8-26

शुक्ल कृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते ।
एकया याति अनावृत्तिम् अन्ययावर्तते पुनः ॥ २६ ॥

zukla kRSNe gatI hyete jagataH zAzvate mate |
ekayA yAti anAvRttim anyayAvartate punaH || 26 ||

एते गती [ete gatI] These two paths - शुक्ल कृष्णे [zukla kRSNe] of luster and darkness - शाश्वते मते [zAzvate mate] are considered to be eternally जगतः [jagataH] applicable to the people of this world. एकया अनावृत्तिम् याति [ekayA anAvRttim yAti] In one path, you attain freedom from return. अन्यया पुनः आवर्तते [anyayA punaH Avartate] In another, you return again.

The path of light is the path of luster mentioned before . The path of darkness is the one described with smoke . The path of luster leads to freedom from return. The path of darkness eventually results in return.

The scriptures say that these two paths are eternal. Across cycles of creation and destruction, the paths of light and darkness are travelled by devotees and various people of virtue.

As quoted before in छान्दोग्य [chAndogya] , 5-10-1: ‘Those who know the true nature of the Self in this way, as well as those who worship the Lord by dedicating their thoughts to Him will take the path of luster and meet the dawn of freedom’. Following that, in छान्दोग्य [chAndogya] , 5-10-3: ‘Those who serve by sacrifice, by doing virtuous work such as building canals to benefit others, by donating things and so on - they would get the path with smoke ‘