April 10 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 4; Verses 4.28-4.29 (Day 101) Karma Yoga

 April 10 – Day 101

Verse 4.28-4.29 

द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे ।

स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतयः संशितव्रताः ॥ ४-२८॥ 

dravya-yajñās tapo-yajñā yoga-yajñās tathāpare
swādhyāya-jñāna-yajñāśh cha yatayaḥ sanśhita-vratāḥ (4.28) 

த்³ரவ்யயஞாஸ்த¹போ¹யஞா யோக³யஞாஸ்த¹தா²ப¹ரே |
ஸ்வாத்⁴யாயஞானயஞாஶ்ச¹ யத¹ய: ஸந்ஶித¹வ்ரதா¹: ||4.28|| 

28. Some again offer wealth, austerity and Yoga as sacrifice, while the ascetics of self-restraint and rigid vows offer study of scriptures and knowledge as sacrifice. 

Commentary: Some do sacrifice by distributing their wealth to the deserving as charity; some offer their Tapas (austerities) as sacrifice; some practice the eight limbs of Raja Yoga, viz., Yama (the five great vows), Niyama (the canons of conduct), Asana (posture), Pranayama (restraint of breath), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (superconscious state), and offer this Yoga as a  sacrifice; some study the scriptures and offer it as sacrifice. 

अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे ।

प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः ॥ ४-२९॥ 

apāne juhwati prāṇaṁ prāṇe ’pānaṁ tathāpare
prāṇāpāna-gatī ruddhwā prāṇāyāma-parāyaṇāḥ (4.29) 

அபா¹னே ஜுஹ்வதி¹ ப்¹ராணம் ப்¹ராணே‌பா¹னம் த¹தா²ப¹ரே |
ப்¹ராணாபா¹னக³தீ¹ ருத்³த்⁴வா ப்¹ராணாயாமப¹ராயணா: ||4.29|| 

29. Others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath in the incoming, and the incoming in the outgoing, restraining the course of the outgoing and the incoming breaths, solely absorbed in the restraint of the breath. 

Commentary: Some Yogis practise Puraka (inhalation), some Yogis practise Rechaka (exhalation), and some Yogis practice Kumbhaka (retention of breath). This is Pranayama.

The five sub-Pranas and the other Pranas are merged in the chief Prana (Mukhya-Prana) by the practice of Pranayama.  When the Prana is controlled, the mind also stops its wanderings and becomes steady; the senses are also thinned out and merged in the Prana.  It is through the vibration of Prana that the activities of the mind and the senses are kept up.  If the Prana is controlled, the mind, the intellect and the senses cease to function. 

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda:

Gradually, the spirit of yajña or sacrifice should widen to include all of one’s activities, sacred and secular. In all these the symbolism of ‘sacred oblation’ should be well understood and rightly applied.

1. In charity, the receiver is the fire and the gift is the oblation. The wise man expects not even a word of thanks; the act is complete in itself.

2. In austerity, the fire is renunciation and self-denial, and desires and cravings are the oblation. The fire blazes more brightly with each oblation.

3. In yoga, the inner self is the fire and the mental modifications are the oblations. The fire purifies the latter, transforms them into pure thoughts (sat saṁkalpa).

4. Svādhyāya or self-study of scriptures: desire for self-knowledge is the fire which is augmented with successive oblations of study of scriptures.

5. Jñāna-yajña or the wisdom-sacrifice: seekers after truth are the fire and knowledge itself is the oblation. The former are enlightened.

6. In prāṇāyāma, the solar (positive, prāṇa) force is offered in (united with) the lunar (negative, apāna) force; and the negative is poured into the positive – at the solar plexus. The fire thus generated rouses the latent kundalinī śakti, whose union with Śiva at the crown of the head is enlightenment. 

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