Chapter 4. "Jnana-Yoga, or The Path of Wisdom".
The Blessed Lord said:
1. I declared this imperishable Yoga to Vivasvan, and Vivasvan told it to Manu, Manu taught it to Ikshvaku.
2. Thus, handed down in regular succession, the royal sages knew it. This Yoga through long lapse of time has been lost in this world, O Parantapa (Arjuna).
3. That same ancient Yoga has been (again) today declared to thee by Me, for thou art my devotee and my friend. This is the supreme secret.
Arjuna said:
4. Later was thy birth and the birth of Vivasvan was prior to thine. How, then, am I to know that thou didst declare this in the beginning?
The Blessed Lord said:
5. O Arjuna, both you and I have gone through many births. I know them all, but thou knowest them not, O Parantapa.
6. Though I am unborn and of unchangeable nature, and though I am Lord of all beings, yet by ruling over my Prakriti (Nature) I come into being by my own Maya (mysterious power).
7. O Bharata, whenever there is decline of virtue and predominance of vice, then I embody Myself.
8. For the protection of the good and for the destruction of evil-doers and for the re-establishment of Dharma (virtue and religion) I am born from age to age.
9.. He who thus understands truly My Divine birth and action is not born again on leaving his body, O Arjuna, but he attains unto Me.
10. Freed from attachment, fear and anger, being absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, purified by the fire of wisdom, many have attained My Being.
11. In whatever way men worship Me, in the same way I fulfil their desires. O Partha, in every way men follow My path.
12. Those who long for success in this world worship the gods, for in the human world success is quickly attained by actions.
13. The fourfold caste was created by me according to Guna and Karma (qualities and actions). Although I am the author (of that), you know me to be the non-doer and changeless.
14. Actions pollute Me not, nor have I any desire for the fruits of action. He who knows Me thus, is not bound by action.
15. Knowing this, the ancient seekers after liberation performed action. Do thou, therefore, also perform action as did the ancients in olden time.
16. Even wise men are bewildered regarding what is action and what is inaction. Therefore I shall teach thee that action, by knowing which thou shalt be freed from all evil.
17. For verily the nature of right action should be understood, also that of unlawful action and of inaction. The nature of Karma (action) is indeed very difficult to understand.
18. He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, he is intelligent among men; he is a man of established wisdom and a true performer of all actions.
19. Him the sages call wise whose undertakings are devoid of desire for results and of plans, whose actions are burned by the fire of wisdom.
20. Having abandoned attachment for the fruits of action, ever content and dependent on none, though engaged inaction, yet he does nothing.
21. Being freed form longing, with self under control, and giving up all sense of possession (ownership), he is not tainted by sin merely by performing bodily action.
22. Content with whatever comes without effort, undisturbed by the pairs of opposites (pleasure and pain, heat and cold), free from envy, even-minded in success and failure, though acting (he) is not bound.
23. One whose attachment is gone, who is liberated, whose mind is well-established in wisdom, who works for sacrifice alone, his whole Karma melts away.
24. Brahman (absolute Truth) is the offering, Brahman is the oblation, the sacrificial fire is (another form of) Brahman and by Brahman is the sacrifice performed. Thus, by performing actions with the consciousness of Brahman, he reaches Brahman alone.
25. Some Yogis offer sacrifices to the Devas, while others perform sacrifice in the fire of Brahman by offering self by the self alone.
26. Some offer the sense of hearing and other senses as oblation in the fire of control; still others offer sound and other sense-objects as oblation in the fire of the senses.
27. Others offer all the actions of the senses and the functions of the vital forces as oblation in the fire of self-control, lighted by wisdom.
28. Some offer wealth as sacrifice; some, austerity and Yoga as sacrifice; still others, of rigid vow and self-control, offer study of the Scriptures and wisdom as sacrifice.
29. Yet others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath in the incoming and the incoming breath in the outgoing, stopping the courses of the outgoing and incoming breaths; thus they constantly practise Pranayama. Whereas others, regulating their food, offer the functions of the vital forces in the Prana itself as sacrifice.
30-31. All the knowers of sacrifice, burning off their sins (impurities) by the performance of sacrifice and drinking the nectar of the remnant of sacrifice, go to the eternal Brahman (absolute Truth). O best of the Kurus (Arjuna), not even this world is for the non-performer of sacrifice, how much less is the other (world).
32. All these various sacrifices are given in the Vedas (the revelation of Brahman or absolute Truth). Know them all to be born of action; knowing thus thou shalt be freed.
33. O Parantapa (Arjuna), wisdom-sacrifice is far superior to the sacrifice performed with material objects. The entire realm of action, O Partha, ends in wisdom.
34. Learn this by reverence, by enquiry and by humble service. Those menof wisdom, who have realized the Truth, will teach thee supreme wisdom.
35. Knowing which, O Pandava, thou shalt not again thus fall into error (delusion) and by which thou shalt see all beings in (thy) Self and also in Me.
36. Even if thou art the most sinful of the sinful, thou shalt cross over (the ocean of) sin by the bark of wisdom.
37. As kindled fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the wisdom fire reduce all actions (Karma) to ashes.
38. Nothing indeed in this world purifies like wisdom. He who is perfected by Yoga, finds it in time within himself by himself.
39. The man of (unflinching) faith, who has mastered his senses, attains wisdom. Having gained wisdom, immediately he attains to supreme peace.
40. The ignorant, the faithless and one of doubting mind perishes. There is neither this world nor the next nor any happiness for the doubting self.
41. O Dhananjaya, one who has renounced actions by Yoga and has cut asunder doubt by wisdom and who is self-possessed, actions bind him not.
42. Therefore, cutting asunder with the sword of wisdom this doubt of Self, born of ignorance, lying in the heart, take refuge in Yoga and arise, O Bharata!
Here ends the Fourth Chapter called "Jnana-Yoga, or The Path of Wisdom"
The Blessed Lord said:
1. I declared this imperishable Yoga to Vivasvan, and Vivasvan told it to Manu, Manu taught it to Ikshvaku.
2. Thus, handed down in regular succession, the royal sages knew it. This Yoga through long lapse of time has been lost in this world, O Parantapa (Arjuna).
3. That same ancient Yoga has been (again) today declared to thee by Me, for thou art my devotee and my friend. This is the supreme secret.
Arjuna said:
4. Later was thy birth and the birth of Vivasvan was prior to thine. How, then, am I to know that thou didst declare this in the beginning?
The Blessed Lord said:
5. O Arjuna, both you and I have gone through many births. I know them all, but thou knowest them not, O Parantapa.
6. Though I am unborn and of unchangeable nature, and though I am Lord of all beings, yet by ruling over my Prakriti (Nature) I come into being by my own Maya (mysterious power).
7. O Bharata, whenever there is decline of virtue and predominance of vice, then I embody Myself.
8. For the protection of the good and for the destruction of evil-doers and for the re-establishment of Dharma (virtue and religion) I am born from age to age.
9.. He who thus understands truly My Divine birth and action is not born again on leaving his body, O Arjuna, but he attains unto Me.
10. Freed from attachment, fear and anger, being absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, purified by the fire of wisdom, many have attained My Being.
11. In whatever way men worship Me, in the same way I fulfil their desires. O Partha, in every way men follow My path.
12. Those who long for success in this world worship the gods, for in the human world success is quickly attained by actions.
13. The fourfold caste was created by me according to Guna and Karma (qualities and actions). Although I am the author (of that), you know me to be the non-doer and changeless.
14. Actions pollute Me not, nor have I any desire for the fruits of action. He who knows Me thus, is not bound by action.
15. Knowing this, the ancient seekers after liberation performed action. Do thou, therefore, also perform action as did the ancients in olden time.
16. Even wise men are bewildered regarding what is action and what is inaction. Therefore I shall teach thee that action, by knowing which thou shalt be freed from all evil.
17. For verily the nature of right action should be understood, also that of unlawful action and of inaction. The nature of Karma (action) is indeed very difficult to understand.
18. He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, he is intelligent among men; he is a man of established wisdom and a true performer of all actions.
19. Him the sages call wise whose undertakings are devoid of desire for results and of plans, whose actions are burned by the fire of wisdom.
20. Having abandoned attachment for the fruits of action, ever content and dependent on none, though engaged inaction, yet he does nothing.
21. Being freed form longing, with self under control, and giving up all sense of possession (ownership), he is not tainted by sin merely by performing bodily action.
22. Content with whatever comes without effort, undisturbed by the pairs of opposites (pleasure and pain, heat and cold), free from envy, even-minded in success and failure, though acting (he) is not bound.
23. One whose attachment is gone, who is liberated, whose mind is well-established in wisdom, who works for sacrifice alone, his whole Karma melts away.
24. Brahman (absolute Truth) is the offering, Brahman is the oblation, the sacrificial fire is (another form of) Brahman and by Brahman is the sacrifice performed. Thus, by performing actions with the consciousness of Brahman, he reaches Brahman alone.
25. Some Yogis offer sacrifices to the Devas, while others perform sacrifice in the fire of Brahman by offering self by the self alone.
26. Some offer the sense of hearing and other senses as oblation in the fire of control; still others offer sound and other sense-objects as oblation in the fire of the senses.
27. Others offer all the actions of the senses and the functions of the vital forces as oblation in the fire of self-control, lighted by wisdom.
28. Some offer wealth as sacrifice; some, austerity and Yoga as sacrifice; still others, of rigid vow and self-control, offer study of the Scriptures and wisdom as sacrifice.
29. Yet others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath in the incoming and the incoming breath in the outgoing, stopping the courses of the outgoing and incoming breaths; thus they constantly practise Pranayama. Whereas others, regulating their food, offer the functions of the vital forces in the Prana itself as sacrifice.
30-31. All the knowers of sacrifice, burning off their sins (impurities) by the performance of sacrifice and drinking the nectar of the remnant of sacrifice, go to the eternal Brahman (absolute Truth). O best of the Kurus (Arjuna), not even this world is for the non-performer of sacrifice, how much less is the other (world).
32. All these various sacrifices are given in the Vedas (the revelation of Brahman or absolute Truth). Know them all to be born of action; knowing thus thou shalt be freed.
33. O Parantapa (Arjuna), wisdom-sacrifice is far superior to the sacrifice performed with material objects. The entire realm of action, O Partha, ends in wisdom.
34. Learn this by reverence, by enquiry and by humble service. Those menof wisdom, who have realized the Truth, will teach thee supreme wisdom.
35. Knowing which, O Pandava, thou shalt not again thus fall into error (delusion) and by which thou shalt see all beings in (thy) Self and also in Me.
36. Even if thou art the most sinful of the sinful, thou shalt cross over (the ocean of) sin by the bark of wisdom.
37. As kindled fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the wisdom fire reduce all actions (Karma) to ashes.
38. Nothing indeed in this world purifies like wisdom. He who is perfected by Yoga, finds it in time within himself by himself.
39. The man of (unflinching) faith, who has mastered his senses, attains wisdom. Having gained wisdom, immediately he attains to supreme peace.
40. The ignorant, the faithless and one of doubting mind perishes. There is neither this world nor the next nor any happiness for the doubting self.
41. O Dhananjaya, one who has renounced actions by Yoga and has cut asunder doubt by wisdom and who is self-possessed, actions bind him not.
42. Therefore, cutting asunder with the sword of wisdom this doubt of Self, born of ignorance, lying in the heart, take refuge in Yoga and arise, O Bharata!
Here ends the Fourth Chapter called "Jnana-Yoga, or The Path of Wisdom"
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Text source: Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita. Translated by Swami Paramananda.
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