Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 8, Verse 23

यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः । प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ

yatra kāle tvanāvṛttimāvṛttiṃ caiva yoginaḥ | prayātā yānti taṃ kālaṃ vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha

Translation

Now, in what time departing, Yogins go to return not, as also to return, that time will I tell thee, O chief of the Bhāratas.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

yatra

where

kāle

in time

tu

indeed

anāvṛttim

non-return

āvṛttim

return

ca

and

eva

even

yoginaḥ

yogis

prayātāḥ

gone forth

yānti

go

tam

that

kālam

time

vakṣyāmi

(I) will declare

bharatarṣabha

O prince of the Bharatas

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

'In what time' should be construed with 'departing.' 'To return' means to be reborn. 'Yogins' stands for those who are engaged in meditation (i.e., those who are properly called Yogins) as well as for Karmins, i.e., those who are engaged in karma or action. The latter are spoken of as Yogins only by courtesy.