Krishna begins chapter 4 by stating that he declared this perennial yoga to Vivasvat. Vivasvat told it to Manu and Manu told it to Ikshvaku.
Thus, the linage was accomplished. The royal seers knew this. After a long time yoga was destroyed in this world.
Krishna declared that ancient yoga to Arjuna because he was devoted and a friend of Krishna. That mystical teaching is supreme.
Arjuna asked Krishna, "You declared it in the beginning. Your birth was later. Vivasvat's birth was earlier. How should I understand this."
Krishna replied, "Many of my and your births have passed. I know them all, but Arjuna knows none of them.
Even though Krishna is unborn, an imperishable self, the lord of beings, and having governance over his own nature, he comes into being by the magical power of the self.
Whenever decay of duty exists and non-duty rises up, Krishna creates himself.
For rescue of the righteous and for destruction of the evil doers, from age to age, Krishna comes into being for the means of establishing duty.
One who truly knows Krishna's divine birth and action, that one goes to him. Having abandoned the body, one does not have a rebirth.
Free of passion, danger, and anger, absorbed in Krishna, taking refuge in Krishna, many purified by austerity in knowledge return to my state of being.
The manner in which they take refuge in Krishna, in that way, Krishna accepts them. Everywhere, human beings follow Krishna's path.
Here, desiring divine powers, they sacrifice accomplishment of actions. Quickly, in the human world, success is born from such actions.
According to the distribution of the gunas with their actions related to the four castes created by me, although the creator of that, you must know me as the imperishable, non-doer.
Actions do not stain me. My desire is not in the fruit of action. One who understands me, that one is not bound by actions.
Thus, having known, even action was done by the ancients desirous of release. Therefore, you must engage in action, as done previously by the ancients.
"What is action? What is inaction?" Here, even the poets are confused. I shall explain that action to you, which having known, you shall be liberated from unpleasantness.
Indeed, of action to be known, and of wrong action to be known, and even of inaction to be known. The way of action is difficult to understand.
One who would see inaction and one who [would see] action in inaction. That one is wise among humans. That one is yoked performing all action.
Of whom abandoned intentions of desire in all undertakings, the wise ones called that one a pandit, possessed of action consumed by the fire of knowledge.
Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of action, always satisfied, [and] not dependent. Indeed, even proceeding in action, that one does not do anything.
Free of desire, the self with the mind controlled, attainment of complete surrender, one does not incur fault performing action only related to the body.
Acting as one likes, contentment obtained, gone beyond opposites, free from envy, equal in success and failure. Even having done, one is not bound.
Action of the attachment gone, of the liberated, of the mind established in knowledge undertaken for sacrifice is wholly melted away.
Brahman is offering. Brahman is oblation. Poured out by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. Indeed, Brahman is attained by that one's samadhi in the actions of Brahman.
Some yogins partake in sacrifice, indeed, in relation to a god. Others sacrifice sacrifice, indeed, by sacrifice in the fire of Brahman.
Others sacrifice the sense of hearing and so forth in the fires of restraint. Others sacrifice the objects of the senses regarding the sounds and so forth in the fire of the senses.
Others sacrifice all actions of prana and the senses in the fire of yoga of the restraint of the self kindled by knowledge.
Thus, others are ascetics with objects of devotion decided, sacrifice objects, austerity, yoga, and knowledge of recitation to oneself.
Others also sacrifice prāṇa in the apāna and apāna in prāṇa. Intent on the extension and control of prāṇa having contained the motion of prāṇa and apāna.
Others, restrained in taking food, sacrifice prāṇās in the prāṇās. All these also are knowers of sacrifice, whose sins are destroyed by sacrifice.
Enjoying the nectar of the remainder of the sacrifice they go to the eternal Brahman. The non-sacrificing one does not have this world, much less the other, Best of the Kurus?
Thus, many kinds of sacrifices are arranged in the the mouth of Brahman. You must know all of them are born of action. Thus having known, you shall be liberated.
Sacrifice of wisdom is better than sacrifice of material possessions, Scorcher of the Foe. All cultivated action is fully comprehended in knowledge, Son of Pritha.
That you must know by complete surrender, by inquiry, by service. The wise ones, seers of reality, will teach knowledge to thee.
Which having known, there is not again confusion. Thus, by which wholeness you will go, you will see beings in the self, then in me, Son of Pandu.
Even if you are the greatest evil-doer of all the sinners, indeed, you will cross over all wickedness by the boat of knowledge.
Arjuna, just as lit fire reduces kindling to ashes, so the fire of knowledge reduces all actions to ashes.
Indeed, no similar purifier like knowledge is found in the world. One's self is perfected by yoga. With time one finds that [knowledge] in the self.
Full of faith one attains that knowledge. Having attained knowledge, one devoted to control of the senses speedily attains supreme peace.
Unknowing and unbelieving and the self with doubts is destroyed. The self with doubts has no pleasure in this world or the beyond.
Actions do not bind action abandoned in yoga, doubt cut to pieces by knowledge, the composed, Conqueror of Wealth.
Therefore, having cut into pieces this doubt born in ignorance abiding in the heart with the sword of knowledge of the self, you must stand up and perform yoga, Descendant of Bharata.
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