Bhagavad Gita 4.24ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्महविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम्।ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥
brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā
hutam brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahma-karma-samādhinā
Sanskrit recitation
Every act can be sacred · 4.24–4.33 · Teaching
Translation
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.
Hindi translation
जिस यज्ञमें अर्पण भी ब्रह्म है, हवी भी ब्रह्म है और ब्रह्मरूप कर्ताके द्वारा ब्रह्मरूप अग्निमें आहुति देनारूप क्रिया भी ब्रह्म है, (ऐसे यज्ञको करनेवाले) जिस मनुष्यकी ब्रह्ममें ही कर्म-समाधि हो गयी है, उसके द्वारा प्राप्त करनेयोग्य फल भी ब्रह्म ही है।
Meaning
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 the whole action melts away, as stated in the previous verse (No.23).When one attains to the knowledge of the Self or Selfrealisation his whole life becomes a wisdomsacrifice in which the oblation, the melted butter or the offering, the performer of the sacrifice, the action and the goal are all Brahman. He who meditates thus wholly upon Brahman shall verily attain to Brahman.The sage who has the knowledge of the Self knows that the oblation, the fire, the instrument by which the melted butter is poured into the fire and himself have no existence apart from that of Brahman. He who has realised through direct cognitio (Anubhava) that all is Brahman, does no action even if he performs actions. (Cf.III.15)
After Swami Sivananda
Every act can be sacred· 4.24–4.33→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
4.24Brahman is the oblation; Brahman is the melted butter (ghee); by Brahman is the oblation…
- 4.25Some yogis perform sacrifice to the gods alone; while others, who have realized the Self,…
- 4.26Some again offer the organ of hearing and other senses as a sacrifice in the fire of…
- 4.27Others again sacrifice all the functions of the senses and those of the breath (vital…
- 4.28Others again offer wealth, austerity, and Yoga as sacrifice, while ascetics of…
- 4.29Others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming into the…
- 4.30Others who regulate their diet offer life-breaths in each life-breath. All these are…
- 4.31Those who eat the remnants of the sacrifice, which are like nectar, go to the eternal…
- 4.32Thus, manifold sacrifices are spread out before Brahman at the face of Brahman. Know them…
- 4.33Superior is wisdom-sacrifice to the sacrifice with objects, O Parantapa (scorcher of the…
Word-by-word→
- eva
- certainly
- tena
- by that
- agnau
- in the sacrificial fire
- hutam
- offered
- karma
- offering
- brahma
- Brahman
- haviḥ
- the oblation
- arpaṇam
- the ladle and other offerings
- gantavyam
- to be attained
- brahmaṇā
- by that person
- samādhinā
- those completely absorbed in God-consciousness
Read this when you feel
Related verses
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- 10.23And among the Rudras, I am Sankara; among the Yakshas and Rakshasas, the Lord of Wealth…