Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 4 (BG 5.4) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

5.4 सांख्ययोगौ Sankhya (knowledge) and Yoga (Yoga of action or performance of action)? पृथक् distinct? बालाः children? प्रवदन्ति speak? न not? पण्डिताः the wise? एकम् one? अपि even? आस्थितः established in? सम्यक् truly? उभयोः of both? विन्दते obtains? फलम् fruit.Commentary Children the ignorant people who have no knowledge of the Self? and who have only a theoretical knowledge of the scriptures.Children or ignorant people only say that knowledge and the performance of action are different and produce distinct and opposite results. But the wise who have the knowledge of the Self say that they produce the same result only? viz.? Moksha or liberation. He who is duly established in,one? he who truly lives in one? Sankhya or Yoga? obtains the fruits of both. Therefore there is no diversity in the result or the fruit. This is the gist of this verse. (Cf.VI.2)

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

There are two means by which any ordinary action may be transformed into worship of the Divine. The first is the renunciation of the pride of doership in all actions, and the second is the renunciation of the anxieties born of attachment to results—which is to say, the renunciation of the pride of being the enjoyer. The first path is called Sankhya, and the second is called Yoga. The path of Sankhya is not accessible to all. Only the most discerning of persons can, by observing the actions occurring throughout the entire universe, renounce this pride of doership. In life, the attainment of any accomplishment depends upon countless individuals and laws in the world. By understanding this, we come to recognize the insignificance of our own personal contribution, and only then can we truly abandon the false notion of our own doership. Only the immature—those of undeveloped understanding—perceive contradiction between Sankhya and Yoga, whereas the wise person who steadfastly follows one path knows the equal fruit-bearing nature of both. If we as seekers renounce the pride of doership or attachment to results, we attain but one goal. How then does the perfect practice of one yield the fruit of both? The answer is given thus: