अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन | प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः || २ ||
adhiyajñaḥ kathaṁ ko 'tra dehe 'smin madhusūdana prayāṇa-kāle ca kathaṁ jñeyo 'si niyatātmabhiḥ
adhiyajñaḥ—the Lord of sacrifice; katham—how; kaḥ—who; atra—here; dehe—in the body; asmin—this; madhusūdana—O killer of Madhu (Krishna); prayāṇa-kāle—at the time of death; ca—and; katham—how; jñeyaḥ—to be known; asi—You are; niyata-ātmabhiḥ—by the self-controlled.
“O Madhusudana, who and how is the Lord of sacrifice (Adhiyajna) present in this body? And how are You to be known at the time of death by the self-controlled?”
Arjuna's final question—how to know the Lord at the time of death—is perhaps the most urgent. In the Vaishnava tradition, the last thought at death determines the next destination. Arjuna is asking: what is the practice that ensures the Supreme is the content of one's final awareness?
The practice of remembering the Divine at death must be cultivated throughout life, not improvised at the last moment. Each time you return to awareness during the day—coming back from distraction, anxiety, or sleep—you are rehearsing the most important act you will ever perform.