Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga: Shlokas 34 to 42
If you have not already done so, I would request you to review the Chapter 3, Karma Yoga before studying chapter 4 as that would help set the right context.
You can find the explanation of the shlokas 29 to 33 of chapter 4 here. Please go through that to get a better understand and maintain continuity in your learning.
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Verse 4.34 to 4.42
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया |
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिन: || 34||
tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnena sevayā
upadekṣhyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśhinaḥ
तद्विद्धि (tadviddhi) – know this; प्रणिपातेन (pranipatena) – by bowing down; परिप्रश्नेन (pariprashnena) – by asking questions; सेवया (sevaya) – by rendering service; उपदेक्ष्यन्ति (upadekshyanti) – will impart; ते (te) – unto you; ज्ञानं (gyanam) – knowledge; ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिन: (gyaninastattvadarshinah) – those who have seen the truth;
Obtain the Truth by seeking guidance from a spiritual master. Approach them with humility, ask them insightful questions with the intent to learn, and serve them diligently. An enlightened Saint, who has experienced the Truth firsthand, can enlighten you with this knowledge.
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव |
येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि || 35||
yaj jñātvā na punar moham evaṁ yāsyasi pāṇḍava
yena bhūtānyaśheṣheṇa drakṣhyasyātmanyatho mayi
यज्ज्ञात्वा (yajgyatva) – having known; न (na) – not; पुनर्मोहम् (punarmoham) – again to illusion; एवं (evam) – thus; यास्यसि (yasysi) – you shall go; पाण्डव (pandava) – O son of Pandu; येन (yena) – by which; भूतान्यशेषेण (bhutan yashesena) – all living entities without exception; द्रक्ष्यस्य (drakshyasy) – you will see; आत्मन्यथो (atman yatho) – in the Self, indeed; मयि (mayi) – in Me;
Once you learn in such a way from a Guru, O Arjuna, you will not fall again into such delusion. By that, you will see all beings without exception in yourself, and also in me.
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्य: सर्वेभ्य: पापकृत्तम: |
सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि || 36||
api ched asi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpa-kṛit-tamaḥ
sarvaṁ jñāna-plavenaiva vṛijinaṁ santariṣhyasi
अपि (api) – even; चेदसि (chedasi) – if; पापेभ्य: (papebhyah) – from sins; सर्वेभ्य: (sarvebhyah) – from all; पापकृत्तम: (papakrittamah) – the greatest of sinners; सर्वं (sarvam) – all; ज्ञानप्लवेनैव (gyanaplavenaiva) – by the raft of knowledge; वृजिनं (vrijinam) – the dangerous situation; सन्तरिष्यसि (santarishyasi) – you will overcome;
Even if you are considered the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge, you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries.
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन |
ज्ञानाग्नि: सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा || 37||
yathaidhānsi samiddho ’gnir bhasma-sāt kurute ’rjuna
jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi bhasma-sāt kurute tathā
यथैधांसि (yathedhamsi) – just as firewood; समिद्धोऽग्निर् (samiddho’gnir) – blazing fire; भस्मसात्कुरुते (bhasmasatkurute) – turns to ashes; अर्जुन (arjuna) – O Arjuna; ज्ञानाग्नि: (gyanagnih) – the fire of knowledge; सर्वकर्माणि (sarvakarmani) – all reactions to material activities; भस्मसात्कुरुते (bhasmasatkurute) – it turns to ashes; तथा (tatha) – similarly;
Just as a blazing fire burns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते |
तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्ध: कालेनात्मनि विन्दति || 38||
na hi jñānena sadṛiśhaṁ pavitramiha vidyate
tatsvayaṁ yogasansiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati
न (na) – not; हि (hi) – indeed; ज्ञानेन (gyanena) – with knowledge; सदृशं (sadrisham) – equivalent; पवित्रम् (pavitram) – purifier; इह (iha) – here; विद्यते (vidyate) – exists; तत्स्वयं (tatsvayam) – that; योगसंसिद्ध: (yogasamsiddhah) – one who has achieved perfection in yoga; कालेन (kalena) – in course of time; आत्मनि (atmani) – within his self; विन्दति (vindati) – achieves;
In this world, there is nothing as purifying as divine knowledge. One who has attained purity of mind through prolonged practice of Yoga, will receive such knowledge within the heart, in due course of time.
श्रद्धावान् लभते ज्ञानं तत्पर: संयतेन्द्रिय: |
ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति || 39||
śhraddhāvānllabhate jñānaṁ tat-paraḥ sanyatendriyaḥ
jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śhāntim achireṇādhigachchhati
श्रद्धावान् (shraddhavan) – one who has faith; लभते (labhate) – attains; ज्ञानं (gyanam) – knowledge; तत्पर: (tatparah) – very much dedicated; संयतेन्द्रिय: (samyatendriyah) – controlling the senses; ज्ञानं (gyanam) – knowledge; लब्ध्वा (labdhva) – having achieved; परां (param) – transcendental; शान्तिम् (shantim) – peace; अचिरेण (achirena) – very soon; अधिगच्छति (adhigachhati) – attains;
The person with faith, who is dedicated, and who has controlled the senses, attains knowledge. Having attained knowledge, one quickly attains supreme peace.
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति |
नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मन: || 40||
ajñaśh chāśhraddadhānaśh cha sanśhayātmā vinaśhyati
nāyaṁ loko ’sti na paro na sukhaṁ sanśhayātmanaḥ
अज्ञश्च (ajnashcha) – the ignorant and; अश्रद्दधानश्च (ashraddadhanashcha) – the faithless; संशयात्मा (samshayatma) – one who doubts; विनश्यति (vinashyati) – falls; न (na) – not; अयं (ayam) – this; लोकोऽस्ति (lokah asti) – there is in this world; न (na) – not; परो (parah) – in the next world; न (na) – not; सुखं (sukham) – happiness; संशयात्मन: (samshayatmanah) – of the doubting soul;
The ignorant, the faithless, and the skeptical are lost. There is neither happiness in this world nor in the next for the doubting soul.
योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसञ्छिन्नसंशयम् |
आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय || 41||
yoga-sannyasta-karmāṇaṁ jñāna-sañchhinna-sanśhayam
ātmavantaṁ na karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya
योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं (yogasannyastakarmanam) – one who renounces actions in yoga; ज्ञानसञ्छिन्नसंशयम् (gyanasanchhinnasamshayam) – doubts are cut by knowledge; आत्मवन्तं (atmavantam) – one who is situated in the self; न (na) – not; कर्माणि (karmani) – actions; निबध्नन्ति (nibadhnanti) – bind; धनञ्जय (dhananjaya) – Arjuna;
One who has renounced the fruits of their actions, who has doubts cut off by wisdom, and who is situated within the self, is not bound by actions, O Dhananjaya (Arjuna).
तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मन: |
छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत || 42||
tasmād ajñāna-sambhūtaṁ hṛit-sthaṁ jñānāsinātmanaḥ
chhittvainaṁ sanśhayaṁ yogam ātiṣhṭhottiṣhṭha bhārata
तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं (tasmadajnanasambhutam) – therefore the ignorance-born; हृत्स्थं (hritstham) – situated in the heart; ज्ञानासिना (gyanasina) – by the weapon of knowledge; आत्मन: (atmanah) – of the self; छित्त्वा (chhittva) – cutting off; एनं (enam) – this; संशयं (samshayam) – doubt; योगम् (yogam) – in yoga; आतिष्ठ (atishtha) – be situated; उत्तिष्ठ (uttishtha) – get up; भारत (bharata) – O descendant of Bharata.
Therefore, cutting through this doubt in your heart with the sword of knowledge, resort to Yoga and stand up, O Bharata (Arjuna).
Asking questions vs questioning the teacher
While studying verse 4.1, we discussed ascending knowledge and descending knowledge. Ascending knowledge is knowledge gained by people based on their trial and error and with limited scope. Whereas, descending knowledge is given by people who are subject matter experts. The Vedas and Bhagavad gita are examples of descending knowledge where God himself has given the knowledge, so it is perfect knowledge.
In 4.34, Krishna is telling us to gain spiritual knowledge by approaching a spiritual guru or guide. Krishna is instructing us to inquire from our spiritual guide with humility and with a submissive mindset and to render loving service to our guru.
There are three things Krishna says we should follow to acquire transcendental knowledge (descending knowledge):
Praṇipātena — This refers to the act of humbling oneself before a knowledgeable person, showing respect and acknowledging their wisdom. In the spiritual context, it signifies surrendering one’s ego and approaching the teacher with humility.
Paripraśhnena — This refers to humble inquiries aimed at understanding the concepts (Not questioning the teacher) and making sure that there are no doubts lingering in our minds
Sevayā — This refers to rendering service to the spiritual guide or guru. Serving the teacher or guru is a way to show gratitude and respect. It also helps in building a bond of trust and understanding between the teacher and the student.
We should understand that Krishna is using the term ‘pariprashna’ and not just ‘prashna’. In Sanskrit, prashna means question. Pariprashna means questioning with humility and with the intent to understand, and not just questioning for the sake of questioning or questioning disrespectfully.
Unsought advice is not allowed in Vedanta
In verse 2.7, Arjuna admits that he is confused. He says “I am confused, I take recourse to your superior wisdom. My wisdom fails here. I am your student. Your disciple. Please teach me what is really good for me”.
It is only when a student surrenders to the teacher will the teacher begin to teach. Unsought advice is not allowed in Vedanta. Unless you seek something, what is given to you has no value. Krishna is saying that we should prepare ourselves to be a good student by cultivating a mindset of humility and submissiveness and we should seek knowledge from a spiritual guide or guru who have themselves understood the truth.
Importance of a guru
There is a lot of importance given to a guru. In the vedas it is said that spiritual knowledge cannot be purchased for a price. It is revealed by the Guru’s grace, when the disciple develops humility, and the Guru is pleased with the service and attitude of the disciple.
After developing the right mindset, purifying ourselves, approaching the guru and facing many challenges, we may gain higher spiritual knowledge. However, there’s a fear that we could forget this knowledge, just as we forget many things from our past. But here, Shri Krishna is providing a strong assurance that once we receive and truly understand this divine knowledge, we will never lose it. This is a very reassuring promise coming straight from Shri Krishna. People without knowledge may feel very confused when they look at a plane flying and think it is some kind of magic. However, people who have the right knowledge will realize that the plane is flying only due to the support of laws of nature. They also realize that the same laws of nature allow for huge ships to float on water as well.
Similarly, Krishna is saying that once we get the higher spiritual knowledge, we will start seeing God’s presence in everything, everywhere. Once we reach that stage, we will never get delusional again and we will get on the path to liberation. Krishna tells Arjuna that by truly understanding his inner self, he’ll realize that everything around him – from the physical world to emotions and thoughts – is just an extension of his own true nature. This deeper understanding aligns him with Krishna, the ultimate soul. Think of it like the ocean: once you grasp the vastness of the ocean, you’ll see every individual wave as a part of it.
This is the sign that we have achieved true understanding of the nature of the self. Shri Krishna also reiterates the importance of staying connected to a genuine Guru or teacher. Until we recognize the world as a reflection of our divine essence, which is as grand and powerful as Lord Krishna himself, we should continue to seek guidance from our Guru.
Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future
4.36 is another very encouraging verse from Krishna:
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्य: सर्वेभ्य: पापकृत्तम: |
सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि ||
Even those who are considered the most immoral of all sinners can cross over this ocean of material existence by seating themselves in the boat of divine knowledge.
The Irish poet Oscar Wilde famously quoted “every saint has a past and every sinner has a future”. So no matter how knowledgeable we become, we should realize that we had an ignorant past and we need to remain humble. And no matter how ignorant and sinful we currently are, we should have the hope and faith that God will shower his grace and mercy on us if we follow his teachings and acquire the right spiritual knowledge. This is Krishna’s message to all of humanity. As Swami Mukundananda says, we think we are VIPs whereas we are all just WIPs (Work in progress).
Shri Krishna then gives a beautiful analogy where he says that just like fire can burn down even huge pieces of wood to ashes, just like that, this divine transcendental knowledge can help burn down our accumulated karmic balances based on our material activities.
We all have various amounts of karmic balances, based on the reactions of the various activities performed by us over many lifetimes. If we try to nullify this balance by our material activities, it may take many lifetimes, and in the meantime further karmas will accumulate, making it an endless process. An interesting aspect to keep in mind is that we have to have neither positive nor negative karmic balance, we have to have exact zero balance in order to get liberation from this cycle of life and death. You can imagine how difficult it is to reach such a state.
But Shree Krishna assures us that spiritual knowledge has the power to burn our karmic balances in this lifetime itself.
Adi Shankaracharya has also mentioned this in his Vivekachudamani, verse 384:
ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात् कुरुते तथा।
ज्ञानाग्निः (Jñānāgniḥ) – the fire of knowledge; सर्वकर्माणि (Sarvakarmāṇi) all actions (or all karmas); भस्मसात् (Bhasmasāt) to ashes; कुरुते (Kurute) it turns; तथा (Tathā) in the same way
The fire of knowledge turns all actions to ashes in the same way.
As we discussed earlier, when we progress in jnana, we understand the importance of performing nishkama karma yoga. When we perform nishkama karma yoga with a mindset of devotion and surrender to Krishna, we get purified and make progress in our path towards liberation.
Yoga requires practice
In this world, there is nothing as purifying as divine knowledge. And such divine knowledge is attained only by those who have attained purity of mind through prolonged practice of Yoga.
Krishna makes it very clear that it is important to ‘practice’ yoga and not just have theoretical knowledge. For example, you may read many books about swimming and have perfect theoretical knowledge on different styles and techniques of swimming. However, that is not going to save you if tomorrow someone throws you into the ocean. What is important is that we practice swimming, little by little and get perfect by practice.
Spiritual knowledge and the knowledge of yoga is just like that. Be it Karma yoga, raja yoga or bhakti yoga, they are fruitful only when we actually practice them in our day to day life. Similarly, Krishna is telling us that we have to practice having deep faith, we have to practice controlling our mind and senses, we have to practice surrender and sacrifice. And when we engage in such practices, we will get purity of mind and will open ourselves up to receiving the divine transcendental knowledge.
My request is to keep this teaching of Krishna in mind. Whatever we learn in our Bhagavad Gita sessions, let us revise multiple times and then try to practice in our daily lives. Practice is extremely important. Knowing all 700 Sanskrit verses by heart is not going to help us grow spiritually. What is more important is that we practice the teachings of these verses in whatever small ways possible in our day to day lives.
Let us review Krishna’s teachings in the past few verses. He has said that we need to have faith, we need to have humility and a mindset of surrender, we need to practice sacrifice and yoga in our day to day lives. In mathematics, you all know that when we multiply 0 with any number, the result is 0. Doesn’t matter how large the other number is, if we multiply it by 0 the result will always be 0. Likewise, if we practice sacrifice and a mindset of surrender, relinquishing all sense of ownership as prescribed by Krishna, we are reducing ourselves to 0. Then no karmic reactions can impact us because they will all become nullified, equal to 0.
Krishna then warns us that those who do not have faith nor knowledge, and who are of a doubting nature, will suffer a downfall. He says that for the skeptical souls, there is no happiness either in this world or the next. Shri Krishna says that this doubt and lack of faith which is creeping into our hearts, crippling our life and action, we should destroy that doubt. What is even more damaging is self-doubt. This is the message given to Arjuna who was in a depressed state of mind. It is a very important message apt for anyone who is having self-doubt and feeling depressed.
As long as we suffer from self-doubt, we cannot attain higher consciousness or establish a connection with the divine Lord. Self-doubt is a stumbling block that prevents us from achieving any kind of success, either material or spiritual. So this has to be dealt with very firmly. Krishna commands Arjuna to therefore, with the sword of knowledge, cut away the doubts that have arisen in his heart.
Here Krishna addresses Arjuna as ‘Bharatha’, O descendant of Bharatha, establish yourself in and practice your karma yoga. Arise, stand up, and take action!
The term “Bharata” refers to the descendants of King Bharata, son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala (daughter of Vishwamitra). Arjuna is a descendant of this lineage, and thus the name is a reminder of his royal heritage and the responsibilities that come with it. Shri Krishna is reminding him of his Kshatriya (warrior) duty and the legacy of his ancestors. It’s a call to uphold the dharma (righteous duty) of his lineage.
Swami Vivekananda explains these words of Lord Krishna very effectively by quoting this verse from Katha Upanishad: Destroy self-doubt with your intellect. Arise, awake and stop not until the goal is reached.
Pragma 7
Destroy self-doubt. Your conviction in God depends upon your conviction in yourself.
This is a very profound commandment that we have to introspect upon and practice in our daily lives.
Thus concludes chapter 4. You can find the next chapter start here:
References:
https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/
https://www.rkmathharipad.org/video/bhagavad-gita-lectures-by-swami-ranganathanandaji/
https://www.asitis.com/
kṛṣṇadaasa
Servant of Krishna
Aka +Vinayak Raghuvamshi