Gita Bhashya -Sankara 188

Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya

(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)

CHAPTER -4

Yathaidhāmsi samiddho(a)gnir-bhasmasāt kurute{a)rjuna Jñānagnih sarvakārmani bhasmasāt kurute tathā 37. As blazing fire reduces wood to ashes, so, O Arjuna, does the fire of Knowledge reduce all karma to ashes. As blazing, well-kindled, fire reduces logs of wood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of Knowledge-Knowledge itself is fire- reduce all karma to ashes, i.e., renders it seedless (unproductive). The fire of Knowledge cannot, indeed, directly reduce action to ashes as fire does fuel; therefore, it should be understood that Right Knowledge is the means to render all actions impotent By virtue of its force, the karma by which the body has been produced will terminate only after btnng enjoyed; for, it has already commenced to bear fruit. Hence, Knowledge destroys only all those actions, whether done before the dawn of Knowledge or following Knowledge or done in the several previous births, which have not begun to bear fruit. Wherefore,