CHAPTER 4

Jnana Karma Sannyasa

Yoga
(Renunciation of Action in Knowledge)
 Chapter 4
Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga
42 Verses

3 Topics

Avatara Rahasyam Jnana Yoga Jnana Sadhanani

(Preparations)
1) Avatara Rahasyam :
• Vedas – Rig / Yajur / Sama / Atharvana primary scriptures.
Svetasvatara Upanishad :

Because I desire liberation, let me surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who first enlightened Lord
Brahma in Vedic knowledge through Lord Brahma's heart. The Lord is the original source of all enlightenment and
spiritual advancement. [Chapter 6 – Verse 18]

• Lord created Brahma and sent vedic wisdom – 4 heads of Brahma symbolic of 4 vedas.
• Rishis – Mantra Drishtakaraha not Kartakaraha.
• Vishwamitra Rishi – Gave Gayithri. 2
 • Our minds like TV set, receiving Signals already available.
• We have body and mind and live in the world to fulfill 4 Purusharthas.
• Vedas – Manual, Guidebook for Humanity.
2 Groups

Brahmanas Kshatriyas

- Learn and teach Dharma. - Maintain dharma and

- Svabavajam. destroy Adharma.
• Our senses are naturally extroverted.
Taittriya Upanishad :

The self-existent (Brahma) created the senses with outgoing tendencies ; therefore, man beholds the external universe
and not the internal Self (Atman). But only some wise man desirous of Immortality, with eyes averted (turned within and
with his senses turned away) from sensual objects, sees the Atman within. [II – I – 1]

• When human does not perpetuate veidica dharma, avatara comes to protect dharma.
• Rama – Taught by demonstration.
• Krisha – Gave teaching. 3
Differences :

Avatara Jiva
1) Cause : 1) Cause :
- Master of Body - “Karma”, Punya Papam responsible.
- Out of compassion chooses body. - Ajnanam responsible.
- Takes body according to necessity of
blessing.
- Hiranyakashyapu – Narasimha Shariram
- Verse 6

Though I am unborn and am of imperishable nature, and

though I am the Lord of all beings, yet, ruling over My
own nature, I take birth by My own maya.
[Chapter 4 – Verse 6]

2) Svarupa - Nature : 2) Svarupam :

- Mukta – born free, lives as Mukta. - Baddaha
- Goes back to Svarga as free person. - Bound by Agyanam and Karma, has
Moha – Delusions.
3) Mayika, Abautika Shariram 3) Body created by 5 elements
- Straight away takes Shariram. - Bautika Shariram.
- Direct - Indirect
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 Avatara Jiva

4) Function : 4) Function :
- Verse 8 - Has Sukha – Dukha – Anubava,
- Uplift and protect – Dharma Punya Papa exhaustion.
- Punish – Adharma
For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the
wicked and for the establishment of righteousness, I am
born in every age. [Chapter 4 – Verse 8]

5) Ishvara – Avatara 5) Jiva – Pathanam

- One who descends. - One who drops.

Verse 1, 2 :
The Blessed Lord said : I taught this imperishable yoga to
Vivasvan; Vivasvan taught to Manu; Manu taught it to
Iksvaku. [Chapter 4 – Verse 1]

This knowledge, handed down thus, in regular

succession, the royal sages knew. This yoga, by long lapse
of time, has been lost here, O Parantapa (burner of the
foes). [Chapter 4 – Verse 2]
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Jnana Yoga : (Verse 18 – 24)
• Karma Yoga – Incomplete without Jnana Yoga…
Example : Washing plates.
• Jnana Yoga – Impossible without Karma Yoga….
Example : Feeding.
The Blessed Lord said : You have grieved for those that
should not be grieved for; yet, you speak words of
wisdom. The wise grieve neither for the living nor for the
dead. [Chapter 2 – Verse 11]

• Pandita = That person in whom Atma Jnanam is found.

• Chapter 2 : Jnana Yoga : Verse 12 to 25
2 Jobs of scriptures

-
Negate misconception - Give correct description
-
What we consider as self. of self.
-
I am Body – Mind – Complex. - Atma Jnanam
-
(Son of – Male, young, educated, - Sat – Chit – Ananda
ignorant, emotional, happy, angry). Svarupa.
Nirvana Shatkam :
- Mano buddhi chittan….. [Verse 1]
- Na me Prana…. [Verse 2]
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Nirvana Shatakam :

Neither am I the Mind nor Intelligence or Ego, Neither am I the organs of Hearing (Ears), nor that of Tasting (Tongue),
Smelling (Nose) or Seeing (Eyes), Neither am I the Sky, nor the Earth, Neither the Fire nor the Air, I am the Ever Pure
Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva, I am Shiva, The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness. [Verse 1]

Neither am I the Vital Breath, nor the Five Vital Air, Neither am I the Seven Ingredients (of the Body), nor the Five Sheaths
(of the Body), Neither am I the organ of Speech, nor the organs for Holding ( Hand ), Movement ( Feet ) or Excretion, I am
the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva, I am Shiva, The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness. [Verse 2]

1st lesson in Jnana Yoga :

• I am not body or mind.

Body and Mind Spectacles

- Instruments through which I interact with the - Instrument to see the world + read.
world. - Part of external world only.
- Part of external world. - We mistake specs as part of ourself
- We mistake body and mind as part of ourself. and don’t list them out separate.
- Body & Mind taken as perceiver Conciousness. - Taken as perceiver I.
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How to Prove Body and Mind as Part of World?
• World – Made of 5 elements.
• Body & Mind – born out of food, sustained by food and resolves into 5 elements.
Body Mind
- Gross Matter - Subtle matter
- Chemicals influence mind.
How I know Body & Mind are temporary media / instruments of interaction?
• Avasta Traya Viveka.

Waking Dream Sleep

- Function through - Physical world not - Body & mind
gross body. available for transaction. instruments folded up.
- Transacting with - Function through mind - Don’t use any
physical world. medium. instrument.
- Thoughts and emotions - Abide in my svarupam.
are playing. - Neither there is
- Vasana maya prapancha. physical personality or
- Dream world + Dream Psychological personality.
world + dreamer
projected by mind.
- Don’t experience waking
world in dream world! 8
2nd Lesson in Jnana Yoga :
• I exist as my spiritual personality, without waking + Dream world & experiences.
• I am just an existent (Sat), Concious (Chit) being.
• Other than existence and Conciousness there is nothing else.
Scriptural Logic :
• What is incidental – Body & Mind – not my real nature.
3rd Lesson in Jnana Yoga :
• What is intrinsic – my real nature.

Heat of water Heat of fire

- Incidental (Agantukam) - Intrinsic (Svarupam)

Body and Mind with Chaitanyam Chaitanyam

- Incidental - Innate
- Physical & Psychological - I concious being is available in
personality. Jagrat, Svapna, Sushupti.

Put on Physical body Put on Mind Drop Body + Mind

- Waking - Dream - I abide in Atma Svarupam
- Inner world of emotions Sat, Chit, Ananda.
- Poorna, Nityaha. 9
What is size of Atma?
• Size only of instrument – Body.
• Limitations of size location only for Body & mind.
• No limitation in sleep.
• Atma is Poornaha – full, limitless – infinite.
Verse 20, 24, 25 :
Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of action,
ever content, depending on nothing, he does not do
anything, though engaged in actions.
[Chapter 4 – Verse 20]

Brahman is the oblation; Brahman is the clarified butter, and

so on, constituting the offerings; by Brahman is the oblation
poured into the fire of Brahman; Brahman verily, shall be
reached by him who always sees Brahman in all actions.
[Chapter 4 – Verse 24]

Some yogis perform sacrifice to devas alone (deva-yajna);

while others offer sacrifice of the Self (i.e. Atman itself)
as ‘sacrifice (oblation) by the Self’, in the ‘fire of
Brahman’ (Brahma-yajna). [Chapter 4 – Verse 25]

• I obtaining in sleep – real I.

• Dressed up – with Kanchukam – Uniform / dress is Ahamkara “I”.
• Atma being limitless like space, is Akarta.
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Verse 19 :
Whose undertakings are all devoid of desires and purposes,
and whose actions have been burnt by the ‘fire of
knowledge’, him the wise call a Sage. [Chapter 4 – Verse 19]

• I am free from all actions.

• I – Atma – Self – Akarta.
• Poornatvam and Akartrutvam are essential features of Atma.
• What is benefit of knowing Atma?
All human struggles are born out ignorance of this fact/ truth about my real nature.
• When I don’t know I am full and complete, I take body as myself = Apoorna.
• Ignorance causes Apoornatvam, sense of limitation. As long as I am Apoornaha, I
struggle to become Poornaha.

As Seeks Fulfillment in
Child Toys
Youth Ipad, Real Car, Marriage
Middle Age Children to be settled

• Desires many – House, status, relationships, children, power, position,

entertainment….
• All the time seeking “Fulfillment – Poornatvam” through the finite world. 11
• Apoornatvam leads to endless kamaha.

• Seeking will not stop till there is atma Jnanam.

Avidya

Apoornatvam

Kama

Karma

Punya Papam

Punar Janma = Samsara

• Wise – ever full, no struggles in life.

• Wise play in world – Leela.

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Verse 20 :
Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of action, ever
content, depending on nothing, he does not do anything,
though engaged in actions. [Chapter 4 – Verse 20]

• Trupti – permanently receding.

• Wise engage in activity with Poornatvam.
Verse 21 :
Without hope (desire), with the mind self controlled,
having abandoned all sense of possessions, doing mere
bodily action, he incurs no sin. [Chapter 4 – Verse 21]

• Kaupina vantaha… atman eva atmana tushtaha.

• Nirhashrayaha – doesn’t depend on external factor. Money / people – presence –
absence does not make any difference.
The Blessed Lord said : When a man completely casts off,
O Partha, all the desires of the mind and is satisfied in
the Self by the Self, then is he said to be one of steady
wisdom. [Chapter 2 – Verse 55]

• Once Jnanam comes – Moha, Kama, Papa, Apoorna, Nivritti takes place.
• We try to cut leaves – one Kama… another one comes.
• Need to cut Agyanam – Moolam… Samsara Nivritti after that.
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3rd topic :
Jnana Sadhanani – Preparatory
Discipline

Guru Upasadanam Sraddha Paratvam Samyatenindriya

- Chapter 4 – Verse 34 - Chapter 3 – Verse 2 - Chapter 4 – Verse 39 - Discipline in sense

- Guru has method of - Approach teacher - Commitment, organs.
communication. with Humility. sincerity. - Instrument should
- “Sampradaya” - Guru Never wrong. be in my control.
- Ashtanga yoga
integrates self.

Know that by long prostration, by question, and service;

the wise who have realised the Truth will instruct you in
(that) Knowledge. [Chapter 4 – Verse 34]

With this apparently perplexing speech you confuse, as it

were, my understanding; therefore, tell me that ‘one’
way by which, I, for certain, may attain the Highest.
[Chapter 3 – Verse 2]

The man who is full of faith, who is devoted to it, and

who has subdued the senses, obtains (this) Knowledge;
and having obtained knowledge, erelong he goes to the
supreme peace. [Chapter 4 – Verse 39]
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