Cluster 0301 — BG-8.25: The *Dhūma-mārga* (Smoke-Path) and the *Nivṛttīvarī* Guru-Name-Pun
BG-8.25
Sanskrit śloka and translation
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् ।
तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ॥२५॥
Smoke, night, so the dark-fortnight, six-months of southern-solstice — at-that-time the yogī, attaining the lunar-light, returns.
Cluster overview
BG-8.25 is the negative-precept of the kāla-śuddhi gati-pair block of adhyāya-8. BG-8.24 (cluster 0300) named the arcirā-mārga (light-path) — the path of agni-jyotis-ahas-śukla-pakṣa-uttarāyaṇa by which brahma-vido janāḥ (brahma-knowers) go to brahma (anāvṛtti, no-return). BG-8.25 names the structural-opposite: the dhūma-mārga (smoke-path) — the path of dhūma-rātri-kṛṣṇa-pakṣa-dakṣiṇāyana by which even the yogī, attaining the lunar-light, returns to samsāra (āvṛtti).
The Sanskrit's hinge-syllable is nivartate (returns) — the structural-opposite of BG-8.24's gacchanti brahma (they GO to brahma, do not return).
Jñāneśvar's 12-ovi treatment operationalizes the dhūma-mārga as a five-stage anatomy of the bad-departure:
-
Bodily collapse at the prayāṇa-hour (8.226-228) — at the departure-hour the body floods with vāta-śleṣmā; the indriyas fall silent like wood (lamkūḍa); memory drowns in confusion, the mind goes mad, the prāṇa chokes; the bodily-agni loses its agni-quality (agni-cē agni-paṇa jāyē) and the body becomes entirely smoke (tō dhūma ci avaghā hōyē); consciousness is engulfed in its place.
-
Chāyā-darkening images (8.229-230) — like a water-saturated cloud across the moon (camdrā āḍa ābhāḷa — sadaṭa dāṭē sajaḷa), the bodily-state becomes neither-dark-nor-light, twilit-confused (gaḍada nā ujāḷa — jhāmvaḷēm hōya); life itself becomes stabdha-frozen (jīvitāsi paḍē stabdha); the life-death-boundary holds its time (āyuṣya-maraṇācī maryāda — vēḷu ṭhākī).
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Karmic-collapse stamp (8.231-232) — the smoke-village's confinement (dhūmā-kuḷācī komḍaṇi) surrounds the mana-buddhi-karaṇī, and the current (vāhaṇī) of jñāna-acquired-over-many-births is yuga-drowned in that very moment (tēth janmēm jōḍaliyē vāhaṇī — yugaci buḍē); when what-is-in-hand goes at that very moment, the question of other-gain is absurd; thus at the prayāṇa, yētulī daśā (this-much the condition) becomes.
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Threefold inauspicious confluence (8.233-234) — INSIDE the body the collapse-state just-described; OUTSIDE the kṛṣṇa-pakṣa (dark-fortnight) + rātri (night) + dakṣiṇāyana (six-months-south); all the houses of punarāvṛtti converge at one's prayāṇa (iyē punarāvṛttīcīm gharāṇīm — āghavīm ēkavaṭatī jayāciyā prayāṇīm); how can the kahāṇī (discourse) of svarūpa-siddhi register?
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Doctrinal naming + contrast-summary (8.235-237) — such a body falling, the yogī goes only as-far-as the candra (candra-varī jāṇē ghaḍē) and from there returns back to samsāra (māgutā bahuḍē samsārā yē); this IS the akāḷu (in-auspicious-time) that 8.225 had promised to name; this IS the dhūmra-mārgu of the gāmvā punarāvṛttīciyā (village of recurrence); in contrast the OTHER path, the arcirā mārgu, is vasatā āṇi asalagu — sāvīyā svastu cāngu — nivṛttīvarī (well-inhabited and unencumbered, by-itself easy-good, going all-the-way-to nivṛttī**).
The 8.237 closing word nivṛttīvarī is one of the most-celebrated guru-name-puns in the entire Dnyāneśvarī: the arcirā-mārga goes nivṛttīvarī — to nivṛtti (cessation, no-return) — to the place of Jñāneśvar's guru Nivṛttināth. The doctrinal-vocabulary and the guru-name fuse in a single word.
The cluster operationalizes BG-8.25 as the negative-precept paired with BG-8.24's positive-precept; together they ground the BG-8.5-15 anta-kāla-smaraṇa-yoga in a precise kāla-śuddhi (time-purity) doctrine: the moment of prayāṇa matters cosmologically.
Ovi 8.226
Original (Marathi): तरी प्रयाणाचिया अवसरें । वातश्लेष्मां सुभरें । तेणें अंतःकरणीं आंधारें । कोंदलें ठाके ॥२२६॥ Voice: krishna-to-arjuna (continuous discourse from cluster 0300)
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| तरी | then / now |
| प्रयाणाचिया | of-the-departure |
| अवसरें | at-the-hour / at-the-occasion |
| वातश्लेष्मां | with-vāta-and-phlegm |
| सुभरें | flooded / filled-up |
| तेणें | by-that |
| अंतःकरणीं | in-the-antaḥkaraṇa (inner-organ) |
| आंधारें | darkness |
| कोंदलें | fills-up / is-stuffed |
| ठाके | stands / holds |
Literal translation
English: Then, at the departure-hour, [the body] is flooded with vāta-and-phlegm; by that, the darkness fills the antaḥkaraṇa and stands.
मराठी (आधुनिक): मग प्रयाणाच्या वेळी शरीर वात आणि कफाने भरून जाते; त्यामुळे अंतःकरणात अंधार दाटून बसतो.
Metaphor-unfold
| Literal image | Philosophical referent | Modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| The body flooded with vāta-śleṣmā at the departure-hour | The bad-death's physiological substrate | The dying-patient's final-hours flooded with phlegm — the doshic-state determines the consciousness-state at the threshold |
| The darkness fills the antaḥkaraṇa and stands | The bodily-substrate causes the psychic-darkening | The way physical-suffering's intensity overwhelms cognitive-clarity at the moment of major-decision |
Nāth-yogic layer
Referent: the deha-prayāṇa-vāta-śleṣmā collapse-sequence is the Nātha-yogic anatomy of inauspicious death-transition — the failure of the prāṇāgni-conduction technology developed in BG-8.10-13. Confidence: medium. Note: the vāta-śleṣmā-subharē + antaḥkaraṇī āmdhārē + prāṇa-koṇḍē (next ovi) sequence describes the inverse of the successful Nātha-yogic prayāṇa of clusters 0289-0292 — where the yogī conducts prāṇa to the bhrū-madhya / brahmarandhra with agni-jyoti (BG-8.24) and uttarāyaṇa-auspicious-time; here the prayāṇa happens by the failure-of-prāṇāgni and the choking-of-the-doshas; the Nātha-yogic framework is operating, but as failure-anatomy, not as praxis.
Cross-references
- Internal: 8.225 (developed-further — fulfilling the ātām akāḷu tōhī sahajēm — sāngēna āīka promise); 8.227 (developed-further — bodily flood → faculty shutdown); 8.228 (developed-further — flood → smoke-state-named).
- Source citation: BG-8.25 (direct-paraphrase — the bodily-anatomy of how the dhūma begins); Chāndogya 5.10.3 (pañcāgni-vidyā dhūma-mārga echo); Bṛhadāraṇyaka 6.2.16 (parallel pañcāgni-vidyā echo).
Modern application
- The hospice-care attendant observing the final-hours phlegm-flood: every dying patient enacts BG-8.25 — at the prayāṇāciyā avasarem the vāta-śleṣmā flood is the visible physiological-marker that the threshold has been crossed. Recognize the amdhārē kōmdalēm (darkness-stuffed) state without confusing it with mere cognitive-decline.
- The major-decision-maker overwhelmed by physical-illness at the deciding moment: when illness floods the body at the decisive-hour, the antaḥkaraṇī āmdhārem is not a moral-failure but a physiological-substrate; the wisdom is to recognize that kāla-śuddhi (time-purity) is not always under one's control.
- The student facing an exam in a state of physical-exhaustion: the same dynamic in compressed form — the body's doshic-flood determines the cognitive-state; the prayāṇāciyā avasarem of the exam-hour is a microcosm.
Sādhanā
Tonight, before sleep, observe the body's transition into the sleep-state — notice whether vāta (restlessness) or śleṣmā (heaviness) is predominant, and notice how that doshic-state colors the antaḥkaraṇa's āmdhārē (darkness) as consciousness recedes. This 60-second observation is the personal-microcosm of the BG-8.25 prayāṇa-anatomy.
Arc
This ovi names the bodily-flood at the departure-hour; the next ovi will name the consequent faculty-collapse (indriyas-fall-like-wood, memory-drowns, mind-goes-mad, prāṇa-chokes).
Ovi 8.227
Original (Marathi): सर्वेंद्रियां लांकुड पडे । स्मृति भ्रमामाजीं बुडे । मन होय वेडें । कोंडे प्राण ॥२२७॥ Voice: krishna-to-arjuna
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| सर्वेंद्रियां | all-the-sense-organs |
| लांकुड | wood / log |
| पडे | falls |
| स्मृति | memory |
| भ्रमामाजीं | in-confusion |
| बुडे | drowns |
| मन | mind |
| होय | becomes |
| वेडें | mad / crazed |
| कोंडे | chokes / is-blocked |
| प्राण | vital-air |
Literal translation
English: All the sense-organs fall like wood, memory drowns in confusion, the mind becomes mad, the prāṇa chokes.
मराठी (आधुनिक): सर्व इंद्रिये लाकडासारखी निष्क्रिय होऊन पडतात, स्मृती भ्रमात बुडून जाते, मन वेडे होते, आणि प्राण कोंडतो.
Metaphor-unfold
| Literal image | Philosophical referent | Modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Indriyas falling like wood (lamkūḍa) | The faculty-shutdown as passive inertia | Limbs going numb under deep anesthesia — the wood-like dead-weight quality |
| Memory drowning in bhrama (confusion) | The lifetime's accumulated cognition lost in confusion-flood | Dementia's late-stage memory-loss — the bhrama of which-year, which-decade |
| Mind becoming mad (vēḍēm) | The buddhi-faculty broken | Acute delirium, post-operative confusion |
| Prāṇa chokes (kōmḍē) | The respiratory-pranic-system blocked | The terminal-respiration-failure — the precise moment-of-no-return |
Nāth-yogic layer
Referent: the kōmḍē prāṇa (prāṇa chokes / is-blocked) is the Nātha-yogic anatomy of the failed prayāṇa — the prāṇa cannot rise to the brahmarandhra because it is blocked by the doshic obstruction. Confidence: medium. Note: the kōmḍē prāṇa corresponds, in inverse, to the successful Nātha prayāṇa where the prāṇa is conducted up the suṣumnā (clusters 0289-0292); here the prāṇa is blocked by the doshic obstruction and cannot rise; the indriya-shutdown and smṛti-drowning are concomitant collapse-symptoms.
Cross-references
- Internal: 8.226 (developed-further — doshic-flood → faculty-collapse); 8.228 (developed-further — faculty-collapse → agni-loses-agni-becoming-smoke).
- Source citation: BG-8.25 (direct-paraphrase — multi-faculty bodily-cognitive-respiratory collapse-anatomy of the dhūma path-marker); Kaṭha 2.3.10 (indriya-shutdown echo); BG-8.10 (bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśya successful Nātha-prayāṇa — echo of inverse-pair).
Modern application
- The acute-medical-emergency observer watching a patient's faculty-shutdown sequence: the sarvēndriyām lamkūḍa (organs-fall-like-wood) → smṛti bhramā-mājīm buḍē (memory-drowns-in-confusion) → mana vēḍēm (mind-mad) → kōmḍē prāṇa (prāṇa-chokes) sequence is the precise clinical-anatomy of the dying-cascade. Recognizing each stage allows compassionate-presence at each.
- The meditator noticing the daily-sleep faculty-shutdown: every sleep enacts a benign version of BG-8.25 — indriyas withdraw, memory blanks, the vāc-pratyāhāra completes. The discipline is to observe one stage at a time, training the awareness to ride the transition rather than be drowned by it.
- The recovering-addict in withdrawal: the bhrama-buḍē + mana vēḍēm (confusion-drowning + mind-madness) sequence is the affective-quality of acute-withdrawal; recognizing it as the cluster-of-shutdown-symptoms rather than as personal-failure is the discipline.
Sādhanā
Tonight at sleep-onset, observe the sequence: which faculty shuts down first — vision, hearing, touch? Which faculty resists shutdown longest? Then the kōmḍē prāṇa — when does the breath shift from voluntary to involuntary? 60 seconds of attention to this nightly micro-prayāṇa is direct training for the macro-prayāṇa-hour.
Arc
This ovi names the cognitive-respiratory-collapse cascade; the next ovi will name the deepest cause — the agni-itself losing-its-agni-quality and the body becoming entirely-smoke.
Ovi 8.228
Original (Marathi): अग्नीचें अग्निपण जाये । मग तो धूमचि अवघा होये । तेणें चेतना गिंवसिली ठाये । शरीरींची ॥२२८॥ Voice: krishna-to-arjuna
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अग्नीचें | of-the-agni (fire) |
| अग्निपण | the-agni-quality / fire-ness |
| जाये | goes |
| मग | then |
| तो | it |
| धूमचि | entirely-smoke / smoke-itself |
| अवघा | entirely |
| होये | becomes |
| तेणें | by-that |
| चेतना | consciousness |
| गिंवसिली | engulfed / pursued |
| ठाये | in-its-place |
| शरीरींची | of-the-body |
Literal translation
English: The agni's agni-quality goes; then it becomes entirely smoke; by that, the consciousness is engulfed in its place in the body.
मराठी (आधुनिक): अग्नीचा अग्निगुणच निघून जातो; मग तो सर्वच धूर होऊन जातो; त्यामुळे शरीरातील चैतन्य आपल्या ठिकाणीच कोंडले जाते.
Metaphor-unfold
| Literal image | Philosophical referent | Modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Agni-paṇa jāyē (the agni-quality leaves) | The doctrinal pivot: substance-without-quality | The metaphor of a candle with wax-and-wick still present but flame-quality extinguished |
| The body becomes entirely smoke | The BG-8.25 dhūmaḥ — the path-marker's bodily-correlate | The smoke-after-flame state — physically-present but functionally-defunct |
| Cetana givamsili ṭhāye (consciousness engulfed in its place) | Consciousness still formally present but un-able-to-rise | The locked-in syndrome — consciousness present but unable to communicate or move |
Nāth-yogic layer
Referent: the agni-cē agni-paṇa jāyē (the agni's agni-quality goes) is the Nātha-yogic diagnosis: the bodily jaṭhara-agni / prāṇāgni (digestive-pranic fire that conducts prāṇa) has lost its conductive-power; this is precisely the failure-of-the-agni that BG-8.24 named as the FIRST path-marker of the arcirā-mārga (agnir jyotir ahaḥ śuklaḥ). Confidence: high. Note: this is the deepest Nātha-yogic anatomy in the cluster. The agni-paṇa jāyē is the precise inverse-correlate of BG-8.24's agnir jyotiḥ (fire-light = the first path-marker of the auspicious-departure). The arcirā-mārga begins with agni; the dhūma-mārga begins where agni has lost its agni-quality. Jñāneśvar's metaphysical-anatomy converts the two paths from external-cosmological-paths into internal-bodily-fire-states.
Cross-references
- Internal: 8.227 (developed-further — faculty-collapse → agni-loss-of-agni); 8.229 (developed-further — smoke-state → chāyā-image-given).
- Source citation: BG-8.25 (direct-paraphrase — the BG-8.25 dhūmaḥ operationalized as the body becoming entirely smoke); BG-8.24 (arcirā-mārga echo — the precise inverse-correlate); Chāndogya 6.8.6 (tejas-dissolution-at-death echo).
Modern application
- The end-of-life caregiver recognizing the agni-paṇa-jāyē threshold: the loss of the digestive-agni (the patient stops eating, the body cools) is the precise bodily-marker that the agni-quality has left. This is the threshold across which palliative-care shifts decisively from prolongation to accompaniment.
- The burnout-recognition: the agni-paṇa-jāyē image precisely captures professional/personal burnout — the substance is still there (showing-up to work, going-through-motions) but the fire-quality is gone; the body has become entirely smoke in the work. The remedy is not more substance but the restoration of agni-paṇa.
- The relationship's agni-paṇa-jāyē recognition: when the substance of a relationship continues but the fire-quality has gone, the recognition is that the relationship has crossed into dhūma-state — the cetana is givamsili (engulfed) in its place. The discipline is to recognize this without denial.
Sādhanā
Today, observe one activity for which your agni has gone. Not crisis-decision; observe. Where is the substance present but the agni-quality absent? Notice without acting. The recognition of agni-paṇa-jāyē is itself the first re-ignition.
Arc
This ovi completes the bodily-collapse-anatomy with the deepest stage (agni-loses-agni-becoming-smoke); the next ovi will give the natural-image illustration — the cloud-occluded-moon, water-saturated, twilit-confused state.
Ovi 8.229
Original (Marathi): जैसें चंद्राआड आभाळ । सदट दाटे सजळ । मग गडद ना उजाळ । ऐसें झांवळें होय ॥२२९॥ Voice: krishna-to-arjuna
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| जैसें | just-as |
| चंद्राआड | across-the-moon |
| आभाळ | cloud / sky |
| सदट | thick / dense |
| दाटे | fills-up / thickens |
| सजळ | with-water / water-laden |
| मग | then |
| गडद | dark / deep |
| ना | not |
| उजाळ | light / bright |
| ऐसें | thus |
| झांवळें | twilit / dim / confused |
| होय | becomes |
Literal translation
English: Just as a cloud across the moon, thick and water-saturated, fills up; then [it is] neither dark nor light — thus it becomes twilit-confused.
मराठी (आधुनिक): ज्याप्रमाणे चंद्रासमोर एक जलयुक्त, दाट ढग दाटून येतो — मग जे न पूर्णपणे अंधार ना पूर्ण उजाडलेले — असे संदिग्ध-संधिप्रकाशासारखे स्थिती होते.
Metaphor-unfold
| Literal image | Philosophical referent | Modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud across-the-moon, thick and water-saturated | The bodily-state at the dhūma-prayāṇa, mind-and-body water-flooded | The way a heavy-curtain across a window produces a neither-fully-dark-nor-light room |
| Neither-dark-nor-light, twilit-confused (jhāmvaḷēm) | The cognitive-affective state of the bad-departure | The twilight before a thunderstorm — the unsettled-quality |
Nāth-yogic layer
No Nāth-yogic referent in this ovi. The image is natural-cosmological (moon-and-cloud) deployed for the affective-quality of the prayāṇa-twilight.
Cross-references
- Internal: 8.228 (developed-further — smoke-state → chāyā-image); 8.230 (developed-further — image → existential-paradox-of-twilight).
- Source citation: BG-8.25 (direct-paraphrase — kṛṣṇaḥ operationalized as bodily-twilight imaged as cloud-occluded-moon); Bhāgavata 11.20.32 (abhra-pihita-divākara-vat echo).
Modern application
- The recognition of the jhāmvaḷēm twilight-state in oneself or another: anesthesia-emergence, deep-fatigue, certain medication-states, grief-shock — all are jhāmvaḷēm twilights where one is neither-fully-conscious-nor-fully-out. Recognize without forcing clarity.
- The decision-postponement discipline in jhāmvaḷēm moments: major-decisions made in the twilit-state will carry the twilight-quality. The discipline is to recognize the jhāmvaḷēm and delay until the moon is clear.
- The companion's discipline with one in the twilit-state: do not flood the jhāmvaḷēm one with bright light or sharp questions; let the cloud pass. The water-laden cloud is heavy; it cannot be hurried.
Sādhanā
Tomorrow, identify one moment when you were in a jhāmvaḷēm state recently — not extreme, just twilit. What decisions did you make in it? Without judgment, observe how the neither-dark-nor-light quality shaped them. This is the personal-microcosm of BG-8.25's kṛṣṇaḥ.
Arc
This ovi gives the cloud-moon-twilight image; the next ovi will unfold it as the existential-paradox of neither-dies-nor-conscious and the life-itself-stabdha-frozen state.
Ovi 8.230
Original (Marathi): कां मरे ना सावध । ऐसें जीवितासि पडे स्तब्ध । आयुष्य मरणाची मर्याद । वेळु ठाकी ॥२३०॥ Voice: krishna-to-arjuna
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कां | or / either |
| मरे | dies |
| ना | not |
| सावध | conscious / aware |
| ऐसें | thus |
| जीवितासि | to-life |
| पडे | becomes |
| स्तब्ध | frozen / immobile |
| आयुष्य | life-span |
| मरणाची | of-death |
| मर्याद | boundary |
| वेळु | time |
| ठाकी | holds |
Literal translation
English: Either dies-not-or-conscious-not — thus life becomes stabdha-frozen; the boundary-between-life-and-death holds its time.
मराठी (आधुनिक): ना पूर्ण मरतो, ना पूर्ण जागृत राहतो — असे जीवन गोठून जाते; जीवन व मरण यांची सीमा त्या क्षणी थांबून राहते.
Metaphor-unfold
| Literal image | Philosophical referent | Modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Marē nā sāvadha (neither-dies-nor-conscious) | The suspended state of the bad-departure | The ICU patient in the indeterminate state — not deteriorating, not recovering |
| Jīvitāsi paḍē stabdha (life becomes stabdha-frozen) | Life-itself frozen-still | A film-strip paused mid-frame — the temporality halted |
| Āyuṣya-maraṇācī maryāda — vēḷu ṭhākī (the boundary holds its time) | The life-death-boundary becomes a stretched-out duration rather than an instantaneous transition | The drawn-out terminal-phase of weeks rather than the instant-of-death |
Nāth-yogic layer
No Nāth-yogic referent in this ovi. The image is existential-affective.
Cross-references
- Internal: 8.229 (developed-further — image-of-twilight → existential-anatomy); 8.231 (developed-further — suspended-time-named → karmic-loss-stamped).
- Source citation: BG-8.25 (direct-paraphrase — bad-departure as stabdha life-death-boundary); Praśna 3.9 (cognition-determines-prayāṇa echo).
Modern application
- The family at the ICU bedside through the stabdha state: the vēḷu ṭhākī (time holds) is the precise quality of the long terminal-phase. Recognizing the boundary's stretched-out nature rather than its instantaneous-event nature changes how one accompanies.
- The depression's neither-dies-nor-conscious recognition: not all stabdha is medical-terminal. Depression in its deep phase has this exact quality — neither-fully-alive-nor-fully-dead. The recognition is the first step toward calling for help.
- The career or relationship in stabdha: when something is neither-active-nor-concluded, the vēḷu ṭhākī is consuming life-energy. The discipline is to recognize the stabdha state and choose movement.
Sādhanā
Identify one area of your life currently in stabdha-state — neither-progressing-nor-ending. Write one sentence naming it. Do not act today. The naming is the work.
Arc
This ovi names the suspended-time existential-state; the next ovi will stamp the karmic-consequence — the vāhaṇī (current) of multi-life jñāna is YUGA-DROWNED.
Ovi 8.231
Original (Marathi): ऐसी मनबुद्धिकरणीं । सभोंवतीं धूमाकुळाची कोंडणी । तेथ जन्में जोडलिये वाहणी । युगचि बुडे ॥२३१॥ Voice: krishna-to-arjuna
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ऐसी | thus |
| मनबुद्धिकरणीं | the-mana-buddhi-karaṇī (mind-intellect-organ-of-doing) |
| सभोंवतीं | all-around / surrounding |
| धूमाकुळाची | of-the-smoke-village / smoke-cluster |
| कोंडणी | confinement / enclosure |
| तेथ | there |
| जन्में | by-births / over-many-lives |
| जोडलिये | acquired / gained |
| वाहणी | current / stream |
| युगचि | just-a-yuga |
| बुडे | drowns / sinks |
Literal translation
English: Thus around the mana-buddhi-karaṇī, the smoke-village's confinement; there the current acquired-over-many-births is yuga-drowned.
मराठी (आधुनिक): अशा रीतीने मन, बुद्धी आणि इंद्रिये यांच्या भोवती धुराच्या गावाची कोंडण होते; आणि अनेक जन्मांत जमा केलेला ज्ञानप्रवाह एका क्षणात — एका युगाच्या वाहणीसहित — बुडून जातो.
Metaphor-unfold
| Literal image | Philosophical referent | Modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Dhūmā-kuḷācī komḍaṇi (smoke-village's confinement) | The bad-prayāṇa state as a village of smoke imprisoning the cognitive apparatus | A pollution-shrouded city where one can see nothing — the cognitive-apparatus locked-in by the surround |
| Vāhaṇī (current / stream) of multi-life jñāna | The cumulative-stream of spiritual-accomplishment across lifetimes | A river-system patiently fed by tributaries over centuries |
| Yugachi buḍē (a-yuga drowns) | The yuga-drowning of the vāhaṇī in a single moment of bad-prayāṇa | The same river-system swept away by a single catastrophic flood |
Nāth-yogic layer
No Nāth-yogic referent in this ovi. The image is karmic-cosmological.
Cross-references
- Internal: 8.230 (developed-further — suspended-time → karmic-loss); 8.232 (developed-further — karmic-loss → existential-resignation).
- Source citation: BG-8.25 (direct-paraphrase — dhūmaḥ + kṛṣṇaḥ + dakṣiṇāyana condensed into the smoke-village-image); BG-8.6 (yam yam . . . smaran bhāvam tyajaty ante echo — the doctrinal-anchor for the karmic-collapse claim); Bhāgavata 11.20.7 (prayāṇa-failure → karmic-collapse echo).
- Tukaram parallel: abhang 1500 (milestone-1500 cumulative-impact warning) — the karmic-collapse-warning parallel.
Modern application
- The lifelong-practitioner facing the bad-prayāṇa risk: even decades of practice can be drowned in the wrong confluence. The recognition is not despair but motivation for the kāla-śuddhi discipline — do not assume that the accumulated practice will carry you through unconscious moments; train for the prayāṇa-hour explicitly.
- The professional-reputation built over decades, lost in one bad-moment: the vāhaṇī yuga ci buḍē dynamic plays out at the social-level too. The discipline is to honor the cumulative-vāhaṇī by not putting it at risk in jhāmvaḷēm moments.
- The relationship-trust built over years, broken by one dhūma-komḍaṇi moment: the recognition that decades of trust can be undone by a single moment of cognitive-confinement is sobering. The remedy is not perfection but vigilance about which moments deserve high-stakes-decisions.
Sādhanā
Tonight, identify ONE cumulative vāhaṇī of yours — a relationship, a skill, a practice — and write one sentence about what would put it at risk. The naming is the protection.
Arc
This ovi stamps the karmic-collapse; the next ovi will give the existential-resignation: when what-is-in-hand goes, no-other-gain is possible — yētulī daśā (this-much-the-condition).
Ovi 8.232
Original (Marathi): हां गा हातींचें जे वेळीं जाये । ते वेळीं आणिका लाभाची गोठी कें आहे । म्हणौनि प्रयाणीं तंव होये । येतुली दशा ॥२३२॥ Voice: krishna-to-arjuna
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| हां गा | look! / hear me! (emphatic) |
| हातींचें | of-the-hand / what-is-in-hand |
| जे वेळीं | at-that-very-moment |
| जाये | goes / is-lost |
| ते वेळीं | at-that-moment |
| आणिका | of-other |
| लाभाची | of-gain |
| गोठी | talk / story |
| कें आहे | where-is |
| म्हणौनि | thus / therefore |
| प्रयाणीं | at-the-prayāṇa |
| तंव | then |
| होये | becomes |
| येतुली | this-much |
| दशा | condition / state |
Literal translation
English: Look — when what-is-in-hand goes at that very moment, where is the talk of other-gain? Thus at the prayāṇa, this-much the condition becomes.
मराठी (आधुनिक): अरे, जे आधीच हातात होते तेच जर त्या क्षणी निसटून जाते, तर मग नवीन काही मिळवण्याची गोष्ट कुठली? म्हणूनच प्रयाणाच्या वेळी अशीच दशा होते.
Metaphor-unfold
| Literal image | Philosophical referent | Modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Hātīmcēm jē vēḷīm jāyē (what-is-in-hand goes at that moment) | The prayāṇa as the moment-of-loss-of-the-already-held | A coin slipping from a closing fist — the instant of loss |
| Āṇikā lābhācī gōṭhī kēm āhē (where is the talk of other-gain?) | The rhetorical futility of seeking new-gain when existing-gain is being lost | The bankrupt's irrelevant question about investment-opportunities |
| Yētulī daśā (this-much the condition) | The summative existential-stamp | The English idiom this-is-where-we-are — the resignation-of-the-state |
Nāth-yogic layer
No Nāth-yogic referent in this ovi.
Cross-references
- Internal: 8.231 (developed-further — karmic-loss → existential-resignation); 8.233 (developed-further — experiential-naming → cosmological-confluence).
- Source citation: BG-8.25 (direct-paraphrase — affective-summary of the bad-departure); BG-8.5 (anta-kāla-smaraṇa positive-precept echo — inverse-shadow).
Modern application
- The crisis-management recognition: when the existing-stock-of-resources is being lost (financial, relational, health), the āṇikā lābhācī gōṭhī kēm āhē discipline is to stop the search for new-gain and address the loss-in-progress.
- The end-of-relationship recognition: when hātīmcēm jāyē (the held one is leaving), do not pivot to seeking-someone-new; honor the yētulī daśā — this is where you are.
- The end-of-career recognition: when the existing-role is dissolving, do not panic-pivot to a new role; the yētulī daśā requires sitting-with rather than acting-from-fear.
Sādhanā
Today, name one thing currently hātīmcēm jāyē in your life — something already-held that is slipping. Resist the āṇikā lābhācī gōṭhī (talk of other-gain) impulse for 24 hours. Just yētulī daśā — this is where you are.
Arc
This ovi names the existential-stamp; the next ovi will name the threefold-inauspicious-confluence (INSIDE deha-collapse + OUTSIDE kṛṣṇa-pakṣa + rātri + dakṣiṇāyana).
Ovi 8.233
Original (Marathi): ऐशी देहाआंतु स्थिती । बाहेरि कृष्णपक्षु वरि राती । आणि सामासही वोडवती । दक्षिणायन ॥२३३॥ Voice: krishna-to-arjuna
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ऐशी | thus / such |
| देहाआंतु | inside-the-body |
| स्थिती | state |
| बाहेरि | outside |
| कृष्णपक्षु | dark-fortnight |
| वरि | on-top-of |
| राती | night |
| आणि | and |
| सामासही | the-six-months-also |
| वोडवती | fall / arrive |
| दक्षिणायन | southern-solstice |
Literal translation
English: Such is the state inside the body; outside, the dark-fortnight, on-top-of-it night; and the six-months also fall — dakṣiṇāyana.
मराठी (आधुनिक): अशी देहांतर्गत स्थिती; बाहेर कृष्णपक्ष आणि त्यावर रात्र; आणि वर सहा महिने दक्षिणायनाचेही येऊन कोसळतात.
Metaphor-unfold
| Literal image | Philosophical referent | Modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Deha-āmtu + bāhari (inside + outside) confluence | The simultaneous-co-occurrence of internal-collapse and external-inauspicious-time | The way a personal-crisis at home coincides with a financial-market-collapse outside — both inside and outside arrayed against |
| Vari (on-top-of) stacking kṛṣṇa-pakṣa + rātri + dakṣiṇāyana | The cumulative-magnification of inauspicious factors | A storm that arrives during a power-outage during a fever — the vari of layered crises |
Nāth-yogic layer
No Nāth-yogic referent in this ovi.
Cross-references
- Internal: 8.232 (developed-further — internal-stamp → external-confluence-stamp); 8.234 (developed-further — confluence → houses-of-recurrence-converging-image).
- Source citation: BG-8.25 (direct-paraphrase — kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇ-māsā dakṣiṇāyanam stacked precisely); Chāndogya 5.10.3 (pañcāgni-vidyā dhūma-mārga echo).
Modern application
- The compound-crisis recognition: when internal-circumstance (illness, depression) coincides with external-circumstance (financial, social), the deha-āmtu + bāhari + vari recognition is that this is not a single-stressor but a confluence. Treatment must address the layers.
- The decision-postponement discipline in compound-confluence: when multiple inauspicious factors stack, do not make irreversible decisions. The vari (on-top-of) recognition is a signal for active postponement.
- The companion's discipline in compound-confluence accompaniment: do not try to solve any single layer; recognize that the whole confluence requires being-with rather than fixing.
Sādhanā
Tonight, identify whether you are currently in a compound-confluence (multiple inauspicious factors stacking). If yes, name them. Do not act. The recognition is the work.
Arc
This ovi names the threefold-inauspicious-confluence; the next ovi will give the rhetorical-stamp — all houses of punarāvṛtti converge at one's prayāṇa; how can the kahāṇī of svarūpa-siddhi be heard?
Ovi 8.234
Original (Marathi): इये पुनरावृत्तीचीं घराणीं । आघवीं एकवटती जयाचिया प्रयाणीं । तो स्वरूपसिद्धीची काहाणी । कैसेंनि आइके ? ॥२३४॥ Voice: krishna-to-arjuna
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| इये | these |
| पुनरावृत्तीचीं | of-recurrence |
| घराणीं | houses / families |
| आघवीं | all |
| एकवटती | converge / gather-together |
| जयाचिया | at-whose |
| प्रयाणीं | at-the-prayāṇa |
| तो | he |
| स्वरूपसिद्धीची | of-self-realization |
| काहाणी | story / discourse |
| कैसेंनि | how |
| आइके | hears / listens |
Literal translation
English: When all these houses-of-recurrence converge at one's prayāṇa, how does he hear the kahāṇī of svarūpa-siddhi?
मराठी (आधुनिक): जेव्हा पुनरावृत्तीची सर्वच घराणी एकत्र येऊन एखाद्याच्या प्रयाणाच्या वेळी जमतात — तेव्हा त्याला स्वरूपसिद्धीची कथा कशी ऐकू येणार?
Metaphor-unfold
| Literal image | Philosophical referent | Modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Punarāvṛttīcīm gharāṇīm (houses of recurrence) | The multiple cosmological-temporal factors as families | The way creditors gather at a bankruptcy — each from a different family of obligations |
| Ēkavaṭatī jayāciyā prayāṇīm (converge at one's prayāṇa) | The convergence of recurrence-factors at the deciding-moment | All bills come due in the same month |
| Svarūpa-siddhīcī kāhāṇī kaisēni āikē (how does he hear the kahāṇī of svarūpa-siddhi?) | The rhetorical-stamp: the soteriological-discourse cannot register in the converging-noise | One cannot hear the doctor's prognosis through the crashing-noise of the simultaneous emergency |
Nāth-yogic layer
No Nāth-yogic referent in this ovi.
Cross-references
- Internal: 8.233 (developed-further — confluence-named → family-convergence-image); 8.235 (developed-further — rhetorical-stamp → doctrinal-result).
- Source citation: BG-8.25 (direct-paraphrase — the path-markers imaged as converging-gharāṇīm); BG-8.6 (yam-yam-bhāva-tyajaty-ante mechanism echo).
Modern application
- The recognition that crisis-multiplication blocks-reception of help: when multiple stressors converge, even good-counsel cannot register. The discipline is to recognize this and protect quiet-time for svarūpa-siddhi-kahāṇī to be heard before the convergence.
- The communal-discipline at someone-else's converging-prayāṇa: when a friend's life-houses are all converging, do not offer wisdom; offer presence. The kahāṇī cannot be heard in such moments.
- The recognition of the noise-floor of one's own life: even routine life-noise can rise to the level where svarūpa-siddhi-kahāṇī cannot register. The discipline is the deliberate quieting of the noise-floor for the kahāṇī to be audible.
Sādhanā
Today, take 5 minutes of explicit silence — no input, no output, no task. Listen for the svarūpa-siddhi-kahāṇī underneath the converging-gharāṇīm of daily-life. Whatever is heard in that silence is the answer to the rhetorical question.
Arc
This ovi stamps the cosmological-image of converging recurrence-houses; the next ovi will name the doctrinal-result — the yogī goes as-far-as candra-loka and returns.
Ovi 8.235
Original (Marathi): ऐसा जयाचा देह पडे । तया योगी म्हणौनि चंद्रवरी जाणें घडे । मग तेथूनि मागुता बहुडे । संसारा ये ॥२३५॥ Voice: krishna-to-arjuna
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ऐसा | thus |
| जयाचा | of-whom |
| देह | body |
| पडे | falls |
| तया | for-him |
| योगी म्हणौनि | as-yogī |
| चंद्रवरी | up-to-the-candra |
| जाणें | going |
| घडे | becomes-possible |
| मग | then |
| तेथूनि | from-there |
| मागुता | back |
| बहुडे | returns |
| संसारा | to-samsāra |
| ये | comes |
Literal translation
English: Such [a one] whose body falls — for him as-yogī going up-to-the-candra becomes possible; then from there back he returns, comes to samsāra.
मराठी (आधुनिक): ज्याचा देह अशा स्थितीत पडतो, त्याला योगी असूनही फक्त चंद्रलोकापर्यंत जाणे शक्य होते; पण तेथून तो मागे फिरून पुन्हा संसारात येतो.
Metaphor-unfold
| Literal image | Philosophical referent | Modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Yogī mhaṇauni candra-varī jāṇē ghaḍē (as-yogī going as-far-as candra becomes possible) | The yogī's practice still counts but only as-far-as the candra-loka | The marathoner who can run only to the half-way mark; the practice is real but the distance-covered is limited |
| Tēthūni māgutā bahuḍē samsārā yē (from there back returns to samsāra) | The BG-8.25 nivartate — the path of return | The traveler who reaches the airport but is turned-around and must return home |
Nāth-yogic layer
No Nāth-yogic referent in this ovi.
Cross-references
- Internal: 8.234 (developed-further — cosmological-image → doctrinal-result); 8.236 (developed-further — doctrinal-result → terminological-stamp).
- Source citation: BG-8.25 (direct-paraphrase — tatra cāndramasam jyotir yogī prāpya nivartate rendered precisely); Chāndogya 5.10.4-7 (pañcāgni-vidyā return-cycle echo); Bṛhadāraṇyaka 6.2.16 (parallel pañcāgni-vidyā echo).
Modern application
- The lifelong-practitioner's sobering recognition: even genuine practice can leave one only as-far-as the candra (the pitṛ-loka / the partial-attainment-state) when the prayāṇa is bad. The recognition motivates the kāla-śuddhi discipline — practice for the moment-of-prayāṇa, not just for the accumulating-of-merit.
- The career-attainment recognition: one can reach high-attainment in a career but still māgutā bahuḍē (return) when the structural-confluence is wrong. The recognition is not failure but accurate-naming of the path's geometry.
- The recovery-relapse recognition: one can attain the recovery-state (the candra) but still māgutā bahuḍē when the conditions are inauspicious. The recognition is not shame but the kāla-śuddhi discipline of recognizing inauspicious-windows.
Sādhanā
Identify one candra-loka in your life — a partial-attainment that does not lead to permanence but to return. Name it. The naming is the discipline.
Arc
This ovi names the doctrinal-result (yogī → candra → return); the next ovi will name this as the akāḷu of 8.225 and as the dhūmra-mārgu of the punarāvṛtti-gāva.
Ovi 8.236
Original (Marathi): आम्हीं अकाळु जो पांडवा । म्हणितला तो हा जाणावा । आणि हाचि धूम्रमार्गु गांवा । पुनरावृत्तीचिया ॥२३६॥ Voice: krishna-to-arjuna (explicit Pāṇḍava-vocative)
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आम्हीं | we / I (royal-plural) |
| अकाळु | the-in-auspicious-time |
| जो | that-which |
| पांडवा | O Pāṇḍava (Arjuna-vocative) |
| म्हणितला | said / spoke-of |
| तो | that |
| हा | this |
| जाणावा | know / be-recognized |
| आणि | and |
| हाचि | this-itself |
| धूम्रमार्गु | smoke-path |
| गांवा | of-the-village |
| पुनरावृत्तीचिया | of-recurrence |
Literal translation
English: That akāḷu (in-auspicious-time) of which I spoke, O Pāṇḍava — know this is it. And this itself is the dhūmra-mārgu of the village-of-recurrence.
मराठी (आधुनिक): अहो पांडवा, ज्या अकाळाबद्दल मी पूर्वी बोललो होतो — तो हाच जाणून घे. आणि हाच पुनरावृत्तीच्या गावाचा धूम्रमार्ग आहे.
Metaphor-unfold
| Literal image | Philosophical referent | Modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Āmhīm akāḷu jō mhaṇitalā tō hā jāṇāvā (the akāḷu I spoke-of, know this is it) | The naming-back of the akāḷu promised at 8.225 | The teacher's explicit "this is the example I promised" — the closure of an open-loop |
| Dhūmra-mārgu gāmvā punarāvṛttīciyā (smoke-path of the recurrence-village) | The whole 8.226-235 anatomy named-back as the dhūma-mārga and the village-of-recurrence is its destination | The map-marker name placed at the end — Smoke-Road, leading to Recurrence-Village |
Nāth-yogic layer
No Nāth-yogic referent in this ovi.
Cross-references
- Internal: 8.225 (developed-further — akāḷu promised → akāḷu named-back; the inclusio across cluster-boundaries); 8.237 (developed-further — negative-path-stamped → positive-path-contrast-summary).
- Source citation: BG-8.25 (direct-paraphrase — terminological-stamp); BG-8.26 (śukla-kṛṣṇe gatī foreshadows); Chāndogya 5.10.1-7 (pitṛ-yāna locus-classicus echo).
Modern application
- The pedagogical-recognition of closure-of-loops: when something promised is finally named-back, the loop closes and the next stage of teaching becomes possible. The discipline is to honor open-loops in one's own life — to complete the naming-back.
- The diagnostic-naming recognition: when a long-suffered condition finally has a name (this is the akāḷu), the recognition itself is therapeutic. The discipline is to seek the precise-name rather than tolerate vague-distress.
- The map-orientation recognition: knowing this road leads to recurrence-village changes how one travels it. The diagnostic-name is map-orientation.
Sādhanā
Identify one un-named pattern in your life — recurring confusion, recurring loss. Today, give it a precise-name. The naming is the work.
Arc
This ovi stamps the dhūmra-mārga terminology; the next (final) ovi will give the contrast-summary — the OTHER path, the arcirā mārgu, is well-inhabited and unencumbered, going to NIVṚTTĪ (the guru-name-pun).
Ovi 8.237
Original (Marathi): येर तो अर्चिरा मार्गु । तो वसता आणि असलगु । साविया स्वस्त चांगु । निवृत्तीवरी ॥२३७॥ Voice: krishna-to-arjuna (with Jñāneśvar's signature guru-name-pun embedded in the doctrinal-discourse)
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| येर | the-other |
| तो | it |
| अर्चिरा | the-arcirā |
| मार्गु | path |
| तो | it |
| वसता | well-inhabited / populated |
| आणि | and |
| असलगु | unencumbered / free-of-obstacles |
| साविया | by-itself |
| स्वस्त | easy / well |
| चांगु | good |
| निवृत्तीवरी | going-to-nivṛtti (cessation, no-return; also: to Nivṛttināth) |
Literal translation
English: The other — the arcirā-mārga; it [is] well-inhabited and unencumbered; by-itself easy-good — going all-the-way-to nivṛtti [≡ to no-return ≡ to Nivṛttināth (the guru)].
मराठी (आधुनिक): आणि दुसरा — तो अर्चिरामार्ग — तो वसलेला आहे, अडथळ्यांविना आहे, स्वतःच सुलभ-सुगम-कल्याणकारक आहे — निवृत्तीपर्यंत जाणारा (निवृत्तिनाथांपर्यंत जाणारा).
Metaphor-unfold
| Literal image | Philosophical referent | Modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Yer tō arcirā mārgu (the other — the arcirā-mārga) | The deliberate contrast-naming of the positive-path | The map's parallel route — the recommended way |
| Vasatā āṇi asalagu (well-inhabited and unencumbered) | The arcirā-mārga is a well-traveled road with no obstacles | A well-maintained highway with rest-stops — vs the dhūma-mārga's smoke-village backroads |
| Sāvīyā svastu cāngu (by-itself easy-good) | The path requires no extra-effort; it is intrinsically auspicious | The route that needs no detours, no special-equipment |
| Nivṛttīvarī (going to nivṛtti) | DOUBLE-MEANING: going to nivṛtti (cessation, no-return) AND going to Nivṛttināth (Jñāneśvar's guru) — the guru-name-pun | The destination-name that is simultaneously the doctrinal-goal and the place-of-the-teacher |
Metaphor-family: this is one of the most-celebrated guru-name-puns in the entire Dnyāneśvarī. The doctrinal-term nivṛtti (the philosophical-Sanskrit term for cessation / no-return / the soteriological-goal) fuses with the proper-name Nivṛttī (Jñāneśvar's guru, Nivṛttināth). The path that goes to nivṛtti IS the path that goes to Nivṛttināth — the arcirā-mārga's destination is named simultaneously as the soteriological-goal and as the guru.
Nāth-yogic layer
No Nāth-yogic referent in this ovi (the nivṛtti here is the soteriological-doctrinal-term plus the guru-name-pun; the Nātha-yogic framework's lineage-marker is embedded but not as a praxis-referent).
Cross-references
- Internal: 8.236 (developed-further — negative-path-stamped → positive-path contrast-summary); 8.225 (developed-further — the arcirā mārgu announcement at 8.225 closed-back at 8.237; cluster-boundary-crossing inclusio).
- Source citation: BG-8.24 (arcirā-mārga echo); BG-8.26 (ekayā yāty anāvṛttim — foreshadows; the BG-8.26 anāvṛttim is precisely nivṛttī); Chāndogya 5.10.1-2 (deva-yāna locus-classicus echo).
Modern application
- The recognition of one's nivṛttī-destination in the broadest sense: the discipline is to identify what nivṛtti (cessation of recurring-suffering, no-return-to-the-old-pattern) one is actually moving toward. The arcirā-mārga is the path that gets one there.
- The recognition of the teacher in the destination-name: when one's path's destination-name turns out to be the name of one's teacher, that is the deepest possible-confirmation. The discipline is to test: is the path I'm on a path-to-my-teacher's-place?
- The recognition of vasatā āṇi asalagu (well-inhabited, unencumbered) as path-criteria: the right path is recognizable by these qualities. If a path is lonely-and-encumbered, it may not be the arcirā-mārga; reconsider.
Sādhanā
Today, identify one nivṛttī you are moving toward — one recurring-pattern you want to stop returning to. Then ask: am I on the vasatā-asalagu-svastu path toward it, or am I on a dhūma-komḍaṇi detour? The path-criteria are the discernment.
Arc
This ovi closes the cluster and the 13-ovi span (8.225-8.237) that frames the kāla-śuddhi gati-pair. The nivṛttīvarī guru-name-pun stamps the arcirā-mārga's destination as the place of Nivṛttināth (Jñāneśvar's guru). The next cluster (0302) will open BG-8.26: śukla-kṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate — ekayā yāty anāvṛttim anyayāvartate punaḥ — the doctrinal codification of the two paths as the world's two eternal gati.
Cluster summary
Core teaching. BG-8.25 names the dhūma-mārga (smoke-path), the second of the two ancient paths-of-departure. The yogī who leaves the body at the inauspicious confluence (dhūma + rātri + kṛṣṇa-pakṣa + dakṣiṇāyana) reaches only the cāndramasa-jyoti (lunar-light, the pitṛ-loka) and from there nivartate — returns to samsāra. This is the structural-opposite of BG-8.24's gacchanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ (the brahma-knowers GO to brahma, do not return). Together BG-8.24-25 form the kāla-śuddhi gati-pair: the right confluence gives anāvṛtti (mokṣa); the wrong confluence gives āvṛtti (punar-janma).
Theme tags. bg-8.25; dhuuma-marga-smoke-path; pitṛ-yaana-recurrence-path; candramasam-jyotir-yogi-praapya-nivartate; vaata-shleshma-prayaaṇa-collapse; agnii-agnipan-jaaye-bodily-fire-loses-fire-quality; candraa-aaḍa-aabhaaḷa-twilight-state; jiivitaasi-paḍe-stabdha-life-becomes-frozen; dhuumaakuḷaachii-komdaṇi-smoke-village-confinement; janmem-joḍaliye-vaahaṇii-yugachi-buḍe-multi-life-jnana-current-yuga-drowned; yetulii-dashaa-this-much-the-condition; kṛṣṇa-pakṣa-vari-raati-dakṣiṇaayana-threefold-inauspicious-confluence; punaraavṛttiichiin-gharaaṇiin-houses-of-recurrence; svaruupa-siddhi-kahaaṇi-cannot-be-heard; yogii-chandra-vari-jaaṇē-yogi-goes-only-as-far-as-candra; maagutaa-bahuḍē-samsaaraa-ye-returns-to-samsara; akaaḷu-stamp-from-8.225; dhuumra-margu-of-punaraavṛtti-gaamva; archiraa-margu-contrast-vasataa-asalagu; nivṛttiivarii-guru-name-pun-Nivṛttinaath; preparing-bg-8.26-shukla-kṛṣṇe-gatii-codification.
Contains extended metaphor. Yes — five extended-metaphor families across the 12 ovis (bodily-doshic-collapse anatomy, agni-loses-agni-quality pivot, cloud-occluded-moon chāyā-image, smoke-village-confinement karmic-stamp, houses-of-recurrence converging cosmological-image; plus the contrast-summary with the nivṛttīvarī guru-name-pun).
Chapter arc position. Cluster 0301 sits in the kāla-śuddhi gati-pair block of adhyāya-8 (BG-8.23 + BG-8.24 arcirā-mārga / cluster 0300 + BG-8.25 dhūma-mārga / CLUSTER 0301 + BG-8.26 śukla-kṛṣṇe gatī codification + BG-8.27-28 chapter-close). It is the negative-precept (path-to-avoid) paired with cluster 0300's positive-precept (path-to-attain). Together they form the path-pair-macro-cluster that grounds the BG-8.5-15 anta-kāla-smaraṇa-yoga in a precise kāla-śuddhi (time-purity) doctrine: the moment of prayāṇa matters cosmologically.
Connects to next sloka. Cluster 0301 closes BG-8.25 with the dhūmra-mārgu of the punarāvṛtti-gāva stamp + the arcirā-mārgu nivṛttīvarī contrast-summary at 8.237. The next cluster (0302) will open BG-8.26: śukla-kṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate — ekayā yāty anāvṛttim anyayāvartate punaḥ. The 0301 → 0302 transition is the path-pair-detailed → path-pair-codified-as-eternal-doctrine completion; the 8.238-247 path-discernment-discipline (recognize the auspicious-from-the-inauspicious; mārga-amārga dēkhāvē — sāca laṭikēm vōḷakhāvē — hitāhita jāṇāvē) will then close the chapter's soteriological-argument.
Note on the guru-name-pun at 8.237. The closing word nivṛttīvarī (going-all-the-way-to nivṛtti) is among the most-celebrated guru-name-puns in the entire Dnyāneśvarī. The doctrinal-term nivṛtti (cessation, no-return — the precise Marathi-correlate of BG-8.26's anāvṛttim) fuses with the proper-name Nivṛttī (Jñāneśvar's guru Nivṛttināth). The arcirā-mārga's destination is named simultaneously as the soteriological-goal and as the place of the guru. This is the only place in adhyāya-8 where Jñāneśvar embeds the Nivṛttī-name in the doctrinal-vocabulary; it marks the kāla-śuddhi gati-pair macro-cluster as a high-doctrinal-pivot.