Bhagavad Gita – Chapter 4 – Jnana Yoga

Main Points of the Discourse:

1. The power of the lord and mention of Nishkama Karma. (1-18)
2. The pure conduct of Jnani. (19-23)
3. An account of various Yajnas, and the superiority of Jnana Yajna. (24-32)
4. The wonderful efficacy of Jnana. (33-42)

Verses 1 to 42

• The Blessed Lord said: This imperishable Yoga of action (and the wisdom arising from it) I taught to Vivasvan (the Sun) at the beginning of creation. Vivasvan taught it to his son Manu, and Manu to his son Ikshvaku. (4.1)
• O Arjuna! The royal sages know this (yoga) which was handed down in regular succession from generation to generation. But by long lapse of time, this Yoga was lost to the world.  (4.2)
• This same ancient Yoga has now been taught by Me, for you are My devotee and friend. It is indeed the supreme secret. (4.3)
• Arjuna said: Later was your birth, earlier the birth of Vivasvan (Sun); how then am I to understand that you taught it to him in the beginning? (4.4)
• The Blessed Lord said: O Arjuna! Many births of Mine have passed as well as yours. I know them all but you know them not. (4.5)
• Though unborn and eternal in My being, the Lord and controller of all beings, controlling My own nature, I come into being by the power of My Maya-Sakti. (4.6)
• O Arjuna! Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and rise of evil, I manifest Myself. (4.7)
• For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for establishing Dharma, I take birth in every age. (4.8)
• Those who understand the divine nature of my birth and activities, O Arjun, upon leaving the body, do not have to take birth again, but come to my eternal abode. (4.9)
• Free from desire, fear, and hatred, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, many purified by the penance of knowledge have attained Me. (4.10)
• O Arjuna! In whatsoever form one seeks Me, I reach him in that form, for all mankind are but following the paths I laid down for them. (4.11)
• Longing for success in action, in this world, (men) worship the deities. For success is quickly attained through action in this world of Man. (4.12)
• The four castes were created by Me according to the division of gunas and karma. Though I am their Creator, yet know that I neither act nor change. (4.13)
• Actions do not taint Me, nor have I desire for the fruit of actions; He who knows Me thus is not bound by karma. (4.14)
• Thus knowing, the ancient spiritual aspirants performed the action. Therefore you shall do the same (desireless) action as performed by the ancients in older times. (4.15)
• What is action, and what is not action? In this matter, even the wise are deluded. I will teach you that action knowing which you shall be liberated from evil. (4.16)
• The nature of action (enjoined by the Sastras) and of wrong action (prohibited by the Sastras) and also of inaction should be known, because deep and difficult to understand is the path of action. (4.17)
• Who sees action in inaction and inaction in action, he is the wise man, the yogi, the doer of all actions among men. (4.18)
• He whose undertakings are all free from desire and volition, whose actions are burnt in the fire of knowledge, is called a sage by the wise. (4.19)
• He who has given up attachment to the fruits of work, who is ever content, who does not depend upon anything, though engaged in action does not verily do anything. (4.20)
• He who is free from hope, who is self-controlled, who has abandoned all possessions, though working merely with the body, does not incur sin. (4.21)
• Content with whatsoever he gets without efforts, free from the pains of opposites, free from malice, balanced in success and failure, though acting, he is not bound. (4.22)
• Of the man who is devoid of attachment, who is liberated, whose mind is established in knowledge, the whole action performed in the spirit of sacrifice is dissolved. (4.23)
• The oblation is Brahman, the offerings are Brahman, the sacrifice is Brahman, and by absorption in action which is Brahman, Brahman alone shall be reached by him (by the sacrifice). (4.24)
• Some yogis perform sacrifice pertaining to the Gods only, others by the union of the self (jiva) with Brahman, offer the Jiva as sacrifice in the fire of Brahman. (4.25)
• Others sacrifice the senses like the organ of hearing etc., in the fires of sense – restraint, and some others sacrifice the sense-objects like sound etc., in the fire of the senses. (4.26)
• Others sacrifice all the functions of the senses and the functions of the vital energy (prana) in the fire of the yoga of self-control, illumined by Knowledge. (4.27)
• Others offer wealth, austerity and Yoga as sacrifice and again others, the ascetics of rigid vows offer study and knowledge as sacrifice. (4.28)
• Some, again, constantly practising the regulation of prāna, offer the oblation of prāna into apāna, and apāna into prāna, or stop the passage of both prāna and apāna. Yet others, restricting their food, offer their prānas in the prānas. (4.29)
• Others of regulated food, sacrifice the life – breaths in the life – breaths; all these also are are knowers of sacrifice whose sins are destroyed by sacrifice. (4.30)
• Those who eat the remnants of sacrifice which is nectar, go to eternal Brahman; to the non- sacrificer, even this world is not, how then can he get a higher world? (4.31)
• Thus various forms of sacrifice are spread out in the Vedas; know them all to be born of action; thus knowing you shall be liberated. (4.32)
• O scorcher of foes! Knowledge-sacrifice is superior to sacrifice performed with objects. All actions, O Arjuna, in their entirety, culminate in Knowledge. (4.33)
• Know that (Knowledge) by long prostration, question, and service (to the master). The sages who have realised the truth will instruct you in that knowledge. (4.34)
• O Arjuna! Having obtained this knowledge, you will not thus be deluded again and by this Knowledge, you will see all beings in your Self and also in Me. (4.35)
• Even if you are the most sinful of all sinners you shall cross all sin by the raft of Knowledge. (4.36)
• O Arjuna! Just as blazing fire reduces wood to ashes, even so, the fire of, Knowledge destroys all actions. (4.37)
• Indeed there is nothing so pure as Knowledge in this world. He who is perfected in Nishkama Karma finds that wisdom by himself in Atma in due season. (4.38)
• The man of faith, having Knowledge as his supreme goal having controlled the senses, obtains knowledge of Atma, and having obtained that enjoys everlasting peace. (4.39)
• But the ignorant man, the faithless man, the doubting man goes to destruction. For the doubting self, there is no happiness either in this world or the next. (4.40)
• O Arjuna! Actions do not bind the man who has surrendered the fruits of karma by yoga, whose doubts are cleared by Knowledge, and who is firmly established in the Self. (4.41)
• Therefore, with the sword of Knowledge cut asunder the doubt born of ignorance about the Self, dwelling in the heart and take refuge in Yoga. Arise, O Arjuna! (4.42)