* With a view to please the Lord, Narayarca <Yaj«a — Sacrifice, VisWu).-(A).
The man who has realized Brahman sees that the instru- ment by which the oblation is poured in the fire is nothing bat Brahman: that it has no existence apart from that of the Self, just as silver has no existence apart from that of the mother-of- pearl (mistaken for silver). What Cm the illustration,) appears as silver is nothing but the mother-of-pearl. What people look upon as the instrument of offering is, to one who has realized Brahman, nothing but Brahman. Brahman is the oblation.- i.e. what is regarded as oblation is to him nothing but Brahman; and it is by Brahman that the offering is made, t e., the agent is none other than Brahman. The act of offering is nothing but Brahman j and the result, the goal to be reached by him who always sees Brahman in action is nothing but Brahman.
Thus, the action performed by him who wishes to set an example to the world is in reality no action, as it has been destroyed by the realization of Brahman in action. This representation as a sacrifice (Yaj/ta) of the right knowledge possessed by him who has given up all rites and has renounced all action is quite in its place, as serving to extol that right knowledge. For him who has realised the supereme Reality, the instrument of offering and other accessories connected with the actual sacrifice are nothing but Brahman, who is one with his own Self. Else, it would be to no purpose to speak specifically of the instrument and other accessories of a sacrificial rite as Brahman, when everything is Brahman, Wherefore, to one who realises that all is Brahman, there is no action. Moreover, all idea of the accessories of action is absent; and indeed, no act of sacrifice is ever possible in the absence of such an idea. Every sacrificial rite, such as agnihotra, is associated with an idea (derived from the revealed texts) of the accessories of action, such as a particular God or Gods to whom the oblation should be offered, and with egoism on the part of the agent and his attachment for the 142 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DlS. IV.
results- No sacrificial rite is ever found unassociated with the idea of the accessories of action and results, unaccompa- nied with the egoism and a longing for the results. But this (wisdom-sacrifice) is an action wherein all idea of the instru- ment and other various accessories of action, all idea of action itself and of its results, has been replaced by the one idea of Brahman. Whence it is no action at all. This is shewn in iv 18. 20; iii. 28; v. 8 Thus teaching, our Lord here and there tries also to remove all idea of duality, i e., of action, its result and its accessories* It is admitted m the case of the Kamya-Agnihotra— the sacrifice of Agnihotra performed for some selfish purpose— that it ceases to be a K&mya-Agni- hotra in the absence of that purpose. So also we are given to know that actions produce different results according as they are performed deliberately or otherwise. Accordingly, here too, in the case of the wise man in whom the idea of Brahman has replaced all idea of duality— such as, the instrument and other accessories of the act of offering, the act itself and its results—his action, though appearing as such externally, ceases to be action. Whence it is said *' the whole action melts away'*- (iv. 23).
In interpreting this passage, some say:— -What we call Brahman is the instrument of action and so on- And in fact it is Brahman that manifests Himself in the five forms — • such as action and its accessories,— -and does the action. In this case, the idea of the instrument and other accessories of action does not cease to exist. On the other hand, it is taught that the idea of Brahman should be fixed upon action and its accessories in the same way that the idea of Vishwu is fixed upon an idol or the idea of Brahman is fixed upon * name ' {Vide Chh. Upanishad, 7-1-5).
Indeed, even this view would be possible if this particu- lar section of the discourse were not here concerned with the 24] JNANA YOGA. 143 24] JNANA YOGA. 143 praise of the Wisdom-sacrifice (jnltna-yajna). On the other band, our Lord will here speak of the several acts of worship termed yajnas (sacrifice) and then praise wisdom, the right knowledge, in these terms s *' Superior is the wisdom-sacrifice to the sacrifice with objects." (iv. 33). And it has been shewn that the verse is intended to represent wisdom as a sacrifice (vide p. 126,). But, with those who maintain that the idea of Brahman should be fixed upon the sacrificial rite and all its accessories, just as the idea of Vishwu is fixed upon an idol or the idea of Brahman on ' name * — the Brahma-vidya (knowledge of Brahman), which has been hitherto spoken of cannot be the aim of the teaching here; for, this verse would be mainly concerned, according to their interpretation, with the instrument, etc., connected with a sacrificial rite. Moreover, moksha cannot be obtained by that knowledge which consists in fixing the idea of Brahman on a symbol (such as a sacrificial rite). It has been here said that Brahman is the goal to be reached. It is indeed opposed to truth to maintain that moksha can be obtained without knowledge.
Such interpretation is also opposed to the context. Right knowledge is the subject of which this Discourse treats (vide iv. 18), and the concluding portion of the Discourse treats of the same subject as shewn by the closing verses. The Discourse indeed concludes by extolling right knowledge (iv. 33, 39). Accordingly it is not right to maintain that, all on a sudden, and without reference to the present topic, it is here taught that the idea of Brahman should be fixed on an idol.
Wherefore this verse should be interpreted as has been done by us.
Sacrifices Effected By Action.
After representing the right knowledge as a sacrifice, the Lord proceeds to enumerate other kinds of sacrifice, with a view to extol right knowledge: 144 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DlS. IV, 25. Other yogins resort to sacrifices to Gods; in the fire of Brahman others offer the Self by the Self.
Some yogins, devotees to action* perform only sacrificial rites in devotion to the Gods, while others who know Brahman, the Absolute, sacrifice the Self by the Self in the fire of Brahman. The oblation (ahuti) in his latter sacrifice is yajna, the Self, — for ' yajna,* is enumerated among the terms synonymous with ' atman ' — who is in reality one with Brahman, but who is conditioned by the upadhis (such as buddhi) with all their attributes superimposed upon Him. This oblation of the Self is poured by the Self into Brahman, — here termed fire, the place into which that oblation is poured. — as described in the following texts: " Brahman is the Rea', Consciousness, the Infinite."
<Tait. Up 2-1).
" Brahman who is Consciousness and Bliss." (Bri.
Up. 5-9-28).
'* Brahman who is immediately cognised by all, and who is the innermost Self of all " (Bn. Up. 3-2-1) Brahman is devoid of all characteristics of mundane existence (samsara) such as hunger and thirst, inconceivable in any particular form of aspect, as taught by the Scripture in the terms " It is not thus, it is not thus." (Bri. Up. 4*4-27).
To know the conditioned Self as identical with the un- conditioned Brahman is to sacrifice the Self in Brahman. This is the sacrifice which is performed by those who, having renounced all action, areever steady in their knowledge of the identity of the Self with Brahman.
25-28] JNANA YOGA. 145 This Wisdom-Sacrifice (described in iv. 24) is here enumerated along with the Gods-Sacrifice (Daiva-yajna) and others, with a view to extol it (iv. 33).
26. Others offer hearing and other senses in the fires of restraint; others offer sound and other objects in the fires of the senses.
Some yogins offer hearing and other senses in the fires of restraint (samyama); — the plural ' fires * is used because the restraint differs with each sense; — they are ever engrossed in restraining their senses; while others sacrifice the objects of senses in the fires of the several senses, i.e; they regard it as a sacrifice to direct their senses only to the unforbidden objects of senses.
27. And others sacrifice all the functions of the senses and the functions of the vitality in the wisdom- kindled fire of the Yoga of Self-restraint.
Wisdom-kindled: kindled by discriminative wisdom, as a lamp is kindled by oil. The functions of prawa, the vital air in the individual's body, are expansion, contraction, etc. The functions of the senses and of the vital air are com- pletely dissolved while 'the yogin concentrates the mind on the Self.
146 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. IV.
28. Others are sacrificers by their wealth, sacrificers by austerity, sacrificers by Yogas, sacri- ficers by reading and knowledge, ascetics of rigid vows.
Of others, some sacrifice by way of giving away their wealth to the deserving; some by austerity; some by Yoga, comprising such parctices as Pra^&y&ma (restraint of vital airs) and Praty§Mra (withdrawal of the mind from. external objects); some by way of repeating Vedic texts such as the Rig-Veda according to prescribed rules; some by way of studying the contents of the Scriptures (s&stra,).
29. Others offer pr&wa (outgoing breath) in apana (incoming breath), and apa-na in pra^a, restraining the passages of pr&wa and apana, absorbed in pr&n&y&ma (restraint of breath).
Some practise the kind of praw&yama called Puraka (filling in); some practise the kind of Pr&n&yama called Rechaka (emptying); some are engaged in the practise of Pr&nayfbma called Kumbhaka by impeding the outward passage of the air through nostrils and the mouth, and by impeding the inward passage of the air in the opposite direction.
Moreover.
30. Others, with regulated food, offer life- breaths in life-breaths. All these are knowers of sacrifice, whose sins are destroyed by sacrifice.
28—32] JNANA YOGA. 147 Megulated: limited. Whatever life-breath has been controlled, into it they sacrifice all other life-breaths; these latter become, as it were, merged in the former.
34. Eating of ambrosia, the remnant of the sacrifice, they go to Eternal Brahman. This world is not for the non-sacrificer; whence the other? — O best of Kurus.
Performing the sacrifices mentioned above, they eat, at intervals, of prescribed food in a prescribed manner. Food so eaten is called ambrosia, amnta (immortal). If they wish for moksha, they go to Brahman in course of time, not at once, as we should understand for consistency's sake. Even this world, which is common to all beings, is not for one who performs none of the sacrifices mentioned above. How can there be to him another world which can be secured only by superior means?
32. Thus manifold sacrifices are spread at the mouth of Brahman. Know them all as born of action. Thus knowing, thou shalt be liberated. Thus various sacrifices, such as those -mentioned above, are spread at the mouth of Brahman, Le, are known from the Vedas through such passages as the following: *' We sacrifice prana in speech- " Know that they are all born of the not- Self,— -of action in deed, speech and thought,— for the Self is actionless. If you realise that " these are not my actions, I am actionless, I am unconcerned," you will be released, by this right knowledge, from evil, from the bond of samsara.
148 THE BHAGAVAB GITA. [DlS# IV.
Wisdom-sacrifice is superior to other sacrifices.
Right knowledge was represented as a sacrifice in iv. 24* Then several sacrifices have been taught. Knowledge is now extolled as compared with these latter kinds of sacrifices which are all means of attaining the several objects of human, pursuit.
33. Superior is wisdom-sacrifice to the sacri- fice with objects, O harasser of thy foes. AH action, without exception, O son of Pntbd, is comprehended in wisdom.
The sacrifice performed with material objects produces material effects, whereas wisdom-sacrifice does not. Where- fore wisdom-sacrifice is superior to the sacrifice performed with material objects. For, wisdom, which is the means to- moksha, comprehends all action. So says the sruti: " Just as (in the game of four dice) the three dice are comprehended in the fourth termed krita, so whatever good people do, all that reaches him. Any other man who knows that which he knew (obtains the same result) — (Chha. Up. 4-1-4).
How and where one should seek wisdom. By what means is this grand wisdom to be obtained?
34. Know this: by long prostration, by enquiry, by service, those men of wisdom who have realised the truth will teach thee wisdom.
32—36] JNANA YOGA. 149 Know thou by what process it is obtained. Go to the teachers (Acharyas) and humbly prostrate thyself before them. Ask them what is the cause of bondage (bandha) and what the means of deliverance; what is wisdom (vidya) and what nescience (avidya). Do service to the Guru. Won over by these and other marks of respect, the teachers who, knowing the truth as well as realising it themselves, will impart to thee their wisdom,— 'that wisdom which has been described above* Some only, but not all, know as well as realise the truth.— By this the Lord means to say that that knowledge alone which is imparted by those who have realised the truth — and no other knowledge — can prove effective.
Then alone the following statement will hold good: 35. Knowing which, thou shait not again thus fall into error, O Pa/z^ava; and by which, thou wilt see all beings in thy Self and also in Me. Having obtained the wisdom imparted by them, you will not be again subject to confusion as you now are* By this wisdom you will also 'immediately perceive all beings, from Brahma (the Creator) down to grass, in your own Self. You will then realise that " these beings exist in Me" You will also see them all in Me, Vasudeva, thus: " And these beings exist in the Supreme Lord j" *>., you will realise that unity of the individual Soul (Kshetrajwa) and the Isvara which is so clearly taught in all the Upanishads.
Wisdom, a consumer of all sins and actions. Moreover, see how excellent knowledge is: «cfqf ^qm vikwt mw: itowj \ 150 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. IV, 36. Even sbouldst thou be the most sinful of all the sinful, thou shalt verily cross all sin by the bark of wisdom.
With the boat of this knowledge, verily, you can cross the ocean of sin. For one who seeks liberation, even dharma proves to be a sin.
How does wisdom destroy sin? — Here is an example: 3?. As kindled fire reduces fuel to ashes, 0 Arjuna, so does wisdom-fire reduce all actions to ashes.
Just as a well-kindled fire reduces fuel to ashes, so does the fire of the wisdom reduce all actions to ashes, i.e., it renders them important. The fire of wisdom cannot indeed literally, reduce actions to ashes as fire reduces fuel to ashes. Accordingly we should understand that right knowledge is the cause which renders all actions impotent- But the actions by which this body has been brought into existence will come to an end only when their effects will have been fully worked out; for, those actions have already commenced their effects. Thus wisdom can destroy only such actions as have not yet begun to produce their effects, whether they are actions done in this birth before the rise of knowledge and along with knowledge, or those done in the many previous births.
Wherefore, 36—39] JNANA YOGA, l5l 38. Verily, there exists here no purifier equal to wisdom. He who is perfected by Yoga finds it in time in himself by himself.
The seeker of moksha who has perfected and regenerated himself by Yoga — by Karma- Yoga and by Samadhi-Yoga — • will after a long practice, himself find spiritual wisdom in himself- The surest means to wisdom.
The surest means of acquiring wisdom is taught as follows: ith sssscnr to ^TFOTft^Tmn^T% 11 3S ti 39, He obtains wisdom who is full of faith, who is devoted to it, and who has subdued the senses. Having obtained wisdom, he ere long attains to the Supreme Peace.
A man full of faith obtains wisdom. But he may be slow; whence it is enjoined that he should ever be intently devoted to the means of obtaining wisdom, such as constant attendance- on the Teachers (Gurus)*. A man of faith and devotion may not have mastery over the senses; whence it is also enjoined that he should withdraw his senses away from their engrossment in objects. Such a man of faith, devotion and self-control is sure to obtain wisdom- Mere external acts (iv. 35), such as long prostration before the Guru, may fail to produce the required effect, since they may be tinged with hypocrisy. But hypocrisy is impossible when a man is full of faith and so on. Whence these are the certain means of acquiring wisdom. — What is the result of this acquisition of wisdom? — The answer follows i Having obtained wisdom, he swiftly attains the Supreme Peace, called Moksha- That * And listening to their teachings, etc, 152 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. IV.
the right knowledge quickly leads to moksha is an established truth clearly taught by all sastras as well as reason. Wisdom the killer of doubt. Thou shalt nbt doubt this, for doubt is most sinful. — How P-t Listen: 40. The ignorant, the faithless, and one of doubting self, is ruined. There is neither this world, nor the other, nor happiness, for one of doubting self.
. The man who knows not the Self is ruined, as also the man who has no faith in the teachings and the words of his Guru, and the man whose mind is full of doubts. No doubt the ignorant and the faithless are ruined, but not to the same extent as a man of doubting mind. He is the most sinful of all — How P— Even this world which is common to all men is not won by a sceptic, nor the other world* nor happiness: for even these things come within the sweep of his doubt. Wherefore thou shalt not doubt Wherefore?— fror, 4!, Him who has renounced actions by Yoga, whose doubts have been cloven asunder by wisdom, who is self-possessed, actions bind nott O Dhanamjaya.
He who sees the Supreme Being renounces all actions — dharma and a-dharma— by virtue of Yoga or knowledge of the Supreme Being. He attains this stage when his doubt 39—42] JNANA YOGA. 153 has been cloven asunder by the realisation of the oneness of the Self with the Isvara. As he traces all actions to the interactions of the energies (guwas), actions do not bind him; they do not produce any effects (good or bad) in the case of him who, in virtue of his Yoga, has renounced all actions and is ever watchful over bis self.
Since that man who, in virtue of the practice of karma - yoga5 has all his doubts cut asunder by knowledge which arises as a result of all impurity having been washed away, is not bound by actions because they have been consumed in the fire of wisdom, and since that man is ruined who entertains doubts as to the practice of karma and knowledge.
42. Therefore with the sword of wisdom cleave asunder this doubt of the Self lying in the heart and born of ignorance, and resort to Yogat Arise, O Bharata.
Doubt is most sinful. It is born of ignorance and lies in the buddhi. Kill it by wisdom, by right knowledge of the Self.
[The word " atmana/j ** means * of the Self/ * concerning the Self,' but not * cherished by thyself.' Arjuna's doubt here is about the Self. If Arjuna could ever think that one man's doubt is ever to be cut by another, then the Lord might say kill thy doubt ' as opposed to another s doubt. Even if Arjuna has been asked to kill the doubt concerning the Self, it implies also that the doubt is one cherished by Arjuna.]
Knowledge is destructive of all evil, such as grief, folly, and the like. Having thus slain doubt, the cause of thy ruin, apply thyself to Karma- Yoga, the means of acquiring right knowledge. Now arise and fight, O descendant of Bharata* FIFTH DISCOURSE.
SAMNYASA-YOQA Which is better for the ignorant, Karma-Yoga or Samnyasa?
In iv. 18, 19, 21, 22, 24, 32, 33, 37 and 41, the Lord has spoken of the renunciation of all actions; and in iv* 42 He has exhorted Arjuna to engage in Yoga, in performance of action. Owing to the mutual opposition between performance of action and renunciation thereof as between motion and rest, the two cannot be accomplished by an individual at one and the same time. Neither have two distinct periods of time been prescribed for their respective observance. By inference, therefore, only one of them forms Arjuna's duty; so that thinking that, of the two, — performance of action and renunci- ation thereof, — he should resort to the better of the two to the exclusion of the other, Arjuna asks (v- 1) of the Lord with a desire to know which is the better of the two.
(Objection): — As going to speak of entire devotion to Jnanayoga on the part of him who has realised the Self, the Lord has taught, in the passages quoted above, that such a man has to renounce action, but not he who has not realised the Self. Since performance of action and renunciation of action thus pertain to two distinct classes of people respect- ively, Arjuna's question with a view to know which of the two is better than the other is irrelevant- (Answer): — Yes; from your standpoint the question is irrelevant. But from the questioner's (Arjuna's) own stand, point, the question, we say, is quite relevant — How? — In the passages quoted above, the Lord enjoins renunciation as a Introduction."] SAMNYASA YOGA. 155 duty (in the form "Let the wise man renounce"); and it cannot be enjoined as a duty unless it (the term ' renounce *) is more important than the agent (z.e., the term ' wise'); so that this injunction of renunciation should be extended so as to apply to that man also who has not realised the Self, because renunci- ation is elsewhere enjoined on him also * It cannot be made out that renunciation of action is here intended for that man only who has realised the Self.t Thus arguing, Arjuna thinks that an ignorant man may either perform action or renounce it But, owing to the mutual opposition of the two courses as shown above, only one of them can form the duty (of an individual at a time). And inasmuch as it is the better one of the two that should be followed, but not the other, the question with a view to know which of the two is the better is not irrelevant.
Tbe question is not with reference to the enlightened.
That this is the meaning of Arjuna's question is also evident from an examination of the meaning of the words in reply. — How? — The reply runs as follows: " Samnyasa and Karma-Yoga both lead to the highest bliss; but Karma- Yoga is the better of the two " (v. 2). We should now ascertain: Is it in reference 'to the Karma-Yoga and the Karma-Sawnyasa resorted to by a man who has realised the Self that it is said that they lead to the highest bliss as their result, and that the Karma-Yoga is for some reason the better of the two? Or is it in reference to those resorted to by a man who has not realised the Self that the statement is * When he is full of vairagya or indifference to all worldly concern8 -(A).
f The Mimamsakas hold that a single proposition can embody hut a single injunction. Accordingly, if the proposition " The wise should.
renounce *' be meant to enjoin renunciation, it cannot at the same time enjoin that renunciation should be resorted to by tbe wise alone. Else it would involve the fallacy of a double injunction in a single proposition.
156 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. V.
made? — What then?# — Listen: As a man who has realised the Self resorts to neither Karma- Yoga nor Samnyasa, it is not right to speak of them as alike leading to the highest bliss or of the superiority of his Karma-Yoga over his Karma- Samnyasa. If for a man who has realised the Self, Karma- saw-ayasa and its opposite — Karma-Yoga (performance of action) — were possible, then it would have been right to speak of them as alike leading to the highest bliss or to speak of the superiority of his Karma- Yoga over his Karma" Samnyasa, Inasmuch as, however, neither Karma-Samnyasa nor Karma- Yoga is possible for a man who has realised the Self, it is not right to speak of them as alike leading to the highest bliss, or to say that Karma- Yoga is better than Karma-Sawn yasa. Karma-Yoga and Samnyasa inapplicable to the enlightened.
(Question): — Are both Karma- Yoga and Karma^Saw*- nyasa impossible, or is only one of them impossible, for a man who has realised the Self? If only one of them, is it Karma- Yoga or Karma-Samnyasa? What is the reason for the impossibility?
(Answer): — Since the man who has realised the Self is free from illusory knowledge, Karma- Yoga which is based upon illusion must be impossible for him. Here, in the Gita* sastra, in the sections treating of the real nature of the Self, i* is said that a man who knows the Self, who knows himself to be the Self that is devoid of all changes of birth, etc, and is actionless, and -whose illusory knowledge has been replaced by right knowledge, — that such a man has to renounce all actions, ever dwelling in the true actionless Self; and it is further said that, owing to the opposition between right * How is the former supposition liable to objection? or how is the latter reasonable? — (Anandagiri) [Here the two suppositions are repeat- ed ia the Bhashya, but they have been omitted in the translation].
Jrfiro&'uMwn.] SAMNYASA YOGA. 157 knowledge and illusory knowledge as well as between their effects, he has nothing to do with Karma- Yoga, the reverse of Karma-Sawmyasa, presupposing an active Self and based on the idea of agency caused by illusory knowledge. Wherefore it is but right to say that, for him who has realised the Self and who is free from illusory knowledge, Karma- Yoga which is based upon the illusory knowledge is impossible.
{Question): — What then, are the sections treating of the real nature of the Self in which the man who knows the Self is said to have no action to do?
{Answer); — In ii. 17, in ii. 19 and ii. 21, and in other places here and there, the man who has realised the Self is said to have no action to do.
{Objection): — Karma- Yoga is also taught here and there in the sections treating of the real nature of the Self, «.#., in ii. 18, 31, 47, etc. How, then, can Karma- Yoga be said to be impossible for a man who has realised the Self?
{Answer): — It is so, because there is an opposition between right knowledge and illusory knowledge as well as between their effects. In iii. 3 it is said that the Sankhyas who have realised the true nature of the Self apply themselves to devotion in the path of wisdom— ever dwelling in the actionless Self — as distinguished from devotion in the path of action which is intended for those who have not realised the Self. The man who has realised the Self has no longer any object to gain, since he has achieved all. In Hi. 17 it is said that he has no more duties to perform. In such passages as iii. 4 and v. 6 Karma-Yoga is enjoined as an accessory to the acquisition of the knowledge of the Self, while in vi. 3 it is said that the man who has obtained right knowledge has no longer anything to do with Karma- Yoga. Further, in iv. 21 all action is denied to him except that which is required for bodily maintenance; and even with reference to such acts of 158 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. V« hearing and seeing as may be required for mere bodily main, tenance, the man who knows the true nature of the Self is directed in v. 8 always to meditate with a concentrated mind on the idea that ' it is not I that do it.' It is not possible to imagine even in a dream that the man who knows the Self can have anything to do with Karma-Yoga, so opposed to right knowledge and entirely based upon illusory knowledge. Wherefore it is the Samnyasa and the Karma- Yoga of the man who has not realised the Self that are spoken of (in this connection) as leading alike to moksha. This Sawnyasa, which consists in renouncing a few actions only while yet there is an idea of agency,* is different from the.one already spoken of, from the renunciation of all actions, — which is resorted to by the man who has realised the Self. The former becomes very difficult of performance as it is further associated with 'yama' and cni-yama' and the like (which are the various forms of self-control). Karma- Yoga is comparatively easier of performance and is therefore spoken of as the better of the two. Thus an examination of the meaning of the words in reply leads also to the same conclusion as has been arrived at before as regards the meaning of Arjuna's question.