BG Ch 4 – Transcendental Knowledge (31 – 42)

Transcendental knowledge-the spiritual knowledge of the soul, of God, and their relationship-is both purifying and liberating. Such knowledge is the fruit of selfless devotional action (karma-yoga). The Lord explains the remote history of the Gītā, the purpose and significance of His periodic descents to the material world, and the necessity of approaching a guru, a realized teacher.

Radhika Raman Das
By Radhika Raman Das 2.7k Views Add a Comment 27 Min Read

TEXT 36

api ced asi pāpebhyaḥ
sarvebhyaḥ pāpa-kṛt-tamaḥ
sarvaṁ jñāna-plavenaiva
vṛjinaṁ santariṣyasi

SYNONYMS
api—even; cet—if; asi—you are; pāpebhyaḥ—of sinners; sarvebhyaḥ—of all; pāpa-kṛt-tamaḥ—the greatest sinner; sarvam—all such sinful reactions; jñāna-plavena—by the boat of transcendental knowledge; eva—certainly; vṛjinam—the ocean of miseries; santariṣyasi—you will cross completely.

TRANSLATION
Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries.

PURPORT
Proper understanding of one’s constitutional position in relationship to Kṛṣṇa is so nice that it can at once lift one from the struggle for existence which goes on in the ocean of nescience. This material world is sometimes regarded as an ocean of nescience and sometimes as a blazing forest. In the ocean, however expert a swimmer one may be, the struggle for existence is very severe. If someone comes forward and lifts the struggling swimmer from the ocean, he is the greatest savior. Perfect knowledge, received from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the path of liberation. The boat of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very simple, but at the same time the most sublime.

TEXT 37

yathaidhāṁsi samiddho ‘gnir
bhasma-sāt kurute ‘rjuna
jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi
bhasma-sāt kurute tathā

SYNONYMS
yathā—just as; edhāṁsi—firewood; samiddhaḥ—blazing; agniḥ—fire; bhasma-sāt—ashes; kurute—turns; arjuna—O Arjuna; jñāna-agniḥ—the fire of knowledge; sarva-karmāṇi—all reactions to material activities; bhasma-sāt—to ashes; kurute—it turns; tathā—similarly.

TRANSLATION
As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.

PURPORT
Perfect knowledge of self and Superself and of their relationship is compared herein to fire. This fire not only burns up all reactions to impious activities, but also all reactions to pious activities, turning them to ashes. There are many stages of reaction: reaction in the making, reaction fructifying, reaction already achieved, and reaction a priori. But knowledge of the constitutional position of the living entity burns everything to ashes. When one is in complete knowledge, all reactions, both a priori and a posteriori, are consumed. In the Vedas (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.22) it is stated, ubhe uhaivaiṣa ete taraty amṛtaḥ sādhv-asādhūnī: “One overcomes both the pious and impious reactions of work.”

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Raman (Radhika Raman Das) joined ISKCON in 2003 and got initiated by HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami Maharaj in 2011. As the Editor in Chief at "The Vaisnava - Online Magazine", he helps readers around the world hone in their Spiritual Curiosity, express their unique realizations as aspiring Vaisnava writers and enthusiasts, as well as to spread the digital seed of Srila Prabhupada's mission to spread Krishna Consciousness all around the globe.
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