Yog of Knowledge and Action
Chapter 4, Verse 28
dravya yajñās-tapo yajñā
yoga yajñās-tathā’pare
svādhyāya-jñāna yajñāśca
yatayaḥ saṁśita vratāḥ
Others again offer material objects, tapas and yoga as sacrifice, while others, being self-restrained and of rigid vows, offer their scriptural study and knowledge as sacrifice.
In this verse, you see that everything can be offered as a sacrifice. “Others again offer material objects.” If those who have material possessions offer whatever God has given them in the form of material things, with an attitude of serving the Divine, it becomes a yagna and becomes sanctified. This will free oneself, even if one is doing Karma Yoga in the outside world. Here Krishna is talking to everybody, including the householders who live and work in outside world, not only to people who run away to the forests or live in ashrams. In ancient times, people had the notion of giving, of participating in the ashram life, by supporting the saints. They would give donations. It’s important that the householders do charity. If they offer it happily, with an open heart to Krishna saying, “Krishna Arpan,” it is considered an act of sacrifice; by having a spirit of serving, one will attain God Consciousness, one will attain God-Realisation.
The word ‘tapas’ here means difficult sadhana; activities which involve hardship and endurance, like the yogis who meditate standing on one foot. Krishna says that if one does rigorous penance and yoga, by controlling the breathing, the inhaling and exhaling, one will also attain God-Realisation. But for this ‘tapas’ to be accepted by the Lord as sacrifice, the yogi shouldn’t be focused on self-gain, and they shouldn’t have any sense of possession, attachment or desire. Very often, when people do this austere and strict sadhana, it’s with the motive of personal gain. When we go to Tarapith and visit the cemetery, we see many people practising their sadhana there. This cemetery is considered to be a siddha peeth, so people go there with a personal aim, to gain siddhis. If people do their sadhana with a selfish motive, aiming to just please their own ego, it’s of no use. However, if one is performing rigorous sadhana, with an attitude of surrendering it to the Divine, aiming to attain God alone, one will attain God-Realisation. So, whatever tapasya or charity you do, you must surrender it to God and aim only for Him.
“...being self-restrained and of rigid vows, they offer their scriptural study and knowledge as sacrifice.” Here Krishna was talking about the Jyaana yogi, saying that whatever knowledge one gets from the scriptures, one should be aware of the Truth of God. The scriptures describe the glory of the Divine and how to surrender to Him. One should be aware of that and not become proud about one’s knowledge. Like that, one will be free and will attain Him. However, if pride arises out of knowledge, one will not get any benefit; it will not lead one anywhere. One should always use the knowledge for the benefit of society with the right attitude – to help others and be detached from it.
Here again, Krishna was speaking about all the phases of life, in the world itself, to help people understand that they should not stop doing their duty. Everywhere there is action, but how the action is done and the attitude with which the action is done, is very important. Remember God in everything you do. And whatever the result, offer it to the Divine.
Bhagavad Gita
