Conversation 4. Yoga of Wisdom

Bhagavad Gita with Commentaries / Conversation 4. Yoga of Wisdom

Conversation 4. Yoga of Wisdom

The Blessed One said:

4:1. This eternal yoga I taught to Vivasvan, Vivasvan passed it to Manu, Manu related it to Ikshvaku.

4:2. In this way the king-sages learned it from each other. But with time, yoga on the Earth has deteriorated, O Parantapa.

4:3. The same ancient yoga I has related to you now, for you are devoted to Me and you are My friend; in this yoga the highest mystery is revealed.

Arjuna said:

4:4. You were born later, Vivasvan was born before. How should I understand that You were the first who revealed these Teachings?

The Blessed One said:

4:5. You and Me had many births in past, O Arjuna! I know all of them, but you do not know any of yours, O Parantapa!

4:6. Though I am the eternal, imperishable Atman, though I am Ishvara, but inside the prakriti controlled by Me, I manifest Myself through My maya.

4:7. When there is a decline of righteousness (on the Earth), O Bharata, and unrighteousness begins to prevail, then I manifest Myself*.

4:8. For the sake of saving good people and defeating those who do evil, for restoring the dharma — I manifest Myself thus from age to age.

4:9. He who has really cognized the essence of My miraculous Manifestations does not get born again after leaving the body but merges with Me, O Arjuna.

4:10. Many those who have freed themselves from false attachments, fear, and anger, who have cognized My Beingness and got purified in the Fire of Wisdom attain Great Love for Me.

4:11. In whatever way people go to Me, in the same way I receive them. For the paths by which people come to Me from all sides are My paths, O Partha.

4:12 They who seek success in the “earthly” matters worship “gods”. They can quickly achieve success in the world of matter from such actions.

4:13. In accordance to the gunas and variants of people’s activity, I established the four varnas. Know that I am the creator of them, though I do not act and stay uninvolved in them.

4:14. And actions do not affect Me, and the reward for actions does not attract Me. The one who knows Me thus does not get entangled in the karmic consequences of his activity.

4:15 Knowing this, the sages who attained the Liberation performed actions. So you — perform actions having examples of your predecessors.

4:16. “What is action and what is non-action?” — even the reasonable are confused by this. I am going to explain it to you, so that you may become free from confusion.

4:17. One should understand that there are necessary action, vain action, and non-action.

4:18. He who sees non-action in activity and action in inactivity is truly conscious, and even being involved in action among other people, he remains free.

4:19. He whose undertakings are free from the worldly inclinations and pursuits of personal profit — about him the wise say that his deeds are purified by the fire of his developed consciousness.

4:20. Pursuing not personal profit, always being content, seeking not support from anyone, he is in non-action though acts constantly.

4:21. Desiring not benefits for himself, surrendering his thoughts to the Atman, renouncing the feelings “This is mine!”, performing his dharma, he does not stain his destiny.

4:22. Since he is satisfied with whatever comes to him, free from duality, devoid of envy, even-minded in success and failure, his actions does not fetter him even when he acts.

4:23. He who renounced the attachments to the material and became free from the earthly passions, whose thoughts are established in wisdom, who performs action as sacrificial offerings to God — all his actions merge with the harmony of the entire Creation.

4:24. The Life of Brahman is sacrificial. Brahman is a Sacrifice coming in a Fiery Appearance. One can attain Brahman only with His help; at that, one submerges into Samadhi.

4:25. Some yogis believe that they perform sacrifice by worshipping “gods”. Others perform sacrificial service, being the Brahmanic Fire.

4:26. Some sacrifice their hearing and other organs of sense for the sake of self-control*. Others sacrifice sound and other objects of sense that excite the indriyas.

4:27. Others yet, aspiring to wisdom, burn in the Fire of the Atman all unnecessary activity of the indriyas and the incoming energies, aspiring thus to gain wisdom.

4:28. Others sacrifice the property, or perform sacrifice through asceticism, or through religious rituals, or through diligence in sciences, in learning, and through observance of austere vows.

4:29. Others expose the outgoing from the body energy to the incoming one, or the incoming — to the outgoing. Others move the outgoing and the incoming energies performing pranayama.

4:30. All they — though of different appearance, but understanding the essence of sacrifice — purify their destinies in the process of such activity.

4:31. Those partaking of the nectar of the remnants of their offerings, they approach the Abode of Brahman. This world is not for the one who does not sacrifice, say nothing of the next world, O best of the Kurus!

4:32. The offerings to Brahman are numerous and diverse. Know that all they are born of action. Having known this you will become free.

4:33. Superior to all outer sacrifices is the sacrifice of wisdom*, O destroyer of enemies! All actions, O Partha, become perfect when they are performed by the wise.

4:34. Therefore, gain wisdom through devotion, inquiry, and service. Sages and clairvoyants, who perceived the essence of things, will impart this to you.

4:35. And having known this, you will not be confused anymore, O Pandava, for you will see all incarnate beings in the world of maya — from the world of the Atman.

4:36. And even if you were the most sinful one, even then you could cross the deep of suffering on the boat of this wisdom!

4:37. As fire turns fuel into ashes, so does the fire of wisdom burns all false actions to ashes.

4:38. There is no purifier better than wisdom in this world. Through it, the one skilled in yoga attains Enlightenment in the Atman in due course.

4:39. The one full of faith gains wisdom. The one controlling his indriyas gains it too. Having achieved wisdom, they quickly attain the higher worlds.

4:40. But the ignorant, devoid of faith, irresolute go to destruction. For doubting ones there is neither this world, nor the next one, nor happiness.

4:41. He who abandoned false action with the help of yoga, who removed all doubts with the help of wisdom, who established himself in the Atman cannot be bound by action, O Dhananjaya.

4:42. Therefore, cutting the doubts born of ignorance with the sword of Atman’s wisdom stay in yoga, O Bharata!

Thus in the upanishads of the blessed Bhagavad Gita, the Science of Eternal, the Scripture of yoga, says the fourth conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjuna, entitled:

Yoga of Wisdom.