CHAPTER 4: THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE
About sacrificing and the
importance of knowledge
(1) The Supreme Lord said: 'This
imperishable yoga I instructed to the sun-god Vivasvân who told
it to the father of mankind who in his turn said it to Ikshvâku. (2)
Thus one
following the other, the saintly kings received this science
understanding it that way but in the course of time in this world this
great way of connecting oneself was scattered, o subduer of the enemies. (3)
This very
same very old science of yoga today is spoken by Me to you as you are
My devotee and friend as well and thus factually you can come to
understand the mystery of this transcendence.'
(4) Arjuna said: 'Your birth came
after the one before of Vivasvân. How must I understand Your
instructing in the beginning thus?
'
(5) The Supreme Lord said: 'Many
births of Mine and also of you have passed, o Arjuna, I know them all
but you do not, o subduer of the enemy. (6)
Despite
of being unborn by nature, the imperishable soul and the Lord of all
living beings, I, although situated in transcendence, out of My own do
incarnate as the covering of My own Self. (7)
Whenever
and wherever it is sure that one weakens in righteousness and a
predominance of injustice does manifest, o descendant of Bharata, at
that time I do manifest Myself. (8) To liberate the seekers of truth, to take the power
away from the wicked ones and to re-establish the way of the human
principles, I do appear age after age. (9)
Anyone
who knows as such of My divine birth(s) and activities will never,
after leaving his body, take birth again, but will attain Me, O Arjuna.
(10) Freed from attachment, fear
and anger in the full awareness of Me, many who were purified in the
knowledge of penance, have attained My transcendental love. (11)
All who
surrender themselves to Me I surely award My path that is followed by
all men, o son of Prithâ, in all respects. (12)
Desiring
the perfect of the profit they worship the gods here and certainly in
the worldly society success will quickly ensue of that fruitive labor. (13)
Of the
four vocations accomplished by Me according the qualities and the
divisions of labor I am the Father, although you may know Me as the
nondoer and unchangeable. (14) Doing work does not affect Me as I do not aspire the
fruits thereof. Therefore one who knows Me will, of labor, never become
entangled. (15) Knowing this the ancients who attained liberation
surely knew to keep to their duty and therefore you should act the way
your predecessors did in the past.
(16) What is action and what is
inaction? Even the intelligent are in illusion about this matter. That
I will now explain to you and knowing it you will be liberated from ill
fortune. (17) Working in desiring the fruits, unwanted work and work
as a sacrifice should each be considered intelligently as it is
difficult to understand the goal of karma. (18)
One who
sees labor for profit as inactivity and who sees work as a sacrifice as
labor is intelligent in human affairs; he, although engaged in all
sorts of action is of the transcendental. (19)
The karma
of him who of determination tries with everything without desiring, is
burned up by the fire of knowledge, the learned declare who know about
this. (20) He who has given up to work for the attachment to the
fruits, is always satisfied and free from clinging to his home. He
does, although fully active, not really do anything. (21)
Not
desiring, controlled in his conscious self and giving up all claims of
property he keeps himself together by doing work only, without ever
running into the reactions of sin.
(22) Satisfied with gain coming on
its own accord, free from the duality and envy and steady in success
and failure, he, although of action, never becomes entangled. (23)
With the
attachment gone, being liberated and with the mind to the transcendent
in the wisdom of acting in sacrifice, the complete of karma dissolves.
(24) The sacrifice itself, that which is offered in the
fire of sacrifice and he who is of sacrifice are of the same spiritual
nature; he will certainly attain the spirit of the Absolute who is
completely absorbed in working for the spiritual. (25)
Some
worship the godly in this while other followers of the path of yoga
perfectly offer in sacrifice to the fire of the spiritual itself. (26)
Some
sacrifice by the hearing process to the senses in contemplating sound
vibrations in the fire, while others offer their sense-gratification
relating to material objects in the fire. (27)
Still
others in need of self-realization too, offer in the fire of sacrifice
of all functions of the senses, their unregulated breath in the
self-restraint of yoga. (28) Some sacrifice their possessions, in austerity and
yoga thus while even others as ascetics having taken to strict vows,
sacrifice their knowledge in the studying of the Vedas also. (29)
Offering
the inward breath to the one going outward and the outward breath to
the one going inward also others are in effort to attain to cessation
by following the inward and outward going air while still others
sacrifice the inhaled air into itself in controlling their eating. (30)
Although
differing, all the ones knowing of sacrifice are purified of the
reactions of their darkness and having tasted the nectar as a result of
those sacrifices, they reach the spirit of the eternal. (31)
When this
world is not for the one without sacrifice, then what of the next, o
best of the Kurus? (32) Thus the different types of sacrifices are defended by
mouth of the Vedas. You must see them all as the result of karma and
knowing thus you will find liberation.
(33) Greater than the sacrifice of
material things is the sacrifice of knowledge, o chastiser of the
enemy; all this karma in sum, o son of Prithâ, finds its end in
knowledge. (34) Try to understand that by exercising respect,
inquiring submissively and rendering service to the ones who know, as
they will initiate you into the truth of the seers. (35)
Knowing
it so you will never fall victim to illusion again as from this you
will, o son of Prithâ, go for the vision of the soul of all
living beings, that is in Me. (36) Even if you are the greatest of all sinners you will,
with this boat of transcendental knowledge, cross the ocean of all this
misery. (37) Like firewood ablaze with fire turns to ashes, o
Arjuna, so the fire of knowledge turns all of your karma to ashes. (38)
Surely
there exists nothing of knowledge in this world that can compare to
this purification and he who is mature in his own yoga will enjoy that
in due course of time within himself. (39)
A man of
faith can attain keeping close to the knowledge in the control of his
senses as of that knowledge having achieved the transcendental he very
soon attains to peace. (40) But not knowing and also without belief a person of
doubts has no taste for it; never in this world nor in the beyond will
there be happiness for such a doubtful soul. (41)
One who
by yoga renounced materially motivated work and by means of knowledge
broke with the doubt is situated in the soul and will never be bound by
his work, o conqueror of riches. (42) Therefore this doubt must
that out of ignorance was born in your heart be cut by
means of the weapon of the knowledge of the soul; be situated in that
yoga and rise to fight, o descendant of Bharata!'
Spoken by Anand Aadhar Prabhu
to the text offered below