BHAGAVATGITA FOR BUSY PEOPLE - CHAPTER 4

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Priya Bhagavat Banduvullara,

 

BHAGAVADGITA FOR BUSY PEOPLE

C H A P T E R FOUR

(JNANA - VIBHAGA YOGA)

 

 

Lord Krishna said, " O Bharata! Whenever righteousness declines

and unrighteousness becomes powerful, then I Myself come to birth

(7). For the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil-

doers, for the same of firmly establishing righteousness I am born

from age to age (8). In whatever way men approach Me, so do I reward

them: men follow in every way My path, O Son of Pritha (11). He who

sees inaction in action and action in inaction, he is wise among men,

he is Yogi,even while performing all actions (18). Whose

undertakings are all destitute of desires and purposes and whose

actions have been burn by the fire of knowledge him the wise have

called a Sage (19).

 

" Without hope, with the mind self-controlled, having abandoned

attachment to the fruit of actions, all greed and envy, always

content with whatsoever he obtains without effort, free from the

pairs of opposites, balanced in success and failure, with his

thoughts established in Brahman, he is not doing anything, although

doing actions, he is not bound, though acating (23-23).

 

" Brahman is the oblation; Brahman is the clarified butter, by

Brahman is the oblation poured into the fire of Brahman. Brahman

verily shall be reached by him who always sees Brahman in action (24).

 

" Some Yogins perform sacrifice to Devas; while the Jivanmuktas

offer the self in the fire Brahman. Some again offer hearing and

the other senses in the fire of restraint. Others again sacrifice

all the functions of the senses and the breath in the fire of Yoga of

self-restraint kindled by knowledge. Others again offer wealth,

austerity, study of scriptures and knowledge as sacrifice. Others

offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath in the incoming and the

incoming in the outgoing (25-29).

 

" Superior is knowledge-sacrifice to he sacrifice of objects.

All acations in their entirety, O Partha!, culminate in Knowledege

(33).

 

" Know that by long prostration, by question and service; the

wise have realised the Truth will instruct thee in that knowledge

(34). Even if thou art the most sinful of all sinners, yet thou

shalt verily cross all sins by the raft of knowledge (39). Just as

the blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna!, so does the fire

of knowledge reduce all action to ashes (37).

 

" The man who is full of faith, who is devoted to it, and who

has subdued the senses and obtains this knowledge and having obtained

knowledge he goes at once to the Supreme Peace (39). The ignorant,

the faithless, the doubting self goes to destruction; there is

neither this world, nor the other, nor happiness for the doubting.

(40).

 

" Therefore, with the sword of Knowledge cut asunder the doubt

of the Self born of ignorance, residing in the heart and take refuge

in Yoga. Arise, O Bharata! (42)