Chapter 4 · 42 verses
ज्ञानकर्मसंन्यासयोगः
Jñāna-karma-sannyāsa-yogaḥ
- 4.1इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम्।The Blessed Lord said, "I taught this imperishable Yoga to Vivasvan; he then told it to Manu; Manu proclaimed…
- 4.2एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदुः।This, handed down in regular succession by the royal sages, was known. This Yoga, however, has been lost here…
- 4.3स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः।That same ancient yoga has been today taught to you by me, for you are my devotee and my friend; it is the…
- 4.4अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः।Arjuna said, "Later was Thy birth, and prior to it was the birth of Vivasvan (the Sun); how am I to…
- 4.5बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन।The Blessed Lord said, "Many births of Mine have passed, as well as of thine, O Arjuna; I know them all, but…
- 4.6अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन्।Though I am unborn and of imperishable nature, and though I am the Lord of all beings, yet, governing my own…
- 4.7यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत।Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and an increase of unrighteousness, O Arjuna, then I manifest…
- 4.8परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्।For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of…
- 4.9जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः।He who thus knows, in their true light, My divine birth and actions, having abandoned the body, is not born…
- 4.10वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः।Freed from attachment, fear, and anger, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by the fire of…
- 4.11ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम्।In whatever way men approach Me, even so do I reward them; My path do men tread in all ways, O Arjuna.
- 4.12काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः।Those who long for success in action in this world sacrifice to the gods; for success is quickly attained by…
- 4.13चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः।The fourfold caste has been created by Me according to the differentiation of Guna and Karma; though I am the…
- 4.14न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा।Actions do not taint Me, nor do I have a desire for the fruit of actions. He who knows Me thus is not bound…
- 4.15एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः।Having known this, the ancient seekers of freedom also performed action; therefore, do thou also perform…
- 4.16किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः।What is action? What is inaction? Even the wise are confused about this. Therefore, I shall teach you the…
- 4.17कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः।For verily, the true nature of action enjoined by the scriptures should be known, as well as that of…
- 4.18कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः।He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, he is wise among men; he is a yogi and performer of…
- 4.19यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिताः।He whose undertakings are all devoid of desires and selfish purposes, and whose actions have been burned by…
- 4.20त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः।Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of the action, ever content, depending on nothing, he does not do…
- 4.21निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः।Without hope, controlling the mind and the self, having abandoned all covetousness, and performing only…
- 4.22यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः।Content with what comes to him without effort, free from the pairs of opposites and envy, even-minded in…
- 4.23गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः।To one who is devoid of attachment, who is liberated, whose mind is established in knowledge, and who works…
- 4.24ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्महविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम्।Brahman is the oblation; Brahman is the melted butter (ghee); by Brahman is the oblation poured into the fire…
- 4.25दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते।Some yogis perform sacrifice to the gods alone; while others, who have realized the Self, offer the Self as…
- 4.26श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति।Some again offer the organ of hearing and other senses as a sacrifice in the fire of restraint; others offer…
- 4.27सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे।Others again sacrifice all the functions of the senses and those of the breath (vital energy, or Prana) in…
- 4.28द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे।Others again offer wealth, austerity, and Yoga as sacrifice, while ascetics of self-restraint and rigid vows…
- 4.29अपाने जुह्वति प्राण प्राणेऽपानं तथाऽपरे।Others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming into the outgoing,…
- 4.30अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति।Others who regulate their diet offer life-breaths in each life-breath. All these are knowers of sacrifice,…
- 4.31यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम्।Those who eat the remnants of the sacrifice, which are like nectar, go to the eternal Brahman. This world is…
- 4.32एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे।Thus, manifold sacrifices are spread out before Brahman at the face of Brahman. Know them all to be born of…
- 4.33श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप।Superior is wisdom-sacrifice to the sacrifice with objects, O Parantapa (scorcher of the foes). All actions…
- 4.34तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया।Know that the wise who have realized the truth will instruct thee in that knowledge through long prostration,…
- 4.35यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव।Knowing that thou shalt not, O Arjuna, again be deluded like this; and by that thou shalt see all beings in…
- 4.36अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः।Even if thou art the most sinful of all sinners, yet thou shalt surely cross over all sins by the raft of…
- 4.37यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन।As the blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all actions to ash.
- 4.38न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते।Verily, there is no purifier in this world like knowledge. He who is perfected in Yoga finds it within the…
- 4.39श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः।The one who is full of faith, devoted to it, and has subdued their senses obtains this knowledge; and upon…
- 4.40अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति।The ignorant, the faithless, and the doubting self go to destruction; there is neither this world nor the…
- 4.41योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसंछिन्नसंशयम्।He who has renounced actions through Yoga, whose doubts have been dispelled by knowledge, and who is…
- 4.42तस्मादज्ञानसंभूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनाऽऽत्मनः।Therefore, with the sword of knowledge (of the Self), cut asunder the doubt of the self, born of ignorance,…