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Renunciation of
Action with knowledge
1.Said Lord Supreme, "I preached this imperishable yoga to
Vivasvata (Sun) who taught it to Manu and who in turn imparted it to
king Ikshvaku.
2."The saintly kings who received it by tradition knew it,
but in the course of time it was lost, O Parantapa
3."The same yoga of antiquity I shall teach you today. Since
you are not only my devotee but also a dear friend of mine, I shall
reveal to you this great mystery."
4.Said Arjuna,"You are born in the recent times. Vivasvata
was born in the antiquity. How am to believe that you taught it
Vivasvata of ancient times ?"
5.Replied Lord Supreme," Many births of mine have passed
away, so were yours. I am aware of all those births, but O
Parantapa, you are not aware of them.
6."Although I am unborn and inexhaustible, and although I am
the Lord of all beings, keeping nature under My control, I manifest
Myself by My own self induced illusion.
7."Whenever and wherever there is decline of dharma
(righteousness) and ascendance of adharma (unrighteousness), at that
time I manifest Myself in visible form.
8."For the protection of the righteous and destruction of the
wicked, and for the sake of establishing dharma again, I incarnate
Myself on earth from time to time.
9."He who knows correctly the truth of My divine birth and
actions, on leaving his body, would never take birth again. He would
certainly come to Me.
10."
Freed from lust, fear and anger, fully absorbed in Me and having
taken refuge in Me, many men, purified by knowledge and penance,
attained My Consciousness.
11."In whatever way men approach Me and surrender to Me, I
reward them accordingly. O Partha, people follow My path from all
directions.
12."Those who want to succeed in their actions worship gods.
Indeed in this world success is achieved quickly through (binding)
actions.
13."According to the division of gunas and actions, the
fourfold division of castes was created by Me. Although I am the
creator of this fourfold division, do know that I am the
inexhaustible non-doer.
14."Actions do not touch Me, nor have I any desire for the
fruit of My actions. He who knows me thus is never bound to his
works.
15."Thus knowing, the ancient seekers of salvation performed
their actions and attained salvation. Therefore you also should
perform your actions in the same manner as the ancients did in the
remote past.
16."Even the learned men are confused about the meaning of
action and inaction. This difference now I will explain to you, by
knowing which you will be liberated from this unfortunate
situation.
17."Certainly one should have a clear knowledge of what is
action, what is inaction and what is wrong action, for mysterious
are the ways of action.
18."He who sees action in inaction and inaction in action, is
wise among all men. He is the accomplished yogi who has succeeded in
performing actions.
19."He whose all undertakings are devoid of desires, whose
actions are burnt in the fire of knowledge, he is declared as a
scholar by the wise.
20."Renouncing all attachment to the fruits of his actions,
ever satisfied, without seeking shelter or protection, depending
upon nothing, he certainly does nothing though he is engaged in
actions.
21."Without any desire or expectation, mind and self under
control, giving up all possessions, using the body solely for bodily
functions, he incurs no sin.
22."Happy and contended with whatever he has obtained
unintentionally, free from jealousy and the sense of duality, equal
in both success and failure, he is not bound by his actions,
although he is engaged in actions.
23."He who is free from attachment, who is liberated, whose
mind is established in knowledge, whose actions are but actions of
sacrifice only, his actions are completely
dissolved.
24."His offering is Brahman, his oblation is Brahman, his
sacrificial fire is Brahman, the sacrificer is Brahman. He certainly
attains Brahman who finds Brahman situated in all
activities.
25."Some offer sacrifices to gods by performing yagnas, while
the mystics worship the Supreme Brahman perfectly by offering the
self as sacrifice in the fire of Brahman.
26."Some offer their senses such as hearing in the fire of
self-restraint, others offer words mantras) and similar objects of
the sense in the fire of the senses.
27."Others in order to achieve supreme wisdom, through
control of the mind and the senses, offer the functions of their
senses and of the life breath as objects of sacrifice in the fire of
yoga called self-control that is illuminated by
wisdom.
28."Some perform sacrifice with materials, some with
austerity, some with yoga (like hatha yoga, raja yoga, etc.), some
with the study of the Vedas, some with knowledge and some by taking
strict vows.
29."Some yogis offer outward breath into inward breath,
others inward into outward breath. Some controlling the movement of
their breathing practice pranayam (breath
control).
30."Others by restricting the intake of food, sacrifice their
very vital breath into the life breath. All these are well informed
in the art of sacrifice and have purified themselves of all sin by
such acts of sacrifice.
31."He who partake the life nourishing food of such
sacrifices attain the eternal state of Brahman. O Superior among the
Kurus, never is this world (fit) for him who does not perform
sacrifice. How can be the other world ?
32."Thus all these various forms of sacrifice sprang forth
from the face of the Brahmanas (parts of the Vedas). Know them all
to have originated from karma only. Knowing thus you will attain
salvation.
33."O Chastiser of enemies, performing gnana yagna (sacrifice
in the form of knowledge) is better than dravya yagna (sacrifice
with materials). O Partha, all actions ultimately end in knowledge
only.
34."Acquire that knowledge of sacrifices, by approaching a
learned person, by making humble enquiries and by serving him. These
self-realized souls can initiate you into this knowledge because
they have seen the truth.
35."By knowing this you are never again drawn into illusion,
O Pandava for by gaining that knowledge you begin to see all
creatures in your self and also in Me.
36."Even if you are the most sinful of all the sinners in the
world, by the raft of divine knowledge, you can cross this ocean of
miseries.
37."Just as fire burns the wood into ashes, O Arjuna, the
fire of divine knowledge burns all actions into ashes. 38."There is
nothing in this world more sacred than the Divine knowledge. Whoever
personally achieves success in this yoga (of Divine knowledge)
realizes this truth in his self in due course of
time.
39."A sincere aspirant who is interested in Divine knowledge
and is in control of his senses gains such knowledge and having
gained knowledge very soon attains supreme peace.
40."But the ignorant, the insincere and the doubting soul
perishes. For the skeptic, there is no happiness either here or
hereafter.
41."O Dhananjaya, he who renounces all the fruits of his
actions through karmayoga and who overcomes all his doubts through
the yoga of knowledge, such a self-absorbed soul is never bound by
any action.
42."Therefore with the weapon of self, dispel
this doubt that is born in your heart because of
ignorance and establishing yourself in the yoga (of renunciation of
action with knowledge), stand and fight O Bharata.
Thus
ends the fourth chapter named Gnana Yoga or Yoga of Divine Knowledge
in the Upanishad of the divine Bhagavad-Gita , the knowledge of the
Absolute, the yogic scripture, and the debate between Arjuna and
Lord Krishna.
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