Chapter 4 · 42 verses

ज्ञानकर्मसंन्यासयोग

Jñāna Karma Sannyāsa Yoga

The Yoga of Knowledge, Action & Renunciation

Krishna reveals the lineage of this yoga and the principle of divine incarnation (avatara) — descending age after age to restore dharma. He explains action in inaction, various forms of sacrifice, and the supremacy of the sacrifice of knowledge.

Theme: Divine descent, knowledge and the sacrifice of wisdom

All Shlokas (Shloka 1–42)

42 verses

4.1
श्री भगवानुवाचThe Blessed Lord said, "I taught this imperishable Yoga to Vivasvan; he then told it to Manu; Manu proclaimed it to Ikshvaku.
4.2
एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदुः।This, handed down in regular succession by the royal sages, was known. This Yoga, however, has been lost here over time, O Parantapa (burner of the foes).
4.3
स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः।That same ancient yoga has been today taught to you by me, for you are my devotee and my friend; it is the supreme secret.
4.4
अर्जुन उवाचArjuna said, "Later was Thy birth, and prior to it was the birth of Vivasvan (the Sun); how am I to understand that Thou hast taught this Yoga from the beginning?"
4.5
श्री भगवानुवाचThe Blessed Lord said, "Many births of Mine have passed, as well as of thine, O Arjuna; I know them all, but thou knowest not, O Parantapa (scorcher of foes)."
4.6
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन्।Though I am unborn and of imperishable nature, and though I am the Lord of all beings, yet, governing my own nature, I am born by my own Maya.
4.7
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and a rise of unrighteousness, O Bharata, then I manifest myself.
4.8
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।For the protection of the righteous, the destruction of the wicked, and the re-establishment of dharma, I am born in every age.
4.9
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः।He who thus knows, in their true light, My divine birth and actions, having abandoned the body, is not born again; he comes to Me, O Arjuna.
4.10
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः।Freed from attachment, fear, and anger, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by the fire of knowledge, many have attained My Being.
4.11
ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम्।In whatever way men approach Me, even so do I reward them; My path do men tread in all ways, O Arjuna.
4.12
काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः।Those who long for success in action in this world sacrifice to the gods; for success is quickly attained by men through action.
4.13
चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः।The fourfold caste has been created by Me according to the differentiation of Guna and Karma; though I am the author of it, know Me as non-doer and immutable.
4.14
न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा।Actions do not taint Me, nor do I have a desire for the fruit of actions. He who knows Me thus is not bound by actions.
4.15
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः।Having known this, the ancient seekers of freedom also performed action; therefore, do thou also perform action, as the ancients did in days of yore.
4.16
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः।What is action? What is inaction? Even the wise are confused about this. Therefore, I shall teach you the nature of action and inaction, by knowing which you will be liberated from the evil of Samsara, the wheel of birth and death.
4.17
कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः।For verily, the true nature of action enjoined by the scriptures should be known, as well as that of forbidden or unlawful action, and of inaction; the nature of action is hard to understand.
4.18
कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः।He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, he is wise among men; he is a yogi and performer of all actions.
4.19
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिताः।He whose undertakings are all devoid of desires and selfish purposes, and whose actions have been burned by the fire of knowledge, the wise call him a sage.
4.20
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः।Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of the action, ever content, depending on nothing, he does not do anything even while being engaged in activity.
4.21
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः।Without hope, controlling the mind and the self, having abandoned all covetousness, and performing only bodily actions, one incurs no sin.
4.22
यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः।Content with what comes to him without effort, free from the pairs of opposites and envy, even-minded in success and failure, he acts yet is not bound.
4.23
गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः।To one who is devoid of attachment, who is liberated, whose mind is established in knowledge, and who works for the sake of sacrifice (for the sake of God), the whole action is dissolved.
4.24
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्महविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम्।Brahman is the oblation; Brahman is the melted butter (ghee); by Brahman is the oblation poured into the fire of Brahman; Brahman indeed shall be attained by one who always sees Brahman in action.
4.25
दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते।Some yogis perform sacrifice to the gods alone; while others, who have realized the Self, offer the Self as sacrifice in the fire of Brahman alone.
4.26
श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति।Some again offer the organ of hearing and other senses as a sacrifice in the fire of restraint; others offer sound and other objects of the senses as a sacrifice in the fire of the senses.
4.27
सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे।Others again sacrifice all the functions of the senses and those of the breath (vital energy, or Prana) in the fire of the Yoga of self-restraint, kindled by knowledge.
4.28
द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे।Others again offer wealth, austerity, and Yoga as sacrifice, while ascetics of self-restraint and rigid vows offer the study of scriptures and knowledge as sacrifice.
4.29
अपाने जुह्वति प्राण प्राणेऽपानं तथाऽपरे।Others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming into the outgoing, restraining the flow of the outgoing and the incoming breaths, solely absorbed in the restraint of the breath.
4.30
अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति।Others who regulate their diet offer life-breaths in each life-breath. All these are knowers of sacrifice, whose sins are destroyed through sacrifice.
4.31
यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम्।Those who eat the remnants of the sacrifice, which are like nectar, go to the eternal Brahman. This world is not for the one who does not perform sacrifice; how then can they have the other, O Arjuna?
4.32
एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे।Thus, manifold sacrifices are spread out before Brahman at the face of Brahman. Know them all to be born of action, and thus knowing, you shall be liberated.
4.33
श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप।Superior is wisdom-sacrifice to the sacrifice with objects, O Parantapa (scorcher of the foes). All actions in their entirety, O Arjuna, culminate in knowledge.
4.34
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया।Know that the wise who have realized the truth will instruct thee in that knowledge through long prostration, supplication, and service.
4.35
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव।Knowing that thou shalt not, O Arjuna, again be deluded like this; and by that thou shalt see all beings in thyself and also in me.
4.36
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः।Even if thou art the most sinful of all sinners, yet thou shalt surely cross over all sins by the raft of knowledge.
4.37
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन।As the blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all actions to ash.
4.38
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते।Verily, there is no purifier in this world like knowledge. He who is perfected in Yoga finds it within the Self in due time.
4.39
श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः।The one who is full of faith, devoted to it, and has subdued their senses obtains this knowledge; and upon obtaining the knowledge, they attain the supreme peace immediately.
4.40
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति।The ignorant, the faithless, and the doubting self go to destruction; there is neither this world nor the other, nor happiness for the doubting one.
4.41
योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसंछिन्नसंशयम्।He who has renounced actions through Yoga, whose doubts have been dispelled by knowledge, and who is self-possessed—such a one is not bound by actions, O Arjuna.
4.42
तस्मादज्ञानसंभूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनाऽऽत्मनः।Therefore, with the sword of knowledge (of the Self), cut asunder the doubt of the self, born of ignorance, residing in your heart, and take refuge in Yoga. Arise, O Arjuna!

✦ Authoritative sources ✦

Official sites of the scriptural traditions and publishing trusts behind the editions and commentaries cited on this page.

The Divine Life Society (Swami Sivananda)
The Divine Life Society — institutional home of Swami Sivananda, whose English translation is cited on this site.
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Chinmaya Mission
Chinmaya Mission — Swami Chinmayananda's organisation, whose Bhagavad Gita commentary is cited on this site.
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Gita Press, Gorakhpur
Publisher of the Hindi translation of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Ramsukhdas cited on this site.
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