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Bhagavad-gītā 4.37
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 37
- यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन ।
- ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा ॥३७॥
- yathaidhāṁsi samiddho 'gnir
- bhasma-sāt kurute 'rjuna
- jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi
- bhasma-sāt kurute tathā
yathājust as — just as; edhāṁsifirewood — firewood; samiddhaḥblazing — blazing; agniḥfire — fire; bhasmaashes-sātashes — ashes; kuruteturns — turns; arjunaO Arjuna — O Arjuna; jñānathe fire of knowledge-agniḥthe fire of knowledge — the fire of knowledge; sarvaall reactions to material activities-karmāṇiall reactions to material activities — all reactions to material activities; bhasmato ashes-sātto ashes — to ashes; kuruteit turns — it turns; tathāsimilarly — similarly.
As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.
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."