Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4
(Compiled notes)
Note: This is a series of study notes from the translation of Bhagavad Gita by Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada (ISKCON founder) and titled as "Bhagvad Gita as it is". The copyright and content is that of Prabhupada & publishers. My part is simply distilling the knowledge from my self study and notes to share here in simple abridged form.
Sanatana Karma Yoga - Yoga of Renunciation of Results
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4.9: जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः । त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ॥ ९ ॥
O Arjuna, My appearance and activities are divine. One who knows this he doesnt have to be born again.
Q - What knowledge enables one to be free?
A - Answer is in BG 4.9 above
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4.11: ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् । मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥ ११ ॥
As is ones surrender to Me, so is my rememberance of him. My directions are followed by people always.
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4.13: चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः । तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥ १३ ॥
The four classes of society are created by Me according to divisions of gunas. I'm the creator yet I am not bound by work.
- brāhmaṇas = situated in the mode of goodness.
- kṣatriyas = situated in the mode of passion.
- vaiśyas = situated in the mixed modes of passion and ignorance
- śūdras = labor class, situated in the ignorant mode of material nature.
- a man who transcends the limited knowledge of a brāhmaṇa and reaches the knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, becomes a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness – or, in other words, a Vaiṣṇava.
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4.18 - कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः । स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥ १८ ॥
One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction he is wise & in spiritual state even if he works materially
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4.19 - ज्ञानाग्नि दग्धकर्माणं = burn karma in fire of knowledge
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(by acting on behalf of the Lord & not for own sense gratification)
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(see 4.37) ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते = the fire of spiritual knowledge burns to ashes all material karma
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4.24 - ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् । ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ २४ ॥
sacrificial offerings such as butter, fire & offered items, offered to brahman (the supreme spirit) reach the supreme spirit.
Even the activities and the doer who is situated in brahman consciousness, reach the supreme spirit (so thus always be situated in consciousness of the supreme spirit)
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4.28 - यज्ञ = yagya = sacrifice (offered to the supreme spirit)
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sacrifice is an important vedic activity because sacrifice begets peace & harmony
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note: in vedic culture, even marriage is a sacrifice (vivah yagya)
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4.32:
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the highest sacrifice is one whose goal is knowledge of absolute Truth (God).
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this is better and more important than sacrifices performed to attain material prosperity.
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4.35 - māyā (mā – not, yā – this) = na + eti = not this = the sense of an existence separate from Kṛṣṇa is called māyā
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the various incarnations/demigods are only Kṛṣṇa’s different expansions.
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Similarly, the living entities are also expansions of Kṛṣṇa.
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absolute means one plus one is equal to one, and one minus one is also equal to one
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4.36: अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः । सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि ॥ ३६ ॥
Even if you are the worst sinner, with the boat of knowledge you will cross over all miseries.
Q - What is this knowledge referred above in 4.36?
A - It is the spiritual knowledge referred to in 4.19 & 4.37 (ज्ञानाग्नि = fire of spiritual knowledge) that enables one to overcome Maya (referred to in 4.35) ie separation from Krishna. In other words, if one understands that all prescribed actions, all sacrifices, all relationships are only possible by Krishna's arrangement, that ultimately they are essentially for Krishna's pleasure (and not for ones own senses) then performing these actions does not bring karma to the performer.
By māyā alone Arjuna thought that the temporary bodily relationship with his kinsmen was more important than his eternal spiritual relationship with Kṛṣṇa; the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa, is the supreme shelter for all living entities, and giving up such shelter, the living entities are deluded by the material energy, imagining themselves to have a separate identity. Thus, under different standards of material identity, they become forgetful of Kṛṣṇa and suffer.
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One is advised to study Bhagavad-gītā, under a bona fide spiritual master, with service and surrender.
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A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and he does not deviate at all from the instructions of the Supreme Lord from whom the instructions of Bhagavad-gītā have come down to the earthly kingdom. One should, therefore, follow the path of Bhagavad-gītā as it is expressed in the Gītā itself and beware of self-interested people after personal aggrandizement who deviate others from the actual path. The Lord is definitely the supreme person, and His activities are transcendental. One who understands this is a liberated person from the very beginning of his study of Bhagavad-gītā.
My Chosen verse from this chapter:
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः ।
सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि ॥ 4.36 ॥
Even if you are the worst sinner, with this boat of knowledge you will cross over all miseries.
The Lord is reassuring the devotee here, that once the spiritual knowledge (of eternity of the spirit and as being part of the Lords own spiritual energy), is attained, ones mind is no longer deluded by the material miseries or pleasures. As such the devotee is able to withstand any struggles and difficulties. This even if the devotee of today was not so pure in the past, even if he had committed the worst of mistakes, there is no need for hopelessness. This reassurance from the Lord is very calming to a restless mind for there is nothing higher in the universe than the word of the Lord.
