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Chapter 04, Verse 19
श्रीभगवानुवाच:
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसंकल्पवर्जिताः।
ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहुः पण्डितं बुधाः॥ 4.19॥
sri-bhagavan uvaca:
yasya sarve samarambhah kama-sankalpa-varjitah।
gyanagni-dagdha-karma nam tam ahuh panditam budhah॥ 4.19॥
Word-by-Word Analysis
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
श्रीभगवानुवाच: (sri-bhagavan uvaca) |
The Supreme Lord said: This marks Krishna’s first direct
speech in the Bhagavad Gita, where he begins guiding
Arjuna. |
|
यस्य (yasya) |
Whose |
|
सर्वे (sarve) |
All |
|
समारम्भाः (samarambhah) |
Undertakings / Actions |
|
काम (kama) |
Desire |
|
संकल्प (sankalpa) |
Determination / Motive |
|
वर्जिताः (varjitah) |
Devoid of / Free from |
|
ज्ञान (gyana) |
Knowledge |
|
अग्नि (agni) |
Fire |
|
दग्ध (dagdha) |
Burnt |
|
कर्माणं (Karma nam) |
Actions |
|
तम् (tam) |
Him |
|
आहुः (ahuh) |
They call |
|
पण्डितं (panditam) |
Wise |
|
बुधाः (budhah) |
The learned / Enlightened ones |
Translation
“One who knows in truth is in full consciousness of his activities and is devoid of sense gratification.”
Context of the Verse:
This verse is in the Gyana Karma Sannyasa Yoga (Chapter 4 – The Yoga of Knowledge and the Disciplines of Action of Knowledge). Krishna is describing to Arjuna what is a true wise man (Pandita), who is engaged in action free from attachment and desire, acts led spiritually wise.
In the previous slokas Krishna described how knowledge (Gyana) can free a person from Karma . Verse 19 affirms this by saying that this person will have a character as that of one whose Karma has been “burned” by the fire of knowledge.
Key Teachings in This Verse:
- Action without Desire: The wise person does not make any action driven by personal desires or emotional entanglement.
- Spiritual Knowledge: Understanding of one’s self (Atman) and knowledge that the actions of this world are impermanent, allows one to rise beyond Karma .
- Burning of Karma : Actions done with awareness and detachment do not bind the soul and are as it were “burnt” in the fire of awareness.
- True Wisdom: The illumined discern whom do unselfish work, desiring none, creatures however myriad; They know as one the single spirit of all.
Relevance to Arjuna:
Arjuna is trying to deal with an emotional and moral crisis on the battlefield. This verse reminds him:
- That real renunciation is not avoiding action, but acting with the right understanding.
- By discharging his duty like a warrior, without any lust for gain, he also can act like the wise – Paṇḍita.
- And his acts will not fetter him, if done in a spirit of Karma Yoga and Gyana Yoga .
Explanation:
He is also known as the worker, the fruitive actor, whose actions all men can see and therefore who is not a designation of His noetic form. He engages in no exercise for his own pleasure. He is doing all things just for the pleasure of Krishna’s senses. All our activities are for our sense gratification. So then and there, living entities are we. “Liberated means he will want nothing for himself but Krishna’s satisfaction.
Chapter 04, Verse 20
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः।
कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति सः॥ 4.20॥
tyaktva karma -phala-asangam nitya-trpto nirasrayah।
karma ny abhipravrtto pi naiva kincit karoti sah॥ 4.20॥
Word-by-Word Analysis
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
त्यक्त्वा (tyaktva) |
Having renounced |
|
कर्मफलासङ्गं (Karma -phala-asangam) |
Attachment to the fruits of action |
|
नित्यतृप्तः (nitya-trptah) |
Ever content |
|
निराश्रयः (nirasrayah) |
Independent / Without dependence
|
|
कर्मणि (Karma ni) |
In action / In work |
|
अभिप्रवृत्तः (abhipravrttah) |
Fully engaged |
|
अपि (api) |
Even though |
|
नैव (na-eva) |
Truly does not |
|
किञ्चित् (kincit) |
Anything |
|
करोति (karoti) |
Does |
|
सः (sah) |
He |
Translation
“Giving up all attachment to results of his work, always satisfied and independent, he does not do anything in fruitive activities, although engaged in all kinds of undertakings.
Context of the Verse:
This verse implies the order of the word of Krishna about the Yoga of action, Karma Yoga . Having defined the wise man in verse 19, Krishna now explains the life of the wise and the disciplines he lives by.
Krishna stresses that the real renunciation is not ceasing to act, but acting without desire for fruits. This man appears as if he is doing something in the world, but he is actually not a subject doing anything.
Key Teachings in This Verse:
- Abandonment of the Fruits of Action: The Muni is free from attachment to the results of actions.
- Inner Fulfillment: He is eternally self-contented (Nitya-Trptah) and is independent of external gratification or assistance.
- Self-Sufficiency: He is independent (Nirasrayah) of anything external to him - whether praise or success or worldly reward.
- True Inaction in Action: Being non-active while he is outwardly busily at work, within, spiritually, he is doing nothing; he is untouched, does not care.
Relevance to Arjuna:
“He is unwilling to fight on account of his affection and attachment – due to his mixed feelings, such as what happens if the relatives get killed or if we are not victorious?”. Krishna tells him:
- One can live fully in the world (even fight in a war) without being caught in the web of Karma .
- Arjuna can be spiritually free, if he fights with no selfish wish in mind (as a duty).
- This instruction leads Arjuna to his duty of Karma Yoga – performing his actions with equanimity of mind.
Explanation:
Once more Krishna is reaffirming that one should not become attached to the fruits of one’s activities. For they should be sacrificed for the satisfaction of Krishna. We are well-attached; we all are just results-oriented. We want to enjoy the results. This is wrong. This is not the activity that Krishna is speaking about. One must be detached from the outcome. To offer it to Krishna.
Always satisfied. We are conditioned to be perpetually dissatisfied. Do we think that if we are not unhappy, then we will make material progress and that is very good. That is the inaction of Krishna described in the previous verse. Yet whether well-fed or starving, one should be content in everything. This is the art that we need to learn.
In the Vedic culture, a person who accepts education – of course, they were not accepting shelter from any other person – but a person who is accepting education from learned persons, he is not supposed to take shelter of any other person for maintenance. Only those who are not going to school would work and be employed. That’s why today education is said to be copying the dogs. The life of a dog is very wretched, if it had no owner. People throw stones, anyone just chases it for no reason and it does not get food. And while all species receive food. The fate of dogs is such that it becomes extremely difficult for them until they get a master. It will always cry. It would seem that is why they howl in the night, they are very hungry. Whenever you feed the street dog, it is ever ready to receive it. So, really, unless they own a master, a dog’s life is pretty miserable.
Likewise, today modern education makes us like dogs, unfortunately. The Vedas are saying as much. So, after passing all these big exams, if one does not obtain a job, our life is of no value. All education is useless. But Vedic education means that one who has passed Vedic school will never be occupied with these so-called jobs. First-class pass-outs are Brahmanas; he is so satisfied, so much dependent on God and so much in control of his senses that he does not want any money, not even for tomorrow. All he requires is that day’s maintenance. And then Kshatriyas; they are also not utilizing the jobs. Since then, a Brahmana will teach for free, however much gift the disciples may give, he will be satisfied. And if there’s anything left over, he will give charity. He takes no money for education. So, he is not doing any job. Kshatriya does not work too. Kshatriyas do not work too; they provide protection services and collect taxes. Vaishyas do not do any jobs. They will have a field of their own, and whatever they want, they grow in the field. They are also independent. Only Shudras do jobs. Only Shudras do jobs; they rely on other organisms to survive. Education is no less so, as it frees you. That is education. What is this education that you guys are so desperately trying to find jobs for? Human life is for the sake of liberation, always satisfied and independence. These are the qualities of Transcendentalists.
Chapter 04, Verse 21
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः।
शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम्॥ 4.21॥
nirasir yata-cittatma tyakta-sarva-parigrahah।
sariram kevalam karma kurvan napnoti kilbisam॥ 4.21॥
Word-by-Word Analysis
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
निराशीः (nirasih) |
Free from expectation/desire |
|
यतचित्तात्मा (yata-cittatma) |
Self-controlled in mind and self |
|
त्यक्त (tyakta) |
Having renounced |
|
सर्व (sarva) |
All |
|
परिग्रहः (parigrahah) |
Possessions / sense of ownership |
|
शारीरं (sariram) |
Bodily / related to the body |
|
केवलं (kevalam) |
Mere / only |
|
कर्म (Karma) |
Action / work |
|
कुर्वन् (kurvan) |
Performing |
|
न (na) |
Not |
|
आप्नोति (apnoti) |
Incurs / attains |
|
किल्बिषम् (kilbisam) |
Sin / evil / impurity |
Translation
“Having obtained perfect control over the mind and intellect, a man of wisdom acts with a mind and intellect to which he has attained complete control, does not claim to be the owner of his possessions, and works only in order to support himself in a modest way. Therefore, work is not influenced by sinful reactions.”
Context of the Verse:
Krishna continues to discuss the new aspects of Karma Yoga, talking about the qualities of a sage who works in the world but is inwardly free. Here Krishna explains the characteristics of one who acts without attachment, ego and result.
In this verse, Krishna talks about the process of even the smallest action – just working to maintain the body and with no material desires and without sense gratification.
Key Teachings in This Verse:
- Non-covetousness (Nirasih): One should not have any cravings for future or future expectation.
- Self-Control (Yata-Cittatma): In contrast to the chaotic nature of an undisciplined heart, one must have control over Citta (mind) and Atman (soul).
- Non-asking of anything (Tyakta-Sarva-Parigrahah): Giving up of all and still having nothing left behind causes emancipation.
- Sariram kevalam Karma: Actions being necessary for the outfit of the body do not bind the soul.
- Freedom from Sin (Napnoti Kilbisam): Free from bond or execution of its action, it does not bring about such Karma-Bandhana or sin.
Relevance to Arjuna:
- Arjuna is worried about the sinful effects of killing his own kin in the battle.
- Krishna shares that sin does not accrue for Arjuna if the latter does his duty with detachment and without expecting results.
- This serves to assuage Arjuna’s ambivalence, for it teaches him that the inner intention of the soul is more important than outward action.
- If one aligns with dharma in a detached way, he too can be free – even a warrior.
Explanation:
He does not want the fruit of actions and has full control over the mind, “Chetna” and senses. And all he does is live in order to keep the body and soul together. If we extend gross enjoyment even a shade beyond maintaining body and soul together, it is misery. An illustrative example is the salt. What you need is some of it, a little of it, to give the meal some flavour. Now, if someone uses the reasoning, “well, if the dish is so flavourful, then perhaps with an entire jar of salt in it, it will be even more flavourful,” that’s idiocy, not reason. So, that’s when you think, if I just have one more cigarette – if I just have a few more cigarettes, I will feel better.” I only tippled; give me but a crumb, and that would comfort me. I’ve had no sex; if I have all the sex I can, I will be the happiest. How dumb is that to say it should be similar to “a pinch of salt makes things tasty, let me throw an entire jar of salt.” Self-indulgence, not a pinch of it, barely enough to keep body and soul together. It only brings misery in your life; it brings addiction in our life. The demand for sense gratification is never satisfied. And he was frustrated, as we all know. So, this is very important. Realize in this way that a sage still surviving is only for the purpose of slogging to survive. And are people nowadays who work for the belly-need and the back-need? The whole civilization is lusty and greedy. How can you be satisfied when the heart is full of lust and greed? Those are the real issues in life. All other inauspicious things become the development of lust and greed, the actions are lusty and greedy. So, anyway, you can’t have food without there being no question of overpopulation. These are follies of the ignorant. We are so very lusty to drink tea, coffee, and to smoke marijuana and so many things. If we can control our senses, just keep our body and soul, whether the soul will go from the body? Unless you don’t like tea and coffee. So, why don’t we grow cash crops? There is so much land that is being overgrown with weeds. By the cultivation of the other cash crops, tea, coffee, etc. And you can grow grains in that and there’s no food problem at all.” But no; we’d like to play, so in all this fake food, then we say no-land-grows-food. So, really, the real enemy in our life is only lust and greed. All diseases are due to such lusty activities. So, we should also present this ideal in society. So, if you follow the principles of the Bhagavad Gita in a scientific way, then we can have that position to work only for the maintenance of the body and soul. There will be more fruits of our actions, but one can rid himself of all that is possessed. One who is humble; everybody is Krishna’s. So, only one survives body and soul and presents that to Krishna.