Sacred Scripture / Chapter 4
42 published verses from Srimad Bhagavad Gita (ज्ञानकर्मसंन्यासयोगः). The Yoga of Wisdom and Renunciation of Action in Knowledge. Chapter 4 reveals the eternal lineage of Yoga, the divine mystery of Avatarhood (incarnation) to restore cosmic balance, the paradoxical vision of inaction in action, the profound vision of Brahman as all sacrifice (Brahmarpanam), and the ultimate purification of the soul through transcendental knowledge (Jnana).
Explore original Sanskrit, word-by-word padartha, trilingual translations, commentary, reflections, and modern life applications.
42 verses
Verse 4.1
imaṃ vivasvate yogaṃ proktavānahamavyayam | vivasvānmanave prāha manurikṣvākave'bravīt ||1||
I taught this imperishable yoga to Vivasvan; Vivasvan taught it to Manu, and Manu told it to Ikshvaku.
Verse 4.2
evaṃ paramparāprāptamimaṃ rājarṣayo viduḥ | sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa ||2||
Received through this succession, the royal sages knew this yoga. Over a long time it was lost here, O scorcher of foes.
Verse 4.3
sa evāyaṃ mayā te'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ | bhakto'si me sakhā ceti rahasyaṃ hyetaduttamam ||3||
Today I have taught you that same ancient yoga, because you are my devotee and friend; this is indeed the highest secret.
Verse 4.4
aparaṃ bhavato janma paraṃ janma vivasvataḥ | kathametadvijānīyāṃ tvamādau proktavāniti ||4||
Your birth was later, and Vivasvan's birth earlier. How am I to understand that you taught this at the beginning?
Verse 4.5
bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna | tānyahaṃ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṃ vettha parantapa ||5||
Many births of mine and yours have passed, Arjuna. I know them all; you do not know them, O scorcher of foes.
Verse 4.6
ajo'pi sannavyayātmā bhūtānāmīśvaro'pi san | prakṛtiṃ svāmadhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmyātmamāyayā ||6||
Though unborn, imperishable in self, and Lord of beings, I manifest through my own maya, presiding over my own nature.
Verse 4.7
yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānirbhavati bhārata | abhyutthānamadharmasya tadātmānaṃ sṛjāmyaham ||7||
Whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, O descendant of Bharata, then I manifest myself.
Verse 4.8
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṃ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām | dharmasaṃsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge ||8||
For the protection of the good, the destruction of wrongdoers, and the establishment of dharma, I manifest age after age.
Verse 4.9
janma karma ca me divyamevaṃ yo vetti tattvataḥ | tyaktvā dehaṃ punarjanma naiti māmeti so'rjuna ||9||
One who truly knows my divine birth and action does not take birth again after leaving the body, but comes to me, Arjuna.
Verse 4.10
vītarāgabhayakrodhā manmayā māmupāśritāḥ | bahavo jñānatapasā pūtā madbhāvamāgatāḥ ||10||
Free from attachment, fear, and anger, absorbed in me and taking refuge in me, many, purified by the discipline of knowledge, have attained my state.
Verse 4.11
ye yathā māṃ prapadyante tāṃstathaiva bhajāmyaham | mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ ||11||
In whatever way people approach me, I respond to them accordingly. In every way, human beings follow my path, Partha.
Verse 4.12
kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṃ siddhiṃ yajanta iha devatāḥ | kṣipraṃ hi mānuṣe loke siddhirbhavati karmajā ||12||
Those who desire success in actions worship the deities here, for success born of action comes quickly in the human world.
Verse 4.13
cāturvarṇyaṃ mayā sṛṣṭaṃ guṇakarmavibhāgaśaḥ | tasya kartāramapi māṃ viddhyakartāramavyayam ||13||
I created the fourfold varna order according to divisions of qualities and actions. Though its creator, know me as the imperishable non-agent.
Verse 4.14
na māṃ karmāṇi limpanti na me karmaphale spṛhā | iti māṃ yo'bhijānāti karmabhirna sa badhyate ||14||
Actions do not stain me, nor do I crave their fruits. One who knows me in this way is not bound by actions.
Verse 4.15
evaṃ jñātvā kṛtaṃ karma pūrvairapi mumukṣubhiḥ | kuru karmaiva tasmāttvaṃ pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṃ kṛtam ||15||
Knowing this, earlier seekers of liberation also acted. Therefore perform action, as those earlier seekers did in former times.
Verse 4.16
kiṃ karma kimakarmeti kavayo'pyatra mohitāḥ | tatte karma pravakṣyāmi yajjñātvā mokṣyase'śubhāt ||16||
Even the wise are confused about what action is and what inaction is. I will explain action to you; knowing it, you will be freed from evil.
Verse 4.17
karmaṇo hyapi boddhavyaṃ boddhavyaṃ ca vikarmaṇaḥ | akarmaṇaśca boddhavyaṃ gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ ||17||
Action must be understood, forbidden action must be understood, and inaction must be understood. The course of action is profound.
Verse 4.18
karmaṇyakarma yaḥ paśyedakarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ | sa buddhimānmanuṣyeṣu sa yuktaḥ kṛtsnakarmakṛt ||18||
One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is wise among people, established in yoga, and a doer of all action.
Verse 4.19
yasya sarve samārambhāḥ kāmasaṅkalpavarjitāḥ | jñānāgnidagdhakarmāṇaṃ tamāhuḥ paṇḍitaṃ budhāḥ ||19||
The wise call that person learned whose undertakings are free from desire-driven intentions and whose actions have been burned by the fire of knowledge.
Verse 4.20
tyaktvā karmaphalāsaṅgaṃ nityatṛpto nirāśrayaḥ | karmaṇyabhipravṛtto'pi naiva kiñcitkaroti saḥ ||20||
Abandoning attachment to the fruits of action, always content and independent of support, such a person does nothing even while fully engaged in action.
Verse 4.21
nirāśīryatacittātmā tyaktasarvaparigrahaḥ | śārīraṃ kevalaṃ karma kurvannāpnoti kilbiṣam ||21||
Without expectations, with mind and self controlled, and having abandoned all possessiveness, one who performs only bodily action incurs no sin.
Verse 4.22
yadṛcchālābhasantuṣṭo dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ | samaḥ siddhāvasiddhau ca kṛtvāpi na nibadhyate ||22||
Content with what comes unasked, beyond dualities, without envy, and equal in success and failure, one is not bound even while acting.
Verse 4.23
gatasaṅgasya muktasya jñānāvasthitacetasaḥ | yajñāyācarataḥ karma samagraṃ pravilīyate ||23||
For one free from attachment, liberated, with the mind established in knowledge and acting for sacrifice, action dissolves entirely.
Verse 4.24
brahmārpaṇaṃ brahma havirbrahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam | brahmaiva tena gantavyaṃ brahmakarmasamādhinā ||24||
Brahman is the offering instrument, Brahman the oblation, offered by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. Brahman alone is attained by one absorbed in action as Brahman.
Verse 4.25
daivamevāpare yajñaṃ yoginaḥ paryupāsate | brahmāgnāvapare yajñaṃ yajñenaivopajuhvati ||25||
Some yogis worship through sacrifice to the deities; others offer sacrifice itself through sacrifice into the fire of Brahman.
Verse 4.26
śrotrādīnīndriyāṇyanye saṃyamāgniṣu juhvati | śabdādīnviṣayānanya indriyāgniṣu juhvati ||26||
Some offer hearing and the other senses into the fires of restraint; others offer sound and other objects into the fires of the senses.
Verse 4.27
sarvāṇīndriyakarmāṇi prāṇakarmāṇi cāpare | ātmasaṃyamayogāgnau juhvati jñānadīpite ||27||
Others offer all the activities of the senses and the vital breaths into the fire of the yoga of self-restraint, kindled by knowledge.
Verse 4.28
dravyayajñāstapoyajñā yogayajñāstathāpare | svādhyāyajñānayajñāśca yatayaḥ saṃśitavratāḥ ||28||
Others, disciplined seekers with firm vows, offer material gifts, austerity, yoga, study, and knowledge as sacrifices.
Verse 4.29
apāne juhvati prāṇaṃ prāṇe'pānaṃ tathāpare | prāṇāpānagatī ruddhvā prāṇāyāmaparāyaṇāḥ ||29||
Others devoted to pranayama offer prana into apana and apana into prana, restraining the courses of both.
Verse 4.30
apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇānprāṇeṣu juhvati | sarve'pyete yajñavido yajñakṣapitakalmaṣāḥ ||30||
Others, regulating their food, offer vital breaths into vital breaths. All these know sacrifice, and their impurities are worn away by sacrifice.
Verse 4.31
yajñaśiṣṭāmṛtabhujo yānti brahma sanātanam | nāyaṃ loko'styayajñasya kuto'nyaḥ kurusattama ||31||
Those who partake of the nectar left from sacrifice attain eternal Brahman. For one without sacrifice, even this world is absent; how then the other, O best of the Kurus?
Verse 4.32
evaṃ bahuvidhā yajñā vitatā brahmaṇo mukhe | karmajānviddhi tānsarvānevaṃ jñātvā vimokṣyase ||32||
Thus many forms of sacrifice are set forth in the mouth of Brahman. Know them all as born of action; knowing this, you will be liberated.
Verse 4.33
śreyāndravyamayādyajñājjñānayajñaḥ parantapa | sarvaṃ karmākhilaṃ pārtha jñāne parisamāpyate ||33||
The sacrifice of knowledge is better than sacrifice made of material offerings, O scorcher of foes. All action, without exception, reaches its fulfillment in knowledge, Partha.
Verse 4.34
tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā | upadekṣyanti te jñānaṃ jñāninastattvadarśinaḥ ||34||
Learn this through humility, searching questions, and service. The wise who have seen the truth will teach you knowledge.
Verse 4.35
yajjñātvā na punarmohamevaṃ yāsyasi pāṇḍava | yena bhūtānyaśeṣeṇa drakṣyasyātmanyatho mayi ||35||
Knowing this, you will not fall into such delusion again, Pandava. Through it you will see all beings without exception in yourself, and then in me.
Verse 4.36
api cedasi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpakṛttamaḥ | sarvaṃ jñānaplavenaiva vṛjinaṃ santariṣyasi ||36||
Even if you are the greatest wrongdoer among all wrongdoers, you will cross all wrongdoing by the boat of knowledge alone.
Verse 4.37
yathaidhāṃsi samiddho'gnirbhasmasātkurute'rjuna | jñānāgniḥ sarvakarmāṇi bhasmasātkurute tathā ||37||
As a blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, Arjuna, so the fire of knowledge reduces all actions to ashes.
Verse 4.38
na hi jñānena sadṛśaṃ pavitramiha vidyate | tatsvayaṃ yogasaṃsiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati ||38||
Nothing here purifies like knowledge. One perfected through yoga finds it within oneself in time.
Verse 4.39
śraddhāvāṃllabhate jñānaṃ tatparaḥ saṃyatendriyaḥ | jñānaṃ labdhvā parāṃ śāntimacireṇādhigacchati ||39||
One with faith, dedicated to it and with senses restrained, gains knowledge. Having gained knowledge, one soon attains supreme peace.
Verse 4.40
ajñaścāśraddadhānaśca saṃśayātmā vinaśyati | nāyaṃ loko'sti na paro na sukhaṃ saṃśayātmanaḥ ||40||
The ignorant, faithless person of doubting mind perishes. For one consumed by doubt, there is neither this world nor the other, nor happiness.
Verse 4.41
yogasaṃnyastakarmāṇaṃ jñānasañchinnasaṃśayam | ātmavantaṃ na karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya ||41||
Actions do not bind one who has renounced them through yoga, whose doubts have been cut by knowledge, and who is self-possessed, Dhananjaya.
Verse 4.42
tasmādajñānasambhūtaṃ hṛtsthaṃ jñānāsinātmanaḥ | chittvainaṃ saṃśayaṃ yogamātiṣṭhottiṣṭha bhārata ||42||
Therefore, cut with the sword of knowledge this doubt in your heart born of ignorance. Take your stand in yoga and rise, O descendant of Bharata.
