इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥
Imam vivasvate yogam proktavanahamavyayamVivasvanmanave praha manurikshvakavebravit
Krishna begins a new part of his teaching. He says that he first taught this imperishable yoga to Vivasvat, the sun god. Vivasvat taught it to Manu, the father of humankind in the old stories, and Manu taught it to Ikshvaku, the first king of the solar dynasty.
Explanation written for this site and checked against the cited edition. Free to quote with credit.
एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदुः ।स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्टः परन्तप ॥
Evam paramparapraptamimam rajarshayo viduhSa kaleneha mahata yogo nashtah parantapa
Handed down in this way, from one to the next, this yoga was known to the royal sages (rājarṣi), kings who were also sages. But over a long time, Krishna tells Arjuna, it was lost to the world. He calls Arjuna Parantapa, "scorcher of foes".
स एवाऽयं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः ।भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ॥
Sa evayam maya tedya yogah proktah puratanahBhaktosi me sakha cheti rahasyam hyetaduttamam
Krishna says that this same ancient yoga is what he has taught Arjuna today, because Arjuna is his devotee and his friend. It is, he says, the highest secret.
अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः ।कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति ॥
Aparam bhavato janma param janma vivasvatahKathametadvijaniyam tvamadau proktavaniti
Arjuna raises a doubt. Krishna was born only recently, and Vivasvat, the sun, long before. How then, Arjuna asks, is he to understand that Krishna taught this yoga in the beginning?
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन ।तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ॥
Bahuni me vyatitani janmani tava charjunaTanyaham veda sarvani na tvam vettha parantapa
Krishna answers that both he and Arjuna have passed through many births. He knows them all; Arjuna does not know his own.
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ॥
Ajopi sannavyayatma bhutanamishvaropi sanPrakritim svamadhishthaya sambhavamyatmamayaya
Krishna says that he is unborn, that his nature never perishes, and that he is the Lord of all beings. Even so, governing his own nature (prakṛti), he comes into birth through his own power, his ātma-māyā. The classical commentators explain this birth in different ways (see the views).
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदाऽऽत्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥
Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati bharataAbhyutthanamadharmasya tadatmanam srijamyaham
Krishna tells Arjuna that whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, he brings himself forth. This is one of the best-known verses of the Gita. Besant's footnote explains adharma as the opposite of dharma: all that is disorderly, against the nature of things.
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥
Paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkritamDharmasansthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge
Krishna says why he comes: to protect the good, to destroy those who do evil, and to set dharma firmly in place. For this he is born in age after age (yuge yuge). Together, 4.7 and 4.8 are the Gita's own words on why the divine takes birth, the teaching of avatāra.
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ।त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ॥
Janma karma cha me divyamevam yo vetti tattvatahTyaktva deham punarjanma naiti mameti sorjuna
Krishna says that whoever truly understands his divine birth and actions is not born again after leaving the body, but comes to him.
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः ।बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागताः ॥
Vitaragabhayakrodha manmaya mamupashritahBahavo jnanatapasa puta madbhavamagatah
Krishna says that many have done this before. Free from attachment, fear and anger, absorbed in him and taking refuge in him, and purified by the discipline (tapas) of knowledge, many have reached his state of being.
ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् ।मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥
Ye yatha mam prapadyante tanstathaiva bhajamyahamMama vartmanuvartante manushyah partha sarvashah
In whatever way people come to him, Krishna says, in that same way he receives them. Everywhere, and in every way, people follow his path. Telang's footnote reads this as saying that the Lord is not partial: all worship, to whomever it is offered, reaches him.
काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः ।क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा ॥
Kankshantah karmanam siddhim yajanta iha devatahKshipram hi manushe loke siddhirbhavati karmaja
People who want their actions to succeed worship the gods (devatās) here, Krishna says, because in the human world the success that comes from action comes quickly.
चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः ।तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥
Chaturvarnyam maya srishtam gunakarmavibhagashahTasya kartaramapi mam viddhyakartaramavyayam
Krishna says that he created the four varṇas, the four classes of society, according to the division of qualities (guṇa) and work (karma). Though he made them, Arjuna should know him as one who does not act and does not change. Both old translations render varṇa as "castes".
न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा ।इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते ॥
Na mam karmani limpanti na me karmaphale sprihaIti mam yobhijanati karmabhirna sa badhyate
Actions do not stain him, Krishna says, and he has no desire for their fruit. Whoever knows him in this way is not bound by actions.
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः ।कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम् ॥
Evam jnatva kritam karma purvairapi mumukshubhihKuru karmaiva tasmattvam purvaih purvataram kritam
Knowing this, Krishna says, people of old who sought liberation (mokṣa) still did their work. So Arjuna too should act, as they did long ago.
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः ।तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥
Kim karma kimakarmeti kavayopyatra mohitahTatte karma pravakshyami yajjnatva mokshyaseshubhat
What is action, and what is inaction? Even the wise are confused about this, Krishna says. So he will explain action to Arjuna; knowing it, Arjuna will be freed from what is harmful (aśubha).
कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः ।अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः ॥
Karmano hyapi boddhavyam boddhavyam cha vikarmanahAkarmanashcha boddhavyam gahana karmano gatih
One must understand action (karma), wrong action (vikarma) and inaction (akarma), Krishna says, because the way of action is hard to understand.
कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः ।स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥
Karmanyakarma yah pashyedakarmani cha karma yahSa buddhimanmanushyeshu sa yuktah kritsnakarmakrit
Krishna says that the one who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is wise among people. Such a person is steady in yoga (yukta) while doing all their work. Commentators explain this paradox in different ways.
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिताः ।ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहुः पण्डितं बुधाः ॥
Yasya sarve samarambhah kamasankalpavarjitahJnanagnidagdhakarmanam tamahuh panditam budhah
Krishna says that the wise call a person learned (paṇḍita) when all that person's undertakings are free of desire and self-centred plans (saṅkalpa), and their actions have been burned up in the fire of knowledge.
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः ।कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति सः ॥
Tyaktva karmaphalasangam nityatripto nirashrayahKarmanyabhipravrittopi naiva kinchitkaroti sah
Such a person has let go of attachment to the fruit of action, is always content and leans on nothing. Even while fully engaged in action, Krishna says, that person does nothing at all.
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः ।शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥
Nirashiryatachittatma tyaktasarvaparigrahahShariram kevalam karma kurvannapnoti kilbisham
Without craving, with mind and body under control, and having given up all possessiveness, a person who acts only for the body's needs, Krishna says, incurs no sin (kilbiṣa). The two translations read śārīraṃ kevalaṃ karma differently: Telang 'for the sake of the body', Besant 'by the body alone'.
यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः ।समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वाऽपि न निबध्यते ॥
Yadrichchhalabhasantushto dvandvatito vimatsarahSamah siddhavasiddhau cha kritvapi na nibadhyate
Content with whatever comes on its own, beyond the pairs of opposites such as pleasure and pain, free of envy, and the same in success and failure, such a person, Krishna says, is not bound even after acting.
गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः ।यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते ॥
Gatasangasya muktasya jnanavasthitachetasahYajnayacharatah karma samagram praviliyate
Krishna says that when a person's attachment is gone, who is free, whose mind is settled in knowledge, and who acts as an offering (yajña), all that person's action melts away.
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥
Brahmarpanam brahma havirbrahmagnau brahmana hutamBrahmaiva tena gantavyam brahmakarmasamadhina
The means of offering (the ladle) is Brahman, the offering is Brahman, and it is offered by Brahman into the fire that is Brahman. The one who sees Brahman in every action goes to Brahman. The schools read "all is Brahman" here in different ways (see the views). Pujadeep also lists this verse among the prayers before meals (Brahmarpanam).
दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते ।ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति ॥
Daivamevapare yajnam yoginah paryupasateBrahmagnavapare yajnam yajnenaivopajuhvati
Krishna now describes many kinds of offering (yajña). Some yogis make offerings to the gods (devas). Others offer the sacrifice, by means of the sacrifice itself, into the fire that is Brahman.
श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति ।शब्दादीन्विषयानन्य इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति ॥
Shrotradinindriyanyanye sanyamagnishu juhvatiShabdadinvishayananya indriyagnishu juhvati
Some offer hearing and the other senses into the fires of restraint. Others offer sound and the other objects of the senses into the fires of the senses.
सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे ।आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते ॥
Sarvanindriyakarmani pranakarmani chapareAtmasanyamayogagnau juhvati jnanadipite
Others offer all the workings of the senses and of the life-breath (prāṇa) into the fire of self-control, kindled by knowledge.
द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथाऽपरे ।स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतयः संशितव्रताः ॥
Dravyayajnastapoyajna yogayajnastathapareSvadhyayajnanayajnashcha yatayah sanshitavratah
Some make offerings of wealth, some of austerity (tapas), some of yoga practice. Others, disciplined and firm in their vows, make the offering of studying scripture (svādhyāya) and of knowledge.
अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथाऽपरे ।प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः ॥
Apane juhvati pranam pranepanam tathaparePranapanagati ruddhva pranayamaparayanah
Others, devoted to breath control (prāṇāyāma), offer prāṇa into apāna and apāna into prāṇa, and hold back the flow of both. Telang calls prāṇa the upward breath and apāna the downward one; Besant calls them the outgoing and the incoming breath.
अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति ।सर्वेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः ॥
Apare niyataharah prananpraneshu juhvatiSarvepyete yajnavido yajnakshapitakalmashah
Others, who eat in measure, offer the life-breaths into the life-breaths. All of these, Krishna says, know what offering (yajña) is, and through it their faults are washed away.
यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् ।नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञस्य कुतोऽन्यः कुरुसत्तम ॥
Yajnashishtamritabhujo yanti brahma sanatanamNayam lokostyayajnasya kutonyah kurusattama
Those who eat what remains of the offering, which is like amṛta (the nectar of immortality), reach the eternal Brahman, Krishna says. Even this world, he adds, is not for one who makes no offering; how then the other world?
एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे ।कर्मजान्विद्धि तान्सर्वानेवं ज्ञात्वा विमोक्ष्यसे ॥
Evam bahuvidha yajna vitata brahmano mukheKarmajanviddhi tansarvanevam jnatva vimokshyase
Many kinds of offering are laid out in this way "in the mouth of Brahman": Telang reads this as "in the Vedas", Besant as "before Brahman". Krishna tells Arjuna to know that all of them are born of action; knowing this, he will be set free.
श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप ।सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते ॥
Shreyandravyamayadyajnajjnanayajnah parantapaSarvam karmakhilam partha jnane parisamapyate
The offering of knowledge is better than the offering of material things, Krishna says, because all action, in its entirety, comes to completion in knowledge.
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया ।उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥
Tadviddhi pranipatena pariprashnena sevayaUpadekshyanti te jnanam jnaninastattvadarshinah
Krishna tells Arjuna how to gain this knowledge: by bowing down with respect (praṇipāta), by sincere questions, and by service. The wise who have seen the truth will teach it. Here the Gita describes the bond between a student and a teacher (guru).
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव ।येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि ॥
Yajjnatva na punarmohamevam yasyasi pandavaYena bhutanyasheshena drakshyasyatmanyatho mayi
Having known this, Krishna says, Arjuna will not fall into such confusion again. Through it he will see all beings, without exception, in the self (ātman), and then in Krishna.
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः ।सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि ॥
Api chedasi papebhyah sarvebhyah papakrittamahSarvam jnanaplavenaiva vrijinam santarishyasi
Even if Arjuna were the worst of all wrongdoers, Krishna says, he would cross over all wrongdoing on the raft of knowledge.
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन ।ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा ॥
Yathaidhansi samiddhognirbhasmasatkuruterjunaJnanagnih sarvakarmani bhasmasatkurute tatha
As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, Krishna says, so the fire of knowledge turns all actions (karma) to ashes.
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते ।तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनि विन्दति ॥
Na hi jnanena sadrisham pavitramiha vidyateTatsvayam yogasansiddhah kalenatmani vindati
Nothing in this world purifies like knowledge, Krishna says. In time, the one who has become perfect in yoga finds it within, in the self.
श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः ।ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥
Shraddhavanllabhate jnanam tatparah sanyatendriyahJnanam labdhva param shantimachirenadhigachchhati
Krishna says that the person who has faith (śraddhā), who is devoted to the goal and whose senses are under control, gains knowledge. Having gained it, that person soon reaches the highest peace.
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति ।नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ॥
Ajnashchashraddadhanashcha sanshayatma vinashyatiNayam lokosti na paro na sukham sanshayatmanah
Krishna says that a person without knowledge and without faith, whose mind is ruled by doubt, comes to ruin: for such a mind there is no happiness in this world or the next. The word is saṃśayātmā, one whose whole self is doubt (Telang: 'whose self is full of misgivings'). In 4.34 Krishna has just told Arjuna to ask questions of those who know, so the verse does not speak against honest questions.
योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसञ्छिन्नसंशयम् ।आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय ॥
Yogasannyastakarmanam jnanasanchhinnasanshayamAtmavantam na karmani nibadhnanti dhananjaya
Krishna tells Arjuna, whom he calls Dhananjaya, that actions do not bind one who has given up action through yoga, whose doubts are cut away by knowledge, and who is self-possessed (ātmavān). Both translators' notes explain ātmavān as watchful and free of carelessness.
तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनाऽऽत्मनः ।छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत ॥
Tasmadajnanasambhutam hritstham jnanasinatmanahChhittvainam sanshayam yogamatishthottishtha bharata
So, Krishna says, Arjuna should cut through this doubt in his heart, born of ignorance, with the sword of knowledge, take his stand in yoga, and rise. The chapter ends with the same call to stand up that Krishna first gave in chapter 2 (2.3).