Gita 4.1
श्रीभगवानुवाच।
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम्।
विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत्।।
śrī-bhagavān uvāca imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt
"The Supreme Lord said: I taught this imperishable yoga to Vivasvan (the sun god), who taught it to Manu, who taught it to Ikshvaku."
All 42 verses of Chapter 4
- 4.1The Supreme Lord said: I taught this imperishable yoga to Vivasvan (the sun god), who taught it to Manu...
- 4.2Thus received through the chain of succession, the royal sages knew this yoga. But over a long course of...
- 4.3That same ancient yoga is today being taught by Me to you, because you are My devotee and friend. This is...
- 4.4Arjuna said: Your birth was recent, but Vivasvan's birth was in the distant past. How am I to understand...
- 4.5The Supreme Lord said: Many births of Mine have passed, and many of yours too, O Arjuna. I remember them...
- 4.6Though I am unborn and imperishable, though I am the Lord of all beings, I manifest through My own nature...
- 4.7Whenever there is a decline of dharma and rise of adharma, O Arjuna, then I manifest Myself.
- 4.8To protect the good, to destroy the wicked, and to establish dharma, I appear age after age.
- 4.9One who truly knows the divine nature of My birth and actions, upon leaving the body, is not reborn but...
- 4.10Free from attachment, fear, and anger, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by the fire of...
- 4.11In whatever way people approach Me, I reciprocate accordingly. All paths, O Arjuna, lead to Me.
- 4.12Those who desire success in their actions worship the gods here. Success from action comes quickly in the...
- 4.13The four divisions of human society were created by Me according to qualities and work. Though I am the...
- 4.14Actions do not taint Me, nor do I have desire for their fruits. One who knows Me thus is not bound by actions.
- 4.15Knowing this, the ancient seekers of liberation also performed action. Therefore, you too should act...
- 4.16What is action? What is inaction? Even the wise are confused about this. I will teach you about action...
- 4.17You must understand action, forbidden action, and inaction. The nature of action is difficult to understand.
- 4.18One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is wise among humans. Such a person is a yogi and...
- 4.19One whose every undertaking is free from desire and selfish motive, whose actions are burned in the fire...
- 4.20Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of action, ever content, dependent on nothing, though fully...
- 4.21Free from expectations, mind and self controlled, having abandoned all possessiveness, performing only...
- 4.22Content with whatever comes by chance, beyond the pairs of opposites, free from envy, equal in success and...
- 4.23For one who is free from attachment, liberated, whose mind is established in knowledge, who acts for...
- 4.24Brahman is the offering, Brahman is the oblation poured by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. Brahman alone...
- 4.25Some yogis worship by offering sacrifice to the gods; others offer sacrifice itself into the fire of Brahman.
- 4.26Some offer hearing and other senses into the fire of restraint; others offer sound and other sense objects...
- 4.27Others offer all the actions of the senses and the functions of the life-breath into the fire of...
- 4.28Some offer material possessions as sacrifice; some offer austerity; some offer yoga practice; some offer...
- 4.29Some offer the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming into the outgoing, restraining the...
- 4.30Others who regulate their food offer the life-breaths into the life-breaths. All these understand...
- 4.31Those who partake of the nectar remaining from sacrifice attain the eternal Brahman. This world is not for...
- 4.32Thus many kinds of sacrifice are spread out in the Vedas. Know them all to be born of action. Knowing...
- 4.33Superior to the sacrifice of material possessions is the sacrifice of knowledge, O Arjuna. All action, in...
- 4.34Learn this by humble submission, by questioning, and by service. The wise who have seen the truth will...
- 4.35Knowing this, you will never again fall into delusion, O Arjuna. By this knowledge, you will see all...
- 4.36Even if you are the worst of all sinners, you will cross over all evil by the boat of knowledge alone.
- 4.37As a blazing fire burns wood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn all karma to ashes.
- 4.38There is nothing in this world as purifying as knowledge. One who has become perfect in yoga finds it in...
- 4.39The one with faith, devoted to it, with senses controlled, attains knowledge. Having attained knowledge...
- 4.40The ignorant, the faithless, and the doubter perish. For the doubting soul there is neither this world...
- 4.41One who has renounced actions through yoga, whose doubts are cut by knowledge, who is established in the...
- 4.42Therefore, with the sword of knowledge, cut this doubt born of ignorance dwelling in your heart. Take...