Conversation 4
Yoga of Wisdom
The Blessed Lord said:
4:1. This eternal yoga I taught to Vivasvan, Vivasvan passed it to Manu, Manu related it to Ikshvaku.
4:2. In this way the king-sages learned it from each other. But yoga on the Earth deteriorated with time, O Parantapa.
4:3. The same ancient yoga I has related to you now, for you are devoted to Me, and you are My friend; in this yoga there is the highest mystery.
Arjuna said:
4:4. You was born later, Vivasvan was born before. How should I understand that You was the first who taught this Teaching?
The Blessed Lord said:
4:5. You and Me had many births in past, O Arjuna! I know all of them, but you do not know any of yours, O Parantapa!
4:6. Though I am the eternal, imperishable Atman, though I am Ishvara, but inside the controlled by Me prakriti I manifest Myself through My maya.
4:7. When there is a decline of righteousness (on the Earth), O Bharata, and unrighteousness begins to prevail, then I manifest Myself.
4:8. For the sake of saving good people and defeating those who do evil, for restoring the dharma — I manifest Myself thus from age to age.
4:9. He who has really cognized the essence of My miraculous manifestations does not get born again after leaving the body but merges with Me, O Arjuna.
4:10. Many those who have freed themselves from attachments, fear, and anger, who have cognized My Existence and got purified in the fire of wisdom attain Great Love to Me.
4:11. In whatever way people go to Me, in the same way I receive them. For the paths by which people come to Me from all sides are My paths, O Partha.
4:12 They who seek success in the earthly matters worship deities. They quickly achieve success in the world of matter from such actions.
4:13. In accordance to the gunas and the nature of people’s activity I established the four varnas. Know, that I am the creator of them, though I do not act and stay uninvolved.
4:14. And actions do not affect Me, and the reward for actions does not attract Me. The one Who knows Me thus does not get entangled in the karmic consequences of his activity.
4:15 Knowing this, the sages who attained the Liberation performed actions. So you — perform actions having examples of your predecessors.
4:16. “What is action and what is non-action?” — even the wise are confused by this. I am going to explain it to you, so that you may become free from confusion.
4:17. One should understand that there are necessary action, vain action and non-action. The path of action is mysterious!
4:18. The one who sees non-action in activity and action in inactivity is truly conscious, and even being involved in action among other people he remains free.
4:19. He whose undertakings are free from the worldly inclinations and pursuits of personal profit — about him the wise say that his deeds are purified by the fire of developed consciousness.
4:20. Pursuing not personal profit, always being content, seeking not support from anyone he is in non-action though acts constantly.
4:21. Desiring not benefits for oneself, surrendering thoughts to the Atman, renouncing the feeling of possessiveness, performing actions only physically he does not stain his destiny.
4:22. Satisfied with whatever comes to him, free from duality, devoid of envy, even-minded in success and failure he is not bound by action even when he acts.
4:23. He who renounced the attachment to the material and achieved the Liberation, whose thoughts are established in wisdom, who performs action as sacrifice — all his actions merge with the harmony of the world.
4:24. Brahman is sacrifice brought by the Fire of Brahman. Brahman is attained — with His help — through immersing into Samadhi.
4:25. Some yogis perform sacrifice worshipping deities. Others offer sacrifice in the Brahmanic Fire, making sacrifice thus.
4:26. Some sacrifice their hearing and other organs of sense for the sake of self-control. Others sacrifice sound and other objects of sense that excite the indriyas.
4:27. Others, aspiring to wisdom, burn in the Fire of the Atman all activity of the indriyas and the incoming energies.
4:28. Other sacrifice the property, or perform sacrifice through asceticism, or through religious rituals. Others — through diligence in sciences, in learning, and through observance of austere vows.
4:29. Others expose the outgoing from the body energy to the incoming one, or the incoming to the outgoing. Others move the outgoing and the incoming energies performing pranayama.
4:30. All they — though of different appearance, but understanding the essence of sacrifice — purify in the process of activity their destinies.
4:31. Partaking the nectar of remnants of their offerings they approach the Abode of Brahman. This world is not for the one who does not sacrifice, let alone the next world, O best of the Kurus!
4:32. The offerings to Brahman are numerous and diverse. Know, that all they are born from action. Having known this you will become free.
4:33. Superior to all outer sacrifices is the sacrifice of wisdom, O destroyer of enemies! All actions, O Partha, become perfect when performed by the wise.
4:34. Therefore, gain wisdom through devotion, inquiry, and service. Sages and clairvoyants, who perceived the essence of things, will impart this to you.
4:35. And having known this you will not be confused anymore, O Pandava, for you will see all incarnate beings in the world of the Atman and in the world of maya.
4:36. And even if you would be the most sinful one even then you could cross the deep of suffering on the boat of this wisdom.
4:37. Even as fire turns fuel into ashes, so does the fire of wisdom burns all false actions to ashes.
4:38. There is no purifier better than wisdom in this world. Through it the one skilled in yoga attains Enlightenment in the Atman in due time.
4:39. The one full of faith gains wisdom. The one controlling his indriyas gains it too. Having achieved wisdom they quickly attain the higher worlds.
4:40. But ignorant, devoid of faith, irresolute go to destruction. For doubting ones there is neither this world, nor the next one, nor happiness.
4:41. He who abandoned false action with the help of yoga, who removed all doubts with the help of wisdom, who established oneself in the Atman cannot be bound by action, O Dhananjaya.
4:42. Therefore, cutting the doubts born of ignorance with the sword of Atman’s wisdom stay in yoga, O Bharata!
Thus in the upanishads of the blessed Bhagavad Gita, the Science of Eternal, the Scripture of yoga, says the fourth conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjuna, entitled:
Yoga of Wisdom.
