THE FOURTH TEACHING
KNOWLEDGE
Lord Krishna
I taught this undying discipline
to the shining sun, first of mortals,
who told it to Manu, the progenitor of man;
Manu told it to the solar king Ikshvaku.
1
Royal sages knew this discipline,
which the tradition handed down;
but over the course of time
it has decayed, Arjuna.
2
This is the ancient discipline
that I have taught to you today;
you are my devotee and my friend,
and this is the deepest mystery.
3
Arjuna
Your birth followed the birth
of the sun;
how can I comprehend that you taught it
in the beginning?
4
Lord Krishna
I have passed through many births
and so have you;
I know them all,
but you do not, Arjuna.
5
Though myself unborn, undying,
the lord of creatures, I fashion nature,
which is mine, and I come into being
through my own magic.
6
Whenever sacred duty decays
and chaos prevails,
then, I create
myself, Arjuna.
7
To protect men of virtue
and destroy men who do evil,
to set the standard of sacred duty,
I appear in age after age.
8
He who really knows my divine
birth and my action, escapes rebirth
when he abandons the body—
and he comes to me, Arjuna.
9
Free from attraction, fear, and anger,
filled with me, dependent on me,
purified by the fire of knowledge,
many come into my presence.
10
As they seek refuge in me,
I devote myself to them;
Arjuna, men retrace
my path in every way.
11
Desiring success in their actions,
men sacrifice here to the gods;
in the world of man
success comes quickly from action.
12
I created mankind in four classes,
different in their qualities and actions;
though unchanging, I am the agent of this,
the actor who never acts!
13
I desire no fruit of actions,
and actions do not defile me;
one who knows this about me
is not bound by actions.
14
Knowing this, even ancient seekers
of freedom performed action—
do as these seers
did in ancient times.
15
What is action? What is inaction?
Even the poets were confused—
what I shall teach you of action
will free you from misfortune.
16
One should understand action,
understand wrong action,
and understand inaction too;
the way of action is obscure.
17
A man who sees inaction in action
and action in inaction
has understanding among men,
disciplined in all action he performs.
18
The wise say a man is learned
when his plans lack constructs of desire,
when his actions are burned
by the fire of knowledge.
19
Abandoning attachment to fruits
of action, always content, independent,
he does nothing at all
even when he engages in action.
20
He incurs no guilt if he has no hope,
restrains his thought and himself,
abandons possessions,
and performs actions with his body only.
21
Content with whatever comes by chance,
beyond dualities, free from envy,
impartial to failure and success,
he is not bound even when he acts.
22
When a man is unattached and free,
his reason deep in knowledge,
acting only in sacrifice,
his action is wholly dissolved.
23
The infinite spirit is the offering,
the oblation it pours into infinite fire,
and the infinite spirit can be reached
by contemplating its infinite action.
24
Some men of discipline offer
sacrifice only to the gods;
others sacrifice with oblation
in the fire of infinite spirit.
25
Some offer senses such as hearing
in the fires of restraint;
others offer sound and other objects
in the fires of the senses.
26
Others offer all actions of the senses
and all actions of breath
in the fire of discipline kindled
by knowledge—the mastery of one's self.
27
Ascetics who keep strict vows
sacrifice with material objects,
through penance, discipline,
study of sacred lore, and knowledge.
28
Others sacrifice by suspending
the cycle of vital breath,
the flow of inhaling and exhaling,
as they practice breath control.
29
Others restricting their food
offer breaths in vital breaths;
all these understand sacrifice
and in sacrifice exhaust their sins.
30
Men who eat remnants of sacrifice
attain the timeless infinite spirit;
what is this world or the next
for a man without sacrifice, Arjuna?
31
Many forms of sacrifice
expand toward the infinite spirit;
know that the source of them all
is action, and you will be free.
32
Sacrifice in knowledge is better
than sacrifice with material objects;
the totality of all action
culminates in knowledge, Arjuna,
33
Know it by humble submission,
by asking questions, and by service;
wise men who see reality
will give you knowledge.
34
Arjuna, when you have realized this,
you will not descend into delusion again;
knowledge will let you see creatures
within yourself and so in me.
35
Even if you are the most evil
of all sinners,
you will cross over all evil
on the raft of knowledge.
36
Just as a flaming fire reduces
wood to ashes, Arjuna,
so the fire of knowledge
reduces all actions to ashes.
37
No purifier equals knowledge,
and in time
the man of perfect discipline
discovers this in his own spirit.
38
Faithful, intent, his senses
subdued, he gains knowledge;
gaining knowledge,
he soon finds perfect peace.
39
An ignorant man is lost, faithless,
and filled with self-doubt;
a soul that harbors doubt has no joy,
not in this world or the next.
40
Arjuna, actions do not bind
a man in possession of himself,
who renounces action through discipline
and severs doubt with knowledge.
41
So sever the ignorant doubt
in your heart with the sword
of self-knowledge, Arjuna!
Observe your discipline! Arise!
42