Bhagavad Gita · 2.39 · Transcendental Knowledge·39 of 72
एषा तेऽभिहिता सांख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां श्रृणु।बुद्ध्यायुक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि ॥
eṣhā te ’bhihitā sānkhye buddhir yoge tvimāṁ śhṛiṇu
buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha karma-bandhaṁ prahāsyasi
Sanskrit recitation
A clearer mind for action · 2.39–2.46 · Teaching
Translation
This, which has been taught to you, is wisdom concerning Sankhya. Now listen to wisdom concerning Yoga, endowed with which, O Arjuna, you shall cast off the bonds of action.
Meaning
Lord Krishna taught Jnana (knowledge) to Arjuna till now. (Sankhya Yoga is the path of Vedanta or Jnana Yoga, which treats of the nature of the Atman or the Self and the methods to attain Selfrealisation. It is not the Sankhya philosophy of sage Kapila.) He is now giving to teach Arjuna the technie or secret of Karma Yoga endowed with which he (or anybody else) can break through the bonds of Karma. The Karma Yogi should perform work without expectation of fruits of his actions, without the idea of agency (or the notin I do this), without attachment, after annihilating or going beyond all the pairs of opposites such as heat and cold, gain and loss, victoyr and defeat, etc. Dharma and Adharma, or merit and demerit will not touch that Karma Yogi who works without attachment and egoism. The Karma Yogi consecrates all his works and their fruits as offerings unto the Lord (Isvararpanam) and thus obtains the grace of the Lord (Isvaraprasada).
After Swami Sivananda
A clearer mind for action· 2.39–2.46→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
2.39This, which has been taught to you, is wisdom concerning Sankhya. Now listen to wisdom concerning Yoga, endowed with which, O Arjuna, you shall cast off the bonds of action.
- 2.40In this, there is no loss of effort, nor is there any harm produced, nor any transgression. Even a little of this knowledge protects one from great fear.
- 2.41Here, O joy of the Kurus, there is only one single-pointed determination; many-branched and endless are the thoughts of the indecisive.
- 2.42The unwise, taking pleasure in the eulogizing words of the Vedas, utter flowery speech, saying, "There is nothing else," O Arjuna.
- 2.43Full of desires, with heaven as their goal, (they speak words that are directed to ends) leading to new births as the result of their works, and prescribe various methods abounding in specific actions, for the attainment of pleasure and power.
- 2.44For those who are attached to pleasure and power, whose minds are drawn away by such teachings, their determinate reason is not formed which is steadily bent on meditation and Samadhi (superconscious state).
- 2.45The Vedas deal with the three attributes; be thou above these three attributes. O Arjuna, free yourself from the pairs of opposites and ever remain in the quality of Sattva, freed from acquisition and preservation, and be established in the Self.
- 2.46To the Brahmana who has known the Self, all the Vedas are of as much use as a reservoir of water would be in a place where there is a flood.
Word-by-word→
- te
- to you
- tu
- indeed
- imām
- this
- yayā
- by which
- eṣhā
- hitherto
- pārtha
- Arjun, the son of Pritha
- buddhyā
- by understanding
- sānkhye
- by analytical knowledge
- yuktaḥ
- united
- abhihitā
- explained
- prahāsyasi
- you shall be released from
- śhṛiṇu
- listen
- karma-bandham
- bondage of karma
- buddhiḥ yoge
- by the yog of intellect
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