|| Om tat sat ||

भगवद्गीत
चतुर्थ अध्यायः
ज्ञान योगः

(To get Sanskrit slokas in Kannada script click here)

Bhagavadgita
Chapter 4
Jnyana Yoga - a summary !

When we read the commentary some times we get a doubt whether the gist of all the slokas has been brought out intact or did we lose our way while focussing on certain thoughts and slokas to the exclusion of others. Very often when we hear some Gita lectures the lecturer focusses on a few slokas and talks of the entire chapter in terms of only those few slokas. When one is focussed on a thought, one is likely to slide over lines not fitting that thought and pick only the lines one wants in order to hammer home a point.

So that des happen !.

But bringing all thoughts of that chapter is our responsibility.

Keeping that in mind we will go through the Jnyana Yoga in the order of slokas and recall the main points of Jnyana Yoga.

Slokas 1- 3
- Starting with भगवानुवाच we hear about the beginnings of - निष्कामकर्म - Nishkama karma. The Bhagavan first taught this philosophy to Sun, from Sun taught to other people and there after through the ages it got handed down.

Slokas 4 -8
- Arjuna has a doubt. How could Krishna talk about having taught to others ages ago while standing in front of him ? Then Krishna elaborates on his incarnations -the when and the why " यदा यदा हि धर्म स्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत - परित्राणाय साधूनां विनशाय च दुष्कृतां -
are talked about. All of that is a revelation !.

Slokas 9-18

- Krishna talks about Nishkama karma , Karma, akarma , vkarma. Krishna also elaborates on how the Lord rewards to the devotees ! "ये यथा मां प्रपद्यंते तां स्तथैव भजाम्यहम् " in short the reward is in line with the prayer !

Slokas 19- 23

- Who is a Pandit ? how does a Jnyani act ? All about the benefits of Jnyana yoga.

Slokas 24 - 32

- Saying that sacrifice is nothing but the intense prayer Krishna redefines Yagnya as worship. Further elaborating that every thing in a sacrifice is Brahman ( ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविः .. ) Krishna details twelve types of sacrifice . - द्रव्ययज्ञ तपोयज्ञ ज्ञानयज्ञ तथा अपरे.. etc . These twelve types of of Yagnyas are as follows. 1 Daiva Yajñamu (4.25) ;2 Brahma Yajñamu (4.25) ;3 Indriya samyama Yajñamu (4.26) ;4 Sabdadi visaya nirodha Yajñamu (4.26); 5 Manōnigraha Yajñamu (4.27) ; 6 Dravya Yajñamu ( 4.28); 7 Tapō Yajñamu: (4.28); 8 Yōga Yajñamu (4.28); 9 Svādhyāya Yajñamu (4.28) ;10 Jnyana Yajñamu: (4.28); 11 Prānāyāma Yajñamu (4.29) ;12 Ahāraniyama Yajñamu (4.30)

Slokas 33-34
- The superiority of Jnyana Yagnya ; how to obtain Jnyana . " तत् विद्धि" - know that - "प्रणिपातेन' by prostrating "परिप्रश्नेन" by questioning "सेवया' by serving ..! ). Krishna says by approaching and serving a Guru one obtains Jnyana. Guru is one who knows.

Slokas 35 -42
The greatness of Jnyana Yoga .
"ज्ञानाग्नि सर्व कर्माणि भस्मसात् कुरुते "
-Knowledge destroys the bondage of action (4.37)
" पाप कृत्तमः ज्ञान प्लवेनैव’" .. मोक्षं आप्नोति;
-Even a sinner using Knowledge can overcome the sins committed (4.36).
" नहि ज्ञानेन सदृशम् पवित्र मिह विद्यते
- There is nothing which is equal to knowledge (4.38)
"ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शांतिम्"...
Acquiring Jnyana we will attain the peace (4.39)

Finally in the last sloka Krishna says with the sword of Knowledge destroy the ignorance depicted by "संशय

Almost all the points have appeared in our chapter commentary.

But there is one sloka which we have not elaborated :
"चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्ठम् गुण कर्म विभागयोः"
"These four Castes have been divided by me based on their Gunas and Karma"
This will be talked about in the next issue !.

|| Om tat sat ||

|| Om tat sat ||

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