çré-bhagavän uväca, imaà vivasvate yogaà, proktavän aham avyayam
vivasvän manave präha, manur ikñväkave 'bravét

Bg. 4.1 - The Personality of Godhead, Lord Çré Kåñëa, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvän, and Vivasvän instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikñväku.

evaà paramparä-präptam, imaà räjarñayo viduù
sa käleneha mahatä, yogo nañöaù parantapa

Bg. 4.2 - This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.

sa eväyaà mayä te 'dya, yogaù proktaù purätanaù
bhakto 'si me sakhä ceti, rahasyaà hy etad uttamam

Bg. 4.3 - That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the transcendental mystery of this science.

arjuna uväca, aparaà bhavato janma, paraà janma vivasvataù
katham etad vijänéyäà, tvam ädau proktavän iti

Bg. 4.4 - Arjuna said: The sun-god Vivasvän is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?

çré-bhagavän uväca, bahüni me vyatétäni, janmäni tava cärjuna
täny ahaà veda sarväëi, na tvaà vettha parantapa

Bg. 4.5 - The Personality of Godhead said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!

ajo 'pi sann avyayätmä, bhütänäm éçvaro 'pi san
prakåtià sväm adhiñöhäya, sambhavämy ätma-mäyayä

Bg. 4.6 - Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.

Bg. 4.7 - Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend Myself.

pariträëäya sädhünäà, vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm
dharma-saàsthäpanärthäya, sambhavämi yuge yuge

Bg. 4.8 - To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.

janma karma ca me divyam, evaà yo vetti tattvataù
tyaktvä dehaà punar janma, naiti mäm eti so 'rjuna

Bg. 4.9 - One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.

véta-räga-bhaya-krodhä, man-mayä mäm upäçritäù
bahavo jïäna-tapasä, pütä mad-bhävam ägatäù

Bg. 4.10 - Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me-and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.

ye yathä mäà prapadyante, täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham
mama vartmänuvartante, manuñyäù pärtha sarvaçaù

Bg. 4.11 - As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Påthä.

käìkñantaù karmaëäà siddhià, yajanta iha devatäù
kñipraà hi mänuñe loke, siddhir bhavati karma-jä

Bg. 4.12 - Men in this world desire success in fruitive activities, and therefore they worship the demigods. Quickly, of course, men get results from fruitive work in this world.

cätur-varëyaà mayä såñöaà, guëa-karma-vibhägaçaù
tasya kartäram api mäà, viddhy akartäram avyayam

Bg. 4.13 - According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.

na mäà karmäëi limpanti, na me karma-phale spåhä
iti mäà yo 'bhijänäti, karmabhir na sa badhyate

Bg. 4.14 - There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work.

evaà jïätvä kåtaà karma, pürvair api mumukñubhiù
kuru karmaiva tasmät tvaà, pürvaiù pürvataraà kåtam

Bg. 4.15 - All the liberated souls in ancient times acted with this understanding of My transcendental nature. Therefore you should perform your duty, following in their footsteps.

kià karma kim akarmeti, kavayo 'py atra mohitäù
tat te karma pravakñyämi, yaj jïätvä mokñyase 'çubhät

Bg. 4.16 - Even the intelligent are bewildered in determining what is action and what is inaction. Now I shall explain to you what action is, knowing which you shall be liberated from all misfortune.

karmaëo hy api boddhavyaà, boddhavyaà ca vikarmaëaù
akarmaëaç ca boddhavyaà, gahanä karmaëo gatiù

Bg. 4.17 - The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is, and what inaction is.

karmaëy akarma yaù paçyed, akarmaëi ca karma yaù
sa buddhimän manuñyeñu, sa yuktaù kåtsna-karma-kåt

Bg. 4.18 - One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.

yasya sarve samärambhäù, käma-saìkalpa-varjitäù
jïänägni-dagdha-karmäëaà, tam ähuù paëòitaà budhäù

Bg. 4.19 - One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every endeavor is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker for whom the reactions of work have been burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge.

tyaktvä karma-phaläsaìgaà, nitya-tåpto niräçrayaù
karmaëy abhipravåtto 'pi, naiva kiïcit karoti saù

Bg. 4.20 - Abandoning all attachment to the results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent, he performs no fruitive action, although engaged in all kinds of undertakings.

niräçér yata-cittätmä, tyakta-sarva-parigrahaù
çäréraà kevalaà karma, kurvan näpnoti kilbiñam

Bg. 4.21 - Such a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly controlled, gives up all sense of proprietorship over his possessions, and acts only for the bare necessities of life. Thus working, he is not affected by sinful reactions.

yadåcchä-läbha-santuñöo, dvandvätéto vimatsaraù
samaù siddhäv asiddhau ca, kåtväpi na nibadhyate

Bg. 4.22 - He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady in both success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions.

gata-saìgasya muktasya, jïänävasthita-cetasaù
yajïäyäcarataù karma, samagraà praviléyate

Bg. 4.23 - The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.

brahmärpaëaà brahma havir, brahmägnau brahmaëä hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyaà, brahma-karma-samädhinä

Bg. 4.24 - A person who is fully absorbed in Kåñëa consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contribution to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature.

daivam eväpare yajïaà, yoginaù paryupäsate
brahmägnäv apare yajïaà, yajïenaivopajuhvati

Bg. 4.25 - Some yogés perfectly worship the demigods by offering different sacrifices to them, and some of them offer sacrifices in the fire of the Supreme Brahman.

çroträdénéndriyäëy anye, saàyamägniñu juhvati
çabdädén viñayän anya, indriyägniñu juhvati

Bg. 4.26 - Some [the unadulterated brahmacärés] sacrifice the hearing process and the senses in the fire of mental control, and others [the regulated householders] sacrifice the objects of the senses in the fire of the senses.

sarväëéndriya-karmäëi, präëa-karmäëi cäpare
ätma-saàyama-yogägnau, juhvati jïäna-dépite

Bg. 4.27 - Others, who are interested in achieving self-realization through control of the mind and senses, offer the functions of all the senses, and of the life breath, as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind.

dravya-yajïäs tapo-yajïä, yoga-yajïäs tathäpare
svädhyäya-jïäna-yajïäç ca, yatayaù saàçita-vratäù

Bg. 4.28 - Having accepted strict vows, some become enlightened by sacrificing their possessions, and others by performing severe austerities, by practicing the yoga of eightfold mysticism, or by studying the Vedas to advance in transcendental knowledge.

apäne juhvati präëaà, präëe 'pänaà tathäpare, präëäpäna-gaté ruddhvä, präëäyäma-paräyaëäù, apare niyatähäräù, präëän präëeñu juhvati

Bg. 4.29 - Still others, who are inclined to the process of breath restraint to remain in trance, practice by offering the movement of the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming breath into the outgoing, and thus at last remain in trance, stopping all breathing. Others, curtailing the eating process, offer the outgoing breath into itself as a sacrifice.

sarve 'py ete yajïa-vido, yajïa-kñapita-kalmañäù
yajïa-çiñöämåta-bhujo, yänti brahma sanätanam

Bg. 4.30 - All these performers who know the meaning of sacrifice become cleansed of sinful reactions, and, having tasted the nectar of the results of sacrifices, they advance toward the supreme eternal atmosphere.

näyaà loko 'sty ayajïasya
kuto 'nyaù kuru-sattama

Bg. 4.31 - O best of the Kuru dynasty, without sacrifice one can never live happily on this planet or in this life: what then of the next?

evaà bahu-vidhä yajïä, vitatä brahmaëo mukhe
karma-jän viddhi tän sarvän, evaà jïätvä vimokñyase

Bg. 4.32 - All these different types of sacrifice are approved by the Vedas, and all of them are born of different types of work. Knowing them as such, you will become liberated.

çreyän dravya-mayäd yajïäj, jïäna-yajïaù parantapa
sarvaà karmäkhilaà pärtha, jïäne parisamäpyate

Bg. 4.33 - O chastiser of the enemy, the sacrifice performed in knowledge is better than the mere sacrifice of material possessions. After all, O son of Påthä, all sacrifices of work culminate in transcendental knowledge.

tad viddhi praëipätena, paripraçnena sevayä
upadekñyanti te jïänaà, jïäninas tattva-darçinaù

Bg. 4.34 - Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.

yaj jïätvä na punar moham, evaà yäsyasi päëòava
yena bhütäny açeñäëi, drakñyasy ätmany atho mayi

Bg. 4.35 - Having obtained real knowledge from a self-realized soul, you will never fall again into such illusion, for by this knowledge you will see that all living beings are but part of the Supreme, or, in other words, that they are Mine.

api ced asi päpebhyaù, sarvebhyaù päpa-kåt-tamaù
sarvaà jïäna-plavenaiva, våjinaà santariñyasi

Bg. 4.36 - Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries.

yathaidhäàsi samiddho 'gnir, bhasma-sät kurute 'rjuna
jïänägniù sarva-karmäëi, bhasma-sät kurute tathä

Bg. 4.37 - As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.

na hi jïänena sadåçaà, pavitram iha vidyate
tat svayaà yoga-saàsiddhaù, kälenätmani vindati

Bg. 4.38 - In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism. And one who has become accomplished in the practice of devotional service enjoys this knowledge within himself in due course of time.

çraddhäväl labhate jïänaà, tat-paraù saàyatendriyaù
jïänaà labdhvä paräà çäntim, acireëädhigacchati

Bg. 4.39 - A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and having achieved it he quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.

ajïaç cäçraddadhänaç ca, saàçayätmä vinaçyati
näyaà loko 'sti na paro, na sukhaà saàçayätmanaù

Bg. 4.40 - But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.

yoga-sannyasta-karmäëaà, jïäna-saïchinna-saàçayam
ätmavantaà na karmäëi, nibadhnanti dhanaïjaya

Bg. 4.41 - One who acts in devotional service, renouncing the fruits of his actions, and whose doubts have been destroyed by transcendental knowledge, is situated factually in the self. Thus he is not bound by the reactions of work, O conqueror of riches.

tasmäd ajïäna-sambhütaà, håt-sthaà jïänäsinätmanaù
chittvainaà saàçayaà yogam, ätiñöhottiñöha bhärata

Bg. 4.42 - Therefore the doubts which have arisen in your heart out of ignorance should be slashed by the weapon of knowledge. Armed with yoga, O Bhärata, stand and fight.