Bhagavad Gita -Srila Prabhupada 224

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita As It Is -Shri Shrimad A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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Transcendental Knowledge
Chapter 4: Verse-37

yathaidhämsi samiddho ’gnir
bhasma-sät kurute ’rjuna
jnänägnih sarva-karmäni
bhasma-sät kurute tathä[1]

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 aposteriori, are consumed. In the Vedas [2] it is stated, ubhe uhaivaisa ete taraty amrtah sädhv-asädhüni: “One overcomes both the pious and impious reactions of work.”



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References

  1. yathä=just as; edhämsi=firewood; samiddhah=blazing; agnih=fire; bhasma-sät=ashes; kurute=turns; arjuna=O Arjuna; jnäna-agnih=the fire of knowledge; sarva-karmäni=all reactions to material activities; bhasma-sät=to ashes; kurute=it turns; tathä=similarly.
  2. Brhad-äranyaka Upanisad 4.4.22

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