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This page tells the fourth installment of an amazing story occurring in the midst of a battle field, long long ago. I am only re-writing (the translation of) this wonderful story on this blog. Originally written in Sanskrit, the Bhagavad Gita, even though conceived as a religious text, is an entire coded system in itself for any human being (irrespective of cast, creed, sex and religion) to become perfect. While the Bhagavad Gita has been been translated into English by many great authors, I have mostly referred to the version of Swami Chinmayanada Ji. This page - and the 17 others in this series/story - are dedicated, with great respect, to the author of the most amazing book (according to me) ever written, Sage Vyasa.
4.
Jnana Yoga
(Action in Knowledge)
1)
SRI KRISHNA:
I thought this Imperishable Yoga
to Vivasvan (sun); Vivasvan taught it to Manu; Manu thought it to Ikshvaku.
2)
This knowledge, handed down thus in regular
succession, the royal sages knew. This Yoga by long lapse of time, has been
lost here O Arjuna (Paranthapa – burner of foes)
3)
That same ancient Yoga has been thought to you
by Me for you are My devotee and My friend. This is a supreme secret.
4)
ARJUNA:
Later was Your birth, and prior
was the birth of Vivasvan (Sun); How am I to understand that You taught this
Yoga in the beginning?
5)
SRI KRISHNA:
Many births of Mine have passed
as well as yours, O Arjuna; I know them all but you know them not, O Arjuna
(Paranthapa)
6)
Though I am unborn and am of imperishable
nature, and though I am the Lord of all beings, yet ruling over my own nature,
I take birth by My own Maya.
7)
Whenever there is a decay of righteousness, O
Arjuna (Bharata), and a rise of unrighteousness, then I manifest Myself.
8)
For the protection of the good, for the
destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born
in every age.
9)
He who thus knows, in true light, My divine
birth and action, having abandoned the body, he is not born again; He comes to
Me O Arjuna.
10)
Freed from attachment, fear and anger, absorbed
in Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by the Fire-of-Knowledge, many have
attained My Being.
11)
In whatever way men approach Me, even so do I
reward them; My path do men tread in all ways, O Arjuna (Son of Pritha)
12)
They who long for satisfaction from actions in
this world, make sacrifices to the Gods; Because satisfaction is quickly
obtained from actions, in the world of objects.
13)
The fourfold – caste has been created by Me
according to the differentiation of Guna and Karma; Though I am the author
thereof know Me as non-doer and immutable.
14)
Actions do not taint Me, nor have I any desire
for the fruits of actions; He who knows Me thus is not bound by his actions.
15)
Having Known this, the ancient seekers after
freedom also performed action; therefore, you too perform action, as did the
ancients in the olden times.
16)
What is action? What is inaction? As to this,
even the ‘wise’ are deluded; Therefore I shall teach you ‘action’ (the nature
of action and inaction), knowing which you shall be liberated from evil (of
Samsara – wheel of birth and death)
17)
For verily (the true nature) of ‘right action’
should be known; also (that) of ‘forbidden (or unlawful) action’ and of
‘inaction’; imponderable is the nature (path) of action.
18)
He who recognizes inaction in action and action
in inaction is wise among men; he is a Yogi and a true performer of all
actions.
19)
Whose undertakings are all devoid of desires and
purposes, and whose actions have been burnt by the Fire-of-Kowledge, him the
‘wise’ call a Sage.
20)
Having abandoned attachment to the
fruits-of-action, ever content, depending on nothing, he does not do anything,
though engaged in actions.
21)
Without hope, with the mind and Self-controlled,
having abandoned all possessions, doing merely bodily action, he incurs no sin.
22)
Content with what comes to him without effort,
free from the pairs of opposites and envy, even minded in success and failure,
though acting, he is not bound.
23)
Of one who is devoid of attachment, who is
liberated, whose mind is established in knowledge, who acts for the sake of
sacrifice, all his actions are dissolved.
24)
BRAHMAN is the oblation, BRAHMAN is the
clarified butter etc. (offerings), by BRAHMAN is the oblation poured into the
fire of BRAHMAN, BRAHMAN verily shall be reached by him who always sees BRAHMAN
in all actions.
25)
Some Yogis perform sacrifice to Devas alone
(Deva-Yajna); while others offer ‘sacrifice’ as sacrifice by the Self, in the
Fire of Bhrahman (Bhrahma-Yajna)
26)
Some again, offer hearing and other senses as
sacrifice in the fires-of-restraint; others offer sound and other objects of
sense as sacrifice in the fires-of-senses.
27)
Others again, sacrifice all the functions of the
senses and the functions of the breadth (vital energy) in the fire of the Yoga
of self-restraint, kindled by knowledge.
28)
Others again offer wealth, austerity and Yoga as
sacrifice, while ascetics of self-restraint and rigid wows offer study of
scriptures and knowledge as sacrifice
29)
Others offer as sacrifice, the out-going breath
in the in-coming, and in-coming in the outgoing, restraining the courses of the
out-going and in-coming breaths solely absorbed in the restraint of breath.
30)
Others with well-regulated diet, offer vital airs
in the Vital-air. All these are knowers of sacrifice whose sins are destroyed
by sacrifice
31)
The eaters of the nectar – remnants of the
sacrifice – go to the eternal Bhraman. Even this world is not for the
non-performer of sacrifice; how then the other (world)
32)
Thus innumerable sacrifices lie spread out
before Bhraman – (literally at the mouth or face of Brahman) – Know them all as
born of action, and thus knowing, you shall be liberated.
33)
Superior is “knowledge sacrifice” to “sacrifice
with objects”, O Parantapa. All actions in their entiretiy, O Partha, culminate
in Knowledge.
34)
Know that by long prostration, by question and
service, the “wise” who have realized the truth will instruct you in (that)
Knowledge.
35)
Knowing that, you shall not, O Pandava, again get
deluded like this, and by that, you shall see all beings in your Self, and also
in Me.
36)
Even if you are the most sinful of all sinners,
yet you shall verily cross all the sins by the raft of “Knowledge”.
37)
As the blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, O
Arjuna so does the Fire-of Knowledge reduce all actions to ashes.
38)
Certainly, there is no purifier in this world
like “Knowledge”. He who himself perfected in Yoga finds it in the Self in
Time.
39)
The man who is full of faith, who is devoted to
It, and who has subdued the senses, obtains (this) “Knowledge”; having obtained
“Knowledge”, ere long, he goes to the supreme Peace.
40)
The ignorant, the faithless, the doubting-self
goes to destruction; there is neither this world, nor the other, nor happiness
for the doubter.
41)
He who has renounced actions by Yoga, whose
doubts are rent asunder by “Knowledge”, who is self-possessed, actions do not
bind him, O Dhanajaya.
42)
Therefore with the sword-of-knowledge, cut
asunder the doubt-of-the-self, born of “ignorance”, residing in your heart, and
take refuge in Yoga. Arise, O Bharata.
Thus ends the 4th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
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