Chapter IV- Krishna. This deathless Yoga, this deep union,
- I taught Vivaswata, the Lord of Light;
- Vivaswata to Manu gave it; he
- To Ikshwaku; so passed it down the line
- Of all my royal Rishis. Then, with years,
- The truth grew dim and perished, noble Prince!
- Now once again to thee it is declared-
- This ancient lore, this mystery supreme-
- Seeing I find thee votary and friend.
- Arjuna. Thy birth, dear Lord, was in these later days
- And bright Vivaswata's preceded time!
- How shall I comprehend this thing thou sayest,
- "From the beginning it was I who taught?"
- Krishna. Manifold the renewals of my birth
- Have been, Arjuna! and of thy births, too!
- But mine I know, and thine thou knowest not,
- O Slayer of thy Foes! Albeit I be
- Unborn, undying, indestructible,
- The Lord of all things living; not the less-
- By Maya, by my magic which I stamp
- On floating Nature-forms, the primal vast-
- I come, and go, and come. When Righteousness
- Declines, O Bharata! when Wickedness
- Is strong, I rise, from age to age, and take
- Visible shape, and move a man with men,
- Succouring the good, thrusting the evil back,
- And setting Virtue on her seat again.
- Who knows the truth touching my births on earth
- And my divine work, when he quits the flesh
- Puts on its load no more, falls no more down
- To earthly birth: to Me he comes, dear Prince!
- Many there be who come! from fear set free,
- From anger, from desire; keeping their hearts
- Fixed upon me- my Faithful- purified
- By sacred flame of Knowledge. Such as these
- Mix with my being. Whoso worship me,
- Them I exalt; but all men everywhere
- Shall fall into my path; albeit, those souls
- Which seek reward for works, make sacrifice
- Now, to the lower gods. I say to thee
- Here have they their reward. But I am He
- Made the Four Castes, and portioned them a place
- After their qualities and gifts. Yea, I
- Created, the Reposeful; I that live
- Immortally, made all those mortal births:
- For works soil not my essence, being works
- Wrought uninvolved. Who knows me acting thus
- Unchained by action, action binds not him;
- And, so perceiving, all those saints of old
- Worked, seeking for deliverance. Work thou
- As, in the days gone by, thy fathers did.
- Thou sayst, perplexed, It hath been asked before
- By singers and by sages, "What is act,
- And what inaction?" I will teach thee this,
- And, knowing, thou shalt learn which work doth save
- Needs must one rightly meditate those three-
- Doing,- not doing,- and undoing. Here
- Thorny and dark the path is! He who sees
- How action may be rest, rest action- he
- Is wisest 'mid his kind; he hath the truth!
- He doeth well, acting or resting. Freed
- In all his works from prickings of desire,
- Burned clean in act by the white fire of truth,
- The wise call that man wise; and such an one,
- Renouncing fruit of deeds, always content.
- Always self-satisfying, if he works,
- Doth nothing that shall stain his separate soul,
- Which- quit of fear and hope- subduing self-
- Rejecting outward impulse-yielding up
- To body's need nothing save body, dwells
- Sinless amid all sin, with equal calm
- Taking what may befall, by grief unmoved,
- Unmoved by joy, unenvyingly; the same
- In good and evil fortunes; nowise bound
- By bond of deeds. Nay, but of such an one,
- Whose crave is gone, whose soul is liberate,
- Whose heart is set on truth- of such an one
- What work he does is work of sacrifice,
- Which passeth purely into ash and smoke
- Consumed upon the altar! All's then God!
- The sacrifice is Brahm, the ghee and grain
- Are Brahm, the fire is Brahm, the flesh it eats
- Is Brahm, and unto Brahm attaineth he
- Who, in such office, meditates on Brahm.
- Some votaries there be who serve the gods
- With flesh and altar-smoke; but other some
- Who, lighting subtler fires, make purer rite
- With will of worship. Of the which be they
- Who, in white flame of continence, consume
- Joys of the sense, delights of eye and ear,
- Foregoing tender speech and sound of song:
- And they who, kindling fires with torch of Truth,
- Burn on a hidden altar-stone the bliss
- Of youth and love, renouncing happiness:
- And they who lay for offering there their wealth,
- Their penance, meditation, piety,
- Their steadfast reading of the scrolls, their lore
- Painfully gained with long austerities:
- And they who, making silent sacrifice,
- Draw in their breath to feed the flame of thought,
- And breathe it forth to waft the heart on high,
- Governing the ventage of each entering air
- Lest one sigh pass which helpeth not the soul:
- And they who, day by day denying needs,
- Lay life itself upon the altar-flame,
- Burning the body wan. Lo! all these keep
- The rite of offering, as if they slew
- Victims; and all thereby efface much sin.
- Yea! and who feed on the immortal food
- Left of such sacrifice, to Brahma pass,
- To The Unending. But for him that makes
- No sacrifice, he hath nor part nor lot
- Even in the present world. How should he share
- Another, O thou Glory of thy Line?
- In sight of Brahma all these offerings
- Are spread and are accepted! Comprehend
- That all proceed by act; for knowing this,
- Thou shalt be quit of doubt. The sacrifice
- Which Knowledge pays is better than great gifts
- Offered by wealth, since gifts' worth- O my Prince!
- Lies in the mind which gives, the will that serves:
- And these are gained by reverence, by strong search,
- By humble heed of those who see the Truth
- And teach it. Knowing Truth, thy heart no more
- Will ache with error, for the Truth shall show
- All things subdued to thee, as thou to Me.
- Moreover, Son of Pandu! wert thou worst
- Of all wrong-doers, this fair ship of Truth
- Should bear thee safe and dry across the sea
- Of thy transgressions. As the kindled flame
- Feeds on the fuel till it sinks to ash,
- So unto ash, Arjuna! unto nought
- The flame of Knowledge wastes works' dross away!
- There is no purifier like thereto
- In all this world, and he who seeketh it
- Shall find it- being grown perfect- in himself.
- Believing, he receives it when the soul
- Masters itself, and cleaves to Truth, and comes-
- Possessing knowledge- to the higher peace,
- The uttermost repose. But those untaught,
- And those without full faith, and those who fear
- Are shent; no peace is here or other where,
- No hope, nor happiness for whoso doubts.
- He that, being self-contained, hath vanquished doubt,
- Disparting self from service, soul from works,
- Enlightened and emancipate, my Prince!
- Works fetter him no more! Cut then atwain
- With sword of wisdom, Son of Bharata!
- This doubt that binds thy heart-beats! cleave the bond
- Born of thy ignorance! Be bold and wise!
- Give thyself to the field with me! Arise!
HERE ENDETH Chapter IV OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, Entitled "Jnana Yog," Or "The Book of the Religion of Knowledge." |
