अथ चतुर्थोऽध्यायः । ज्ञानकर्मसंन्यासयोगः
4. Jnana Karma Sanyas Yoga
The yoga of renunciation of action in knowledge.
The Philosophy of Action 4-16 to 4-22
How will bodily sustenance be kept up if no thought be bestowed on material possessions ? The answer comes :-
यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः ।
समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ॥ ४-२२॥
4-22. Content with what be obtains without effort, free from the pairs of opposites, without envy, balanced in success and failure, though acting he is not bound.
Egoism prompts the action-bound man to exert himself for the procurement of his bodily needs. An attitude of this type is born of ignorance. But a spiritual aspirant is he who is not obsessed with the thought of bodily sustenance. Providence provides for him who is attuned to the Supermundane. The aspirant is therefore content with what comes to him unsought. Happenings such as success and failure, honour and dishonour are the pairs of opposites. He is not affected by any of these happenings. Whatever falls to his lot, he accepts as divine dispensation. A worldling becomes envious of the prosperity of his neighbour; but the sadhaka is free from that canker. He is, instead, happy over the prosperity of the world. A man of this frame of mind is not bound by karma in the midst of his being tightly engaged in it.
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The mental make up of the yogi is further explained :-
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः ।
शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥ ४-२१॥
4-21. Hoping for naught, his mind and self controlled, having abandoned all possessions, performing karma by the body alone, he incurs no sin.
That karma is classified as sin which retards the moral and spiritual growth of man. Sins are all born of desire. A yogi is he who has conquered desire; so he incurs no sin. His body, mind and senses get themselves purified because of desirelessness. Nobody makes exclusive ownership over air so essential to living. Similar is the attitude of the yogi towards all bodily requirements, which he reduces to the bare minimum. He avoids accepting gifts that would put him under obligation. Owning unnecessary things would distract the mind. There is no thought in him of ownership of the few things kept for proper physical sustenance. He who maintains this state of mind is said to have abandoned all possessions. Useful bodily activities take place in him automatically. The consciousness in him is released from the material plane to revel in the glory of Atman. The question of sinning does not arise in this exalted state.
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त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः ।
कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति सः ॥ ४-२०॥
4-20. Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of action, ever content, depending on nothing, though engaged in karma, verily he does not do anything.
What inaction is, is not to be gauged with things and affairs external. It is truly the state of the mind that indicates action and inaction. The postman delivers letters containing happy as well as unhappy tidings which affect the addressees, but not the deliverer. The wise man similarly engages himself in actions which are all according to him adorations of the Lord. He has no desire whatsoever. Unattached that he is, he is ever content. There is no need for him to depend on anybody, great or small. The man with this frame of mind is fixed in inaction.
Spiritual discipline is indispensable for the attainment of Self-knowledge. But the case of men of adamant faith is different; they get at this knowledge very easily.
The Gopis returning home once found no boatman to ferry them across the river Yamuna to Brindavan. The perplexed milkmaids presented their plight to the sage Vyasa who had also arrived there just then with the same intent. "Be not worried on this score; I shall lead you all to the other bank. But give me something first to appease the hunger," said the sage. Cream, butter and condensed milk were offered to him accordingly. After doing full justice to the dainties, Vyasa stood up and implored. "0 Yamuna Devi, if it is a fact that I am fasting today, stop flowing and make way for us to get to the other bank". The river did stop flowing and the group safely walked to the opposite side. The Gopis then pleaded With the sage to explain the anomaly in his statement that he fasted while actually he feasted on the delicacies which they had supplied him. Vyasa explained himself "The ceaseless hankering of my heart for Sri Krishna is my spiritual fasting. The idea 'I eat" is not allowed to enter the mind. Your dishes were all offered as oblation to the Maker presiding over this body.''
Maharishi Vyasa's life in conformity with Truth and his faith in the Almighty worked this miracle. -Sri Ramakrishna
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Does the action in the embodied get terminated at all? The answer comes :-
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिताः ।
ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहुः पण्डितं बुधाः ॥ ४-१९॥
4-19 Whose doings are all devoid of design and desire for results, and whose actions are all burnt by the fire of knowledge, him, the sages call wise.
Action actuated by design and desire has the power to bind the doer. But if the doer of action assumes the attitude that all actions emanate from Iswara and that whatever takes place through him as a mere instrument, is all the glory of the Lord, he is not bound by action. There is neither agency nor egoism in him. As a burnt string may retain its form but is unfit for tying, the doings of the yogi do not bind him. They are all burnt away in the fire of the knowledge that God alone is the real author of all that takes place in the universe. He is called the wise by the sages because of his being endowed with this supreme knowledge.
My Cosmic Mother is the real propeller of everything in the world. Beings are all puppets in Her hands. The Ignorant think that they are the doers. -Sri Ramakrishna
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कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः ।
स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥ ४-१८॥
4-18. The characteristics of action and inaction are:
He who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, he is wise among men, he is a yogi and accomplisher of everything.
7. Sri Ramakrishna seemed all inaction externally, but the greatest of all actions, the quest of the Infinite, was going on within. Swami Vivekananda was energy personified and action was his message, but at the core of his heart he was established in Atman designated here as inaction.
6. Sri Krishna and Arjuna arrive at Kurukshetra, the former driving the chariot and the latter impatient to fight. The implications of the war that is about to commence flash in Arjuna's mind just now. He throws away the bow and arrows. "I want not this vainglorious warfare," says he and sits quiet.
Sri Krishna and Arjuna now present two different pictures, one contradicting the other. The Lord is the embodiment of inaction in action. His duty is to drive the chariot. With the left hand He wields an iron grip at the reins of the four spirited white horses, ever ready to dash forward. His right hand assumes chinmudra, the finger pose of imparting Wisdom to His dejected devotee, Arjuna. While the hands are fully engaged this way, the benign face beams With some other message. Calmness reigns supreme on the countenance, indicating that the mind within is firm as a rock. Action belongs to Prakriti. Atman embodied as Sri Krishna is ever established in inaction Poise in the midst of purpose, inaction in action -- this inspiring principle gets revealed through Yogeswara.
Arjuna, on the other hand, has cast off his bow and arrows. He puts on the appearance of inaction, though the fact is otherwise. Great commotion goes on within. Fear is on one side wrecking his heart. Pang is on the other side piercing his body to pieces He who seems to have easily renounced his duty is tortured by the conflict of duty. His face indicates the storm Within. The miserable Arjuna embodies action in inaction.
A yogi ought to be in the world but not of the world. He keeps his head in solitude and hands in society. He works incessantly and enjoys eternal holiday. Through His personal life Sri Krishna offers this grand philosophy of action and inaction to the world. How the half-educated man errs and deviates from the profound path is demonstrated by Arjuna at the outset. But that his earnestness combined with the grace of the Lord weans him to the right path is also made evident. The commentaries of all the great Acharyas are contained in the careers of these two characters-Sri Krishna and Arjuna. He who diligently inquires into this becomes wise among men; he is verily a yogi; he gains the here and the hereafter.
5. Mind requires to be cultured both in society and in solitude. If the mind can maintain its equilibrium and calmness while being engaged in a roaring battle, it is seeing inaction in action. While one is bodily detached from the turmoils of the world and placed in a far off deep mountain cave, if one's mind goes Godward steadily and earnestly,it is seeing action in inaction.
It will not do for the mind to be lop-sided in its development. There are those who are habituated to solitude. If such people be dragged in to the tumultuous society, they go mad. There are others immersed in the throngs of the world. A day of solitary confinement is enough to turn them insane. Both of these types of men are partially trained. The perfectly trained alone are at their best both in solitude and in society. They are tuned both to action and inaction. ----Swami Vivekananda
4. The nature of karma is to bind man to the wheel of birth and death. But that karma which is performed without egoism, purely for the glory of the Lord does not bind man. Furthermore it disentangles man from the bondages of his previous karma. To see, therefore, inaction in action is to convert all bondage-creating actions into freedom-creating actions. Work done for the sake of the Lord has this effect.
Desisting from obligatory action, due to laziness or ignorance, is highly harmful. New fetters are thereby created. Giving up auspicious action is inaction leading to encumbrances. Creating new entanglements in this way or seeing action in inaction, is not the way of the enlightened. --- Sridhara
3. What the individual soul views as his personal effort is karma, action. The unfailing Cosmic Function of the Supreme Lord is Akarma, inaction.
Man in his ignorance thinks that he is the sole agent of his action. But when he sets aside his egoism and agency and feels that his actions are in reality the doings of the Lord, he is said to see inaction in action. Man is not responsible for what he does in dream; but whatever takes place in that state is also the Lord's doing. With or without the instrumentality of man, the Lord's work goes on perfectly. He who sees this great fact sees the Lord's action in man's inaction too. Such a man gains in wisdom. ------Sri Madhwa
2. Activities taking place in and through the body, mind and senses are designated as karma or action; and the Knowledge Supreme as akarma or inaction.
A man earnestly takes to cookery. He occupies himself with cooking. This results in his acquiring knowledge of cookery. Seeing inaction in action is the process of adding to one's knowledge by doing one's duty properly. He who has a wide knowledge in cookery is able to execute that art efficiently. This leads to seeing action in inaction. This way karma enriches knowledge and knowledge brings in proficiency in work.
Karma known as living a righteous life culminates in Self-knowledge. The man of Self-knowledge discharges his earthly duties to the best of his ability. Karma and Jnana are complementary to each other. -Sri Ramanuja
1. Action is innate in Prakriti and inaction in Atman. The former is kinetic and the latter static; one is the becoming and the other the Being; one is the perishable and the other the Imperishable. The ignorant are confused being unable to distinguish between the two. A passenger in a running train mistakes the nearby trees as running in the opposite direction. Here motion is attributed wrongly to the motionless. Action is seen in inaction due to ignorance. A man on the shore mistakes a sailing ship at a distance in the sea as one that stands still. Here inaction is seen in action. Thus it is seen that actions and inactions in nature do not always present themselves in their true perspective. The characteristics of the one are often imposed on the other due to ignorance. The ignorant man thinks of himself as the body. "Now I work; now I rest"- thus does he transpose the function of Prakriti on Atman. Mistaking the non-Self for Self is egoism. There is agency in the egoistic man. The agency-laden egoistic man may be sitting quiet abandoning all his duties. Even in that inert state he is verily a doer of karma. This ignorant condition is designated as action in inaction. In contrast with this, there is no trace of egoism in the man of Self-realization. While his body works incessantly, the Self remains as a witness. Atman is in nowise entangled in karma. The sense of overwork, under-work or neglect of duty is not in the knower of the Self. This supreme position is recognized as inaction in action. Only they who have attained Self-knowledge and they who are on the right path to Self-knowledge can be in this benign state. ----- Sri Sankara
The lad holding fast to a pillar spins speedily round it without the fear of falling down. Similarly you fix your mind on God and do the earthly duties as best you can. All good will come out of it. -Sri Ramakrishna
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कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः ।
अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः ॥ ४-१७॥
4-17. It is needful to discriminate action, to discriminate forbidden action, and to discriminate inaction; inscrutable is the way of karma.
What the scriptures advocate as auspicious work is here designated as action; and what they prohibit as harmful and inauspicious work is described as forbidden action. But the forbidden action is not dealt with here. It is elaborately explained in chapters 16 and 17.
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किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः ।
तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥ ४-१६॥
4-16. Sages too are perplexed as to what is action, what inaction. Therefore I shall tell you what action is, by knowing which you shall be freed from evil.
The worst of all evils is that pertaining to the wheel of birth and death. To put an end to this endless evil, the way of action should be understood. It should not be thought that merely toiling to the utmost is the way of karma. For,
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How are we to know of the attainments of people ? The explanation comes:-
The Four Grades of People 4-13 to 4-15
Did they, who knew of the actionlessness of the Lord, neglect their duty? The Lord deals with that point:-
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः ।
कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम् ॥ ४-१५॥
4-15. Having known thus even the ancient seekers after freedom performed action; therefore do you perform action, as did the ancients in the olden times.
The knowing aspirant abandons egoism and desire, he does not give up karma. The seekers of freedom walked this way through ages. This principle has not been enunciated newly for the sake of Arjuna. Why was he then confused on this issue? There was nothing strange in it. The fact is:-
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Is there any benefit to an aspirant from the Lord's statement that He is in fact actionless and changeless ? It is explamed :-
न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा ।
इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते ॥ ४-१४॥
4-14. Nor do actions taint Me, nor is the fruit of action desired by Me. He who thus knows Me is not bound by actions.
Karma produces modifications of the mind in the egoistic man. 'I do', 'I enjoy'-attitudes such as these are the modifications. But the Lord is free from egoism. He is therefore untainted by actions. 'It is desire when one seeks a thing not one's own. The Lord has everything contained in Him and He transcends them all too. Therefore, He has nothing to desire. The spiritual aspirant who comes to know of this glory of the Lord would like to be himself untainted by egoism and free from desire. Emulation of the great is the way of the elite.
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चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः ।
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥ ४-१३॥
4-13. The fourfold caste was created by Me by the different distribution of Guna and karma. Though I be the author thereof, know Me to be the actionless and changeless.
Creation is effected by variation in the distribution of Gunas. That Jiva in whom Sattva-guna predominates is classified as Brahmana. He is a Kshatriya in whom Sattva seasoned with Rajas prevails. The man third in rank is the Vaisya imbued mainly with Rajas and sparingly with Sattva and Tamas. In Sudra the last man Tamas regulated by Rajas is in the forefront.
Varna literally means caste as well as colour. White, red and black are the respective colours of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. It may be mentioned here that the entire universe is an imprint of tri-gunas or tricolour. With the variations of the three Gunas in man his colour undergoes change. The four classes of men are respectively white, lotus-red, yellow and black in colour. But this does not refer to the colour of the skin. If it did, all white races would be Brahman as, Red Indians of America, Kshatriyas, Mongolians Vaisyas, and persons like Rama and Krishna Sudras. Facts in Nature do not warrant this position.
The worth of man is in the mind and not in the body. Mind has its colour according to Guna. As man evolves, Guna and mind which are interrelated get refined. The colour or the class of man goes up accordingly. From Sudrahood to Brahmanahood man evolves mentally, passing through Vaisyahood and Kshatriyahood. The enlightened alone see into the colour of the mind and know who is who among men.
The worldly man's classification of himself into the four castes based on birth and parentage is merely a convention hardly ever tallying with his attainments. But the Vedanta philosophical position is that among four brothers all the four Varnas may be evident. The real classification is based on the degree of ethical and spiritual perfection. (The actions of the four castes are explained in chap. 18 stanzas 42, 43 and 44 )
Things sentient and insentient are all constituted of the three Gunas. They lend themselves therefore to the natural division into the four Varnas mentioned by the Lord. The plan of Nature is that beings low in Varna evolve into those high.
If the social structure fabricated by man conforms with the divine plan of the fourfold caste, there is progress in that society; but it deteriorates to the extent it deviates from the divine plan. The Incarnations of God that come age after age set aright the fallen Varna dharma.
How the Lord remains actionless and changeless even while propelling the whole universe is explained in chapter 9 stanzas 5 to 10.
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Why are people running after little things instead of seeking the Lord Himself? -The fact explained :-
Fruit of the Worship of the Minor Deities - 4-12
काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः ।
क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा ॥ ४-१२॥
4- 12. Longing for success in action on earth, they worship the gods; for quickly is success born of action in this world of man.
The higher the ideal the more arduously one has to prepare oneself for it and the longer one has to wait for it. Self-knowledge is harder to attain than the fruits of action. What is perceived by the senses is portrayed as the world of man, where quick results can be obtained; but they are impermanent in character. The ignorant seek for sense-objects easily obtainable. Access to a monarch is hard to get, but it is very consequential. Acquaintance with a petty page of a monarch is easily got, but it is of no consequence.
Devotion, wisdom, salvation and such like divine gifts come to the worshiper of Iswara. Votaries of the minor gods get their deserts accordingly. Ideals vary according to the mental attainments of people.
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Are the ignorant ones allowed to go astray? The plan is expounded :-
Diverse Means to the Same End 4 - 11
ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥ ४-११॥
4-11 In whatever way men identify with Me, in the same way do I carry out their desires; men pursue My path, 0 Partha, in all ways.
Different kinds of food suit different beings. What is food to one may be poison to another. But each being receives nourishment from the food it takes. Religions are similarly divergent to suit the varying temperaments. Worship with the aid of an image, for example, is a help to one and a hindrance to another. An act held as the adoration of the Almighty by one path, is abhorred as blasphemy by another. But the same Lord recognizes the need for all these divergent paths, understands the urge in the hearts of the various types of devotees and graciously helps them all to attain perfection. It is incumbent on the aspirant to see into this universalism of the Lord. He sees into the glory of the Lord who sees how He is shaping all beings through their various paths.
The same Reality presents Itself as Nature when contacted through the senses, mind and intellect. Therefore, the sense-bound pleasure seekers are also adoring the same Reality in accordance with their understanding and attainments. All beings are verily resting in God and enjoying Him only, while their readings and interpretations of Him vary infinitely.
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By what process did the wise make themselves worthy of comprehending the Divine? The explanation comes :-
comprehending the Divine
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः ।
बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागताः ॥ ४-१०॥
4-10 Freed from passion, fear and anger, filled with Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by penance in the fire of Knowledge, many have entered into My Being.
It is only after filtering that muddy water becomes fit to be mixed with pure water. Mind purged from passion, fear and anger assumes competency to grasp the Divine. Then getting absorbed in It becomes easy. Through absorption the glory of the Divine is increasingly realized. There is then no difficulty whatsoever in taking refuge in what is known to be Benign. Fuel consigned to fire becomes fire itself. It is penance when individuals seek to know of the Divine and give themselves over to It. This way many have ascended from the human to the Divine.
There is no purification greater than this. Mukti or emancipation in this wise is an eternal process.
Maya is inherent in Iswara. This maya is constituted of both vidya and avidya - knowledge and ignorance. Vidya-maya is made up of discrimination, devotion, detachment and love of beings. It takes the aspirant Godward. Avidya-maya, on the other hand estranges man from God. -Sri Ramakrishna
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4-04 to 4-09 The advent and Acts of the Incarnation.
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ।
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ॥ ४-९॥
4-09 He who thus knows My divine birth and action in the true light, having dropped the body, comes not to birth again, but comes unto Me, O Arjuna.
The unborn Iswara puts on the appearance of birth and growth by His divine power. Similarly the actionless entity stages holy activities for the good of the world. Those spiritual men who intuit these facts about the Lord are able to live unaffected by the world even as Incarnation does. Ultimately, while yet in the human frames and after casting them off, those blessed ones get themselves merged in the Absolute. Pondering over the play of the divine as the human, is true means to get it this great goal.
Treat not the personalities such as Rama, Sita, Krishna, Radha and some others as mere allegorical entities. They were once in body and flesh as you are now. But because of their spiritual perfection they seems more factual. Iswara and his His Incarnation are one and the same even as the ocean and the waves are.
A visitor to a palace can see only some portion of it. But the prince apparent can have access to all parts of the palace. Likewise Incarnation of God easily gets into the various state of spiritual consciousness.
It is rather difficult to comprehend the infinite sporting in the finite human form.
During the advent of Sri Ram it was given to seven Rushis only to understand His divine descent. This way all Incarnation are understood by only a few during their life time. ---- Sri Ramkrishna
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Having personified Himself, what does the lord do? He proclaims:-
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥ ४-८॥
4-08 For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of dharma I am born age after age.
Purgation is an unfailing process of Nature. The cleaning takes place at all levels in various ways. In the agriculture field it goes on as weeding and manuring. When the wicked become more in number in the world would not thrive in their midst. War, pestilence, famine and such like forces inevitably come in both to strike a balance of the population and to set aright the perverts.
Among the three Gunas the predominance of Rajas and Tamas aggravates adharma which threatens to topple down the social fabric. The function of the Incarnation is to induce Sattva, the chief and foremost of three Gunas into society. And along with it dharma begins to thrive. A balance of power among the three Gunas is necessary for social order to work on right lines.
A viceroy is deputed by the monarch to quell lawlessness and disorder in a distant dominion. Similarly an Incarnation is the man of authority sent by Iswara into society. He comes to put in order all lapses and deviations in the practice of dharma. ----Shree Ramkrishna
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Everything in nature has its time to appear. Does the Incarnation of God also come under this law in any way? The statement comes:-
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥ ४-७॥
4-07 Whenever there is decay of dharma and rise of adhrma, then I embody Myself, O Bharat.
Dharma is verily the karma that is conducive to man's growth and progress; what impedes them is adharma. At every time adharma prevails and prevents man's evolution, the Cosmic Intelligence embodies Itself, as a matter of course.
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The bound souls are born to work out their Karma. But the Lord is above Karma. How then does He Incarnate? The revelation comes:-
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ॥ ४-६॥
4-06 Though I am unborn, imperishable and the Lord of beings, yet subjugating My Prakruti, I come into being by My own Maya.
Prakriti or Maya-sakti has her part to play both with Jivatman and with the Incarnations of Iswara, but her function with these two entities is on diametrically opposite base. She enslaves the former and is enslaved by the latter. It is by manipulating His maya-sakti that unborn Lord puts on the appearance of being born and of growing. The one supremely above karma apparently assumes it. That karma is not again capricious. The collective karma of the society as it ought to be, gets itself embodied in the Incarnation. He does not stand in need of making any experiments with the various factors of life. His advent simply explains the sublime plan and purpose of the human life. He is the benign model to be followed by the others.
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श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन ।
तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ॥ ४-५॥
The blessed Lord said
4- 05 Many are the births taken by Me and you, O Arjuna. I know them all while you know not, O Parantapa.
Arjuna is Jivatman bound by karma. So he has no memory of his previous births. But Krishna is an Incarnation of Iswara. He is therefore ever pure, ever free and omniscient. He can call to the mind how the cosmic Intelligence assumed a form previously and enlightened Vivasvat.
Incarnation are all the personification of Iswara. In the ocean of Sat-Cit-Ananda a wave rises up in one place at one time and it is called Krishna. Another wave rises at another place some time later and it is called Christ. ------ Sri Ramkrishna
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अर्जुन उवाच ।
अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः ।
कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति ॥ ४-४॥
Arjuna said:
4-04. Later was your birth, earlier the birth of Vivasat; how than am I to understand that you told it in the beginning?
You are the son of Vasudeva of today. Vivasvat appeared in the beginning of creation. How can a modern man instruct an ancient one? This is Arjuna's question.
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4-01 to 4-03 Master and disciple Lineage
Here the Lord clarifies this fact:-
स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः ।
भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ॥ ४-३॥
4-03 The same ancient yoga has been today told you by Me, for you are My devotee and friend; and this secret is supreme indeed.
Secrecy is maintained in regard to many things worldly, because of selfishness or because of their being harmful if abused. The science of yoga remains a secret not for these reasons, but because of incompetency of man to pursue it properly. It becomes obscure when right sort of people become rare in society. Now Arjuna, a worthy recipient has appeared and therefore a new revelation of yoga also ensues. What a man has made himself worthy of, that comes to him spontaneously. This fulfillment is called the law by some and grace by others.
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एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदुः ।
स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्टः परन्तप ॥ ४-२॥
4-02 Thus transmitted in regular succession the royal sages knew it. This yoga, by long efflux of time decayed in this world, O scorcher of foes.
When the right type of men become scarce, the right system also dwindles away. As the shadow follows the substance, a good system comes in again with the advent of proper people.
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श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।
विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥ ४-१॥
The Blessed lord said:
4-01 This imperishable Yoga, I declared to Vivasvat; Vivasvat taught to Manu, Manu told it to Ikshvaku.
Moksha or the spiritual emancipation being imperishable, Yoga or the means to it is also designated as imperishable. Man's endeavors for emancipation are everlasting; practice of yoga is also therefore everlasting.
Vivasvat is the name of Surya, the sun god. Manu is the ruler immortalised by his Smriti - the code of conduct. Ikshvaku is the first among kings of solar dynasty. When rulers of kingdoms come to know of this supreme wisdom they tackle the worldly problems more diligently.
4-01.mp3
Varieties of Sacrifices 4-23 to 4-33
How does liberation ensue? The clarification comes:-
श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप ।
सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते ॥ ४-३३॥
4-33. Knowledge-sacrifice, 0 Scorcher of foes, is superior to wealth-sacrifice. All karma in its entirety, 0 Partha, culminates in knowledge.
Man lives to add more and yet more to his wisdom, and not to multiply his material possessions beyond proportion. Things material cannot be made more use of than the requirement. Over-possession fosters care and anxiety. He who gives himself over too much to mammon pays the penalty in the form of being lop-sided or stunted in intelligence. The man becomes earth-bound beyond redemption. Knowledge, on the other band, develops into wisdom. It embellishes the personality, aids one to discern between the self and the non-self and leads man into enlightenment and liberation.
Magnificent temples attendant with elaborate and awe-inspiring ritualistic worship serve more to make man earthy than enlightened, more superstitious than spiritual, more drawn to the priests than to the prophets. A neat little sanctuary, on the other hand, serving as a symbol of the human tabernacle, takes man more effectively Godward. It tends toward Jnana-Yajna. The feeling that the mind has to be kept as fresh and pure as a flower is more conducive to spiritual growth and enlightenment than offering a heap of it on the altar. The knowing man has less of the problems of life than the ignorant one. It is knowledge to intuit that one is Atman and not body. In that knowledge the karma of that individual gets absolved.
He is truly a man who has made money his slave; he is not fit to be called a man who does not know how to make use of money. -Sri Ramakrishna
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What should the progressive man do then ? The announcement comes :-
एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे ।
कर्मजान्विद्धि तान्सर्वानेवं ज्ञात्वा विमोक्ष्यसे ॥ ४-३२॥
4-32. Various Yajnas such as these are spread out in the storehouse of the Vedas. Know them all to be born of karma; and thus knowing you shall be free.
The four-faced Brahma, Veda, Prakriti, Nature, phenomenon, maya-all these terms refer to the same reality. The knower of Veda is he who knows how Nature functions. Nature is the embodiment of karma. And there is in it a divine design of karma. They who convert karma into Yajna construe and conform to the sacred plan of Nature. All the happenings in Nature are capable of being converted into Yajna. While karma in its ordinary form is binding, in the form of Yajna. It is liberating.
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The way of obtaining the Supreme is explained now :-
यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् ।
नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञस्य कुतोऽन्यः कुरुसत्तम ॥ ४-३१॥
4-31. The eaters of the nectar, the remnant of Yajna go to the Eternal Brahman. This world is not for the non-sacrificer, how then the other, 0 best of the Kurus?
Whatever a man does must be conducive to the common welfare. The food consumed by him becomes nectar to the extent he relegates selfishness. Every act of self-denial aids man take a step towards perfection. And self-annihilation is the godliest of all of his endeavors. When the man in an individual is crucified, the divine in him manifests itself. He who offers his Jivahood as oblation regains Brahmanhood, his Original State. There is no gain superior to the gain of Eternal Brahman.
When the very Highest can be gained by the performance of Yajna, the gaining of the lower things by this means would undoubtedly be easy. This earthy possession is verily the easiest for man to procure. But even this is not obtainable to him who fails to perform Yajna. The self-seeking man shrinks; he thrives nowhere; and the world views him with disdain. The attainment of heaven which is superior is beside the point to such a man.
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अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति ।
सर्वेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः ॥ ४-३०॥
4-30. Still others of regulated food habit offer in the pranas the functions thereof. All these are knowers of Yajna, having their sins destroyed by Yajna.
Partaking of wholesome food in a regulated manner is in itself an aspect of yoga. It is like tuning the vina (a stringed musical instrument), in order to bring out the best music from it.
The modern medical world knows how to transfer warm and fresh blood from one body to another requiring to be revitalized. Eating and digesting is the natural way of vitalizing the body. One conserves life energy in oneself only by appropriating it from another life unit. Life lives on life. He, who is exclusively attached to his personal life is therefore a sinner. Performance of Yajna is the only way of redeeming oneself from sin. The individual life is dedicated to the service of the Cosmic Life, manifesting Itself as millions of beings. This is what is meant by offering the functions of pranas in the pranas themselves. They who live for the common weal incur no sin.
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अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे ।
प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः ॥ ४-२९॥
4-29. Yet others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath in the incoming, and the incoming in the outgoing, restraining the flow of the outgoing and incoming breaths, solely absorbed in the regulation of the life-energy.
There is close relationship between man's mentation and his breathing. The regularity or otherwise in the one has a corresponding effect on the other. Unwholesome mentations such as fear, lust and anger disturb and hinder the flow of breath. Calmness, contentment, affection and such like healthy attitudes lead to rhythm in breathing. Conversely, if the flow of breath be voluntarily regulated, its effect on mind is beneficial. Yogis took note of this fact and evolved the science of pranayama.
Breathing through the mouth is to be avoided. Air taken in through the nostril is known as apana and that thrown out, as praana. Inhaling is technically called puraka; and exhaling, rechaka. Arresting the breath within or without is kumbhaka. Violent and incorrect practice of pranayama shatters the nerves and brings in neural complications. Correct practice of it heals diseases, tones the system, enhances health and pacifies the mind. Attractive and inviting as this science is, adepts in it are few and quacks many. A novice will therefore do well to refrain from it.
A yogi endowed with a serene mind may practise deep rhythmic breathing avoiding kumbhaka as far as possible. A good walker takes no note of his legs. Similarly a sadhaka who does good pranayama is hardly ever obsessed with it. Measured breathing and a blissful attitude constitute a good pranayama.
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द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे ।
स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतयः संशितव्रताः ॥ ४-२८॥
4-28. Yet others offer wealth, austerity and yoga as sacrifice, while still others, of self-denial and extreme vows, offer sacred study and knowledge as sacrifice.
There are other forms of Yajna suited to the sadhaka's disposition and desert. Acquiring wealth by honest means and utilizing it for the public weal, is a form of Yajna. The scrap iron is melted and recast anew. Similarly man reforms himself through austerity or self-purgation. This is another form of Yajna. Constant practice of Rajayoga or Ashtanga yoga constitutes the Yajna of yet others. Sacred study is superior to secular study. It requires a good deal of self-preparation. Being established in wholesome habits is the result of extreme vows. Through devoted study and reverent exposition, the divine knowledge in one increases. This is done as an act of Yajna by some. That thing which a man devotedly contributes for the welfare of others multiplies in him. This is the law governing Yajna.
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सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे ।
आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते ॥ ४-२७॥
4-27. Others again offer all the actions of the senses and the functions of the life-energy, as a sacrifice in the fire of self-control, kindled by knowledge.
The category of mind is a combination of the sentient and insentient. Its function is very much like that of a piece of charcoal which when put into fire becomes ember and charcoal again when extinguished. Mind creates the link between the self within and the objects outside. When mind is suspended in wakefulness as it does involuntarily in sound sleep, the objective world experienced by it gets negated; when mind gets identified with Atman, like live charcoal, It assumes the characteristics of Atman. This identification of the mind with Atman is here referred to as the fire of self-control. This act is a great and rare sacrifice. When the mind gets merged in Atman, all the actions of the senses and life-energy automatically become sanctified. The performer of this Yajna becomes Brahman.
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श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति ।
शब्दादीन्विषयानन्य इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति ॥ ४-२६॥
4-26. Some offer hearing and other senses as sacrifice in the fire of restraint, while others offer sound and other sense-objects as sacrifice in the fire of the senses.
Two diametrically opposite types of Yajna are enunciated here. The function of the one is to make the senses ineffective and that of the other to make them super-effective.
Fire which transforms the nature of things consigned into it is the medium in ritualistic Yojna and symbol in Jnana-yajna. The fire of restraint carried to its extreme becomes total sense-control. The performer of this form of Yajna eats wholesome food merely for the nourishment of the body; the act of relishing and the idea of enjoying a meal are all eliminated. The other senses are suspended except for the bare maintenance of the body. The mind is completely withdrawn from the senses and made introvertive. The physical life goes on mechanically while the mind revels in the Self within.
In the second type of Yajna the senses are made best use of for the adoration of the Almighty. In the fire of the senses, the sense-objects are offered as oblation. Forms perceived by the eyes are beheld as the manifestations of the Lord. Auspicious utterances are sumptuously heard. Sacramental food is partaken of with piety. The smelling of the aroma associated with the worship of the Divine, is felt as a form of holy communion. Garlands of flower and sandal paste that come as grace from the adored Deity, are reverently put on the body. The objects of all the five senses are thus sanctified and made liberal use of. The sensual is in this way transformed into the spiritual; the depraving into divinizing.
Of the two methods, that of the sense-control is negative and sense-sublimation positive. Though they seem antithetical to each other, the result produced by them is the same- purification of the mind. The negative method is given to the daring and advanced few and the positive to the aspiring many.
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दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते ।
ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति ॥ ४-२५॥
4-25. Some yogis perform sacrifices to Devas alone, while others offer the self as sacrifice by the self verily in the fire of Brahman.
The Devas and Devis such as Ganesa, Subrahmanya, Ganga, Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati are all facets of Brahman. Sacrifices and adoration done to them with devotion are conducive to spiritual growth. The senses are also called devas because of their benign function. Sublimation of the senses is the sacrifice that certain sadhakas perform devoutly. Jivatman or the individual self is also termed Yajna. Sacrifice, therefore, of the self by the self is to dedicate oneself to Iswara. It is surrendering the individual consciousness to the Cosmic Consciousness, even as the river re-enters the sea. Crucifying the ego, the apparent man becoming the real man - these are the other ways of expressing the same spiritual fact. This solemn act is verily Jnana-Yajna.
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How should the sadhaka view the worldly life ? The clue is given:-
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ ४-२४॥
4-24. The oblation is Brahman, the clarified butter is Brahman, offered by Brahman in the fire of Brahman; unto Brahman verily he goes who cognise Brahman, the Thing-in-itself.
Consuming the daily food regularly is obligatory on all including the enlightened; but the latter convert eating itself into Jnana-yagna. The food, the eater of it, the digestion-all these are mere modifications of Brahman even as the waves are of the sea. The one established in this wise attains Brahman.
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गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः ।
यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते ॥ ४-२३॥
4-23. Of one unattached, liberated, with mind absorbed in knowledge, performing work for Yajna alone, his entire karma melts away.
Bondage and liberation are born of the attitude of the mind. He performs Yajna who engages himself in karma for the glory of God. Any amount of activities cause no harm to the man freed from attachment. All actions melt away even as heaps of salt consigned into the sea get dissolved.
The palms and the knife have to be besmeared with oil before cutting open the jack fruit and removing the pulp. Otherwise the gummy juice in it would stick to the fingers and cause hindrance. In that wise protect yourself with self knowledge before you seek wealth and other worldly things which would otherwise entangle you. ---Sri Ramkrishna
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What other attitude aids the growth of knowledge and wisdom? The answer comes:-
The Supremacy of Knowledge 4-34 to 4-39
The baby takes ten months for its development in the womb. Similarly is there any time limit for the attainment of Jnana? The explanation comes:-
श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः ।
ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥ ४-३९॥
4-39. The man of sraddha, the devoted, the master of his senses obtains Knowledge. Having obtained knowledge he goes promptly to the Peace Supreme.
In the midst of the devotion to the preceptor, whole-hearted service to him and searching inquiries into the nature of the real and non-real, the disciple may not be making rapid progress, due to lack of adequate zeal, the criterion for spirituality. To the extent sraddha or zeal beams in one, progress is made in the path of knowledge. One is said to be devoted when one's mind is given wholly to the Ideal. Perfect mastery over the senses is a prerequisite to the development of intuition. Variance in the fulfillment of these conditions leads to quick or slow gain of knowledge. The time factor for it varies from a trice to the duration of several births. Along with the gain of Brahma-Jnana comes Peace that cannot be described.
"When will I have the vision of God?" asked an ardent disciple of the master. Instead of giving direct answer he took the novice to the sea shore and held him immersed in water for a while. He was then asked how he felt. "I thought I would die for want of air to breathe," came the answer. "Such a quest of God would reveal Him immediately," was the answer given by the master. -Sri Ramakrishna
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The solemnity that self-knowledge brings can never be over-emphasized :-
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते ।
तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनि विन्दति ॥ ४-३८॥
4-38. Verily there is no purifier in this world like knowledge. He that is perfected in yoga realizes it in his own heart in due time.
A man dreams that he is being tortured to death. All remedial measures adopted in that dream are of no avail to the victim. The dream requires to be snapped and the man brought to wakefulness. This done he clarifies to himself that nobody subjected him to torture and that his agony was his own creation. Wakeful state here is the purifier of the self-imposed ignorance in dream. Likewise, Self-knowledge cleanses man of the delusion of birth and death. It reinstates him in his original blessedness. Knowledge is, therefore, the best among the purifiers of man. The proper practice of karma yoga transforms the life of the yogi into Jnana-Yajna. His mind thereby gets purified and he becomes competent in course of time for Self-knowledge.
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How does Jnana do away with karma? It is explained :-
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन ।
ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा ॥ ४-३७॥
4-37. As the blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, 0 Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all karma to ashes.
While in ignorance the Jivatman shares in karma in all its three forms- samchita, agamin and prarabdha. Of these three, the first remains stored up to bear fruit in the distant future and the second in the near future. The third is working Itself out in the present body. The fire of knowledge destroys the first two and renders the third ineffective though operating. The Jnani pays no more heed to It than he does to the shadow of his body.
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The means to transcend the evil of the many is now delineated :-
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः ।
सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि ॥ ४-३६॥
4-36. Even if you be the most sinful of all sinners, yet shall you cross over all sin by the raft of knowledge. Sin and virtue are the obverse and reverse of the same fact which is karma.
According to the use made of it, the same karma presents itself as sin or virtue. The ignorant do karma so as to get entangled in it as sin. The enlightened do the same karma to reap merit and also to be emancipated from it. Knowledge therefore is the only means to absolve all sin. As the unfordable river is crossed over by a raft, the meshes of karma are got over by knowledge.
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What is the hallmark of enlightenment? The answer comes :-
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव ।
येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि ॥ ४-३५॥ var अशेषाणि
4-35. Knowing this, 0 Pandava, you will not again fall into this confusion; by this you will see the whole of the creation in your self and in Me.
Two apparently opposing detachments encountered each other at midnight and lay in ambush to deal on the enemy a decisive blow at daybreak. But to the surprise of both, they discovered in the morning that they belonged to the same army. Their attitude and action changed accordingly. The world is viewed by the ignorant as made up of conflicting forces. But with the dawn of enlightenment all diversities disappear. One Reality is presenting Itself as the many.
Knowledge leads to unity: ignorance to diversity. ---Sri Ramakrishna
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तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया ।
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥ ४-३४॥
4-34. Seek that enlightenment by prostrating, by questions and by service; the wise, the seers into the Truth will instruct you in that knowledge.
A commercial attitude may be paying elsewhere but never in the realm of the knowledge divine. Even the secular study gets sanctified if the relationship between the teacher and the taught be wholesome. But the bond between the two in spiritual enlightenment is ever sacred. The disciple prostrates before the master as a mark of making himself over to the other. He adds to his attainments by raising submissive questions pertaining to the real and the non-real, bondage and freedom. Through a reverent personal service he offers himself as oblation in the sacrificial fire of the personality of the master. The body, speech and mind of the disciple are this way dedicated to the bestower of knowledge.
The master in his turn is all mercy to the disciple. He has no motive other than propagation of spirituality. As a burning lamp lights another, an enlightened soul alone can carry light to another competent enquirer. Spiritual fulfilment takes place this wise.
Of what avail are prayer and devotion to an aspirant who views his master as a mere human being? The disciple ought not to hold the master as a man. Before getting the vision of the Deity, the novice sees the form of the guru as a preliminary. This form metamorphoses into the Deity. The disciple thereby understands that God and guru are one and the same. The master awakens the spiritual consciousness in him. More than that, he leads the initiated into Brahman Itself.
If the aspirant is earnest about spiritual enlightenment, the Lord sees to it that he comes in contact with an enlightened one. Seek and the light is sent to you. ---Sri Ramakrishna
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Doubt is Derogatory 4-40 to 4-42
तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मनः ।
छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत ॥ ४-४२॥
4-42. Therefore, severing with the sword of knowledge this ignorance-born doubt about the Self, dwelling in your heart, be established in yoga. Stand up, 0 Bharata.
Doubt is the originator of all evils. It takes its stand on ignorance. In the night of ignorance, things cannot be viewed in their true perspective. Therefore understanding remains in a confused state. Ignorance and inertia are interrelated. The urge to be up and doing is absent in this drowsy state. But at daybreak sleep is shaken off, things are seen in their true shape and the man goes about his work with all zeal. The dawn of knowledge is similar to this. It drives away the soul-killing doubt. Knowing and doing go hand in hand; and the man is at his best.
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The way to cure oneself of doubt is as follows:-
योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसञ्छिन्नसंशयम् ।
आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय ॥ ४-४१॥
4-41. With work absolved in yoga, and doubts rent asunder by knowledge, 0 Dhananjaya, actions do not bind him who is poised in the Self.
The mud fish remains untarnished by mud, though wallowing in it all the while. A yogi is he who is not tainted by karma though ever occupied with it. Nature is infallible. There is a divine plan and purpose in its functioning. It trams and disciplines the Jivatman stage by stage to perfection. He who understands this does not fall prey to doubt, but applies himself with all earnestness to self-fulfillment in tune with the cosmic plan. This wholesome attitude and right application develop into enlightenment. The enlightened man, ever established in the Self, neither shuns work nor is entangled in it. In freedom he works.
4-41.mp3
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति ।
नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ॥ ४-४०॥
4-40. The ignorant, the man devoid of sraddha, the doubting self, goes to destruction. The doubting self has neither this world, nor the next, nor happiness.
Ignorant is that man who is uninformed about Atman. Divine qualities such as self-confidence and noble effort are all born of sraddha; but doubt is the very negation of these great qualities. The doubting man does not trust anybody in the world. He suspects the words and deeds of the others. Through disbelief he alienates himself from the others and feels miserable. For want of faith in the right path he fails to pursue it and brings ruin to himself. Fallen as he is, he neither enjoys this world nor is he fit for the next.
Unless one has the faith of a baby one cannot have access to the Lord. If mother points to somebody and says, ' He is your brother," the baby believes it. The grace of the Lord comes to him who has this kind of faith. The calculative and doubtful estrange themselves from the Divine.
-Sri Ramakrishna
4-40.mp3
ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु
ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे
ज्ञानकर्मसंन्यासयोगो नाम चतुर्थोऽध्यायः ॥ ४॥
In the Upanishad of the Bhagavad Gita, the knowledge of Brahman, the Supreme, the Science of Yoga and the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, this is the fourth discourse designated:
THE YOGA OF RENUNCIATION OF ACTION IN KNOWLEDGE
