April 16 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 4; Verses 4.40-4.42 (Day 107) Karma Yoga

 April 16 – Day 107

Verse 4.40-4.42

अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति ।

नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ॥ ४-४०॥ 

ajñaśh chāśhraddadhānaśh cha sanśhayātmā vinaśhyati
nāyaṁ loko ’sti na paro na sukhaṁ sanśhayātmanaḥ (4.40) 

அஞ்ஞஶ்சா¹ஶ்ரத்³த³தா⁴னஶ்ச¹ ஸந்ஶயாத்¹மா வினஶ்யதி¹ |
நாயம் லோகோ^‌1ஸ்தி¹ ந ப¹ரோ ந ஸுக²ம் ஸந்ஶயாத்¹மன: ||4.40|| 

40. The ignorant, the faithless, the doubting self proceeds (goes) to destruction; there is neither this world nor the other, nor happiness for the doubting. 

Commentary: The ignorant: one who has no knowledge of the Self.  The man without faith: one who has no faith in his own self, in the scriptures and the teachings of his Guru.

A man of doubting mind is the most sinful of all.  His condition is very deplorable.  He is full of doubts as regards the next world.  He does not rejoice in this world also, as he is very suspicious.  He has no happiness. 

योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसञ्छिन्नसंशयम् ।

आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय ॥ ४-४१॥ 

yoga-sannyasta-karmāṇaṁ jñāna-sañchhinna-samśhayam
ātmavantaṁ na karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya (4.41) 

யோக³ஸன்யஸ்த¹க¹ர்மாணம் ஞானஸம்சி¹ந்னஸந்ஶயம் |
ஆத்¹மவன்த¹ம் ந க¹ர்மாணி நிப³த்⁴னன்தி¹ த⁴னந்ஜய ||4.41|| 

41. He who has renounced actions by Yoga, whose doubts are rent asunder by knowledge, and who is self-possessed,—actions do not bind him, O Arjuna! 

Commentary: Sri Madhusudana Sarasvati explains Atmavantam as ‘always watchful’.

He who has attained to Self-realisation renounces all actions by means of Yoga or the knowledge of Brahman.  As he is established in the knowledge of the identity of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul, all his doubts are cut asunder..  Actions do not bind him as they are burnt in the fire of wisdom and as he is always watchful over himself.  (Cf. II. 48; III. 9; IV.20) 

तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मनः ।

छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत ॥ ४-४२॥ 

tasmād ajñāna-sambhūtaṁ hṛit-sthaṁ jñānāsinātmanaḥ
chhittwainaṁ sanśhayaṁ yogam ātiṣhṭhottiṣhṭha bhārata (4.42) 

த¹ஸ்மாத³ஞானஸம்பூ⁴த¹ம் ஹ்ருத்¹ஸ்த²ம் ஞானாஸினாத்¹மனஹ |
சி²த்த்வைனம் ஸந்ஶயம் யோக³மாதி¹ஷ்டோ¹த்¹தி¹ஷ்ட¹ பா⁴ரத¹ ||4.42|| 

42. Therefore, with the sword of knowledge (of the Self) cut asunder the doubt of the self, born of ignorance, residing in thy heart, and take refuge in Yoga; arise, O Arjuna! 

Commentary: Doubt causes a great deal of mental torment.  It is most sinful.  It is born of ignorance.  Kill it ruthlessly with the knowledge of the Self.  Now stand up and fight, O Arjuna. 

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda:

He whose time has not yet come is known by his faithlessness. He goes to ‘destruction’, not total annihilation, but destruction of this precious opportunity granted by the Lord. This human birth is the door to liberation. He who utilises it for this great purpose is saved; he who does not, slams the door in his own face. He destroys, as it were, the raft that could have taken him across the ocean of saṁsāra.

 Doubt is a great destroyer. We are commanded by the Lord to question our preceptors. Towards the conclusion of the Gītā, Kṛṣṇa further commands Arjuna to reflect over what he had told him. We should question the guru and then reflect over what he tells us; but with faith, not with a doubting intellect! Questioning and doubting are two very different mental actions. Questioning is a necessary step to the acquisition of knowledge; doubting is refusal to listen, refusal to think, refusal to look within, refusal to understand. Under cover of doubt, the ego thrives – the ego manages not to doubt itself. The man whose heart is full of doubts has no peace, no happiness even in this world; he does nothing good which could earn him a better world hereafter. What a loss!

Doubt must be slain by knowledge. The seeker must quickly begin the practice of yoga! 

(This chapter is known by the names Jnana Yoga, Abhyasa Yoga and Jnana-karma-sannyasa Yoga also).

 

ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु

ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे

ज्ञानविभागयोगो नाम चतुर्थोऽध्यायः 

Hari Om Tat Sat

Iti Srimad Bhagavadgītāsūpanishatsu

Brahmavidyāyām Yogashāstre Sri Krishnājunasamvāde
jnānavibhāgayogo Nāma Chaturtho’dhyāyah.

 Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal,

the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna,

ends the fourth discourse entitled: 

“The Yoga of The Division of Wisdom” 

==