CHAPTER 4

Verse 1

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha
manur ikṣvākave ’bravīt

Śrī Bhagavān said: I instructed this eternal science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvān, who instructed it to Manu. Manu then instructed it to Ikṣvāku.

Verse 2

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ paran-tapa

O Arjuna, this yoga was thus received in disciplic succession and the saintly kings understood it through that process, but after a prolonged lapse of time, it almost become lost to the world.

Verse 3

sa evāyaṁ mayā te ’dya
yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ
bhakto ’si me sakhā ceti
rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam

You are My devotee and My friend. For this reason I am today explaining to you the supremely confidential knowledge of that ancient process of yoga.

Verse 4

arjuna uvāca
aparaṁ bhavato janma
paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ
katham etad vijānīyāṁ
tvam ādau proktavān iti

Arjuna said: Your birth took place only recently, whereas the sun god was born in ancient times. How am I to understand that You spoke this yoga to him in a previous age?

Verse 5

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
bahūni me vyatītāni
janmāni tava cārjuna
tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi
na tvaṁ vettha paran-tapa

The all-opulent Personality of Godhead said: O chastiser of the foe, both you and I have passed many lives. I remember all of them, whereas you do not.

Verse 6

ajo ’pi sann avyayātmā
bhūtānām īśvaro ’pi san
prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya
sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā

Although My form is unborn and indestructible, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, still I appear through My yogamāyā potency in My original form of eternality, cognizance and bliss.

Verse 7

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

O descendant of Bharata, whenever there is a decline of religion and an increase in irreligion, at that time I manifest My eternally perfect form in this mundane world.

Verse 8

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge

To protect My unalloyed devotees, to annihilate the wicked and to firmly establish religion, I appear in every age.

Verse 9

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

O Arjuna, My birth and activities are transcendental. One who knows this in truth does not take another birth after giving up the present body; rather he assuredly attains Me.

Verse 10

vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā
man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ
bahavo jñāna-tapasā
pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ

Being devoid of attachment, fear and anger, their concentration fixed on Me, being completely surrendered to Me, and purified by austerity in the form of knowledge, many devotees have attained prema-bhakti for Me.

Verse 11

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

O Pārtha, in whichever way a person renders service to Me I reciprocate with him accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects.

Verse 12

kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ
yajanta iha devatāḥ
kṣipraṁ hi mānuṣe loke
siddhir bhavati karma-jā

Those who desire the fruits of their activities in this world worship the demigods, because the results of their fruitive work are quickly achieved.

Verse 13

cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ
viddhy akartāram avyayam

The fourfold system of varṇas (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra) was created by Me according to divisions of quality (guṇa) and work (karma). Although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am the immutable non-doer.

Verse 14

na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti
na me karma-phale spṛhā
iti māṁ yo ’bhijānāti
karmabhir na sa badhyate

Karma can never bind Me because I have no desire for the fruit of action. They who actually comprehend this truth about Me are also never bound by their activities.

Verse 15

evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma
pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ
kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṁ
pūrvaiḥ pūrva-taraṁ kṛtam

Even the seekers of liberation in ancient times performed their prescribed duties simply to set the standard for common men. Therefore, you should also perform your work, following the example of these predecessor authorities.

Verse 16

kiṁ karma kim akarmeti
kavayo ’py atra mohitāḥ
tat te karma pravakṣyāmi
yaj jñātvā mokṣyase ’śubhāt

Even men of discrimination become bewildered in their efforts to determine what constitutes action and what constitutes inaction. For this reason, I shall explain the science of karma to you, knowing which you will become liberated from the most inauspicious cycle of birth and death.

Verse 17

karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṁ
boddhavyaṁ ca vikarmaṇaḥ
akarmaṇaś ca boddhavyaṁ
gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ

Action, prohibited action and non-action should be distinctly understood, for the science of karma is most profound.

Verse 18

antavanta ime dehā
nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ
anāśino ’prameyasya
tasmād yudhyasva bhārata

One who sees action in inaction and inaction in action is truly wise among men. He is a yogī and transcendentally situated, even though he performs all sorts of activities.

Verse 19

yasya sarve samārambhāḥ
kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ
jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇaṁ
tam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ

He whose every action is free from desire and hankering for sense pleasure, having burned all fruitive desires within the fire of pure knowledge, is called a learned man, or paṇḍita, by the wise.

Verse 20

tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgaṁ
nitya-tṛpto nirāśrayaḥ
karmaṇy abhipravṛtto ’pi
naiva kiñcit karoti saḥ

One who has renounced attachment to the fruits of his work, who is always satisfied by his own internal bliss, and who is not dependent on anyone for his maintenance, performs no action, even though fully engaged in all types of action.

Verse 21

nirāśīr yata-cittātmā
tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ
śārīraṁ kevalaṁ karma
kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam

A person who can control his mind and senses, who is devoid of fruitive desires, who renounces all varieties of sense pleasure and who works only for bodily maintenance, does not become affected by sinful reactions.

Verse 22

yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭo
dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ
samaḥ siddhāv asiddhau ca
kṛtvāpi na nibadhyate

He who is satisfied with objects that come of their own accord, who tolerates dualities such as heat and cold, who is free from envy, and who remains equipoised in success and failure even while performing action, is not bound by it.

Verse 23

gata-saṅgasya muktasya
jñānāvasthita-cetasaḥ
yajñāyācarataḥ karma
samagraṁ pravilīyate

For a person devoid of material attachments, whose mind is situated in transcendental knowledge, and who performs his every action for the worship of the Supreme, all the reactions to his past fruitive work are nullified. He becomes liberated and attains the stage of non-action.

Verses 24

brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir
brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ
brahma-karma-samādhinā

In the performance of a fire sacrifice (yajña), in which the instruments for offering (such as spoon), the ingredients to be offered (such as ghee), the place where the offering is made (the sacrificial fire), the person making the offering (the priest) and the act of offering itself are brahma, or spiritual in nature, and meant for the revelation of brahma (transcendence). Indeed brahma is the fruit obtained by a person who is one-pointedly absorbed in seeking revelation of brahma in the performance of such action.

Verse 25

daivam evāpare yajñaṁ
yoginaḥ paryupāsate
brahmāgnāv apare yajñaṁ
yajñenaivopajuhvati

Karma-yogīs perfectly worship the demigods in the form of offering ceremonial sacrifices to them, while others, jñāna-yogīs, offer all their activities as oblations through sacrifice into the sacrificial fire of the Absolute Truth.

Verse 26

śrotrādīnīndriyāṇy anye
saṁyamāgniṣu juhvati
śabdādīn viṣayān anya
indriyāgniṣu juhvati

The lifelong celibates offer their hearing and other senses into the fire of the controlled mind, while the householders offer sense objects, such as sound, into the fire of the senses.

Verse 27

sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi
prāṇa-karmāṇi cāpare
ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau
juhvati jñāna-dīpite

Other yogīs offer the activities of all their senses and life-airs into the fire of the controlled self, which is illumined by knowledge.

Verse 28

Verse 29

apāne juhvati prāṇaṁ
prāṇe ’pānaṁ tathāpare
prāṇāpāna-gatī ruddhvā
prāṇāyāma-parāyaṇāḥ
apare niyatāhārāḥ
prāṇān prāṇeṣu juhvati

Others, who are steadfast in controlling the life force (prāṇāyāma), offer the up-going breath (prāṇa) into the down-going breath (apāna) and conversely offer the down-going breath into the upgoing breath. Having stopped both the up-going breath and the down-going breath, they dedicate themselves to controlling the various life-airs. Others, while checking the eating process, offer their up-going breath into down-going breath itself, as a sacrifice.

Verse 30

sarve ’py ete yajña-vido
yajña-kṣapita-kalmaṣāḥ
yajña-śiṣṭāmṛta-bhujo
yānti brahma sanātanam

All those who know the principle of sacrifice become free from sin by performing it. Having tasted the nectarean remnants of sacrifice, they attain the eternal brahma, the stage of transcendence.

Verse 31

nāyaṁ loko ’sty ayajñasya
kuto ’nyaḥ kuru-sattama

O best of the Kurus, a person who does not perform sacrifice cannot even attain this Earth planet with its meagre happiness. How, then, can he attain the planets of the demigods and others?

Verse 32

evaṁ bahu-vidhā yajñā
vitatā brahmaṇo mukhe
karma-jān viddhi tān sarvān
evaṁ jñātvā vimokṣyase

The various types of sacrifice are elaborately explained in the Vedas. Knowing all of them to be born of prescribed duty (karma), you will attain liberation.

Verse 33

śreyān dravya-mayād yajñāj
jñāna-yajñaḥ paran-tapa
sarvaṁ karmākhilaṁ pārtha
jñāne parisamāpyate

O Parantapa, sacrifice resulting in realizing transcendental knowledge (jñāna-yajña) is superior to the mere performance of ceremonial rites and sacrifices (dravyamaya-yajña) because, O Pārtha, the performance of all prescribed action culminates in transcendental knowledge.

Verse 34

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

Understand this transcendental knowledge by offering your prostrated obeisances to the spiritual master, who imparts such knowledge, by asking him relevant questions and by rendering service to him. Those who have direct perception of the Supreme Absolute Truth and who are well-versed in the imports of the scriptures can enlighten you by instructing you on this science.

Verse 35

yaj jñātvā na punar moham
evaṁ yāsyasi pāṇḍava
yena bhūtāny aśeṣāṇi
drakṣyasy ātmany atho mayi

O Pāṇḍava, after understanding such knowledge, you will never again be deluded. Through it, you will perceive all living beings as spirit souls, and you will see them in Me, the all-pervading Supersoul.

Verse 36

api ced asi pāpebhyaḥ
sarvebhyaḥ pāpa-kṛt-tamaḥ
sarvaṁ jñāna-plavenaiva
vṛjinaṁ santariṣyasi

Even if you are the most sinful of sinners, you will be able to completely cross over the ocean of all sins by taking shelter of this boat of transcendental knowledge.

Verse 37

yathaidhāṁsi samiddho ’gnir
bhasma-sāt kurute ’rjuna
jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi
bhasma-sāt kurute tathā

O Arjuna, just as a blazing fire burns firewood to ashes, in the same way, the fire of transcendental knowledge burns to ashes the reactions to all types of karma.

Verse 38

na hi jñānena sadṛśaṁ
pavitram iha vidyate
tat svayaṁ yoga-saṁsiddhaḥ
kālenātmani vindati

In this world, there is nothing more purifying than transcendental knowledge. A person who has attained complete perfection in worshipping the Supreme Lord by working without attachment to the fruit of his prescribed duty spontaneously receives such knowledge within his heart, in due course of time.

Verse 39

śraddhāvāḻ labhate jñānaṁ
tat-paraḥ saṁyatendriyaḥ
jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śāntim
acireṇādhigacchati

A person who is faithful, who has conquered his senses and who is devoted to the practice of worshipping the Supreme Lord by working without attachment to the fruit of his prescribed duty (niṣkāma-karma-yoga) attains transcendental knowledge, whereupon he quickly attains supreme peace in the form of the destruction of bondage to the material world.

Verse 40

ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca
saṁśayātmā vinaśyati
nāyaṁ loko ’sti na paro
na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ

Those who are ignorant, faithless and who have a doubting nature are ruined. A sceptic cannot achieve his well-being in this world or the next, nor can he even achieve happiness.

Verse 41

yoga-sannyasta-karmāṇaṁ
jñāna-sañchinna-saṁśayam
ātmavantaṁ na karmāṇi
nibadhnanti dhanañ-jaya

O Dhanañjaya, winner of riches, a person who, while practising niṣkāma-karma-yoga, has given up the tendency for fruitive action through the principle of renunciation, who has dispelled all his doubts by transcendental knowledge, and who has realized the nature of his real self is not bound by karma.

Verse 42

tasmād ajñāna-sambhūtaṁ
hṛt-sthaṁ jñānāsinātmanaḥ
chittvainaṁ saṁśayaṁ yogam
ātiṣṭhottiṣṭha bhārata

Therefore, O descendant of Bharata, with the sword of knowledge, slash the doubts in your heart which are born of ignorance. Take shelter of niṣkāma-karma-yoga and prepare for battle.

“Iti Srimad Bhagavad Gitasu Upanishatsu Brahma Vidyayaam Yogashastre, Sri Krsna Arjuna Samvāde Jñāna Yoga Nāma Chaturthodhyāyaha”