4.Transcendental Knowledge Flashcards
Krishna - instructed BG to sun god,
Sun-god - instructed by Lord Krishna,
4.1
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha
manur ikṣvākave ’bravīt
śrī bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
imam—this; vivasvate—unto the sun-god; yogam—the science of one’s relationship to the Supreme;
proktavān—instructed; aham—I; avyayam—imperishable;
vivasvān—Vivasvān (the sun-god’s name); manave—unto the father of mankind (of the name Vaivasvata); prāha—told;
manuḥ—the father of mankind; ikṣvākave—unto King Ikṣvāku; abravīt—said.
The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.
Disciplic succession - transcendental knowledge received by,
Knowledge - received through disciplic succession,
Truth - received through disciplic succession,
4.2
evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa
evam—thus; paramparā—disciplic succession; prāptam—received;
imam—this science; rājarṣayaḥ—the saintly kings; viduḥ—understood;
saḥ—that knowledge; kālena—in the course of time; iha—in this world; mahatā—by great;
yogaḥ—the science of one’s relationship with the Supreme; naṣṭaḥ—scattered; parantapa—O Arjuna, subduer of the enemies.
This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.
Knowledge - understood by devotees,
4.3
sa evāyaṁ mayā te ’dya
yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ
bhakto ’si me sakhā ceti
rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam
saḥ—the same ancient; eva—certainly; ayam—this; mayā—by Me; te—unto you; adya—today;
yogaḥ—the science of yoga; proktaḥ—spoken; purātanaḥ—very old;
bhaktaḥ—devotee; asi—you are; me—My; sakhā—friend; ca—also; iti—therefore;
rahasyam—mystery; hi—certainly; etat—this; uttamam—transcendental.
That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.
Krishna - as unborn,
4.6
ajo ’pi sann avyayātmā
bhūtānām īśvaro ’pi san
prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya
sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā
ajaḥ—unborn; api—although; san—being so; avyaya—without deterioration; ātmā—body;
bhūtānām—all those who are born; īśvaraḥ—the Supreme Lord; api—although; san—being so;
prakṛtim—transcendental form; svām—of Myself; adhiṣṭhāya—being so situated;
sambhavāmi—I do incarnate; ātma-māyayā—by My internal energy.
Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.
Krishna - descends when there is irreligion,
4.7
yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
yadā—whenever; yadā—wherever; hi—certainly; dharmasya—of religion;
glāniḥ—discrepancies; bhavati—manifested, becomes; bhārata—O descendant of Bharata;
abhyutthānam—predominance; adharmasya—of irreligion;
tadā—at that time; ātmānam—self; sṛjāmi—manifest; aham—I.
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.
Krishna - descends to reestablish the religion,
4.8
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge
paritrāṇāya—for the deliverance; sādhūnām—of the devotees;
vināśāya—for the annihilation; ca—also; duṣkṛtām—of the miscreants;
dharma—principles of religion; saṁsthāpana-arthāya—to reestablish;
sambhavāmi—I do appear; yuge—millennium; yuge—after millennium.
In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.
Goloka Vrindava - attainment of means there is no rebirth,
Krishna - no rebirth for one who knows,
Sravanam/Hearing - about Krishna liberates one from rebirth,
4.9
janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ’rjuna
janma—birth; karma—work; ca—also; me—of Mine; divyam—transcendental;
evam—like this; yaḥ—anyone who; vetti—knows; tattvataḥ—in reality;
tyaktvā—leaving aside; deham—this body; punaḥ—again; janma—birth;
na—never; eti—does attain; mām—unto Me; eti—does attain; saḥ—he; arjuna—O Arjuna.
One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.
Anger - being freed from,
Fear - being freed from
4.10
vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā
man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ
bahavo jñāna-tapasā
pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ
vīta—freed from; rāga—attachment; bhaya—fear; krodhāḥ—anger;
mat-mayā—fully in Me; mām—unto Me; upāśritāḥ—being fully situated;
bahavaḥ—many; jñāna—knowledge; tapasā—by penance;
pūtāḥ—being purified; mat-bhāvam—transcendental love for Me; āgatāḥ—attained.
Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me—and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.
Surrender to Krishna - Krishna rewards,
4.11
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
ye—all of them; yathā—as; mām—unto Me; prapadyante—surrender;
tān—unto them; tathā—so; eva—certainly; bhajāmi—do I reward; aham—I;
mama—My; vartma—path; anuvartante—do follow;
manuṣyāḥ—all men; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; sarvaśaḥ—in all respects.
All of them—as they surrender unto Me—I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.
Krishna - created varna asrama system,
Varnasrama - created by Krishna,
4.13
cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ
viddhy akartāram avyayam
cātur-varṇyam—the four divisions of human society; mayā—by Me; sṛṣṭam—created;
guṇa—quality; karma—work; vibhāgaśaḥ—in terms of division;
tasya—of that; kartāram—the father; api—although; mām—Me;
viddhi—you may know; akartāram—as the non-doer; avyayam—being unchangeable.
According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.
Spiritual master/Guru - One must accept,
Truth - learned from a spiritual master,
4.34
tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
tat—that knowledge of different sacrifices; viddhi—try to understand; praṇipātena—by approaching a spiritual master;
paripraśnena—by submissive inquiries; sevayā—by the rendering of service;
upadekṣyanti—initiate; te—unto you; jñānam—knowledge;
jñāninaḥ—the self-realized; tattva—truth; darśinaḥ—the seers.
Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.
