Chapter 4 – Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga
The fourth chapter of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, known as Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga (The Yoga of Knowledge and Renunciation of Action), reveals the profound relationship between divine knowledge, selfless action, and liberation. In this chapter, Lord Krishna explains that this eternal science of yoga was first imparted to the Sun God, Vivasvan, and then passed down through a sacred lineage of enlightened kings. As this wisdom faded over time, Lord Krishna once again shares it with Arjuna to guide humanity toward righteousness and spiritual awakening.
Lord Krishna further explains the divine purpose of His incarnations—to protect the righteous, destroy evil, and re-establish dharma whenever it declines. This chapter also clarifies the subtle difference between karma (action), akarma (inaction in action), and vikarma (wrong action), emphasizing that true wisdom lies in performing one’s duties without attachment to the results. It highlights the greatness of Jnana Yajna (the sacrifice of knowledge), the importance of approaching a realized spiritual teacher with humility, and the purifying power of divine knowledge. Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga teaches that when actions are performed with wisdom, devotion, and detachment, they no longer bind the soul, leading the seeker toward inner peace and ultimate liberation.
Shloka 1
Śhrī Bhagavān Uvācha:
Imaṁ Vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam ।
Vivasvān manave prāha manur Ikṣhvākave ’bravīt ॥1॥
Shloka 2
Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣhayo viduḥ ।
Sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣhṭaḥ Parantapa ॥2॥
Shloka 3
Sa evāyaṁ mayā te ’dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ ।
Bhakto ’si me sakhā cheti rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam ॥3॥
Shloka 4
Arjuna Uvācha:
Aparaṁ bhavato janma paraṁ janma Vivasvataḥ ।
Katham etad vijānīyāṁ tvam ādau proktavān iti ॥4॥
Shloka 5
Śhrī Bhagavān Uvācha:
Bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava chārjuna ।
Tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha Parantapa ॥5॥
Shloka 6
Ajo ’pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśhvaro ’pi san ।
Prakṛitiṁ svām adhiṣhṭhāya sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā ॥6॥
Shloka 7
Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati Bhārata ।
Abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛijāmy aham ॥7॥
Shloka 8
Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām ।
Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge ॥8॥
Shloka 9
Janma karma cha me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ ।
Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna ॥9॥
Shloka 10
Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśhritāḥ ।
Bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ ॥10॥
Shloka 11
Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham ।
Mama vartmānuvartante manuṣhyāḥ Pārtha sarvaśhaḥ ॥11॥
Shloka 12
Kāṅkṣhantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ ।
Kṣhipraṁ hi mānuṣhe loke siddhir bhavati karmajā ॥12॥
Shloka 13
Chātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛiṣhṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśhaḥ ।
Tasya kartāram api māṁ viddhy akartāram avyayam ॥13॥
Shloka 14
Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛihā ।
Iti māṁ yo ’bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate ॥14॥
Shloka 15
Evaṁ jñātvā kṛitaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣhubhiḥ ।
Kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṁ pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛitam ॥15॥
Shloka 16
Kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo ’py atra mohitāḥ ।
Tat te karma pravakṣhyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣhyase ’śhubhāt ॥16॥
Shloka 17
Karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṁ boddhavyaṁ cha vikarmaṇaḥ ।
Akarmaṇaśh cha boddhavyaṁ gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ ॥17॥
Shloka 18
Karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśhyed akarmaṇi cha karma yaḥ ।
Sa buddhimān manuṣhyeṣhu sa yuktaḥ kṛitsna-karma-kṛit ॥18॥
Shloka 19
Yasya sarve samārambhāḥ kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ ।
Jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇaṁ tam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ ॥19॥
Shloka 20
Tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgaṁ nitya-tṛipto nirāśhrayaḥ ।
Karmaṇy abhipravṛitto ’pi naiva kiñchit karoti saḥ ॥20॥
Shloka 21
Nirāśhīr yata-chittātmā tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ ।
Śhārīraṁ kevalaṁ karma kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣham ॥21॥
Shloka 22
Yadṛichchhā-lābha-santuṣhṭo dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ ।
Samaḥ siddhāv asiddhau cha kṛitvāpi na nibadhyate ॥22॥
Shloka 23
Gata-saṅgasya muktasya jñānāvasthita-chetasaḥ ।
Yajñāyācharataḥ karma samagraṁ pravilīyate ॥23॥
Shloka 24
Brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam ।
Brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahma-karma-samādhinā ॥24॥
Shloka 25
Daivam evāpare yajñaṁ yoginaḥ paryupāsate ।
Brahmāgnāv apare yajñaṁ yajñenaivopajuhvati ॥25॥
Shloka 26
Śhrotrādīnīndriyāṇy anye sanyamāgniṣhu juhvati ।
Śhabdādīn viṣhayān anya indriyāgniṣhu juhvati ॥26॥
Shloka 27
Sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi prāṇa-karmāṇi chāpare ।
Ātma-sanyama-yogāgnau juhvati jñāna-dīpite ॥27॥
Shloka 28
Dravya-yajñās tapo-yajñā yoga-yajñās tathāpare ।
Svādhyāya-jñāna-yajñāśh cha yatayaḥ sanśhita-vratāḥ ॥28॥
Shloka 29
Apāne juhvati prāṇaṁ prāṇe ’pānaṁ tathāpare ।
Prāṇāpāna-gatī ruddhvā prāṇāyāma-parāyaṇāḥ ॥29॥
Shloka 30
Apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇān prāṇeṣhu juhvati ।
Sarve ’py ete yajña-vido yajña-kṣhapita-kalmaṣhāḥ ॥30॥
Shloka 31
Yajña-śhiṣhṭāmṛita-bhujo yānti brahma sanātanam ।
Nāyaṁ loko ’sty ayajñasya kuto ’nyaḥ Kuru-sattama ॥31॥
Shloka 32
Evaṁ bahu-vidhā yajñā vitatā brahmaṇo mukhe ।
Karma-jān viddhi tān sarvān evaṁ jñātvā vimokṣhyase ॥32॥
Shloka 33
Śhreyān dravya-mayād yajñāj jñāna-yajñaḥ Parantapa ।
Sarvaṁ karmākhilaṁ Pārtha jñāne parisamāpyate ॥33॥
Shloka 34
Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnena sevayā ।
Upadekṣhyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśhinaḥ ॥34॥
Shloka 35
Yaj jñātvā na punar moham evaṁ yāsyasi Pāṇḍava ।
Yena bhūtāny aśheṣheṇa drakṣhyasy ātmany atho mayi ॥35॥
Shloka 36
Api ched asi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpa-kṛittamaḥ ।
Sarvaṁ jñāna-plavenaiva vṛijinaṁ santariṣhyasi ॥36॥
Shloka 37
Yathaidhānsi samiddho ’gnir bhasma-sāt kurute ’rjuna ।
Jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi bhasma-sāt kurute tathā ॥37॥
Shloka 38
Na hi jñānena sadṛiśhaṁ pavitram iha vidyate ।
Tat svayaṁ yoga-sansiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati ॥38॥
Shloka 39
Śhraddhāvān labhate jñānaṁ tat-paraḥ sanyatendriyaḥ ।
Jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śhāntim achireṇādhigachchhati ॥39॥
Shloka 40
Ajñaśh chāśhraddadhānaśh cha sanśhayātmā vinaśhyati ।
Nāyaṁ loko ’sti na paro na sukhaṁ sanśhayātmanaḥ ॥40॥
Shloka 41
Yoga-sannyasta-karmāṇaṁ jñāna-sanchhinna-sanśhayam ।
Ātmavantaṁ na karmāṇi nibadhnanti Dhanañjaya ॥41॥
Shloka 42
Tasmād ajñāna-sambhūtaṁ hṛit-sthaṁ jñānāsinātmanaḥ ।
Chhittvainam sanśhayaṁ yogam ātiṣhṭhottiṣhṭha Bhārata ॥42॥
