- 4.1इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।Krishna says he first taught this eternal yoga to the Sun-god.
- 4.2एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदुः ।It was passed through royal sages, but that lineage was lost over time.
- 4.3स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः ।Krishna teaches it again to Arjuna because he is both friend and devotee.
- 4.4अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः ।Arjuna asks how Krishna could have taught it so long ago.
- 4.5बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन ।Krishna says both he and Arjuna have had many births, but only Krishna remembers them all.
- 4.6अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।Though unborn and eternal, Krishna appears through his own divine power.
- 4.7यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।Whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, Krishna manifests.
- 4.8परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।He comes to protect the good, destroy evil, and restore dharma.
- 4.9जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ।One who truly understands Krishna's divine birth and action reaches Him after death.
- 4.10वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः ।Many have reached Him by giving up attachment, fear, and anger.
- 4.11ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् ।Krishna responds to people according to how they approach Him.
- 4.12काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः ।People seeking quick worldly success worship various deities.
- 4.13चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः ।Krishna created the fourfold social order by qualities and actions while remaining beyond doership.
- 4.14न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा ।Actions do not bind Krishna because He has no desire for their fruits.
- 4.15एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः ।The ancient seekers acted with this understanding, and Arjuna should do the same.
- 4.16किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः ।Even the wise can be confused about what is action and what is inaction.
- 4.17कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः ।One must understand right action, wrong action, and inaction.
- 4.18कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः ।The truly wise can see stillness in action and action in stillness.
- 4.19यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिताः ।A sage acts without selfish desire and has karma burned by knowledge.
- 4.20त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः ।One who gives up attachment to results remains inwardly inactive even while working.
- 4.21निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः ।With no greed or possessiveness, one incurs no sin through mere bodily action.
- 4.22यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः ।Contentment and balance in success and failure keep a person free from bondage.
- 4.23गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः ।For the unattached knower, action offered as sacrifice is dissolved completely.
- 4.24ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।One who sees Brahman in every part of sacrifice turns action into spiritual awareness.
- 4.25दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते ।Some offer sacrifice to devas, while others offer the self into Brahman.
- 4.26श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति ।Some offer the senses into restraint, and others offer sense objects into disciplined senses.
- 4.27सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे ।Some offer all sense and life functions into the fire of self-control lit by knowledge.
- 4.28द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे ।Others offer wealth, austerity, yoga, study, and knowledge as sacrifice.
- 4.29अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे ।Some practice sacrifice through disciplined breathing and control of prana.
- 4.30अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति ।Others regulate food and offer vital forces into vital forces; all are purified by sacrifice.
- 4.31यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् ।Those who partake of sacrifice's remainder reach Brahman, while one who never sacrifices lives without that higher gain.
- 4.32एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे ।Many kinds of sacrifice arise from action, and understanding this brings freedom.
- 4.33श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप ।Knowledge-sacrifice is higher than material offerings because all action culminates in knowledge.
- 4.34तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया ।One should approach the wise with humility, questioning, and service to receive knowledge.
- 4.35यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव ।By gaining that knowledge, one sees all beings in the Self and in Krishna.
- 4.36अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः ।Even the worst sinner can cross over by the boat of knowledge.
- 4.37यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन ।Knowledge burns all actions like fire burns fuel.
- 4.38न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते ।Nothing purifies like knowledge, and yoga ripens into it over time.
- 4.39श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः ।A faithful, disciplined seeker gains knowledge and quickly finds peace.
- 4.40अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति ।The ignorant and doubtful are ruined and find happiness nowhere.
- 4.41योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसञ्छिन्नसंशयम् ।One who renounces action through yoga and cuts doubt by knowledge is no longer bound.
- 4.42तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मनः ।Krishna tells Arjuna to cut away doubt with the sword of knowledge and rise in yoga.
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