Bhagavat Gita a detailed study-chapter4The truth about action

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36.api cheth asi paapebhyaH sarvebhyaH paapakrthamaH

sarvam jnaanplavenaiva vrjinam samtharishyasi

 

Even if you are worst sinner, paapakrtthama, among all the sinners, With jnana as a boat, plava, you will cross over,samtharishyasi, all sins vrjinam (as in a river)

 

 

 

Then Krishna completes the discourse on jnana by extolling the glory of it. The perception of all beings right from the creator to a blade of grass as nothing but Brahman becomes the raft that takes one beyond all sins. Even a worst the sinner will cross over the sea of sins, says Krishna, if he acquires jnana, which means that the sinner would not acquire jnana unless he .becomes pure due to some merit acquired in his previous life like Valmiki. The phrase `api cheth asi,' meaning "even if you are the worst sinner does not refer to Arjuna who was not a sinner but it is to illustrate the effect of jnana even towards a sinner. This point is reiterated in chapter 9 by the slokas `api cheth sudhuraacharo,'and `kshipram bhavathi dharmathma,' where it will be explained in detail.

 

37. yaThaa eDhaamsi samidDhaH agniH bhasmasaath

kuruthe arjuna

jnaanaagniH sarvakarmaaNi bhasmasaath kuruthe thaThaa

 

As a fire, agniH, when kindled, samidDhaH, reduces all fuel, eDhaamsi, to ashes, bhasamasaath kuruthe, the jnana burns all karma to ashes.

 

 

How does jnana destroy sin ? The answer is proffered with an example. as a kindled fire reduces all fuel to ashes the fire of knowledge reduces all work to ashes.. The idea is that the knowledge which gives right perception robs all karma of the power to produce result. Here ` all karma' means the karma accumulated in the past lives, sanchitha, which has not yet started to produce result and that which is done after the dawn of knowledge, aagaami. The karma which has caused the present birth praarabdha, has to be exhausted.

 

 

38. na hi jnaanena sadhrSam pavithram iha vidhyathe

 

thath svyam yogasamsidDhah kaalena aathmani vindhathi

 

There is no greater purifying agent than the jnana. The one well equipped with yoga acquires this knowledge in due course.

 

39. SradDahaavaan labhathe jnaanam thathparaH

samyathendhriyaH

 

jnaanam labDhvaa paraam Santhim achirena aDhigacchathi

 

The one who has absolute faith gets this knowledge being intent on acquiring it and by self control. Then having acquired the jnana he enjoys utmost peace very soon

 

 

There is no greater purifier than jnana, which like fire burns all impurities due to karma. All the other purifying agents, internal like yama, dama, dhyana, japa and the rest and external ones like visiting temples, religious austerities, bathing in the holy rivers and so on are only the means of acquiring jnana. `Pavithraanaam pavithram yo mangalaanaam cha mangalam, `says Bhishma in his discourse on Vishnusahasranama. The Lord is purity in the pure and auspiciousness in the auspicious .So the knowledge of the Lord who is the Supreme Self is the purifier of all .One who practices Karmayoga and dhyanayoga, yoga of action and yoga of meditation acquires this knowledge in course of time, through sraddha, absolute faith. provided he is intent on it, thathparah and through self control, samyathendhriyah, when he attains the supreme peace instantaneously.

 

The secret of success even in the worldly pursuits comes only to him who is sraddhaavan, thathparah and samyathendhriyah. When for instance a man aims to become a great business magnate, he requires these three qualifications. He must have faith in his endeavour as otherwise half hearted effort will not fetch the desired result, he must be intent on his pursuit and he must have absolute control over himself and be ready to sacrifice all his other pleasures for the sake of his success in business. As mentioned in an earlier chapter, all the principles taught to the management trainees in modern days are found in Bhagavatgita.

 

40. ajnaScha aSradDhadhaanaScha samSsyaathmaa vinaSyathi

naayam loko asthi na parah na sukham samSyaathmanaH

 

The ignorant, ajnaH and the one who has no faith, aSradDhadhaanaH and the one who doubts (the validity of this jnana) are lost for ever and for them there is no happiness in this world and in the next.

 

That liberation follows from the right perception is the unshakable doctrine established in all the sasthras. There can be no doubt regarding this and the one who doubts this and has no faith can never hope to attain happiness either in this life or the next.

 

Without faith nothing can be achieved as for instance when you ask for directions to a place you have to have faith in the one who directs you. Similarly one who has no faith in scriptures or in the word of the saints will not acquire wisdom. A man who digs for water will get it only if he digs deep enough in one place and not if he tries in different places giving up each one after a little effort.

 

The word doubt should not be confused with enquiry. Earlier Krishna said that one should repeatedly question the master to acquire jnana. This is not doubt but the earnest desire to know the truth .Normally in usage especially in vernacular, the word samsaya means a doubt about something not clear. But samsaya here means the doubt about the validity, whereas praSna means a legitimate doubt with a desire to know