Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 41 (BG 4.41) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

4.41 योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणम् one who has renounced actions by Yoga? ज्ञानसंछिन्नसंशयम् one whose doubts are rent asunder by knowledge? आत्मवन्तम् possessing the self? न not? कर्माणि actions? निबध्नन्ति bind? धनञ्जय O Dhananjaya.Commentary Sri Madhusudana Sarasvati explains Atmavantam as always watchful.He who has attained to Selfrealisation 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.48III.9IV.20)

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Modern

In this verse, the art of living as extensively described throughout this chapter is presented in the most beautiful and concise manner. By renunciation of action is meant the abandonment of attachment to the fruits of action. When we learn to perform our duties in the spirit of karma yoga while relinquishing our attachment to the results, and when through direct knowledge of the Self all our doubts concerning life's purpose are completely dissolved, then the ego is destroyed and we become firmly established in our pure nature as the Self. Such a Self-realized person, though engaged in action, remains unbound by it. It is only those actions performed with the pride of doership and motivated by selfish desire that generate vasanas and bind us in bondage. When actions are performed in the spirit of karma yoga, free from ego, bondage cannot occur. Consider the example of a dream: if one commits murder in a dream, one may experience dream-like consequences within the dream. But when the dreamer awakens, no one in the waking world can punish him, for with the awakening of the dreamer, the dream and the dreamer of that dream both cease to exist. The actions of the dream-dreamer cannot bind the awakened person. Similarly, actions performed with ego may bind the ego, but when the ego is destroyed through Self-realization, how can those actions bind the Self? The person whose ego has been destroyed is called here the Self-realized one. Since the fruit of this Self-knowledge is supreme, Sri Krishna instructs Arjuna thus: