04
ज्ञानकर्मसंन्यासयोग
Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga
Krishna connects wise action with spiritual knowledge and explains why he appears whenever dharma declines. Knowledge clarifies the nature of action and releases it from binding attachment.
Chapter 4 · Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga
42 verses
1
BG 4.1
श्रीभगवानुवाच | इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् | विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ||४-१||
The Lord said: I taught this enduring yoga to Vivasvan; Vivasvan taught it to Manu, and Manu told it to Ikshvaku.
2
BG 4.2
एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदुः | स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्टः परन्तप ||४-२||
Passed down in this succession, the royal sages knew it. But over a long time this yoga was lost here, scorcher of enemies.
3
BG 4.3
स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः | भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ||४-३||
I have taught that same ancient yoga to you today because you are my devotee and my friend. It is a supreme secret.
4
BG 4.4
अर्जुन उवाच | अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः | कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति ||४-४||
Arjuna asked: Your birth was later, and Vivasvan's was earlier. How am I to understand that you taught it at the beginning?
5
BG 4.5
श्रीभगवानुवाच | बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन | तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ||४-५||
The Lord said: Many births of mine and yours have passed, Arjuna. I know them all, but you do not, scorcher of enemies.
6
BG 4.6
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् | प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ||४-६||
Though unborn, unchanging in myself, and lord of beings, I govern my own nature and manifest through my own power.
7
BG 4.7
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत | अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ||४-७||
Whenever duty and right order decline and wrongdoing rises, Bharata, I bring myself into manifestation.
8
BG 4.8
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् | धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ||४-८||
To protect the good, to destroy wrongdoers, and to establish duty and right order, I manifest age after age.
9
BG 4.9
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः | त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ||४-९||
Whoever truly knows my divine birth and action in this way does not take birth again after leaving the body, but comes to me, Arjuna.
10
BG 4.10
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः | बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागताः ||४-१०||
Free from attachment, fear, and anger, absorbed in me and taking refuge in me, many have been purified by the discipline of knowledge and have reached my state of being.
11
BG 4.11
ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् | मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ||४-११||
In whatever way people approach me, I respond to them accordingly. People follow my path in every way, Partha.
12
BG 4.12
काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः | क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा ||४-१२||
Those who desire success in action worship deities here, for success born of action comes quickly in the human world.
13
BG 4.13
चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः | तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ||४-१३||
I created the fourfold social order according to divisions of qualities and work. Though its creator, know me as unchanging and not an agent of action.
14
BG 4.14
न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा | इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते ||४-१४||
Actions do not stain me, and I have no craving for their fruits. One who understands me this way is not bound by actions.
15
BG 4.15
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः | कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम् ||४-१५||
Knowing this, ancient seekers of liberation also acted. Therefore you too should act, as those of earlier times did.
16
BG 4.16
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः | तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ||४-१६||
Even the wise are confused about what action and inaction are. I will explain action to you; knowing it, you will be freed from harm.
17
BG 4.17
कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः | अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः ||४-१७||
Action must be understood, wrong action must be understood, and inaction must be understood. The course of action is difficult to fathom.
18
BG 4.18
कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः | स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ||४-१८||
One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is wise among people, disciplined, and accomplished in all action.
19
BG 4.19
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिताः | ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहुः पण्डितं बुधाः ||४-१९||
Those who understand call a person wise when all their undertakings are free from desire-driven intentions and their actions have been burned by the fire of knowledge.
20
BG 4.20
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः | कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति सः ||४-२०||
Abandoning attachment to action's fruits, always content and dependent on nothing, such a person does nothing at all even while fully engaged in action.
21
BG 4.21
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः | शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ||४-२१||
Without expectation, with mind and self governed, and having abandoned all possessions, one who acts only to sustain the body incurs no fault.
22
BG 4.22
यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः | समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ||४-२२||
Content with what comes unsought, beyond opposites, free from envy, and balanced in success and failure, such a person is not bound even when acting.
23
BG 4.23
गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः | यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते ||४-२३||
For one free from attachment and liberated, whose mind rests in knowledge and who acts for the sake of sacrifice, action dissolves completely.
24
BG 4.24
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् | ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ||४-२४||
The offering implement is Brahman; the offering is Brahman; Brahman offers it into the fire that is Brahman. One absorbed in action as Brahman reaches Brahman alone.
25
BG 4.25
दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते | ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति ||४-२५||
Some practitioners worship through sacrifice to the gods; others offer sacrifice itself, through sacrifice, into the fire of Brahman.
26
BG 4.26
श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति | शब्दादीन्विषयानन्य इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति ||४-२६||
Some offer hearing and the other senses into the fires of restraint. Others offer sound and other sense objects into the fires of the senses.
27
BG 4.27
सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे | आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते ||४-२७||
Others offer all activities of the senses and vital breaths into the fire of disciplined self-control, kindled by knowledge.
28
BG 4.28
द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे | स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतयः संशितव्रताः ||४-२८||
Some make offerings of material things, others of austerity or yoga; others, disciplined and firm in their vows, make offerings of sacred study and knowledge.
29
BG 4.29
अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे | प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः ||४-२९||
Likewise, others offer the vital breath prana into apana and apana into prana; restraining the movements of both, they devote themselves to breath discipline.
30
BG 4.30
अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति | सर्वेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः ||४-३०||
Others, regulating their food, offer the vital breaths into the vital breaths. All these know sacrifice, and sacrifice wears away their faults.
31
BG 4.31
यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् | नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञस्य कुतोऽन्यः कुरुसत्तम ||४-३१||
Those who partake of the immortal remainder of sacrifice reach eternal Brahman. For one who makes no sacrifice, even this world is unavailable—how then another, best of the Kurus?
32
BG 4.32
एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे | कर्मजान्विद्धि तान्सर्वानेवं ज्ञात्वा विमोक्ष्यसे ||४-३२||
Many kinds of sacrifice are thus set out in the sacred revelation. Know them all as arising from action; understanding this, you will be freed.
33
BG 4.33
श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप | सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते ||४-३३||
Sacrifice through knowledge is better than sacrifice of material things, scorcher of enemies. All action without exception reaches its completion in knowledge, Partha.
34
BG 4.34
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया | उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ||४-३४||
Learn this through respectful approach, searching questions, and service. Those who know and see the truth will teach you knowledge.
35
BG 4.35
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव | येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि ||४-३५||
Knowing it, you will not fall into confusion like this again, son of Pandu. Through it you will see all beings in the self, and also in me.
36
BG 4.36
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः | सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि ||४-३६||
Even if you were the greatest wrongdoer among all wrongdoers, you would cross over all wrongdoing on the boat of knowledge.
37
BG 4.37
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन | ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा ||४-३७||
As a blazing fire reduces wood to ashes, Arjuna, the fire of knowledge reduces all actions to ashes.
38
BG 4.38
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते | तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनि विन्दति ||४-३८||
Nothing here purifies like knowledge. One perfected in yoga finds it in oneself in due time.
39
BG 4.39
श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः | ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ||४-३९||
A person with trust, dedicated to knowledge and with senses controlled, gains knowledge. Having gained it, that person soon reaches supreme peace.
40
BG 4.40
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति | नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ||४-४०||
The ignorant, the distrustful, and the person consumed by doubt are lost. For someone consumed by doubt, there is neither this world nor the next, nor happiness.
41
BG 4.41
योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसञ्छिन्नसंशयम् | आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय ||४-४१||
Actions do not bind a self-possessed person who has relinquished actions through yoga and cut through doubt by knowledge, Dhananjaya.
42
BG 4.42
तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मनः | छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत ||४-४२||
Therefore cut through the doubt born of ignorance that lodges in your heart, using the sword of knowledge. Take your stand in yoga and rise, Bharata.