वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव
दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम्।
अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा
योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम्।।
vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva
dāneṣu yat puṇya-phalaṁ pradiṣṭam
atyeti tat sarvam idaṁ viditvā
yogī paraṁ sthānam upaiti cādyam
Word by Word
vedeṣu (in the study of the Vedas) — yajñeṣu (in sacrifices) — tapaḥsu (in austerities) — ca (also) — eva (certainly) — dāneṣu (in giving charity) — yat (that which) — puṇya-phalam (result of pious work) — pradiṣṭam (indicated) — atyeti (surpasses) — tat (that) — sarvam (all) — idam (this) — viditvā (knowing) — yogī (the devotee) — param (supreme) — sthānam (abode) — upaiti (reaches) — ca (and) — ādyam (original)
Translation
A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the results derived from studying the Vedas, performing austere sacrifices, giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities.
Simply by performing devotional service, he attains all these, and at the end he reaches the supreme eternal abode.
Meaning
Kṛṣṇa concludes the eighth chapter by showing that the path of devotion is the ‘all-inclusive’ path. A person who takes to Bhakti is not deprived of the benefits of other spiritual activities. Simply by following this path, one automatically achieves all the results derived from studying the Vedas, performing sacrifices, doing penance, or giving charity.
The yogī ‘surpasses’ all these pious rewards and reaches the ‘param ādyam sthānam’—the supreme, original abode of the Lord. It is like getting a PhD that includes the credit for all previous grades. You don’t have to do the lower-level work if you have mastered the highest level.
This is a powerful closing statement. Kṛṣṇa is telling Arjuna that by dedicating his life and his battle to the Lord, he is doing something much greater than any scholar or ascetic. He is on the ‘express lane’ to the original source. This realization empowers Arjuna to act with total confidence, knowing that he is fulfilling the purpose of all religion through his simple surrender.
