n.3 m. – six months (from: ṣaṭ / ṣaṣ – six; mās – Moon, month, māsa – month);
uttarāyaṇam	–	uttara-ayaṇa 1n.1 n. – the northern path [of the Sun], from winter to summer solstice (from: uttara – higher, northern, better, comparative of: ud – upwards, above; ayana – a path, course);
tatra	–	av. – there (from: tat; indeclinable locative with an ending -tra);
prayātāḥ	–	prayāta (pra-√yā – to go, to depart) PP 1n.3 m. – departed, dead;
gacchanti	–	√gam (to go) Praes. P 1v.3 – they go;
brahma	–	brahman 2n.1 n. – to spirit (from: √bṛh – to increase);
brahma-vidaḥ	–	brahma-vit 1n.3 m.; ye brahma vidanti te – who know Brahman (from: √bṛh – to increase, brahman – spirit, the Vedas; √vid – to know, to understand, -vit – suffix: who knows);
janāḥ	–	jana 1n.3 m. – people, men (from: √jan – to be born, to produce);

textual variants

agnir jyotir → agni-jyotir (light of fire);
śuklaḥ → śuklā;
ṣaṇ-māsā → ṣaṇ-māsād (than the six-month period);

Śāṃkara

taṃ kālam āha—

agniḥ kālābhimāninī devatā | tathā jyotir api devataiva kālābhimāninī | athavā, agni-jyotiṣī yathā śrute eva devate | bhūyasā tu nirdeśo yatra kāle taṃ kālam iti āmra-vanavat | tathāhar devatāhar-abhimāninī | śuklaḥ śukla-pakṣa-devatā | ṣaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam, tatrāpi devataiva mārga-bhūtā [bhāvātmauttaṃ 4.3.4] iti sthito’nyatrāyaṃ nyāyaḥ | tatra tasmin mārge prayātā mṛtā gacchanti brahma brahma-vido brahmopāsakā brahmopāsana-parā janāḥ | krameṇeti vākya-śeṣaḥ | na hi sadyo-mukti-bhājāṃ samyag darśana-niṣṭhānāṃ gatir āgatir vā kvacid asti | na tasya prāṇā utkrāmanti [bhāvātmauttaṃ 4.4.6] iti śruteḥ | brahmasaṃlīnaprāṇaiva te brahmamayā brahma-bhūtaiva te |

Rāmānuja

athātmayāthātmyaviduḥ paramapuruṣaniṣṭasya ca sādharaṇīm arcirādikāṃ gatim āha dvayor apy arcirādikā gatiḥ śrutau śrutā / sā cāpunarāvṛttilakṣaṇā / yathā pañcāgnividyāyām, „tad ya itthaṃ vidur ye ceme ‚raṇye śraddhā tapa ity upāsate, te ‚rciṣam abhisaṃbhavanty arciṣo ‚haḥ” ityādau / arcirādikayā gatasya parabrahmaprāptir apunarāvṛttiś cāmnātā, „sa enān brahma gamayati etena pratipadyamānā imaṃ mānavam āvartaṃ nāvartante” iti / na ca prajāpativākyādau śrutaparavidyāṅgabhūtātmaprāptiviṣayeyam, „tad ya itthaṃ viduḥ” iti gatiśrtuiḥ, „ye ceme ‚raṇye śraddhā tapa ity upāsate” iti paravidyāyāḥ pṛthakchrutivaiyārthyāt / pañcāgnividyāyāṃ ca, „iti tu pañcamyām āhutāv āpaḥ puruṣavacaso bhavanti” iti, „ramaṇīyacaraṇāḥ … kapūyacaraṇāḥ” iti puṇyapāpahetuko manuṣyādibhāvo ‚pām eva bhūtāntarasaṃsṛṣṭānām, ātmanas tu tatpariṣvaṅgamātram iti cidacitor vivekam abhidhāya, „tad ya itthaṃ viduḥ ,,, te ‚rciṣam asaṃbhavanti … imaṃ mānavam āvartaṃ nāvartante” iti vivikte cidacidvastunī tyājyatayā prāpyatayā ca ya itthaṃ viduḥ te ‚rcirādinā gacchanti, na ca punar āvartanta ity uktam iti gamyate / ātmayāthātmyavidaḥ paramapuruṣaniṣṭhasya ca „sa enān brahma gamayati” iti brahmaprāptivacanād acidviyuktam ātmavastu brahmātmakatayā brahmaśeṣataikarasam ity anusandheyam; tatkratunyāyāc ca / paraśeṣataikarasatvaṃ ca „ya ātmani tiṣṭhan … yasyātmā śarīram” ityādiśrutisiddham /

atra kālaśabdo mārgasyāhaḥprabhṛtisaṃvatarāntakālābhimānidevatābhūyastayā mārgopalakṣaṇārthaḥ / yasmin mārge prayātā yogino ‚nāvṛttiṃ puṇyakarmāṇaś cāvṛttiṃ yānti taṃ mārgaṃ vakṣyāmītyarthaḥ / „agnir jyotir ahaś śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam” iti saṃvatsarādīnāṃ pradarśanam

Śrīdhara

tatrānavṛtti-mārgam āha agnir iti | agni-jyotiḥ-śabdābhyāṃ te ‚rcir abhisambhavanti iti śruty-uktārcir-abhimāninī devatopalakṣyate | ahar iti divasābhimāninī | śukla iti śukla-pakṣābhimāninī | uttarāyaṇa-rūpāḥ ṣaṇ-māsā ity uttarāyaṇābhimāninī | etac cānyāsām api śruty-uktānāṃ saṃvatsara devalokādi-devatānam upalakṣaṇārtham | evaṃ bhūto yo mārgas tatra prayātā gatā bhagavad-upāsakā janā brahma prāpnuvanti | yatas te brahma-vidaḥ | tathā ca śrutiḥ – te ‚rciṣam abhi sambhavanti arciṣo ‚rahna āpūryamāṇa-pakṣam āpūryamāṇa-pakṣād yān ṣaṇ-māsānudaṅṅāditya eti māsebhyo deva-lokam iti | na hi sadyo-mukti-bhājāṃ samyag-darśana-niṣṭhānāṃ gatir vā kvacid asti, na tasya prāṇā utkrāmanti

Madhusūdana

tatropāsakānāṃ deva-yānaṃ panthānam āha agnir iti | agnir-jyotir ity arcir abhimāninī devatā lakṣyate | ahar ity ahar-abhimāninī śukla-pakṣa iti śukla-pakṣābhimāninī ṣaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam iti uttarāyaṇa-rūpa-ṣaṇmāsābhimāninī devataiva lakṣyate ātivāhikās tal-liṅgāt (MD 4.3.4) iti nyāyāt | etac cānyāsām api śruty-uktānāṃ devatānam upalakṣaṇārtham | tathā ca śrutiḥ – te ‚rciṣam abhi sambhavanti arciṣo ‚rahna āpūryamāṇa-pakṣam āpūryamāṇa-pakṣād yān ṣaḍ-uṅṅeti māsāṃs tān māsebhyaḥ saṃvatsaraṃ saṃvatsarād ādityam ādityāc candramasaṃ candramaso vidyutaṃ tat-puruṣo ‚mānavaḥ sa enān brahma gamayaty eṣa deva-patho brahma-patha etena pratipadyamānā imaṃ mānavam āvartaṃ nāvartante iti |

atra śruty-antarānusārāt saṃvatsarānantaraṃ deva-loka-devatā tato vāyu-devatā tata āditya ity ākare nirṇītam | evaṃ vidyuto ‚nantaraṃ varuṇendra-prajāpatayas tāvatā mārga-parva-pūrtiḥ | tatrārcir-ahaḥ-śukla-pakṣottarāyaṇa-devatā ihoktāḥ | saṃvatsaro deva-loko vāyur ādityaś candramā vidyud-varuṇa indraḥ prajāpatiś cety anuktā api draṣṭavyāḥ | tatra deva-yāna-mārge prayātā gacchanti brahma kāryopādhikaṃ kāryaṃ vādarir asya gaty-upapatteḥ (Vs 4.3.7) iti nyāyāt | nirupādhikaṃ tu brahma tad-dvāraiva krama-mukti-phalatvāt | brahma-vidaḥ saguṇa-brahmopāsakā janāḥ | atra etena pratipadyamānā imaṃ mānavam āvartaṃ nāvartanta iti śrutāv imam iti viśeṣaṇāt kalpāntare kecid āvartanta iti pratīyate | ataevātra bhagavatodāsitaṃ śrauta-mārga-kathanenaiva vyākhyānāt

Viśvanātha

atrānavṛtti-mārgam āha agnir iti | agni-jyotiḥ-śabdābhyāṃ te ‚rciṣam abhisambhavanti iti śruty-uktyārcir-abhimāninī devatopalakṣyate | ahar ity ahar-abhimāninī | śukla iti śukla-pakṣābhimāninī | uttarāyaṇa-rūpāḥ ṣaṇ-māsā ity uttarāyaṇābhimāninī devatā | etad-rūpo yo mārgas tatra prayātā brahma-vido jñānino brahma prāpnuvanti | tathā ca śrutiḥ – te ‚rciṣam abhi sambhavanti arciṣo ‚rahna āpūryamāṇa-pakṣam āpūryamāṇa-pakṣād yān ṣaṇ-māsānudaṅṅāditya eti mālebhyo deva-lokam iti

Baladeva

tatrānāvṛtti-patham āha agnir iti | agni-jyotiḥ-śabdābhyāṃ śruty-ukto ‚rcir-abhimānī deva upalakṣyate | ahar iti divasābhimānī śukla iti śukla-pakṣābhimāninī | ṣaṇ-māsā ity uttarāyaṇam iti ṣaṇmāsātmakottarāyaṇābhābhimānī | etac cānyeṣāṃ saṃvatsarādīnāṃ śruty-uktānām upalakṣaṇam | chāndogyāḥ paṭhanti – atha yad u caivāsmin śavyaṃ kurvanti yadi ca nārciṣam evābhisaṃbhavanty arciṣo ‚haraha āpūryamāṇa-pakṣam āpūryamāṇa-pakṣādyān ṣaḍ-udaṇṇeti māsāṃs tān māsebhyaḥ saṃvatsaraṃ saṃvatsarād ādityam ādityāc candramasaṃ candramaso vidyutaṃ tat puruṣo ‚mānavaḥ sa enān brahma gamayaty eṣa deva-patho brahma-patha etena pratipadyamānā imaṃ mānavam āvartaṃ nāvartanta iti | (4.15.5)

asyārthaḥ – asminn akṣi-stha-brahmopāsaka-gaṇe mṛte sati yadi putra-śiṣyādayaḥ śabyaṃ śaba-sambandhi karma dāhādi kurvanti | yadi ca na kurvanti | ubhayathāpy akṣatopāsti-phalās te tad-upāsakā arcir-ādibhir devais tam upāsyaṃ prayāntīti sphuṭam anyat | atra saṃvatsarādityayor madhye vāyu-loko niveśyaḥ | vidyutaḥ paratra kramād varuṇendra- prajāpatayo bodhyāḥ | śruty-antarād ity ākare vistaraḥ | amānavo nitya-pārṣadaḥ pareśasya hareḥ puruṣaḥ | ete ‚rcir-ādayo devā ity āha sūtra-kāraḥ – ātivāhikās tal-liṅgāt (Vs 4.3.4) iti | tathārcir-ādibhir bhagavan-nideśa-sthair dvādaśabhir devaiḥ sevyamānena pathā bhagavantaṃ tad-bhaktāḥ prayānti tataḥ punar nāvartanta iti | evam uktaṃ nirṇetṛbhiḥ-

arcir dina-sita-pakṣair ihottarāyaṇa-śaran-marud-ravibhiḥ |
vidhu-vidyud-varuṇndra-druhiṇaiś cāgāt padaṃ harer muktaḥ || iti