I really enjoyed reading, understanding this chapter, knowing the shlokas by meaning, chanting, experiencing the meaning. Very beautiful and profound and also popular shlokas are available in this chapter.
Fourth chapter starts with a doubt, very similar to normal human beings on being exposed to something which they can’t comprehend through intellect. As Krishna said this yoga was taught by me thousands of years ago , arjuna could’nt comprehend how this man, who was almost same age as me, could have taught to somebody thousands of years ago.
Then Krishna for the first time in this geetha, reveals his true nature, that across ages, I have come again and again, for the upliftment of righteousness, and destroy the evil tendencies . This gives us hope that, seeing the current hopeless politics/corruption situation, that some divine power is there to protect and will take action, when the time is right !!!!!
In the second chapter , Karma Yoga ( doing action without attaching oneself to the result ) was seen.
In the third chapter, Karma Yagna ( seeing the action as a offering ) was explained. In the fourth chapter the process of doing everything as a Yagna (surrending the process of action itself as an offering) and its benefits, , is explained.
Remembered guruji’s saying that enlightenment is a two step process from
“Being Somebody (with ego) to Nobody(without ego),
and from Nobody to Everybody (seeing everything as one)”.
How to become from somebody to nobody is given in this chapter, by seeing all actions as an yagna.
And one who start doing the first step and being established in this knowledge, Krishna promises in this chapter, the second step of “attaining the supreme peace” will happen on its own, at the right time. When ?? , nobody knows but “ere long ….”
12 different actions which we consider as routine, mundane as prescribed here as yagna for e.g
- Breathing ( offering the in breath to the out breath, and vice-versa)
- All the five senses ,
- The objects of the senses ( e.g sound is an object for ear )
- The sense ( hearing )
- The process of action of the senses ( process of hearing , and understanding the sound as it is, without any emotions, filters/past impressions, intellect)
- Wealth, austerity, vows, regulated diet,….
- And finally the person who is doing all these actions,also offered as sacrifice.
Yagna commonly understood as “ritual of fire sacrifice” literal meaning is sacrifice. Sacrifice means, it does’nt belong to me. When all actions described above are performed with the feeling that its all happening, Iam not doing, it does’nt belong to me, then slowly the “me” also dissolves. And the feeling of “me” is what separates one from the entire creation.
Then one sees everything as same, described beautifully in shlokha IV-24 “Bramharpanam, brahma havi,..” One who is offering, what is being offered, through which is being offered, to which is being offered, where the offering reaches is all the same consciousness called Brahman.
Some qualifications/attitudes for doing this are given . This is both the requirement and also the steps to follow, the route and the milestones in this journey.
They are
- shraddha (having faith in unknown process),
- devoted to the process, teacher, teachings,
- content in what comes to him without effort,
- devoid of attachment to the actions and its fruits ,
- free from pairs of opposites,
- even minded in success-failure,
- one who sees action in inaction, inaction in action,
- freed from attachment, fear and anger
- ver content,
- depending on nothing.
… and Krishna cautions person who doubts this knowledge, and continues to act expecting fruits of the action, doubts everything, will not be happy even in this world.
Krishna gives us hope, by saying that even the sinnest of the sinner can be purified by this process, because without expectations, with the mind and and self controlled doing merely body actions incurs no sin/impressions. !!!!
Chapter ends with a very promising note, a call to Arjuna and to us also,
to cut the doubt about the self, residing in your heart, born of ignorance, with the sword of Knowledge “Uthistho Bharatha” , and to arise, awake and fight his war.