Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yogam | Conclusion

 Shrimad Bhagavad Gita

Chapter 4

Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga

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Conclusion

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita gives tremendous importance to the tranquility of a sadhaka’s mind towards the karmas he has to perform. In order to make the believers work towards achieving the karma yoga principles, the Upanishads and other doctrines reinforced the concept of yajnas in the karma yoga journey. At the same time, all the scriptures and spiritual Gurus taught that the Brahman or Eeshvara is the supreme being and the source of all, including the Vedas. Accordingly, in order to avoid incurring sin and sufferings in the world of actions, all karmas and obligatory duties should be performed as a sacrifice or a selfless offering to the supreme being rather than to fulfil one’s selfish desires.

In the third chapter of the Gita, the Karma Yoga, it was explained about the importance of correct understanding of the senses, mind, intellect and the soul in order to have the proper sequencing of the yajnas that makes a sinless life. Karma Yoga chapter ends with an introduction of the Guru’s wisdom and the disciple’s responsibility to acquire the wisdom in order to complete the karma yoga in life. This calls for the yoga of jnana that is wisdom with the karma. At the same time, all the karmas are to be performed as yajnas, that is sannyasa. So, the chapter four describes the union of the three major spiritual realms, that is; Jnana, the wisdom; Karma, the action; and Sannyasa, the sacrifice.

Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga is a more advanced and enlightened form of karma yoga in which a karma yogi abstains from wish-fulfilling sacrifices (kāmya-karmas) and perform his obligatory duties (nitya and naimittika karmas) by giving up desires and attachments for the fruit of actions. Since he gives away the desire for the fruit of his actions (karma-phala), it should truly be called karma-phala-sannyasa. However, since karma in Sanskrit means both actions and their fruit, karma-sannyasa yoga is also apt. Further, since knowledge is the foundation for all such practices, it is known as jnana karma-sannyasa yoga.

Chapter 4 commences with a dramatic announcement from Bhagavan Sri Krishna saying that the karma yoga principles are nothing new but this wisdom had been learnt and taught from the beginning of the universe as a “parampara” and the initial students had been the Sun god, His son, Manu and so on. This provides a universal importance to the subject and the readers and listeners would get into a very interesting position with utmost curiosity on to the contents of the wisdom that Sri Krishna is planning to impart.

With the subsequent shlokas, we can get convinced about the incarnation form of Sri Krishna. Bhagavan also gives a brief introduction of Maya and Eeswara concepts. Then the discourse of the most famous shlokas starting with “yada yada hi dharmasya…” is provided which establishes the incarnation or avatar form of Sri Krishna and the motive behind the concept.

Before getting into the descriptive narration of the yajnas, Bhagavan makes one more announcement of the formation of “chatur-varnyam” in the human civil life according to the gunas of the individuals. The Vedas classify people into four categories of occupations, not according to their birth, but according to their natures; Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra.

Afterwards, Bhagavan moves onto the different forms of Yajnas that are performed by the humans in the physical life as well as the spiritual karma yoga concept. The yajnas are performed mainly for attaining the quality of detachment to the fruits of karmas and sensory pleasures thereby removing the sins from life. Also, the clear indications of Karma, Akarma and Vikarma are provided. Shlokam 22 gives a comprehensive definition of an ideal karma yogi: Staying gratified with what comes uninvited, being unattached with the dualities, fully free from envy, and equanimous on what is attained and what not, such a person is not bound even by performing any action.

All this is Brahman – “Sarvam khalvidam Brahma”, the teachings of Chandogya Upanishad are imparted in the Shlokam 24. Then Bhagavan narrates the different forms of various yajnas of 12 types with different characteristics. Daiva yajna, Brahma yajna, Indriya samyama yajna, Indriya vishaya samyama yajna, Atma samyama yajna, Dravya yajna, Tapo yajna, Yoga yajna, Svadhyaya yajna, Jnana yajna, Pranayama yajna & Niyathahara yajna are the various types of yajnas that are prescribed in the Vedas.

Shlokam 31 clarifies the ultimate result of karma sannyasa yoga that; those sadhakas who consume the remnants of yajna as the nectar, will be led to the eternal Brahman; and those who do not perform the yajnas, even this world is not, how then can he get happiness in a higher world? Then Bhagavan describes the supremacy of Jnana and Jnana yajna in the divine scheme of things. Bhagavan says that even the worst sinner too can cross over the ocean of sins by means of the boat of Jnana- the wisdom.

Bhagavan concludes the chapter of Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga with a profound message to Arjuna to completely eradicate the grief which has puzzled his intellect in the battlefield. Sri Krishna announces: “with the sword of knowledge, slit your uncertainties that are created out of unawareness and exist in your heart; establish yourself in this path of yoga, and arise, O Bharata, Arjuna!”

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