|| Om tat sat ||

ಭಗವದ್ಗೀತ
ಚತುರ್ಧಾಧ್ಯಾಯಃ
ಜ್ಞಾನ ಯೋಗ
(To get sanskrit text in Devanagari 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 chaper interms 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 does 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 ಭಗವಾನುವಾಚ we hear about the beginings of - ನಿಷ್ಕಾಮಕರ್ಮ
- 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 infront of him ? Then Krishna elaborates on his incarnations -the when and the why " ಯದಾ ಯದಾ ಹಿ ಧರ್ಮ ಸ್ಯ ಗ್ಲಾನಿರ್ಭವತಿ ಭಾರತ - ಪರಿತ್ರಾಣಾಯ ಸಾಧೂನಾಂ ವಿನಶಾಯ ಚ ದುಷ್ಕೃತಾಂ -
are talked about. All of that is a revealation !.

Slokas 9-18

- Krishna talks about Nishkama karma , Karma, akarma , vkarma. Krishna also elaborates on how the Lord rewards to the devotees ! "ಯೇ ಯಥಾ ಮಾಂ ಪ್ರಪದ್ಯಂತೇ ತಾಂ ಸ್ತಥೈವ ಭಜಾಮ್ಯಹಮ್ " in short the reward is in line with the prayer !

Slokas 19- 23

- Who is a Pandit ? how does a Gnyani act ? All about the benifits 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 ( ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾರ್ಪಣಂ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ಹವಿಃ .. ) Krishna details twelve types of sacrifice . - ದ್ರವ್ಯಯಜ್ಞ ತಪೋಯಜ್ಞ ಜ್ಞಾನಯಜ್ಞ ತಥಾ ಅಪರೇ..
etc . These twelve types of of Yagnyas are as follows. 1 Daiva Yajñamu (4.25) ;2 Brahma Yajñamu (4.25) ;3 Indriyasaṁyama Yajñamu (4.26) ;4 Sabdādi viṣaya nirōdha 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 Jñyana Yajñamu: (4.28); 11 Prāṇāyāma Yajñamu (4.29) ;12 Ahāraniyama Yajñamu (4.30)

Slokas 33-34
- The superiority of Jnyana Yagnya ; how to obtain Jnyana . " ತತ್ ವಿದ್ಧಿ" - know that - "ಪ್ರಣಿಪಾತೇನ’ by prostraing "परिप्रश्नेन" by questioning "ಸೇವಯಾ' 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 .
"ಜ್ಞಾನಾಗ್ನಿ ಸರ್ವ ಕರ್ಮಾಣಿ ಭಸ್ಮಸಾತ್ ಕುರುತೇ "
-Knowledge detroys the bondages of action (4.37)
" ಪಾಪ ಕೃತ್ತಮಃ ಜ್ಞಾನ ಪ್ಲವೇನೈವ’" .. ಮೋಕ್ಷಂ ಆಪ್ನೋತಿ;
-Even a sinner using Knowledge can overcome the sins committed (4.36).
" ನಹಿ ಜ್ಞಾನೇನ ಸದೃಶಮ್ ಪವಿತ್ರ ಮಿಹ ವಿದ್ಯತೇ

- There is nothing which is equal to knowledge (4.38)
"ಜ್ಞಾನಂ ಲಬ್ಧ್ವಾ ಪರಾಂ ಶಾಂತಿಮ್"...
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 onle slokఅ which we have not elaborated :
"ಚಾತುರ್ವರ್ಣ್ಯಂ ಮಯಾ ಸೃಷ್ಠಮ್ ಗುಣ ಕರ್ಮ ವಿಭಾಗಯೋಃ"
"These four Castes have been divided by me based on their Gunas and Karma"
This will be talked about in the next issue !.

||ಓಮ್ ತತ್ ಸತ್ ||

|| Om tat sat ||

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