UB: यदृच्छालभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः । समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापिन निबध्यते ॥४.२२॥

The one who is happy with whatever comes by chance (यदृच्छालभसन्तुष्टः), who is unaffected by the opposites (द्वन्द्वातीतः), free from jealousy (विमत्सरः), and even-minded (समः) with reference to success (सिद्धौ) and (च) failure (असिद्धौ), is not (न) bound (निबध्यते) even though (अपि) performing action (कृत्वा).

गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः । यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रंप्रविलीयते ॥४.२३॥

The कर्म of one who is free from attachment (गतसङ्गस्य), who is liberated (मुक्तस्य), whose mind is rooted in self-knowledge (ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः), who performs (आचरतः) for the sake of daily यज्ञ (यज्ञाय), resolves (प्रविलीयते) totally (समग्रम्).

UB: 4:22/23 – कर्म बन्धन does not happen to a person who is a कर्मयोगी. He has no संग with anything – his mind is fully free. संग is usually translated as attachment though I personally prefer ‘association’. असंग thus means a state when our life ceases to be associated with something external to us for giving us a sense of purpose to our life.  He is not caught by the perils of द्वन्द्व – good/bad, पुण्य/ पाप, success/ failure, love/hatred, praise/ censure, etc. He also does not feel jealous (भला उसकी कमीज मेरी कमीज से सवेद कैसी) and thus never falls in a comparison trap. His चेतना is thus always established in ज्ञान अवस्था and given that he is rooted in this state, all his कर्म manifest as यज्ञ (यज्ञ discussed in detail in CH 3). All कर्म of such a person are restricted to स्वधर्म and all such कर्म therefore do not create कर्मबन्धन. He thus remains free. What is the state of this ज्ञान अवस्था? A blockbuster verse will now follow tomorrow….

PA: Beautiful verses from yesterday and today 🙏🏻🙏🏻

One central idea is this state of अभाव स्तिथि. And looking outside to fill that state of mind. This mind space of lack is brings up or rather fans the tकाम and राग  based on the the past action and their memory that is stored in our mind (sensation of please or happiness) and leads back to the same cyclical behavior also enforcing and deepening these grooves or the mind pattern. To be truly निराश्रय one really has to look inside and be convinced that there is and never was a state of अभाव स्थिति. God already made us complete and in his image and whatever state of lack we imagine is derived based on external reality that is just a projection of a movie film on a canvas.

UB: Good summary PA

UB: ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् । ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यंब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥४.२४॥

The means of offering (अर्पणम्) is ब्रह्म. The oblation (हविः) is ब्रह्म, offered (हुतम्) by ब्रह्म (ब्रह्मणा) into the fire, which is ब्रह्म (ब्रह्माग्नौ). ब्रह्म indeed (एव) is to be reached (गन्तव्यम्) by him (तेन) who sees everything as ब्रह्म (ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना).

UB: 4:24 (1) – This is glorious verse that reveals the grand vision of the Gita. (Some) Hindus chant this shloka at home before eating food. All कर्म need to be conceived as अध्यात्म कर्म or यज्ञ – eating, working, playing, studying, etc. How? A यज्ञ has 4 aspects –

1) The देवता to whom आहुति is offered ,

2) the हवन कुंड which has अग्नि into which the आहुति is poured into,

3) the आहुति itself

4) the यजमान who performs the यज्ञ.

To a ज्ञानी, all यज्ञ arise from ब्रह्म, ब्रह्म is the performer (यजमान) offering ब्रह्म (the आहुति) to the sacred अग्नि which is also ब्रह्म (in the हवन) by invoking ब्रह्म as the देवता. And what does he get as an outcome? What else but ब्रह्म. Everything is ब्रह्म. If an individual can thus see the substratum, or the essential nature, in and through all names and forms, actions and behaviours, irrespective of all conditions and circumstances, all beings and things are but a remembrance of the Infinite Blissful Truth or ब्रह्म or परमात्मा. We must be able to conceive every कर्म of ours as a यज्ञ, there is no separation between spiritual कर्म and secular कर्म – all actions are यज्ञ only for a कर्मयोगी.

UB: 4:24 (2) – Why chant before eating? Whatever be the type of food one eats, one enjoys meals when hungry. Even at this moment of natural enjoyment, we are not to forget the great Truth that it is ब्रह्म eating ब्रह्म, and that during meals, we are offering food that is ब्रह्म invoking nothing else but the grace of ब्रह्म. Keep this idea constantly in mind and get detached from lower enjoyment and one will be able to prepare oneself for union with ब्रह्म. As an aside, if one feels that the conception of ब्रह्म while eating food is ambiguous, replace ब्रह्म with सूर्य since the food, the fire, our body, our mind, etc is nothing else but energy of the सूर्य present everywhere and in everything on Earth including Earth itself is an emanation of the सूर्य itself. One can extend this to work, play or any other vocation – all is ब्रह्म. How all activities can be conceived as यज्ञ probably requires training or a गुरु.

UB: 4:24 (3) – Background material before the big bang is ब्रह्म. Background material after the big bang is ब्रह्म. Background material in the current living Universe is ब्रह्म. Background material within us is ब्रह्म. Background material is परम्; the only Reality and rest all has life and death. It is said that once the father of गुरु नानक asked him to take care of the shop. Then a customer came and नानक जी started counting – एक, दो, …., बारह, तेरह and then he went into a trance. While the गुरु uttered the word 13, his mind guided him to तेरा, ie, Him and hence went into a trance once he connected with the idea that ‘Everything is Him’ (PA – I hope I got the event right). It is said that as the father of Tagore was relaxing on a chair, a paper flew to him. Paper had the first line of the ईशा उपनिषद – ईशावास्यम् इदम् सर्वम् (Everything is filled with It) and he went into a trance. Normal mortals through a lot of effort may come to appreciate the idea intellectually after years of intense thinking. However, to some gifted folks, when the enormity of this idea sinks in and they are in a fully cooked state owing to many lives of साधना, this idea stuns them taking them into a trance. And they remain in this space all their life. Everything is ब्रह्म – that is the goal of Gita; the mind-space of a कर्मयोगी.

PK: 🙏🙏🙏… Just chanted this verse during Ganesh Visarjan .,, did not realize it was from Gita

UB: Verse 105 in  विष्णुसहस्रनाम् conveys the same idea:

यज्ञभृद्यज्ञकृद्यज्ञी यज्ञभुग्यज्ञसाधन:। यज्ञान्तकृद्यज्ञगुह्यमन्नमन्नाद एव च।।

All actions are to be done as यज्ञ and thus such कर्म are non-actions. All other actions where कर्तृत्व and फल आकांक्षा come in are कर्म with कर्मबन्धन:

PA: Wonderful UB!! Thanks for this marvellous explanation and yes that what happened with Guru Nanak and after that he just started distributing all the goods of the shop to the people who came. His father came to know of this from people in the village that your son is giving away everything in your shop for free. He came rushing down but the Lords mahima – everything was still intact in the shop!

UB: Thanks PA – I had heard this event just three days back and this seemed apt for today’s verse and hence used it immediately .😀Thanks for completing the story since I was not aware of the balance part. 👍

UB: दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते । ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति ।।४.२५ ॥

Some योगी (अपरेयोगिनः) perform (पर्युपासते) only (एव) those rituals (यज्ञम्) that invoke the deities (दैवम्), while others (अपरे) offer (उपजुह्वति) themselves (यज्ञम्) by themselves (यज्ञेनएव) unto the अग्नि (ज्ञान) of ब्रह्म (ब्रह्माग्नौ).

4:25 (1) – Esoteric verses – have used ‘cut & paste’ here to a large extent. When someone says, ‘Go inward’ – what does it really mean? How does a कर्मयोगी experience the world? When they move into the world, they no doubt perceive the विषय through sense stimuli. But in their understanding and experience, perception is “but a world of sense objects continually offering themselves into the fires of his perception in order to invoke the देवता (impulses within the sense organs to see, hear, taste, smell, etc). They thus recognize and experience that the world of sense objects is paying a devoted tribute to the powers of sense perceptions. When this attitude is entertained constantly, he comes to feel fully detached from sense experiences and is able to maintain equanimity.

UB: 4:25 (2) – There are others who offer ब्रह्म यज्ञ wherein they offer the Self as a यज्ञ by the self into the fire of the Self. We experience joy or sorrow from sense experiences not on account the objects themselves since by themselves , they are जड or inert. Our joy, etc is on account of our healthy/ unhealthy attitude towards them. The कर्मयोगी knows that the senses are only instruments of perception and can work only when in contact with परम्. In this understanding, they live allowing the sense organs to sacrifice themselves in the अग्नि or ज्ञान of परम्. साधक like us must also offer our senses in the service of the world namely यज्ञ भावना and if they are used not to fulfill egoistic longings and instead used for the world, he will not be bound by the sense objects even though he is living within them.

UB: श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति । शब्दादीन्विषयानन्यइन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति  ॥४.२६॥

Others (अन्ये) offer (जुह्वति) (their) organs of hearing and other (श्रोत्रादीनि) senses (इन्द्रियाणि) into the fire of self-mastery (संयमाग्निषु).  (While still) others (अन्ये) offer (जुह्वति) sound and other (शब्दादीन्) sense objects (विषयान्) into the fire of the senses (इन्द्रियाग्निषु).

सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे । आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ जुह्वतिज्ञानदीपिते ॥४.२७॥

Others (अपरे) offer (जुह्वति) all (सर्वाणि) the activities of the senses (इन्द्रियकर्माणि) and (च) the organs of action (प्राणकर्माणि) unto the fire of self-mastery (आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ) lighted by knowledge (ज्ञानदीपिते).

UB: 4:26/27 (1) – यज्ञ need not be external only. It can be internal too. How? Light up an अग्नि of self control. Into that fire, put your sensory stimuli and they are burnt away and transformed. If I have a tendency to steal, light up the fire of ज्ञान and put that tendency inside it and burn it away. जठराग्नि is lighted up when we eat food and food gets digested and body gets energy. संयम योगाग्नि is also a type of fire referring to mental control. इन्द्रियाग्नि is restraint of body, mind and speech. As a साधक also, we can do both. If our hearing is used only for listening to stories on परम्, if our seeing is only restricted to vision of परम्, hands & legs are used to help others seeing परम् in them, if our mouth only speaks about अध्यात्म topics, if we eat food as an outcome of यज्ञ as प्रसाद, we are already controlling the operations of our senses. All the इन्द्रिय and प्राण actions can be thrown in the fire of आत्म संयम – self discipline. All these energies then become high character. Why? Because they have now been lit up by ज्ञानदीप. We may have seen some elders around us going into silence or मौन. Other such practices include closing eyes for long hours of ध्यान. If such कर्म are done externally without consequent focus on परम्, these will become a mere dry ascetic practice not lit up by ज्ञान and thus a wasted effort. If done properly, such कर्म take the shape of उपासना for getting a vision of परम्.

UB: 4:26/27 (2) – Complex lines by संत ज्ञानेश्वर: Some use ध्यान as an instrument of creating fire (/intense thinking burns, is it not?). They rub a piece of dry wood in the form of the heart for purpose of creating fire. They tied their ध्यान with a rope in the form of mental firmness and with great sternness pressed it and churned it with the force of the sacred गुरुमंत्र. With intensity generated, ज्ञानाग्नि is kindled. But before this, smoke got generated in the form of magical powers. When this got cleared by ignoring their presence, ज्ञानाग्नि blazed forth. In this blazing fire, all desires, longings and passions (pieces of wood, butter, etc) got burned up. With all activities of senses and प्राण getting burned up, a final spiritual bath (अवभृत) took place and यज्ञ concluded with one merging off with ब्रह्म. After this, they took out the residues left on oblations at the completion of the ज्ञान of self control in the form of their realization of the highest self vision. One can again understand the symbolism of प्रसाद after an intense experience of prayer. Thus, the प्रसाद after an intense prayer must be taken with reverence and equally, प्रसाद gobbled up without any effort and intensity is gluttony.

PA: So we come slowly to the concept of literally 24X7 remembrance of God and pooja through our literally carefully chosen thoughts that would benefit all around us and discarding of those thoughts that are not in line with this principle followed by actions that includes spoken words and physical action in line with these chosen thoughts. Of course we have these automated actions. That we take which are too fast for such a meditative process and these actions are based on our ingrained habit patterns; But now we need to look at the driving force/ thoughts behind those actions and try to break those thought patterns of required

UB: Yes PA. It is a 24X7 activity. There is thus no separation between religious and secular acts. But can one not watch movies and talk to friends for fun is the Q that comes to mind. As you rightly said, it is all about our ingrained habits which is probably why we even ask such questions. I guess once we get deeper into this also, friends and movies and reading books will continue except the type of friends, type of books and type of movies could change.

VB: ये जो कुल्फी खाते हुये

एक हंथेली कुल्फी के नीचे लगाये रहते हो ना, इसे ही गीता में *मोह* बताया है.

Or

और कुल्फी खतम होने के बाद भी जो डण्डी चाटते ही रहते हैं, इसे ही गीता में *लोभ* कहा है

और डण्डी फेकने के बाद, सामने वाले की कुल्फी देखकर सोचना कि उसकी खत्म क्यों नहीं हुई, इसे गीता मे *ईष्या* कहा गया है

और कुल्फी खतम होने से पहले डऩ्डी से नीचे गिर जाये और केवल डण्डी हाथ मे रह जाये तब तुम्हारे मन में जो आता है…. इसे ही गीता मे *क्रोध* कहा है

और इसे पढ़कर जो हसी आती है उसे मोक्ष कहते है 😝

ये जो नींद पूरी होने के बाद भी 3 घंटे तक बिस्तर पर मगरमच्छ की तरह पड़े रहते हो ना ! शास्त्रों में इसे ही *आलस्य* कहा गया है।

ये रेस्टोरेंट में खाने के बाद जो कनस्तर भरके सोंफ और मिश्री का बुक्का मारते हो ना !! शास्त्रों में इसे ही *”टुच्चापन”* कहा है ।।

ये जो ताला लगाने के बाद उसे पकड़ कर खींचते हो ना !! इसे ही शास्त्रों में *’भय’* कहा गया है ।।

ये जो तुम WhatsApp पर मेसेज़ भेजने के बाद बार बार दो नीली धारियाँ चेक करते हो ना ! इसे ही शास्त्रों में *’उतावलापन’* कहा गया है…

वो जो तुम गोलगप्पे वाले से कभी मिर्च वाला 🙄 कभी सूखा 😬 कभी दही वाला 😑 कभी मीठी चटनी 🙁 वाला माँगते वक़्त उसे *”भैया”* बोलती हो ना.. बस इसी को शास्त्रों में *”शोषण”* कहा गया है  😂🐶

फ्रूटी खत्म होने के बाद ये जो आप स्ट्रा से सुड़प-सुड़प करके आखिरी बून्द तक पीने की कोशिश करते हो न….शास्त्रो में इसे ही *मृगतृष्णा* कहा गया है

ये जो तुम लोग केले 🍌 खरीदते वक्त, अंगूर 🍇 क्या भाव दिये ? बोल के 5-7 अंगूर खा जाते हो ना……शास्त्रो में इसे ही *”अक्षम्य अपराध”* कहा गया है।

ये जो तुम.. भंडारे में बैठकर.. खाते हुए.. रा xयते वाले को आता देखकर.. जल्दी से.. रायता पी लेते हो….!! शास्त्रो में.. इसे भी *छल* कहा गया है !!

VB: My intelligence is only so much

UB: This is the best explanation – simple and effective😀

PA: 👏🏻👏🏻😂😂

UB: द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे । स्वाध्याय ज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतयःसंशितव्रताः ॥४.२८॥

So too (तथा), there are those (अपरे) who distribute wealth (द्रव्ययज्ञाः), those who follow prayerful disciplines (तपोयज्ञाः), those who practise  योग (योगयज्ञाः), and (च) those of firm vows (संशितव्रताः) and efforts (यतयः) who pursue स्वाध्याय (स्वाध्याय ज्ञानयज्ञाः)

अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथाऽपरे । प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वाप्राणायामपरायणाः ॥४.२९॥

 So too (तथा), others (अपरे), those who are committed to the practice of प्राणायाम  (प्राणायामपरायणाः), stopping (रुद्ध्वा) the flow of inhalation and exhalation (प्राणापानगती), offer (जुह्वति) the outgoing breath (प्राणम्) into the incoming breath (अपाने) and the incoming breath (प्राणे) into the outgoing breath (अपानम्).

अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति । सर्वेप्येते यज्ञविदोयज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः ॥४.३०॥

Others (अपरे) who regulate their food intake (नियताहाराः), offer (जुह्वति) their desire to eat (प्राणान्) unto the digestive fires (प्राणेषु).  All (सर्वे) these (एते) who observe religious disciplines (यज्ञविदः), without exception (अपि), (become) those for whom the impurities of the mind have been destroyed by the यज्ञ (यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः).

UB: 4:28/30 (1) – श्रीकृष्ण has briefly listed the numerous types of उपासना कर्म performed by many साधक over millennia. He states that if these are performed with यज्ञभावना, such कर्म become divine. Some offer wealth (दान) – this is द्रव्य यज्ञ, others do तप (vows, meditation, etc) – तपयज्ञ, some do योग यज्ञ (devotional practices, आसन, etc), even स्वाध्याय (self-study of वेद, पुराण, धर्मशास्त्र, स्तोत्र, etc) is visualized as a ज्ञानयज्ञ. But real यज्ञ comes in only when ज्ञान comes in. When one develops understanding, develops a little illumination and its reflection falls on character , a better person comes out of that. Some offer प्राणायाम exercises – पूरक (closing one nostril and doing inhalation), कुम्भक (holding the breath) and रेचक (exhalation). They thus offer यज्ञ of प्राण in अपान (these are specific Yogic exercises within हठयोग).

UB: 4:28/30 (2) – others with disciplined dieting offer प्राण into प्राण. Thus all those desirous of achieving freedom through the means of यज्ञ cleanse all defilements in the mind (चित्त शुद्धि) and prepare for gaining a free mind like a कर्मयोगी. Thus, all these practices are not wasted efforts but help in the process of चित्त शुद्धि provided these practices are done with ज्ञान. In such people, all illusions and limitation of the mind vanish and अज्ञान is burnt out and what emerges only is the form of the pure essence of the आत्मा. No हवन् अग्नि and यजमान remain at the end – these distinctions vanish away fully. Once this end is achieved, all कर्म of यज्ञ vanish and all कर्म of past lives also vanish as संचित कर्म is also burned up or dissolved. द्वन्द्व ideas vanish fully from such an achiever. When all goes away, what remains? The साधक attains the mind state of ब्रह्म. ब्रह्म alone remains.

PK: UB: these past sholkas are tough for me to understand – seems like we use our senses constantly and figuring outs which ones burn sanchita karma seems hard to figure out – I worry that either one is self-delusional and feels everything that everything I do is right or more likely worry too much and do nothing useful is accomplished 😃…how does one do this practically? When one is at work, with kids etc .., this is my conundrum. The basic premise of doing actions without expectations and with equanimity seems a simple (not easy mind you) directive

UB: Appreciate your point – let me firstly ask you to relax. No need to go too deep just now. Arjuna also took a while to absorb these ideas.

UB: There is one महावाक्य in the उपनिषद – तत् त्वम् असि (You Are That). It is commonly stated that Gita is also divided into three parts – first 6 chapters focussed on त्वम् (viz the Individual), second 6 on तत् (viz परम् or ब्रह्म) and last 6 on how Individual needs to work his way towards ब्रह्म. At this stage, we are still into तत् broadly speaking. Slowly from later chapters, things will get clearer and भगवान् also does a fair amount of repetition to reinforce ideas.

UB: As stated earlier, CH 4 is abstract and tough but 5 & 6 should be easier to absorb

PA: UB you must be knowing about swami krishnananda – disciple of sivananda. I got a chance to visit the website of divine life society And read his writings! Quite brilliant also all the books of sivananda and krishnananda are freely available online. http://www.dlshq.org/download/download.htm

UB: Yes – He is the one I have been following for a while. His writings changed me a lot. I keep going to his site regularly. Great guy. Even for my blog on Devatas, I copied him fully

UB: यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् । नायं  लोकोस्त्य यज्ञस्य कुतोऽन्यःकुरुसत्तम ॥४.३१॥

O कुरु उत्तम, those who partake of the  अमृत (the result) that is left over after the यज्ञ (यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजः), reach (यान्ति) the eternal (सनातनम्) ब्रह्म. For the one who does not perform यज्ञ  (अयज्ञस्य) , nothing (is gained) (नअस्ति) in this (अयम्) world (लोकः). How (कुतः), then, (can anything be gained) in any other (world) (अन्यः)?

एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे । कर्मजान्विद्धि तान् सर्वानेवं ज्ञात्वाविमोक्ष्यसे ॥४.३२॥

 In this manner (एवम्), many and varied (बहुविधाः) यज्ञ, religious disciplines (यज्ञाः), are very elaborately mentioned (वितताः) in the words (मुखे) of the वेद (ब्रह्मणः). Understand (विद्धि) them (तान्) all (सर्वान्) to be born of कर्म (कर्मजान्). Knowing (ज्ञात्वा) thus (एवम्), you will be liberated (विमोक्ष्यसे).

UB: 4:31/32 (1) – Thus, श्रीकृष्ण lists various types of यज्ञ clearly stating that only the one who performs all कर्म with a यज्ञ spirit is qualified to receive प्रसाद (given here as यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजः). श्रीकृष्ण adds that one who does not perform कर्म even in the mundane world with यज्ञ spirit (meaning that if his actions do not add value to others), survival is not possible. All our life is based on earnings (wealth, fame, respect, etc) that can come about only if we add value to others and all these will go away when the perception of value add is gone. Relationships like friendship or even wife-husband cannot sustain well if there is absence of value add to each other throughout their life. One can apply this to all other relationships too – man & nature, man & animals/ plants, etc. Such value adding has to be constant & continuous and cannot rest only on past events of value add – निरन्तर यज्ञ के भाव मे रहना है।  Only such wealth obtained after adding value to others can then be legitimately enjoyed by the receiver since it is the outcome of one’s own hard work. At the initial stages of साधना, one may deem such enjoyment to even indulging in satisfying sensual longings (like going for a holiday or eating delicacies) as acceptable if these are done using the wealth earned through hard work where one added value to others. If we accept such wealth as a प्रसाद with reverence & full understanding that this has come in our possession thanks to the grace of ब्रह्म who has merely transferred this wealth to us since we have added value to others, even our sensual indulgences will get moderated and disciplined since we will know that ब्रह्म will not allow such wealth to remain to us if we abuse this by over-indulgence. We can remember 3:13 here where भगवान् had stated that one who enjoys things not obtained through यज्ञ, one is indulging in पाप since we are enjoying the प्रसाद of someone else’s hard work and not an outcome of our own hard work of value addition to others.

UB: 4:31/32 (2) –  वेद is littered with various कर्म (known as कर्म कांड) but one will achieve the final objective of वेद only if it culminates in ज्ञान. So in the वेद, there are various यज्ञ mentioned for long life, kids, wealth, health, etc. दशरथ in रामायण also does a पुत्रकामेष्ठी यज्ञ that culminated in the birth of राम. Wanting a son who can succeed him is not a illegitimate goal but even to get a legitimate goal, one has to perform यज्ञ and add value to society and thus gain eligibility for such an outcome. (As an aside, topic of Human Rights must not be discussed as a Rights based one but as a Duties based Rights but I am digressing). If performed properly, ब्रह्म will transfer an outcome that you seek since you have EARNED the merit. Over many lives, if all कर्म become यज्ञ as an ingrained habit rather than for seeking specific perishable desires, such कर्म turn into ज्ञान that all is ब्रह्म. When all कर्म is then performed with such ज्ञान, one then obtains a प्रसाद which is the ब्रह्म ज्ञान itself. The वेद कर्म thus culminates in वेदान्त (उपनिषद्) and the प्रसाद one obtains is not a perishable प्रसाद but we obtain अमृतम् viz to become eternal since our mind space has become ब्रह्म.

PA: the key idea of doing every action in form of yagna and the results to be taken in form of prasadam, as described in the chapter 3 here in the previous verses also detailing the different forms of yagna. Genuinely thinking and working only for God or with God consciousness.  A relentless control and self-check to make sure our actions do not cross the thin dividing line from God consciousness to ego consciousness. A good example from yogananda commentary: If a person is hungry then of course he/she has to eat because it’s a duty to take care of the body temple (God consciousness) however our taste takes over (ego consciousness) and to satisfy the taste buds further (senses) we keep eating (overeating) and have slowly crossed the line towards ego consciousness which in turn leads to karmic debt on nature and far away from the idea of yagna

UB: श्रेयान् द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप ।सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते ॥४.३३॥

This ज्ञानयज्ञः, O परन्तप, is superior (श्रेयान्) to यज्ञ (यज्ञात्) performed with materials (द्रव्यमयात्). O पार्थ! All (सर्वम्) action (कर्म) in its entirety (अखिलम्), is resolved (परिसमाप्यते) in knowledge (ज्ञाने).

तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया । उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानंज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥४.३४॥

Understand (विद्धि) that (which is to be known) (तत्) by prostrating (प्रणिपातेन), by asking proper questions (परिप्रश्नेन), (and) by service (सेवया).  Those who are wise (ज्ञानिनः), who have the vision of the truth (तत्त्वदर्शिनः), will teach (उपदेक्ष्यन्ति) you (ते) (this) ज्ञान (ज्ञानम्).

यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव । येन  भूतान्यशेषेणद्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि ॥४.३५॥

Knowing (ज्ञात्वा) this ज्ञान (which was taught by them) (यत्) O पाण्डव, you shall not (न) again (पुनः) be deluded (मोहम् यास्यसि) in this manner (एवम्) (and) by this (ज्ञान) (येन) you shall see (द्रक्ष्यसि) all (अशेषेण) beings (भूतानि) in yourself (आत्मनि) and (अथो) in me (मयि).

UB: 4:33/35 (1) – Pinnacle verses of this chapter. श्रीकृष्ण here breaks the distinction we wrongly make between कर्म & ज्ञान. All कर्म done with the यज्ञ spirit leads to ज्ञान – both cannot do without one another. ज्ञान without कर्म is bland philosophy while कर्म without ज्ञान is dry ritualism. One who only talks about ज्ञान but does not undertake कर्म (backed by ज्ञान) cannot be called as ज्ञानमार्गी; such people tend to use शास्त्र ज्ञान selectively and use कुतर्क (deviant logic) to avoid prescribed कर्म. One who performs a lot of कर्म but this is disconnected with ज्ञान behind कर्म is not following कर्म मार्ग. Without ज्ञान, there is no difference between work done in office or that of another who is pushing a boulder up the mountain and sends it down again all day. This is because कर्म on its own is जड or inert and it is the intention behind कर्म that brings life into the inert कर्म. ज्ञान is superior to lower कर्म that is backed by राग & काम and thus leads to कर्मबन्धन. Put it another way – कर्म where ज्ञान is absent is अज्ञान (mindless actions), कर्म done with intention of personal fame/ wealth, joy, etc creates कर्म बन्धन, कर्म with ज्ञान is कर्मयोग if the कर्म is performed with a यज्ञ भाव.

UB: 4:33/35 (2) – What is ज्ञान? ज्ञान from a Gita perspective is that everything is ब्रह्म. Any कर्म that expands us is ज्ञान. One can see progressive expansion if कर्म is done not from the standpoint of an individual but from family followed by State followed by Nation. At the state of highest ज्ञान, one acts from the standpoint of the Universe just like the Sun lights up all people/ plants/ rocks equally. Such people do individual acts just like Sun also lights up individual homes or burns the specific person who tries to see it but their actions do not have any individuality. Because their actions lack individuality, they become effortless just like the last scene in Matrix I where Neo defends himself from the enemy effortlessly. Hence, while all Gopis were dancing collectively with श्रीकृष्ण, each Gopi felt that He is dancing with her only. Such people do eat, sleep, play, sing, etc but not for themselves but they merely are discharging उपाधि धर्म but not for personal gain or joy or greed. When one does दान, one is giving up personal association with wealth and expanding oneself to include the other. When one works in office, one gives up his identity as male, female, family man, etc and expands to work for all in the company. When one fights a war with enemy, one again gives up individual identity and expands to fight for the nation. When one fully gives up all individual identity permanently and established in Universal, one becomes ब्रह्न since ब्रह्म is always established at this level only and hence He is a परम् ज्ञानी. At this level, श्रीकृष्ण adds that one will see All within himself as well as within ब्रह्न. When one is able to see all of Universe within himself, where is there a scope for individuality at all? Thus, one becomes ब्रह्न and such a one also sees himself in ब्रह्न.

UB: 4:33/35 (3) – So approach one who is a तत्ववित्, the one who is wise. Do study, observe for long and be sure this man is indeed a deserving गुरू. Once you are convinced, first approach him with complete humility seeking दीक्षा for ब्रह्मज्ञान. Second, once you are with him, ask him questions. भगवान uses the word परिप्रश्नेन and not just प्रश्नेन meaning ask questions repeteadly/ constantly. The beauty of Gita is that it insists that pursuit of अध्यात्म is an ज्ञान pursuit and not a matter of blind faith or belief. The गुरू शिष्य परम्परा is thus extolled here since a गुरू is seen as necessary (though now and then, we do see exceptions to this rule). Third, one must learn to serve such a person. Service brings humility. Since we want to become like the गुरू, one can do that only by watching the गुरू closely and serving him will thus give an opportunity to study every act of the गुरू. One cannot pay for such ज्ञान. Once the गुरू sees that you indeed have the right attitude and thus deserving of ब्रह्मज्ञान, he will surely take you to the goal. But how does one find such a गुरू? They say that if one is deserving, गुरू Himself will find a disciple and not vice versa. प्रकृति is always watching for such people who need help in uplifting themselves and She will ensure that such people are suitably guided.

VN: In other words “practice what you preach or preach that you practice”. But before that comes the learning phase which according to me is the most difficult and tedious part. Then comes questioning. A long journey ……. At least we know we are on a journey and hopefully the right one.Good morning🙏🏻

PA: Morning dear sadhaks! Very rightly said VN; quality of questions will change as our desire for freeing ourselves more and more increases. Long journey and walking on a razors edge.

UB: अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यःपापकृत्तमः।सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनंसन्तरिष्यसि ॥४.३६॥

Even (अपि) if (चेत्) you are (असि) the greatest sinner (पापकृत्तमः) among all (सर्वेभ्य:) sinners (पापेभ्यः), you will cross (सन्तरिष्यसि) all (सर्वम्) sin (वृजिनम्) with ease by the raft of ज्ञान (ज्ञानप्लवेन) alone (एव).

यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन । ज्ञानाग्निः  सर्वकर्माणिभस्मसात्कुरुते  तथा ॥४.३७॥

Just as (यथा) a well-lighted (समिद्धः) fire (अग्निः) reduces (कुरुते) wood (एधांसि) to ashes (भस्मसात्), O अर्जुन, so too (तथा), the fire of ज्ञान (ज्ञानाग्निः) reduces (कुरुते) all actions (results of actions) (सर्वकर्माणि) to ashes (भस्मसात्).

न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते । तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनिविन्दति ॥४.३८॥

Therefore (हि), in this world (इह) there is (विद्यते) no (न) purifier (पवित्रम्) equivalent (सदृशम्) to ज्ञान (ज्ञानेन). One who has in time (कालेन) attained preparedness through कर्मयोग (योगसंसिद्धः) naturally (स्वयम्) gains (विन्दति) (ज्ञान) (तत्) in the mind (आत्मनि).

UB: 4:36/ 38 (1) – Very few ज्ञान traditions, if any at all, can make such a statement with such an emphatic confidence. Even a sinner can achieve the Highest (so we have hope 😀). In the normal world too, a criminal turns into an “untouchable” for the society when sent to jail. But if the person reforms or his sentence is over, he is given another chance. Just like a crime sentence is perishable, so is outcome of good work like bonus received from working well in office. Once both are exhausted, we are back in the race to prove ourselves. While Indian traditions have not negated presence of heaven and hell, both are regarded as temporary places one has to experience owing to good and bad कर्म. Thus, even if a person does good deeds like charity, etc., such a person will not gain ब्रह्म if these good कर्म are not accompanied by expansion of ज्ञान. So one can appreciate the idea of रत्नाकर turning into वाल्मीकि or miserly पुरन्दरदास turning into a great भक्त of नारायण – they achieved the Highest owing to expansion of ज्ञान. So if one wants to punish a sinner, do note that the punishment must be such that this mind is reformed; once such a person changes, he has equal if not more claim for ब्रह्म state like any other. No one is condemned eternally. The same ब्रह्म तत्व resides in all – all are thus entitled to achieve unity with It.

UB: 4:36/ 38 (2) – ज्ञान is the highest purifier. When one gains it, all past सुकर्म  & दुष्कर्म get burnt up. कर्म is visualized as seeds within our minds which keep sprouting till we live life with कर्तृत्व भाव. We keep having life experiences of various types going through the roller coaster of moods till we work with कर्तृत्व भाव – it will not end. All कर्म with कर्तृत्व keep generating fresh seeds that are planted in our minds thus compelling us to repeat कर्म as per the nature of seeds again and again. Once ज्ञान descends into one’s persona, the योग दर्शन शास्त्र says that these seeds start burning up all सुकर्म & दुष्कर्म. Such seeds cannot thus create further plants/ trees (meaning new experiences). Over time, practice of कर्मयोग will burn up all seeds and one remains in a state of ज्ञान forever.

UB: श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः । ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परांशान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥४.३९॥

One who has श्रद्धा (श्रद्धावान्), who is committed to that (तत्परः) (ज्ञान) who is master of one’s senses (संयतेन्द्रियः) gains (लभते) ज्ञानम्. Having gained (लब्ध्वा) the ज्ञानम् one immediately (अचिरेण) gains (अधिगच्छति) absolute (पराम्) peace (शान्तिम्).

अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति । नायं  लोकोऽस्ति  न परो न सुखंसंशयात्मनः ॥४.४०॥

One who has no discrimination (अज्ञः), and (च) who has no श्रद्धा (अश्रद्दधानः), and (च) one who has a doubting mind (संशयात्मा) perishes (विनश्यति). Because, for the one with a doubting mind (संशयात्मनः), this (अयम्) world (लोकः) is not (न) there (अस्ति), nor (न) the world beyond (परः), nor (न) happiness (सुखम्).

UB: 4:39/40 (1) – Gem श्लोक for छात्र. The first requirement for a छात्र is श्रद्धा. Translated usually as faith, आदि शंकर defines this as an attitude of complete conviction in the words of the शास्त्र and instructions of the गुरु. One must entertain no doubts about following शास्त्र stipulations to gain ब्रह्मज्ञान. Doubting or cynical minds cannot achieve success – even in normal matters as well as on ब्रह्मज्ञान. When we get Usain Bolt or Sachin or Warren Buffet as our teacher, one entertains no doubt of their capability on athletics/ cricket/ investment advice. All our questions to them are thus directed to get the most out of them. Similarly, all our questions on शास्त्र must not entertain any doubt on their approaches and our questions are thus directed only to know them better. Avoid cynicism – do not be a संशयात्मा. Next – be तत्परः meaning hyper eager/ hyper keen to learn. Once when रामकृष्ण was bathing, a शिष्य asked him as to why he is unable to experience ब्रह्म despite years of practice. रामकृष्ण can caught hold of the neck of the शिष्य, pushed it inside water, drew him out after a while and told him – “if your keenness for ब्रह्मज्ञान is as intense as your keenness to come out of water when you were underwater, you will achieve ब्रह्मज्ञान.” Do we have such an intensity or do we harbour संशय on its utility/ truth? Lastly, Gita stresses on a person having विवेक (ability to distinguish between right and wrong) to apply his mind and not blindly accept all words of the गुरू or written words in the texts in a suboptimal manner. Continually question and rationalize the wisdom within the शास्त्र/ गुरुवाक्य using विवेक.

UB: 4:39/40 (2) – One who has no mastery over senses, no विवेक and is always in a cynical frame of mind, can such a person ever learn anything at all? We pursuing Engineering/ Medical, etc because we had श्रद्धा over the texts we refer to for study as well as have conviction about the utility of pursuing careers through such study. Had we been unsure of future benefit of such pursuits, we would not have pursued these at all. We similarly go for a certain holiday because we have श्रद्धा in its ability to give us joy; if we were unsure, we would not have even booked such a holiday. Keep senses in control too. Sense control is done even during exams. Even when we play tennis, we keep our senses relating to eating/ movie watching in control or else we cannot even play tennis. Similar control is expected when pursuing the Highest. Thus, entertain no doubts about the path of a कर्मयोगी – that appears to be the message by भगवान् here.

UB: Tomorrow is the last day of this difficult Ch 4 post which interested people can prepare summaries. I have uploaded our discussions till today on the blog. We can then start Ch 5 within the next few days. As I was flipping through Ch 5, I realized that most verses do not need commentary at all and I need to merely post the verse and translation. And this has only 29 verses in total.

VN: संशयात्मा  विनश्यति….A doubting mind perishes …never can be happy or content. Very true. Trust is very important be on your guru or anybody or anything else in life.

PA: We do develop this kind of shradda in pursuing goals which have direct or indirect material benefits; the Senses are also in control; and this does culminate in rewards which does bring pleasure and joy but does not last long because of the inherent duality that is present in these aspects. These memories of are stored in our consciousness. As soon as we start pursuing the brahm gyan doubts starts arising as in the World the rewards cannot be seen as they are not tangible (inner transformation leading to mental peace and equanimity of attitude are the intangibles that one gains which are true parameters of success I suppose) ; the pain pleasure memory sensations stored in our mind and body keep pulling us down and stands as obstructions; in this state of mind we also get mislead by false gurus; leads to further doubts; a single minded conviction born out of undying faith and the will to keep pursuing in spite of repeated failure to be in this state of mind is also what’s asked of us in this daily battle fought  in the karmashetra (kurukhshetra)

UB: Well said PA  – the presence of these forces is on account of our earlier habits and as they say, habits do not leave us that easy.

UB: http://m.firstpost.com/living/people-can-be-classified-into-four-basic-personality-types-says-study-3009490.html. Another kind of four-fold classification of people. The fact that people are inherently different appears to be an inevitable truth. In particular, there is a line which says that most people do not make rational decisions. Their own orientation overwhelms their actions.

UB: योगसन्न्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसंच्छिन्नसंशयम् । आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणिनिबध्नन्ति धनञ्चय ॥४.४१॥

O Arjuna (धनञ्चय), actions (कर्माणि) do not (न) bind (निबध्नन्ति) the one who has renounced कर्म through योग (योगसन्न्यस्तकर्माणम्), whose doubts have been completely severed by ज्ञान (ज्ञानसंच्छिन्नसंशयम्) and the one who is together (आत्मवन्तम्).

तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मनः । छित्त्वैनं संशयंयोगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत ॥४.४२॥

Therefore (तस्मात्), O भारत, slaying (छित्त्वा) with the sword of ज्ञान (ज्ञानासिना) this (एनम्) doubt (संशयम्) about the self (आत्मनः), which is born of अज्ञान (अज्ञानसम्भूतम्), which is rooted in the mind (हृत्स्थम्), get up (उत्तिष्ठ) and take to (आतिष्ठ) योगम् (कर्मयोग).

UB: 4:41/42 – श्रीकृष्ण tells here that actions do not bind one who does योगसन्न्यस्तकर्माणम् meaning one who has renounced कर्म. So use ज्ञान and cut the sword of अज्ञान (of not fighting the war). So fight war like a कर्मयोगी. This confuses अर्जुन since he is unable to understand what is meant by doing संयास of कर्म. ‘Do कर्म’ and ‘do संयास of कर्म’ seem contrary to each other and this takes us to अध्याय 5 titled as संयासयोग. Thus while distinction between ज्ञान and कर्म appears to have been resolved, भगवान् words created a new doubt triggering a question from अर्जुन which marks the start of a new अध्याय.