The Supreme Lord said: I taught this imperishable yoga to Vivasvan (the sun god); Vivasvan taught it to Manu; Manu taught it to Ikshvaku.
Commentary:
Krishna reveals the ancient lineage of this teaching. The science of yoga was first taught to the sun god at the beginning of creation, then passed down through Manu (the progenitor of humanity) to King Ikshvaku, ancestor of Lord Rama's dynasty. This establishes the teaching's divine origin and timeless validity.
Learning:
True wisdom has been passed down through ages by enlightened beings. Value the wisdom traditions that have stood the test of time. Knowledge that has transformed countless lives across millennia deserves serious attention.
Thus handed down in succession, the saintly kings knew this yoga. But over a long period of time, O scorcher of foes, this yoga was lost.
Commentary:
The royal sages preserved this teaching through disciplic succession. However, with time, the transmission was broken, and the knowledge became corrupted or lost. This happens when the chain of authentic teachers is interrupted or when the teaching is diluted across generations.
Learning:
Wisdom requires careful preservation and transmission. Without dedicated teachers and sincere students, even the most profound knowledge can be lost. Treasure authentic spiritual lineages and contribute to keeping genuine wisdom alive.
Verse 4.3
Sanskrit Transliteration:
sa evāyaṁ mayā te 'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ
bhakto 'si me sakhā cheti rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam
Translation:
That same ancient yoga is today spoken to you by Me, because you are My devotee and friend. This is indeed a supreme secret.
Commentary:
Krishna restores the lost teaching to Arjuna because of their special relationship. Arjuna is both a devotee (bhakta) and a friend (sakha). The deepest wisdom is shared not randomly but with those who have the right qualification—sincerity, devotion, and readiness to receive.
Learning:
Sacred knowledge is given to those ready to receive it. Cultivate the qualities of a worthy student: devotion, friendship with truth, and genuine desire to learn. The teacher appears when the student is ready.
Arjuna said: Your birth is recent, while the birth of Vivasvan was in the distant past. How am I to understand that You taught this yoga in the beginning?
Commentary:
Arjuna raises a reasonable doubt. Krishna, as the son of Vasudeva, was born recently, while the sun god exists from the beginning of creation. How could Krishna have taught yoga at the dawn of time? This question opens the door to Krishna's revelation of his divine nature.
Learning:
Never hesitate to ask sincere questions. Genuine doubt, expressed respectfully, leads to deeper understanding. The best teachers welcome honest inquiry and use it to reveal greater truths.
Verse 4.5
Sanskrit Transliteration:
śhrī bhagavān uvācha
bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava chārjuna
tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa
Translation:
The Supreme Lord said: Many births have passed for both you and Me, O Arjuna. I remember them all, but you do not remember, O scorcher of foes.
Commentary:
Krishna reveals his transcendent nature. Both he and Arjuna have had many births, but Krishna remembers all while Arjuna does not. This is the difference between the divine consciousness and the individual soul covered by maya (illusion).
Learning:
Our current life is part of a longer journey we cannot remember. This perspective helps us approach life with humility and openness. The continuity of consciousness suggests that growth today benefits our eternal journey.
Verse 4.6
Sanskrit Transliteration:
ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśhvaro 'pi san
prakṛitiṁ svām adhiṣhṭhāya sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā
Translation:
Although I am unborn, imperishable, and the Lord of all beings, yet governing My own material nature, I manifest by My own divine power.
Commentary:
Krishna explains the mystery of divine incarnation. Unlike ordinary beings who are forced into birth by karma, Krishna appears by his own will (yoga maya). Though unborn and unchanging, he manifests in material form to accomplish divine purposes while remaining beyond material nature.
Learning:
The highest reality can manifest in accessible forms for our benefit. Divine truth, though transcendent, can touch our lives directly. Remain open to recognizing wisdom and grace in unexpected forms.
Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and rise of unrighteousness, O Bharata, then I manifest Myself.
Commentary:
This famous verse explains when and why God incarnates. When dharma (righteousness, cosmic order) declines and adharma (unrighteousness) rises, divine intervention restores balance. This is not arbitrary but a natural response to cosmic need.
Learning:
In times of moral decline, forces of restoration arise. When facing increasing negativity in your life or world, know that corrective forces are also gathering. Be part of the restoration rather than the decline.
Verse 4.8
Sanskrit Transliteration:
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge
Translation:
For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of righteousness, I appear in every age.
Commentary:
Krishna states the threefold purpose of divine incarnation: protecting the righteous, removing evil, and establishing dharma. This happens in every age (yuga) as needed. The divine presence is not a one-time historical event but an ongoing cosmic function.
Learning:
Good is protected and evil is limited by cosmic design. Align yourself with righteousness and trust that ultimately truth prevails. Your sincere efforts toward goodness are supported by the cosmic order.
Verse 4.9
Sanskrit Transliteration:
janma karma cha me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so 'rjuna
Translation:
One who truly knows My divine birth and activities does not take birth again upon leaving the body, but attains Me, O Arjuna.
Commentary:
Understanding Krishna's incarnation in its true nature leads to liberation. This is not mere intellectual knowledge but deep realization that the divine manifests within the material world while remaining transcendent. Such understanding frees the soul from the cycle of rebirth.
Learning:
Deep understanding of spiritual truth is liberating. Don't stop at surface-level learning; penetrate to the essence. When you truly understand any profound truth, it transforms you and frees you from limiting patterns.
Freed from attachment, fear, and anger, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by the fire of knowledge—many have attained My state of being.
Commentary:
Many souls have achieved liberation by this path. The qualifications are: freedom from attachment, fear, and anger; absorption in the divine; taking refuge in God; and purification through knowledge. This is not an impossible goal but has been achieved by countless seekers.
Learning:
Liberation is an achievable goal that many have attained. The path requires releasing negative emotions, focusing on the highest, seeking divine refuge, and purifying through knowledge. These are practical steps anyone can take.
Verse 4.11
Sanskrit Transliteration:
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante manuṣhyāḥ pārtha sarvaśhaḥ
Translation:
In whatever way people approach Me, I reciprocate accordingly. All beings follow My path in all ways, O Partha.
Commentary:
This profound verse reveals divine reciprocity. God responds to each seeker according to their approach. Whether one seeks wealth, knowledge, or liberation, the divine responds appropriately. All paths ultimately lead to the same source, and everyone, knowingly or unknowingly, is on the divine path.
Learning:
The universe responds to your approach. What you seek and how you seek determines what you receive. This is both a promise of divine responsiveness and a call to elevate your aspirations and methods.
Those who desire success in their actions worship the celestial gods, for success born of action comes quickly in this human world.
Commentary:
Most people worship various gods for material success, and such worship can bring quick results. This is a valid but lower form of spirituality. The material world responds rapidly to properly performed rituals and worship, fulfilling immediate desires.
Learning:
Material success can come through dedicated effort and proper methods. However, recognize this as a lower goal. Quick results satisfy temporary desires but don't address deeper spiritual needs. Aim higher while not neglecting practical responsibilities.
The four orders of society were created by Me according to the divisions of quality and work. Though I am the creator of this system, know Me to be the non-doer and immutable.
Commentary:
Krishna explains the origin of social divisions based on guna (qualities) and karma (activities), not on birth. Though he created this system, he remains unaffected by it—the unchanging witness behind all activity. The system was meant for social harmony based on natural capacities.
Learning:
Natural divisions exist based on qualities and inclinations, not birth. Find your place based on your actual nature and capabilities, not on inherited labels. Work according to your genuine strengths and contribute to society accordingly.
Verse 4.14
Sanskrit Transliteration:
na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛihā
iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate
Translation:
Actions do not taint Me, nor do I have any desire for the fruits of action. One who understands Me thus is not bound by actions.
Commentary:
Though Krishna acts in the world, actions do not bind him because he has no personal desire for results. Understanding this divine example liberates the seeker. The secret is not avoiding action but acting without attachment to outcomes.
Learning:
It's possible to act without being bound by action. The key is desirelessness regarding results. When you work without craving specific outcomes, you remain free even while being highly active.
Verse 4.15
Sanskrit Transliteration:
evaṁ jñātvā kṛitaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣhubhiḥ
kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṁ pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛitam
Translation:
Knowing this, the ancient seekers of liberation also performed action. Therefore, perform action as the ancients did in days of yore.
Commentary:
Armed with this understanding, ancient liberation-seekers engaged in action rather than renouncing it. Krishna instructs Arjuna to follow their example. This authoritative precedent shows that enlightened action, not withdrawal, is the validated path.
Learning:
Follow the example of the wise who came before. They achieved liberation while remaining active. If retreat from action were necessary, the ancients would have demonstrated that. Instead, they showed that enlightened engagement is the way.
Verse 4.16
Sanskrit Transliteration:
kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo 'py atra mohitāḥ
tat te karma pravakṣhyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣhyase 'śhubhāt
Translation:
What is action? What is inaction? Even the wise are confused about this. I shall explain to you what action is, knowing which you will be freed from evil.
Commentary:
The nature of action and inaction is subtle and confuses even learned scholars. Krishna promises to clarify this crucial distinction. True understanding of what constitutes action and inaction is liberating knowledge.
Learning:
Surface appearances can be deceiving. What looks like action may be inaction, and vice versa. Seek deeper understanding beyond obvious appearances. The truth about karma is subtle and requires careful contemplation.
Verse 4.17
Sanskrit Transliteration:
karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṁ boddhavyaṁ cha vikarmaṇaḥ
akarmaṇaśh cha boddhavyaṁ gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ
Translation:
One must understand the nature of action, forbidden action, and inaction. The path of action is difficult to understand.
Commentary:
Three types of karma must be understood: karma (prescribed action), vikarma (prohibited action), and akarma (inaction or actionless action). The interplay of these is complex. Only with this knowledge can one navigate wisely through life.
Learning:
Not all actions are equal. Some are beneficial, some harmful, some transcendent. Learn to distinguish between what you should do, shouldn't do, and how to act without creating bondage. This discernment is crucial for wise living.
Verse 4.18
Sanskrit Transliteration:
karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśhyed akarmaṇi cha karma yaḥ
sa buddhimān manuṣhyeṣhu sa yuktaḥ kṛitsna-karma-kṛit
Translation:
One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is wise among humans. Such a person is a yogi and has accomplished all action.
Commentary:
This paradoxical verse contains profound wisdom. The wise see inaction in action—understanding that the Self is not the doer even when the body acts. They also see action in inaction—recognizing that mental activity continues even when the body is still. This double vision is true wisdom.
Learning:
Look beyond surface appearances. Activity of the body doesn't mean the Self is acting; stillness of the body doesn't mean the mind is quiet. True understanding reverses common perceptions. The wise person sees what others miss.
Verse 4.19
Sanskrit Transliteration:
yasya sarve samārambhāḥ kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ
jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇaṁ tam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ
Translation:
One whose undertakings are all free from desire and selfish intention, and whose actions are burned in the fire of knowledge—such a person the wise call a sage.
Commentary:
The enlightened person acts without desire or personal agenda. Their past karma is burned by knowledge, like seeds roasted by fire that cannot sprout. Such a person, though active, creates no new bondage. The wise recognize this as true wisdom.
Learning:
Purify your motivations. When your actions arise from understanding rather than desire, they do not bind you. Knowledge burns away the seeds of future suffering. Seek wisdom that transforms, not just information that accumulates.
Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of action, ever content, depending on nothing—though engaged in action, such a person does nothing at all.
Commentary:
The liberated person, though fully active, does not create karma. How? By abandoning attachment to results, remaining content regardless of outcomes, and not depending on external supports for inner peace. This is the secret of acting without karmic consequence.
Learning:
True freedom is possible in the midst of activity. Cultivate contentment independent of circumstances. Release dependence on results for your peace of mind. Then your actions, however vigorous, do not bind you.
Without desire, with mind and self controlled, having abandoned all possessions, performing action only for the body's maintenance—such a person incurs no sin.
Commentary:
The enlightened person acts without personal desires, with controlled mind, having given up possessive attitudes. They work only for basic bodily needs. Such minimal, detached action incurs no karmic consequence—no sin or merit accumulates.
Learning:
Simplify your needs and control your desires. Work for necessities without accumulating beyond what's needed. This simplification of lifestyle supports spiritual freedom and reduces karmic entanglement.
Verse 4.22
Sanskrit Transliteration:
yadṛichchhā-lābha-santuṣhṭo dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ
samaḥ siddhāv asiddhau cha kṛitvāpi na nibadhyate
Translation:
Content with whatever comes of its own accord, beyond dualities, free from envy, equal in success and failure—even while acting, such a person is not bound.
Commentary:
The sage is content with whatever comes without seeking. They transcend all pairs of opposites (pleasure/pain, honor/dishonor), harbor no envy, and remain unaffected by success or failure. This equanimity while acting is the mark of liberation in life.
Learning:
Accept what comes naturally without grasping for more. Transcend the constant swing between opposites that disturbs most people. Be free from comparing yourself to others. Maintain equanimity regardless of outcomes. This is practical freedom.
For one who is free from attachment, liberated, whose mind is established in knowledge, who acts only as sacrifice—all karma is completely dissolved.
Commentary:
When all conditions are met—freedom from attachment, liberation, knowledge-established mind, and action as sacrifice—karma is completely dissolved. The person is fully free from the bondage of past, present, and future actions.
Learning:
Liberation is a complete package. Work on all aspects: releasing attachments, gaining knowledge, and transforming work into offering. When these come together, you are free even while living in the world.
Verse 4.24
Sanskrit Transliteration:
brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahma-karma-samādhinā
Translation:
Brahman is the offering, Brahman is the oblation poured by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. Brahman is to be attained by one who is absorbed in Brahman through action.
Commentary:
In the highest vision, everything is Brahman (ultimate reality). The instrument of offering, the offering itself, the fire, the one who offers, and the goal—all are Brahman. When this unity is realized, all action becomes sacred and leads to Brahman alone.
Learning:
See the unity in all things. When you recognize that everything—the giver, the gift, and the receiver—is one reality, action becomes worship. This vision transforms ordinary life into sacred practice.
Verse 4.25
Sanskrit Transliteration:
daivam evāpare yajñaṁ yoginaḥ paryupāsate
brahmāgnāv apare yajñaṁ yajñenaivopajuhvati
Translation:
Some yogis perform sacrifice to the celestial gods alone; others offer sacrifice as an oblation to the fire of Brahman.
Commentary:
Different practitioners perform different types of sacrifice according to their level of development. Some worship various deities; others offer the self into the supreme Brahman. Both are valid approaches on different stages of the spiritual path.
Learning:
Honor different levels of spiritual practice. Not everyone is at the same stage. What works for one may not suit another. Respect all sincere approaches while continuing your own growth.
Some offer hearing and other senses into the fire of restraint; others offer sound and other sense objects into the fire of the senses.
Commentary:
Some practitioners sacrifice sense functions through restraint (pratyahara). Others transform sensory experience by offering sense objects into purified senses, using experience itself as spiritual practice. Both are valid forms of sacrifice.
Learning:
There are different ways to handle the senses. You can restrain them or you can transform sensory experience into spiritual practice. Find the approach that works for your temperament and stage of development.
Others offer all the functions of the senses and of the life breath into the fire of yoga of self-restraint, kindled by knowledge.
Commentary:
Some advanced practitioners offer all activities—sensory and vital—into the fire of yoga, illuminated by knowledge. This is comprehensive self-discipline where every function of body and prana becomes an offering to the Self.
Learning:
Make every aspect of life a spiritual offering. Not just formal practice but eating, breathing, sleeping—all can become part of your yoga. Knowledge lights this fire, transforming the ordinary into the sacred.
Verse 4.28
Sanskrit Transliteration:
dravya-yajñās tapo-yajñā yoga-yajñās tathāpare
svādhyāya-jñāna-yajñāśh cha yatayaḥ saṁśhita-vratāḥ
Translation:
Some offer their wealth as sacrifice; some offer austerities; some offer yoga practices; while others with strict vows offer study and knowledge as sacrifice.
Commentary:
The variety of sacrifices continues: material charity (dravya-yajna), ascetic practices (tapo-yajna), yogic disciplines (yoga-yajna), and sacred study and knowledge (svadhyaya-jnana-yajna). Those with firm vows practice these various offerings.
Learning:
Different people have different gifts to offer. Some give material resources, some bodily disciplines, some meditative practice, some knowledge and study. Offer what you can according to your capacity and nature.
Still others, devoted to breath control, offer the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming into the outgoing, restraining the movement of both.
Commentary:
This verse describes pranayama, the yogic science of breath control. By regulating the prana (outgoing breath) and apana (incoming breath), practitioners achieve control over vital energy. This is a subtle form of sacrifice using the life force itself.
Learning:
The breath is a powerful tool for transformation. Learning to regulate the breath can calm the mind, energize the body, and deepen meditation. Explore pranayama as part of your spiritual practice.
Verse 4.30
Sanskrit Transliteration:
apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇān prāṇeṣhu juhvati
sarve 'py ete yajña-vido yajña-kṣhapita-kalmaṣhāḥ
Translation:
Others who regulate their food offer the life breaths into the life breaths. All these are knowers of sacrifice, whose sins are destroyed by sacrifice.
Commentary:
Some practice dietary regulation, offering vital energy through controlled eating. All these various practitioners understand the essence of sacrifice—offering something lower for something higher. Their sins are destroyed through their dedicated practice.
Learning:
What you eat and how you eat matters for spiritual practice. Moderate, regulated eating supports clarity and energy. All sincere sacrifices, including dietary discipline, purify the practitioner.
Those who partake of the nectar of the remnants of sacrifice attain eternal Brahman. This world is not for one who does not sacrifice; how then the next, O best of the Kurus?
Commentary:
Those who live by the principle of sacrifice—taking only what remains after offering—attain the eternal. Without sacrifice in some form, one cannot thrive in this world, let alone the next. Sacrifice is essential for both material and spiritual success.
Learning:
Life requires some form of sacrifice—giving up something for something higher. Those who only take and never give suffer in this world and the next. Cultivate the habit of offering, giving, and sharing.
Thus many types of sacrifice are spread forth from the mouth of Brahman. Know them all to be born of action. Knowing this, you shall be liberated.
Commentary:
The Vedas describe many forms of sacrifice, all originating from Brahman. All these sacrifices involve action of some kind. Understanding the nature of sacrifice and acting accordingly leads to liberation.
Learning:
Many paths lead to the same goal. What matters is the spirit of sacrifice—offering up something for a higher purpose. Find the form of sacrifice that suits you and practice it with understanding.
Superior to material sacrifice is the sacrifice of knowledge, O scorcher of foes. All actions in their entirety culminate in knowledge, O Partha.
Commentary:
Krishna declares knowledge sacrifice (jnana-yajna) superior to material offerings. While material sacrifice has limited results, knowledge leads to liberation. All spiritual paths ultimately lead to knowledge, where action finds its fulfillment and conclusion.
Learning:
Seek knowledge above material accomplishments. While material contributions have value, wisdom has ultimate value. All paths, all practices, all efforts find their fulfillment in Self-knowledge.
Verse 4.34
Sanskrit Transliteration:
tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnena sevayā
upadekṣhyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśhinaḥ
Translation:
Learn this by humble prostration, by inquiry, and by service. The wise who have seen the truth will teach you knowledge.
Commentary:
This verse outlines the method for receiving knowledge: pranipata (humble surrender), pariprasna (sincere inquiry), and seva (service to the teacher). Those who have directly realized truth will impart knowledge to students who approach correctly.
Learning:
Approach knowledge with humility, curiosity, and willingness to serve. The combination of receptivity, intelligent questioning, and dedicated service opens the door to wisdom. A good student attracts a good teacher.
Knowing this, you will not again fall into delusion, O Pandava. By this knowledge, you will see all beings in the Self and also in Me.
Commentary:
Once this knowledge is realized, delusion can never return. The knower sees all beings as part of the one Self, which is identical with Krishna. This vision of unity—seeing all in oneself and in God—is the fruit of liberating knowledge.
Learning:
True knowledge is irreversible—once seen, it cannot be unseen. This knowledge reveals the unity of all existence. When you recognize yourself in all beings and all beings in yourself, separation and the suffering it causes dissolve.
Verse 4.36
Sanskrit Transliteration:
api ched asi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpa-kṛittamaḥ
sarvaṁ jñāna-plavenaiva vṛijinaṁ santariṣhyasi
Translation:
Even if you were the most sinful of all sinners, you would cross over all sin by the boat of knowledge alone.
Commentary:
This encouraging verse promises that knowledge can save even the worst sinner. No amount of past wrongdoing is too great to be overcome by genuine wisdom. Knowledge is compared to a boat that carries one across the ocean of sin.
Learning:
Your past does not determine your future when knowledge intervenes. No matter what you have done, the boat of wisdom can carry you to liberation. Never despair; instead, seek true understanding.
As a blazing fire reduces wood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all karma to ashes.
Commentary:
The power of knowledge is illustrated through fire. Just as fire burns wood to ashes regardless of quantity, knowledge burns all accumulated karma—past, present, and future. Nothing karmic survives the blaze of true wisdom.
Learning:
Knowledge is the ultimate purifier. While good actions create good karma and bad actions create bad karma, knowledge transcends the entire karmic system. Seek the fire that ends the fuel, not more fuel for the fire.
Verse 4.38
Sanskrit Transliteration:
na hi jñānena sadṛiśhaṁ pavitram iha vidyate
tat svayaṁ yoga-saṁsiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati
Translation:
Nothing in this world is as purifying as knowledge. One who is perfected in yoga finds this knowledge within oneself in due course of time.
Commentary:
Knowledge is the supreme purifier—nothing equals it. This knowledge arises naturally within one who has perfected yoga practice. Time and dedicated practice ripen the aspirant for this inner revelation of truth.
Learning:
Nothing cleanses like understanding. Rituals, pilgrimages, and austerities purify to some degree, but knowledge purifies completely. Practice sincerely and patiently; wisdom will arise from within when you are ready.
One who has faith, is devoted to it, and has controlled the senses attains knowledge. Having attained knowledge, one soon reaches supreme peace.
Commentary:
Three qualifications lead to knowledge: shraddha (faith), dedication (tat-para), and sense control (samyatendriya). With these, knowledge comes. With knowledge comes supreme peace—not partial, temporary calm, but the ultimate peace that is liberation.
Learning:
Faith, dedication, and discipline together lead to knowledge. Knowledge leads to lasting peace. If you want the peace that nothing can disturb, cultivate these three qualities and knowledge will follow.
Verse 4.40
Sanskrit Transliteration:
ajñaśh chāśhraddadhānaśh cha saṁśhayātmā vinaśhyati
nāyaṁ loko 'sti na paro na sukhaṁ saṁśhayātmanaḥ
Translation:
The ignorant, the faithless, and the doubter perish. For the doubter there is neither this world, nor the next, nor happiness.
Commentary:
In contrast to the faithful seeker, the ignorant person who lacks faith and is consumed by doubt finds no fulfillment. Such a person fails in both worldly and spiritual pursuits. Chronic doubt paralyzes and destroys.
Learning:
Doubt has its place in inquiry, but chronic skepticism paralyzes growth. Distinguish between healthy questioning that seeks truth and destructive doubt that prevents any commitment. At some point, you must trust and move forward.
Verse 4.41
Sanskrit Transliteration:
yoga-sannyasta-karmāṇaṁ jñāna-sañchhinna-saṁśhayam
ātmavantaṁ na karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya
Translation:
One who has renounced action through yoga, whose doubts are cut by knowledge, who is self-possessed—actions do not bind such a person, O Dhananjaya.
Commentary:
The liberated person has: (1) renounced the fruits of action through yoga, (2) destroyed doubts through knowledge, and (3) established in Self-awareness. Such a person, though acting, remains unbound—the goal of karma yoga is achieved.
Learning:
The combination of detached action, clear knowledge, and Self-awareness leads to freedom while acting. These three together dissolve the binding power of karma. This is the practical achievement the Gita points toward.
Therefore, with the sword of knowledge, cut asunder this doubt born of ignorance residing in your heart. Take refuge in yoga. Arise, O Bharata!
Commentary:
Krishna concludes with a stirring call to action. Using the sword of knowledge, Arjuna should destroy the doubt that paralyzes him. He should embrace yoga (the union of action and knowledge) and arise to fulfill his duty. The chapter ends with an empowering command to act with wisdom.
Learning:
Don't let doubt paralyze you. Use knowledge to cut through confusion. Take refuge in the path of united wisdom and action. Then stand up and act! This is the essence of living spirituality—not passive contemplation but enlightened engagement.
Translation and commentary sourced from public domain texts.
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