यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः । यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥
yadakṣaraṃ vedavido vadanti viśanti yadyatayo vītarāgāḥ | yadicchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tatte padaṃ saṃgraheṇa pravakṣye ||
Translation
That which the knowers of the Veda declare as the Imperishable; into which the self-controlled and free from passion enter; desiring which people practice brahmacharya — that goal I shall briefly declare to you.
Interpretation
Krishna prepares to reveal what all the great paths converge upon: the Imperishable (aksharaṃ) — called by Vedic scholars as the highest, entered by the passionate-free ascetics (yatayo vīta-ragah), sought by those who practice brahmacharya. Three paths — scholarly knowledge, austere practice, and disciplined life energy — all point to the same destination. And this, Krishna says, he will now briefly reveal. The word 'briefly' is significant: the truth is simple, even if the journey to realize it is long.