The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4: 

                               The Path of Renunciation of Actions – Leading to Knowledge                                                                      

Shri Krishna said, “I have told this Karma Yoga to Vivasvata.  This Karma Yoga is applicable at all times.  Vivasvata then told this Yoga to Manu.  Manu told this Yoga to Ikshvaku. Thus, handed down one to the other, this Yoga has been known to the royal sages. But, through a long lapse of time, this Yoga has been lost in the world. (1-2)

Since you are My devotee and friend, I have told you today the same Karma Yoga which is ancient and supremely profound. (3)

Arjuna asked, “Vivasvata was born many years ago and you are born just a few years ago. How can I understand that You have told this Yoga to Vivasvata in the past?” (4)

Shri Krishna said, “O Parantapa (Arjuna – the scorcher of the foes): “You and I have been born many times in the past. You do not know your previous births, but I know of them all. (5)

Though I am birth-less, Imperishable and the Lord of all beings, by My Own Power (Maya), I incarnate on the earth as a human being taking the support of My Prakriti. (6)

Whenever righteousness declines and unrighteousness prevails on earth, then I incarnate Myself as a human being. (7)

In every age, to protect the righteous people, to destroy the unrighteous people, and to establish Dharma (the righteous path), I (Ishvara, the Lord of the Universe) take birth as a human being. (8)

One who knows in true spirit My divine life and actions becomes free from the bondage of birth and death and attains Me after leaving his/her body. (9)

Many people, who are devoid of passion, fear, and anger, love Me intensely, are completely dependent on Me, and, being purified with the knowledge of the Ultimate Reality, have attained My State. (10)

O Arjuna! In whatever form devotee worships Me, I appear to the devotee in that form. All people through their various ways of worship come to Me only. (11)

People seeking worldly benefits worship various gods because they easily get those benefits by performing rituals for them. (12)

I have created four categories of people according to the dominance of gunas in them and their ability to perform actions. Even though I (as Ishvara or the Lord of the Universe) am the creator of these divisions of labor, I, as an Imperishable Brahman, am not the doer of anything. (13)

(Note: In general, people have natural tendencies or gifts to live their life accordingly and based on these tendencies and gifts they have various ways to offer service to society. Some people have natural tendencies to acquire knowledge and teach others, some are good at taking care of the health of people, some are good in doing business, and some have physical and mental tendencies to join army or police force or fire department, while some are good in doing work laid out by others. For a society to run smoothly, all kinds of people are needed and all are equally important in the society. According to the Bhagavad Gita, these tendencies are determined by the three gunas, namely sattva, rajas and tamas.

Brahman has been described as Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute, the ground of all existence, basis of all awareness, and the source of all bliss. Brahman is also considered Pure Consciousness. Brahman by itself is inactive. Brahman and Its Divine Power Maya combined are called Saguna Brahman or Ishvara or God, the Lord of the Universe who creates, sustains and dissolves the universe.)

Action does not defile Me (as Brahman), nor do I long for its fruit. One who knows Me thus does not get bound by his/her action. (14)

(Note: One who realizes one’s true identity as Atman or Brahman feels oneself as a witness consciousness and not as a body and mind. Laws of actions apply to only body and mind which are nothing but matter.)

By knowing this, the seekers of the Ultimate Reality have performed their actions in the past. Therefore, you should also perform your actions like them. (15)

Even the wise people have been confused about ‘what is action’ and ‘what is inaction (action-less-ness)’. Therefore, I am going to tell you the ‘essence of the action’ (Karma Yoga) by knowing which you will be free from the unpleasant consequences of the actions. (16)

The philosophy of Karma Yoga is very deep. You have to know which actions to perform and how to perform them. Then, you have to know the forbidden actions and the state of action-less-ness. (17)

The Highest State of a Karma Yogi:

(Note: A person in a state of action-less-ness has a steady intellect as described in the Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 (shlokas 55- 72). We call such a person as ‘action-less-ness person’. The mind of an action-less-ness person is serene. Such a person is fully aware of one’s divine identity (Atman). An action-less-ness person remains calm and serene in the midst of all activities. The calmness and serenity of such a person creates an illusion that the person is not doing anything. In the following shlokas Shri Krishna describes the characteristics of a person who has been established in the state of action-less-ness. This person has attained the highest state of Karma Yoga.)

Among all human beings, that person is wise who remains calm and serene (the state of action-less-ness) in the midst of activities and who is active in the state of action-less-ness. Such a person is a real Karma Yogi and he/she is performing all the actions properly. (18)

According to the wise people, a sage is a person whose all actions are free from selfish desires and self-will and the results of all his/her actions have been burnt by the fire of Knowledge of Brahman. (19)

(Note: Such a person performs his/her responsibilities as an offering to Brahman. This means that one performs one’s own responsibilities only for spiritual development which leads to the realization of the Ultimate Reality (also means attaining the Knowledge of Brahman). In this case, we say that the person has renounced the results of his/her actions.)

A person, who has renounced the results of his/her actions, who is not dependent on any person or a worldly object, and who is ever content, remains in the state of action-less-ness even when he/she is performing actions. (20)

A person, who has gained total control over one’s senses and mind, lives with the bare necessities of life, gets rid of unnecessary possessions, and has no false hopes in life, that person even though works through his/her body and mind does not incurs sins (does not get bounded by the unpleasant consequences of his/her actions). (21)

(Note: Such a person is fully aware that his/her true identity is Atman which is witness consciousness and it does not get affected by the actions of the body and mind. Such a person never does an unrighteous thing.)

One who is happy with whatever one gains through honest effort, never becomes jealous of anyone, has gone beyond the pairs of opposites such as joy and sorrow, honor and insults and others, remains calm in success and failures and continues performing one’s responsibilities; such a person never becomes bound by the results of his/her actions. (22)

A person, whose attachment to the worldly objects is gone, who is free from the ideas of ‘Me and Mine’, whose mind is constantly focused on his/her true identity (Atman), who performs one’s responsibilities as an offering to Brahman, the results of that person’s actions melt away without creating any positive or negative effect on his/her mind. (23)

(Note: The following shloka describes the state of mind of one who performs one’s responsibilities as an offering to Brahman like a Yajna.)

Brahman is the ingredients of the offering and Brahman is the offering. Brahman is the person who offers into the fire of Brahman. Thus, one who sees that Brahman alone is in action attains Brahman. (24)

Some yogis offer their oblations to Devas (gods), while others offer their own little self into the fire of Brahman (meaning they get rid of their false identification with the body and mind). (25)

Some yogis offer their senses like eyes, ears and others into the fire of self-discipline (meaning they control their senses), while other yogis offer their sound and other sense-objects into the fire of their senses (meaning they hear only what is good etc.). (26)

Some yogis offer all the activities of their senses and their vital forces into the fire of self-control, kindled by knowledge. (27)

(Note: The above shloka means that these yogis perform their activities with a sense of discrimination in order to acquire the knowledge of Atman or Brahman).

Some perform yajna (offering) of wealth (to give money for charity). Some perform yajna of austerity (to perform austerities to attain knowledge or to acquire some powers). Some perform yajna of Yoga (to achieve control over their senses and mind and focus their minds on Atman). Some yogis, having a disciplined mind and practicing severe vows, perform yajna of study (to study scriptures to obtain knowledge). (28)

Some offer their prana into apana, some offer apana into prana and some restraining their diet stop prana and apana and offer prana into prana (here various kinds of breathing practices have been mentioned through which people try to control their mind). These are various yajnas by which yogis destroy their sins (impurities). (29-30)

O Kurusattama (Arjuna)! Yogis, who enjoy the results of their actions after offering them to Brahman, attain Brahman. But, those who do not offer their actions to Brahman and perform their actions for selfish motives do not get happiness in this world and definitely not in the other world after they die. (31)

(Note: The actions offered to Brahman are for spiritual growth and to realize the Ultimate Reality, Brahman. As the nature of Brahman is Sat-Chit-Ananda, yogis who attain Brahman experience infinite bliss. While, unoffered actions (selfish actions) may bring some happiness, but, such happiness is short-lived and it always follows by unhappiness.)

Thus, there are various kinds of yajnas which have been described in the Vedas. Know that these yajnas are born of action. If you perform your actions as yajnas, then you will be free from the bondage of your actions. (32)

The ‘Yajna of Knowledge’ is superior to the ‘Yajna performed with Material Ingredients’. All actions culminate in the Knowledge of Brahman. (33)

(Note: Ritualistic worship or a yajna performed with ingredients without motive to attain the highest knowledge is not of much importance. The action offered to Brahman with the motive of obtaining Self-Knowledge is the best yajna. Only Knowledge of Brahman can destroy all bondage of our actions. Shri Krishna encourages Arjuna to acquire the Knowledge of Brahman.)

How to acquire Knowledge of Brahman?

Respectfully approach the wise people who have acquired the Knowledge of Brahman, offer them your salutations, serve them, and ask proper questions with humility and sincerity. Then, they will guide you to the path of Knowledge of Brahman. (34)

What happens after acquiring the Knowledge of Brahman?

Once you realize Brahman, you will not get deluded in this world. Through this knowledge, you will see all beings in your Self and then in Me (Brahman). (35)

The glories of Self-Knowledge (Knowledge of Brahman):

(Note: Arjuna has told Shri Krishna that he would incur sin by fighting this war. Shri Krishna tells Arjuna that if he performs his responsibility as a soldier to protect the righteous people as an offering to Brahman, then with the Knowledge of Brahman his sins will be destroyed.)

Even if you are the foremost sinner, with the boat of Knowledge of Brahman, you will cross the ocean of sins. (36)

(Note: Since Arjuna had no motive to kill people and was forced to fight, Shri Krishna says that by performing his responsibility in the proper spirit and with the Knowledge of Brahman, his conscience will be clear after the war.)

O Arjuna! As a blazing fire burns all wood to ashes, the Knowledge of Brahman destroys all the consequences of the actions. (37)

On this earth, there is no purifier like the Knowledge of Brahman. In the course of time, a person who has become perfect through the practices of Karma Yoga attains this Knowledge of Brahman within oneself. (38)

Who attains this knowledge?

A person who is full of faith and zeal and has control over one’s senses and mind attains this Knowledge of Brahman. Having attained this knowledge, he/she soon experiences supreme peace within. (39)

Destroy the doubts:

People who are ignorant, devoid of faith, and enjoy living in doubts bring destruction to themselves. A person who doubts everything will not experience happiness and to him/her neither this world nor another world will be good. (40)

(Note: The following shloka gives the essence of Karma Yoga.)

O Dhanajaya (Arjuna)! One, who has offered all his/her actions to Brahman, has destroyed one’s doubts by the Knowledge of Brahman, and has obtained total self-control will not get bound by his/her actions. (41)

Therefore, with the sword of Knowledge of Brahman, destroy the doubt that has been created by the ignorance in your heart, establish yourself in Karma Yoga and arise to perform your responsibility. (42)

Thus, in the Bhagavad Gita— the essence of the Upanishads, the science of Brahman, the scripture of Yoga, and the dialogue between Shri Krishna and Arjuna— ends the Fourth Chapter, entitled “The Path of Renunciation of Actions – Leading to Knowledge”.

Om Tat Sat.

(Thanks to Sonali Tatapudy and Rushil Desai for editing this post.)