Chapter 4

Sri bhagavan uvacha

Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam

Vivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave bravit

 Lord Krishna said “I told to Surya explaining him about this traditiond Yoga.  Surya told his son Vaivsvat Manu who in turn told his son king Ikshvaku.

(1)

 Evam parampara-praptam imain rajarsayo viduh

      Sa kaleneha mahata yogo nastah parantapa

 Partamp Arjun, in this manner secured from the tradition this yoga became known to the  kings and Pundits.  But after that for a long time this yoga had gone in to oblivion and vanished from this earth.

(2)

Sa evayam maya te dya yogah proktah puratanah

Bhakto si me sakha ceti rahasyam hy etad uttamam

 You are my disciple my devotee and my dear friend.  Therefore, today, I have explained the same yoga to you.  This yoga is deep wisdom and a subject of great secrecy.

(3)

Arjuna uvacha

Aparam bhavato janma param janma vivasvatah

Katham etad vijaniyam tvam adau proktavan iti

 Arjun said, “you have just born now; but surya’s birth dates ages ago when the cosmos just began.  Then how should I accept that you had explained this yoga to Surya.

(4)

Sri bhagavan uvacha

Bahuni me vyatitani janmani tava charjuna

Tany aham veda sarvani na tvam vettha parantapa

 Shri lord said ‘Partamp’ Arjun you and I both have had many births earlier.  You do not know about these but I know.

(5)

Ajo pi sann avyayatma bhutanam isvaro pi san

Prakrtim svam adhisthaya sambhavamy atma-mayaya

Even though I am beyond the cycle of birth or death, and even though I am creator of all beings, I take form and appear in the world from time to time.

(6)

Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata

     Abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamyaham

 Bharat !  Whenever religion suffers setback and sins excel, I take a form and as a human being come before the mankind.

(7)

 Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam

Dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge

 For the help and progress of the saints, and for the destruction of the sinners, and to safeguard the religion I appear from time to time.

(8)

 Janma karma cha me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah

                 Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so rjuna

Arjun my birth and deeds are devine and a-worldly (beyond worldly understanding).  The person who can understand me thus is never born again.  Rather he-gate merged into me.

(9)

Vita-raga-bhaya-krodha man-maya mam upasritah

  Bahavo jnana-tapasa puta mad-bhavam agatah

 Earlier too, those whose desires, envies had bem killed, and who were always devout towards me and had full faith in me;  Many such devotees, purified from wisdom, had affianced my status.

(10)

 Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham

    Mama vartmanuvartante manusyah partha sarvasah

 Arjun whichever way my devotees worship me, I reciprocate accordingly because as I said earlier all people follow the path laid down by me.

(11)

Kanksantah karmanam siddhim yajanta iha devatah

 Ksiprram hi manuse loke siddhir bhavati karmaja

 In this world people who are keen to secure the results of their deeds, orship the lesser gods (Devatas) Because the success of and the achievement of the desires of the worship comes easily.

(12)

 Chatur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah

               Tasya kartaram api mam viddhy akartaram avyayam

 Brahmin, Kshtriya, Vaishya and Shudra – These four classes have been created by created by me according to gunas (attributes) and duties.

(13)

 Na mam karmani limpanti na me karma-phale sprha

  Iti mam yo bhijanati karmabhir na sa badhyate

 There is no involvement of mine in the performance of my duties.  Therefore these duties offer not attachment to me.  Whoever is able to understand me in this mahwer, he also rewaing unattached.

(14)

Evam jnatva krtam karma purvair api mumuksubhih

Kuru karmaiva tasmat tvam purvaih purvataram krtam

 In the times goneby, forefathers also understood the reality and carried on with then objectives.  There fore yan should also, following their example, carry on with your duties.

(15)

Kim karma kim akarmeti kavayo py atra mohitah

Tat te karma pravaksyami yaj jnatva moksyase subhat

What is action and what is non-action?  Even the enlightened and people of wisdom get confused to determine this question.  Therefore I will explain to you that basic nature of action; understanding which you will be freed from attachment of action and impurity of mind.

(16)

 Karmano hy api boddhavyam boddhavyam cha vikarmanah

Akarmanas cha boddhavyam gahana karmano gatih

It is necessary to understand the features of action as well as non-action.  Because the final result of action is very deep.

(17)

 Karmany akarma yah pasyed akarmani cha karma yah

Sa buddhiman manusyesu sa yuktah krtsna-karma-krt

 The person who can obsevbe non-action in action and action in inaction he is wise among people. And he is the yogi who performs all his duties well.

(18)

 Yasya sarve samarambhah kama-sankalpa-varjitah

Jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam tam ahuh panditam budhah

Who follows his duty according to the shastras and whose actions are not motivated by desire or a cause in view and whose actions are purified by the fire of wisdom; even the great sages call him a pundit.

(19)

Tyaktva karma-phalasangam nitya-trpto nirasrayah

   Karmany abhipravrtto pi naiva kinchit karoti sah

The person who has not attachment in the deeds or the results thereof and is free from the worldly ;matters, and is fully satisfied with his involvement in God, he may get involved in any kind of action but his actions remain free from attachment.

(20)

 Nirasir yata-chittatma tyakta-sarva-parigrahah

Sariram kevalam karma kurvan napnoti kilbisam

 Who has conquered his self, his senses and his body and who has given up all instruments of worldly pleasure; such a person, without his dependence on hopes of any kind, can carry out his normal duties perform his normal work with the help of his body and yet he remains free from sins of any kind.

(21)

Yadrchchha-labha-santusto dvandvatttito vimatsarah

                 Samah siddhav asiddhau cha krtvapi na nibadhyate

Whatever is received is accepted by him with satisfaction for he does not desire or go after his desires.  Who has freed himself  of envy or jealousy and who transcends the effects of pleasure and pain.  Remains calm and composed in success of failure; Such a person remains free from attachment even when involved in all kinds of work.

(22)

Gata-sangasya muktasya jnanavasthita-chetasah

                     Yajnayacharatah karma samagram praviliyate

The person who has killed all kinds of attachment and is free from afflictions of affection and has conquered his personal ego; whose mind is always engaged in wisdom of God; For such a person, whose actions are directed only towards betterment of humanity; all his actions get merged in his efforts for general good.

(23)

 Brahmarpanam brahma havir brahmagnau brahmana hutam

         Brahmaiva tena gantavyam brahma-karma-samadhina

 In the Yojna where offerings are also a form of godliness, where the materials used for devine offerings o fire also achieve similar status; For such a saint the results of his actions too carry the greatness of God.

(24)

 Daivam evapare yajnam yoginah paryupasate

Brahmagnav apare yajnam yajnenaivopajuhvati

 Some yogis practitioners perform yojna in the form of their worship to the gods; some others find, the fire of havana no less that the form of the almighty himself and carry out their havan realising their own self and find incomparable almighty in the process.

(25)

Srotradinindriyany anye samyamagnisu juhvati

    Sabdadin visayan anya indriyagnisu juhvati

 Others perform havan in the form of controlling all their senses and sense objects.  This process of control itself becomes the sacred fire. Others practice control on the words that they speak.  Again this process too is a kind of havan.

(26)

 Sarvanindriya-karmani prana-karmani capare

Atma-samyama-yogagnau juhvati jnana-dipite

 There are others who are able to control all actions of all their senses and enlightened by the sacred wisdom perform havan through all actions of the mind through self control.

(27)

 Dravya-yajnas tapo-yajna yoga-yajnas tathapare

Svadhyaya-jnana-yajnas cha yatayah samsita-vratah

 Many people carry out yojna with material objects while some others carry out yojna in the form of deep meditation.  There are still others who perform yojna by virtue of carrying out their own duties in a selfless manner.  And still there are some others who follow the principles of ‘ahimsa’ and other kind of fasts and perform yojna in the form of self study.

(28)

  Apane juhvati pranam prane panam tathapare

Pranapana-gati ruddhva pranayama-parayanah

                      Apare niyatacharah pranan pranesu juhvati

 Sarve py ete yajna-vido yajna-ksapita-kalmasah

  Yajna-sistamrta-bhujo yanti brahma sanatanam

  There are many others who perform yojna through pranvayw interacting with apanvayu and there are others who reverse this process.  Some others continuously control their intake of food and are able to hold the movement, of Prani through ‘Pranayamas’..  All these ‘Sadhak’ ‘performers’ through their yojna kill their own sins thus and are know for their knowledge about yojnas.

(29-30)

Nayam loko sty ayajnasya kuto nyah kuru-sattama

 Kurukshretha Arjun those who experience the nectar of remains of a yojna realise and merge with he omnipresent immortal almighty.  And the people who do not engage themselves in any form of yojna cannot be happy even in this word; so how can these achieve peace and happiness after death.

(31)

 Evam bahu-vidha yajna vitata brahmano mukhe

    Karma-jan viddhi tan sarvan evam jnatva vimoksyase

This and many other types of yojna are described in details in our vedas.  You must consider these yojnas worthy of performance through mind, senses and the body.  Once you understand the core subject of yojna and practice these to the best of your ability, you will achieve freedom from the ill effects of your action or will rise above the petty pleasures of your ctions.

(32)

 Sreyan dravyamayad yajnaj jnana-yajnah parantap

                  Sarvam karmakhilam partha jnane parisamapyate

Arjun as compared to the yojna performed with material objects that carried out with wisdom is far superior.  Besides all kinds of duties end with the achievement of wisdom.

(33)

Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya

    Upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah

 You learn this wisdom from the sages who have acquired through their continuous efforts.  You must humbly greet them and serve them with devotion.  Ask them politely the questions that arise in your mind without iota of cuming.  Those knowledgeable sages who have realised the almighty will give you suitable advice.

(34)

 Yaj jnatva na punar moham evam yasyasi pandava

Yena bhutany asesani draksyasy atmany atho mayi

Once you understand their advice, you will no longer get into the fit of attachment and emotions and will first see yourself in the proper perspective and then realise me the almighty.

(35)

Api ched asi papebhyah sarvebhyah papa-krttamah

                  Sarvam jnana-plavenaiva vrjinam santarisyasi

Even if you are a sinner of the sinners, you will with the help of the boat incarnated by wisdom will crossover the sea of sins.  All your sins will die out.

(36)

Yathaidhamsi samiddho gnir bhasmasatt kurute rjuna

                Jnanagnih sarva-karmani bhasmasat kurute tatha

Because, Arjun, just as the raging fire burns the whole of the fuel, the fir of wisdom  burns away all the actions and the effects thereef.

(37)

Na hi jnanena sadrsam pavitram iha vidyate

Tat svayam yoga-samsiddhah kalenatmani vindati

 In this world there is no purifier as good as wisdom. And in fact this wisdom comes to one automatically who continues practice of Karmayoga for a long time i.e. carries on performing his duties without hope or desire or attachment.

(38)

  Sraddhaval labhate jnanam tat-parah samyatendriyah

Jnanam labdhva param santim achirenadhigachchhati

 The one who conquers his own self and has a quest for knowledge and is a devoted human being achieves wisdom.  Thereafter he achieves peace in the shape of realisation of God sooner than later.

(39)

Ajnas casraddadhanas cha samsayatma vinasyati

   Nayam loko sti na paro na sukham samsayatmanah

 And the person who is full of suspicion lacks devotion and ‘Vivek’ destroys himself without doubt.  There is no place for such a person in theis world or the next.  Not he can ever be happy.

(40)

 Yoga-sannyasta-karmanam jnana-sanchhinna-samsayam

             Atma-vantam na karmani nibadhnanti dhananjaya

Dhanajay (Arjun) the person who has dedicated all his actions to the alruighty through the procedures of Karmayoga i.e. performance of duty without every or attachment and through his enlighten ment destroyed all the suspicions, none of his actions can cause ill effects to such a self controlled sould.

(41)

 Tasmad ajnana-sambhutam hrt-stham jnanasinatmanah

             Chhittvainam samsayam yogam atisthottistha bharata

Therefore, Arjun you must kill the suspicion of your mind that has born out of ignorance with the sword of wisdom and get settled with the performance of your duty and get ready for the battle.

(42)

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