यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन |
ज्ञानाग्नि: सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा || 37||
yathaidhānsi samiddho ’gnir bhasma-sāt kurute ’rjuna
jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi bhasma-sāt kurute tathā
yathā—as; edhānsi—firewood; samiddhaḥ—blazing; agniḥ—fire; bhasma-sāt—to ashes; kurute—turns; arjuna—Arjun; jñāna-agniḥ—the fire of knowledge; sarva-karmāṇi—all reactions from material activities; bhasma-sāt—to ashes; kurute—it turns; tathā—similarly
Translation:
O Arjuna! Just as blazing fire reduces wood to ashes, even so, the fire of, Knowledge destroys all actions.
Commentary:
There is no sorrow when there is no birth; there is no birth when there is no action, and there is no action when Knowledge is acquired. All actions done in the former state of ignorance are destroyed by the Knowledge now acquired. But this Knowledge should be perfect. Burning fire consumes all fuel thrown into it. The fire covered by ashes is simply extinguished if the wood is thrown over it. So the blazing fire of Knowledge destroys all actions.
For the man who possessed knowledge and perceived Atma all actions are destroyed. In the former verse, it is said that the ocean of sin is crossed over by the raft of Knowledge. Here it is further stated that all actions are destroyed by the fire of Knowledge.
Question: How can people get rid of Karma?
Answer: By Knowledge.
Question: What is the excellence of Knowledge?
Answer: Knowledge destroys all actions, and thus man attains liberation.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 4 🔻 (42 Verses)
