Path of Knowledge and the Disciplines of Action

The Blessed Lord said, "I taught this imperishable Yoga to Vivasvan; he then told it to Manu; Manu proclaimed it to Ikshvaku.

Vivasvan means the sun. Ikshvaku was the son of Manu. Ikshvaku was the reputed ancestor of the solar dynasty of Kshatriyas.This Yoga is said to be imperishable because the result or fruit, i.e., Moksha, that can be…

This, handed down in regular succession by the royal sages, was known. This Yoga, however, has been lost here over time, O Parantapa (burner of the foes).

The royal sages Men who were kings and at the same time sages also, learnt this Yoga.Arjuna could burn or harass his foes, like the sun, by the heat of his valour and power. Hence the name Parantapa.

That same ancient yoga has been today taught to you by me, for you are my devotee and my friend; it is the supreme secret.

This Yoga contains profound and subtle teachings. Hence it is the supreme secret which is revealed by the Lord.

Arjuna said, "Later was Thy birth, and prior to it was the birth of Vivasvan (the Sun); how am I to understand that Thou hast taught this Yoga from the beginning?"

Thy birth took place later in the hourse of Vasudeva Vivasvan or Vivasvat (the Sun) was born earlier in the beginning of evolution. How am I to believe that Thou taughtest this Yoga in the beginning to Vivasvan, and that…

The Blessed Lord said, "Many births of Mine have passed, as well as of thine, O Arjuna; I know them all, but thou knowest not, O Parantapa (scorcher of foes)."

You have no intuitional knowledge. The eye of wisdom has not been opened in you on account of your past actions. So your power of vision is limited and therefore you do not know your previous births. But I know them…

Though I am unborn and of imperishable nature, and though I am the Lord of all beings, yet, governing my own nature, I am born by my own Maya.

Man is bound by Karma. So he takes birth. He is under the clutches of Nature. He,is deluded by the three alities of Nature whereas the Lord has Maya under His perfect control. He rules over Nature, and so He is not under…

Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and an increase of unrighteousness, O Arjuna, then I manifest Myself.

Dharma is that which sustains and holds together. There is no proper eivalen for this term in the English language. That which helps a man to attain to Moksha or salvation is Dharma. That which makes a man irreligious or…

For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age.

Sadhunam The good who lead a life of righteousness, who utiles their bodies in the service of humanity, who are free from selfishness, lust and greed, and who devote their lives to divine contemplation.Dushkritam…

He who thus knows, in their true light, My divine birth and actions, having abandoned the body, is not born again; he comes to Me, O Arjuna.

The Lord, though apparently born, is always beyond birth and death though apparently active for firmly establishing righteousness, He is ever beyond all actions. He who knows this is never born again. He attains…

Freed from attachment, fear, and anger, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by the fire of knowledge, many have attained My Being.

When one gets knowledge of the Self, attachment to senseobjects ceases. When he realises he is the constant, indestructible, eternal Self and that change is simply a quality of the body, then he becomes fearless. When he…

In whatever way men approach Me, even so do I reward them; My path do men tread in all ways, O Arjuna.

I reward men by bestowing on them the objects they desire in accordance with their ways and the motives with which they seek Me. If anyone worships Me with selfish motives I grant him the objects he desires. If he…

Those who long for success in action in this world sacrifice to the gods; for success is quickly attained by men through action.

It is very difficult to attain to the knowledge of the Self or Selfrealisation. It demans perfect renunciation. The aspirnat should possess the four means and many other virtues, and practise constant and intense…

The fourfold caste has been created by Me according to the differentiation of Guna and Karma; though I am the author of it, know Me as non-doer and immutable.

The four castes (Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra) are classified according to the differentiation of Guna and Karma. In a Brahmana, Sattva predominates. He possesses selfrestraint, purity, serenity,…

Actions do not taint Me, nor do I have a desire for the fruit of actions. He who knows Me thus is not bound by actions.

As I have neither egoism nor desire for fruits, I am not bound by actions. Wordly people think they are the agents and they perfrom actions. They also expect fruits for their actions. So they take birth again and again.…

Having known this, the ancient seekers of freedom also performed action; therefore, do thou also perform action, as the ancients did in days of yore.

Knowing thus that the Self can have no desire for the fruits of actions and cannot be tainted by them, and knowing that no one can be tainted if he works without egoism, attachment and expectation of fruits, do thou…

What is action? What is inaction? Even the wise are confused about this. Therefore, I shall teach you the nature of action and inaction, by knowing which you will be liberated from the evil of Samsara, the wheel of birth and death.

Action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has to be executed in accord with the examples of previous bona fide devotees. This is recommended in the fifteenth verse. Why such action should not be independent will be explained in the…

For verily, the true nature of action enjoined by the scriptures should be known, as well as that of forbidden or unlawful action, and of inaction; the nature of action is hard to understand.

If one is serious about liberation from material bondage, one has to understand the distinctions between action, inaction and unauthorized actions. One has to apply oneself to such an analysis of action, reaction and…

He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, he is wise among men; he is a yogi and performer of all actions.

In common parlance action means movement of the body, movement of the hands and feet, and inaction means to sit quiet.It is the idea of agency, the idea I am the doer that binds man to Samsara. If this idea vanishes,…

He whose undertakings are all devoid of desires and selfish purposes, and whose actions have been burned by the fire of knowledge, the wise call him a sage.

A sage performs actions only with a view to set an example to the masses. Though he works, he does nothing as he has no selfish interests, as his actions are burnt by the fire of wisdom which consists in the realisaion…

Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of the action, ever content, depending on nothing, he does not do anything even while being engaged in activity.

The same idea of inaction in action is repeated here to produce a deep impression on the minds of the aspirants. He who works for the wellbeing of the world and he who performs actions without egoism and attachment for…

Without hope, controlling the mind and the self, having abandoned all covetousness, and performing only bodily actions, one incurs no sin.

The liberated sage renounces all actions except what is necessary for the bare maintenance of the body. He has abandoned all possessions. He incurs no sin which will cause evil effects. For a man who thirsts for…

Content with what comes to him without effort, free from the pairs of opposites and envy, even-minded in success and failure, he acts yet is not bound.

The sage is ite satisfied with what comes to him by chance. In verses IV. 18, 19, 20, 22, 22 and 23 there is only a reiteration of the results of the knowledge of the Self which is beyond action. The sage who identifies…

To one who is devoid of attachment, who is liberated, whose mind is established in knowledge, and who works for the sake of sacrifice (for the sake of God), the whole action is dissolved.

One who is free from attachment, who is liberated from the bonds of Karma, whose mind is centred and rooted in wisdom, who performs actions for the sake of sacrifice, in order to please the Lord -- all his actions with…

Brahman is the oblation; Brahman is the melted butter (ghee); by Brahman is the oblation poured into the fire of Brahman; Brahman indeed shall be attained by one who always sees Brahman in action.

This is JnanaYajna or wisdomsacrifice wherein the idea of Brahman is substituted for the ideas of the instrument and other accessories of action, the idea of action itself and of its results. By entertaining such an idea…

Some yogis perform sacrifice to the gods alone; while others, who have realized the Self, offer the Self as sacrifice in the fire of Brahman alone.

Some Yogis who are devoted to Karma Yoga perform sacrificial rites to the shining ones or Devas (gods). The second Yajna is JnanaYajna or the wisdom sacrifice performed by those who are devoted to Jnana Yoga. The…

Some again offer the organ of hearing and other senses as a sacrifice in the fire of restraint; others offer sound and other objects of the senses as a sacrifice in the fire of the senses.

Some Yogis are constantly engaged in restraining the senses. They gather their senses under the guidance of the Self and do not allow them to come in contact with the sensual objects. This is also an act of sacficie.…

Others again sacrifice all the functions of the senses and those of the breath (vital energy, or Prana) in the fire of the Yoga of self-restraint, kindled by knowledge.

Just as a lamp is kindled by oil, so also the fire of the Yoga of selfcontrol is kindled by knowledge. When the Yogi concentrates or fixes his mind on Brahman or the Self, the senses and the breath cease to function. The…

Others again offer wealth, austerity, and Yoga as sacrifice, while ascetics of self-restraint and rigid vows offer the study of scriptures and knowledge as sacrifice.

Others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming into the outgoing, restraining the flow of the outgoing and the incoming breaths, solely absorbed in the restraint of the breath.

Some Yogis practise Puraka (inhalation), some Yogis practise Rechaka (exhalation),,and some Yogis practise Kumbhaka (retention of breath).The five subPranas and the other Pranas are merged in the chief Prana…

Others who regulate their diet offer life-breaths in each life-breath. All these are knowers of sacrifice, whose sins are destroyed through sacrifice.

Niyataharah means persons of regulated or limited food. They take moderate food. By rigid dieting they control the passions and appetites by weakening the functions of the organs of action.Yogis pour the lifreaths as…

Those who eat the remnants of the sacrifice, which are like nectar, go to the eternal Brahman. This world is not for the one who does not perform sacrifice; how then can they have the other, O Arjuna?

They go to the eternal Brahman in course of time after attaining the knowledge of the Self through purification of the mind by performing the above sacrifices. He who does not perform any of these is not fit even for…

Thus, manifold sacrifices are spread out before Brahman at the face of Brahman. Know them all to be born of action, and thus knowing, you shall be liberated.

The word Brahmanah has also been interpreted to mean In the Vedas.Various kinds of sacrifices are spread out at the mouth of Brahman, i.e., they are known from the Vedas. Know that they are born of action, because the…

Superior is wisdom-sacrifice to the sacrifice with objects, O Parantapa (scorcher of the foes). All actions in their entirety, O Arjuna, culminate in knowledge.

Sacrifices with material objects cause material effects and bring the sacrificer to this world for the enjoyment of the fruits, while wisdomsacrifice leads to Moksha. Therefore wisdomsacrifice is superior to the…

Know that the wise who have realized the truth will instruct thee in that knowledge through long prostration, supplication, and service.

Go to the teachers (those who are well versed in the scriptures dealing with Brahman or Brahmasrotris, and who are established in Brahman or Brahmanishthas). Prostrate yourself before them with profound humility and…

Knowing that thou shalt not, O Arjuna, again be deluded like this; and by that thou shalt see all beings in thyself and also in me.

That, the knowledge of the Self mentioned in the previous verse, that is to be learnt from the Brahmanishtha Guru through prostration, estioning and service. When you acire this knowledge you will not be again subject to…

Even if thou art the most sinful of all sinners, yet thou shalt surely cross over all sins by the raft of knowledge.

You can cross the ocean of sin with the boat of the knowledge of the Self. (Cf.IX.30)

As the blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all actions to ash.

Just as the sees that are roasted cannot germinate, so also the actions that are burnt by the fire of knowledge cannot bear fruits, i.e., cannot bring man to this world again for the enjoyment of the fruits of his…

Verily, there is no purifier in this world like knowledge. He who is perfected in Yoga finds it within the Self in due time.

There exists no purifier eal to knowledge of the Self. He who has attained perfection by the constant practice of Karma Yoga and Dhyana Yoga (the Yoga of meditation) will, after a time, find the knowledge of the Self in…

The one who is full of faith, devoted to it, and has subdued their senses obtains this knowledge; and upon obtaining the knowledge, they attain the supreme peace immediately.

He who is full of faith, who constantly serves his Guru and hears his teachings, who has subdued the senses surely gets the knowledge and quickly attains the supreme peace or salvation (Moksha). All the above three…

The ignorant, the faithless, and the doubting self go to destruction; there is neither this world nor the other, nor happiness for the doubting one.

The ignorant one who has no knowledge of the Self. The man without faith one who has no faith in his own self, in the scriptures and the teachings of his Guru.A man of doubting mind is the most sinful of all. His…

He who has renounced actions through Yoga, whose doubts have been dispelled by knowledge, and who is self-possessed—such a one is not bound by actions, O Arjuna.

Sri Madhusudana Sarasvati explains Atmavantam as always watchful.He who has attained to Selfrealisation renounces all actions by means of Yoga or the knowledge of Brahman. As he is established in the knowledge of the…

Therefore, with the sword of knowledge (of the Self), cut asunder the doubt of the self, born of ignorance, residing in your heart, and take refuge in Yoga. Arise, O Arjuna!