FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 2.39

एषा तेऽभिहिता सांख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां श‍ृणु । बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि ॥ ३९ ॥
eṣā te ’bhihitā sāṅkhye
[eshaa te ’bhihitaa saankhye]
buddhir yoge tv imāṁ śṛṇu
[buddhir yoge tv imaam shrinu]
buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha
[buddhyaa yukto yayaa paartha]
karma-bandhaṁ prahāsyasi
[karma-bandham prahaasyasi]
Word-for-word
eṣā — all this te — unto you abhihitā — described sāṅkhye — in analytical study buddhiḥ — intelligence yoge — in work without fruitive result tu — but imām — this śṛṇu — just hear buddhyā — by intelligence yuktaḥ — dovetailed yayā — by which pārtha — O son of Pṛthā karma - bandham — bondage of reaction prahāsyasi — you can be released from .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
eṣā te ’bhihitā sāṅkhye
eṣā
all this
te
unto you
buddhir yoge tv imāṁ śṛṇu
buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha
karma-bandhaṁ prahāsyasi
abhihitā
described
sāṅkhye
in analytical study
buddhiḥ
intelligence
yoge
in work without fruitive result
tu
but
imām
this
śṛṇu
just hear
buddhyā
by intelligence
yuktaḥ
dovetailed
yayā
by which
pārtha
O son of Pṛthā
karma - bandham
bondage of reaction
prahāsyasi
you can be released from .
Important Words
  • sāṅkhye — in analytical knowledge
    Locative of sāṅkhya — *counting*, analytical discrimination. The first half of the chapter (11-30) has been sāṅkhya in this Gītā-specific sense: distinguishing eternal from temporary.
  • buddhiḥ — intelligence
    The faculty under discussion. The Gītā's term for the discriminating power that grasps doctrine and translates it into action. Verses 41 onward will name vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ as the right kind.
  • yoge — in yoga
    Locative — *in yoga*. From √yuj — to yoke. The second half of the chapter (39-72) will unfold this. Yoga here means karma-yoga first, then sthita-prajña-yoga — action without attachment, leading to fixed wisdom.
  • karma - bandham — bondage of action
    Compound — *the bondage which is action*. Karma binds, but the binding can be undone by buddhi-yukta action. The verse defines yoga by its result: liberation from karma-bandha while still acting.
  • prahāsyasi — you will cast off
    Future of pra-√hā — to abandon decisively. The verse promises: you *will* cast it off. Not a vague hope but a definite future, conditional on adopting buddhi-yoga.
Thus far I have described this knowledge to you through analytical study. Now listen as I explain it in terms of working without fruitive results. O son of Pṛthā, when you act in such knowledge you can free yourself from the bondage of works.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa formally announces the structural shift: what he has explained as Sāṅkhya (analytical knowledge of ātman), he will now teach as Yoga (action without attachment). The same goal — release from karma's bondage — is approached via a second path.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
BG 2.39 is the architectonic hinge of the chapter. Sāṅkhya here is not yet the dualist school of Īśvarakṛṣṇa but the older sense of 'discriminative understanding'. Yoga is the practical method of disciplined action. Karma-bandha ('bondage of action') is the technical problem both paths address; only the strategy differs.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे पार्थ! एषा ते सांख्ये बुद्धिः अभिहिता; योगे तु इमाम् शृणु, यया बुद्ध्या युक्तः (त्वम्) कर्म-बन्धम् प्रहास्यसि ।
he pārtha! eṣā te sāṃkhye buddhiḥ abhihitā; yoge tu imām śṛṇu, yayā buddhyā yuktaḥ (tvam) karma-bandham prahāsyasi |
This understanding has been declared to you in (the path of) Sāṅkhya; now hear the same in (the path of) Yoga, by which intelligence united, O Pārtha, you will cast off the bondage of action.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
एषा ते अभिहिता सांख्ये बुद्धिः योगे तु इमाम् शृणु । बुद्ध्या युक्तः यया पार्थ कर्म-बन्धम् प्रहास्यसि ॥
eṣā te abhihitā sāṃkhye buddhiḥ yoge tu imām śṛṇu | buddhyā yuktaḥ yayā pārtha karma-bandham prahāsyasi ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
एषा eṣā एतद् (dem. (demonstrative)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)f. this
ते te युष्मद् (pron. (pronoun)) dat./gen.sg. (genitive singular) to you
अभिहिता abhihitā अभि+√धा p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)f., 'declared' declared
सांख्ये sāṃkhye सांख्य (n.) loc.sg. (locative singular), 'in Sāṅkhya' in (the path of) Sāṅkhya
बुद्धिः buddhiḥ बुद्धि (f.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'understanding' understanding, intelligence
योगे yoge योग (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in (the path of) Yoga
तु tu ind. (indeclinable), 'now / but' now
इमाम् imām इदम् (dem. (demonstrative)) acc.sg. (accusative singular)f. this (same)
शृणु śṛṇu √श्रु impv. 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) hear
बुद्ध्या buddhyā बुद्धि (f.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by intelligence
युक्तः yuktaḥ √युज् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., 'joined' united
यया yayā यद् (rel.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular)f. by which
पार्थ pārtha पार्थ (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O Pārtha
कर्म-बन्धम् karma-bandham कर्म (n.) + बन्ध (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound), 'bondage of action' bondage of karma
प्रहास्यसि prahāsyasi प्र+√हा fut. (future) 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice), 'will give up' you will cast off
Purport

According to the Nirukti, or the Vedic dictionary, saṅkhyā means that which describes things in detail, and sāṅkhya refers to that philosophy which describes the real nature of the soul. And yoga involves controlling the senses. Arjuna’s proposal not to fight was based on sense gratification. Forgetting his prime duty, he wanted to cease fighting, because he thought that by not killing his relatives and kinsmen he would be happier than by enjoying the kingdom after conquering his cousins and brothers, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. In both ways, the basic principles were for sense gratification. Happiness derived from conquering them and happiness derived by seeing kinsmen alive are both on the basis of personal sense gratification, even at a sacrifice of wisdom and duty. Kṛṣṇa, therefore, wanted to explain to Arjuna that by killing the body of his grandfather he would not be killing the soul proper, and He explained that all individual persons, including the Lord Himself, are eternal individuals; they were individuals in the past, they are individuals in the present, and they will continue to remain individuals in the future, because all of us are individual souls eternally. We simply change our bodily dress in different manners, but actually we keep our individuality even after liberation from the bondage of material dress. An analytical study of the soul and the body has been very graphically explained by Lord Kṛṣṇa. And this descriptive knowledge of the soul and the body from different angles of vision has been described here as Sāṅkhya, in terms of the Nirukti dictionary. This Sāṅkhya has nothing to do with the Sāṅkhya philosophy of the atheist Kapila. Long before the imposter Kapila’s Sāṅkhya, the Sāṅkhya philosophy was expounded in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by the true Lord Kapila, the incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who explained it to His mother, Devahūti. It is clearly explained by Him that the puruṣa, or the Supreme Lord, is active and that He creates by looking over the prakṛti. This is accepted in the Vedas and in the Gītā. The description in the Vedas indicates that the Lord glanced over the prakṛti, or nature, and impregnated it with atomic individual souls. All these individuals are working in the material world for sense gratification, and under the spell of material energy they are thinking of being enjoyers. This mentality is dragged to the last point of liberation when the living entity wants to become one with the Lord. This is the last snare of māyā, or sense gratificatory illusion, and it is only after many, many births of such sense gratificatory activities that a great soul surrenders unto Vāsudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa, thereby fulfilling the search after the ultimate truth. Arjuna has already accepted Kṛṣṇa as his spiritual master by surrendering himself unto Him: śiṣyas te ’haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam. Consequently, Kṛṣṇa will now tell him about the working process in buddhi-yoga, or karma-yoga, or in other words, the practice of devotional service only for the sense gratification of the Lord. This buddhi-yoga is clearly explained in Chapter Ten, verse ten, as being direct communion with the Lord, who is sitting as Paramātmā in everyone’s heart. But such communion does not take place without devotional service. One who is therefore situated in devotional or transcendental loving service to the Lord, or, in other words, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, attains to this stage of buddhi-yoga by the special grace of the Lord. The Lord says, therefore, that only to those who are always engaged in devotional service out of transcendental love does He award the pure knowledge of devotion in love. In that way the devotee can reach Him easily in the ever-blissful kingdom of God. Thus the buddhi-yoga mentioned in this verse is the devotional service of the Lord, and the word Sāṅkhya mentioned herein has nothing to do with the atheistic sāṅkhya-yoga enunciated by the imposter Kapila. One should not, therefore, misunderstand that the sāṅkhya-yoga mentioned herein has any connection with the atheistic Sāṅkhya. Nor did that philosophy have any influence during that time; nor would Lord Kṛṣṇa care to mention such godless philosophical speculations. Real Sāṅkhya philosophy is described by Lord Kapila in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but even that Sāṅkhya has nothing to do with the current topics. Here, Sāṅkhya means analytical description of the body and the soul. Lord Kṛṣṇa made an analytical description of the soul just to bring Arjuna to the point of buddhi-yoga, or bhakti-yoga. Therefore, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Sāṅkhya and Lord Kapila’s Sāṅkhya, as described in the Bhāgavatam, are one and the same. They are all bhakti-yoga. Lord Kṛṣṇa said, therefore, that only the less intelligent class of men make a distinction between sāṅkhya-yoga and bhakti-yoga ( sāṅkhya-yogau pṛthag bālāḥ pravadanti na paṇḍitāḥ ). Of course, atheistic sāṅkhya-yoga has nothing to do with bhakti-yoga, yet the unintelligent claim that the atheistic sāṅkhya-yoga is referred to in the Bhagavad-gītā. One should therefore understand that buddhi-yoga means to work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the full bliss and knowledge of devotional service. One who works for the satisfaction of the Lord only, however difficult such work may be, is working under the principles of buddhi-yoga and finds himself always in transcendental bliss. By such transcendental engagement, one achieves all transcendental understanding automatically, by the grace of the Lord, and thus his liberation is complete in itself, without his making extraneous endeavors to acquire knowledge. There is much difference between work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and work for fruitive results, especially in the matter of sense gratification for achieving results in terms of family or material happiness. Buddhi-yoga is therefore the transcendental quality of the work that we perform.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
39. I have taught you understanding necessary for the process of jñāna. Now hear about understanding necessary for the process of bhakti. By engaging your intelligence in this yoga, O son of Pṛthā, you will become free from the bondage of karma.
Commentary

In this verse, Kṛṣṇa concludes the topic of jñāna-yoga which he has just taught. Sāṅkhya means “that by which true knowledge of things (vastu-tattvam) is perfectly (samak) revealed (khyāyate).” In other words, sāṅkhya means a perfect process of knowing. The intelligence (eṣā) to be implemented in that process has been explained. Now hear about the intelligence necessary to implement bhakti-yoga (yoge) which will now be explained. Endowed with this understanding concerning the subject of bhakti-yoga, you will give up saṁsāra [Note: Saṁsāra refers to repeated birth and death in this world.] (karma-bandham).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
39. I have spoken to you knowledge of ātmā jñāna. Now hear about knowledge of niskāma karma yoga. By engaging your intelligence in this yoga, O son of Pṛthā, you will become free from the bondage of karma.
Commentary

Having concluded His instructions on jñāna yoga, the Lord now begins to speak about niṣkāma karma yoga, the process for attaining jñāna yoga. Saṁkhya means upaniṣad, that by which truth is completely explained (samyak khyāyate), that by which the true nature of ātmā is presented. The understanding (eṣa buddhiḥ) necessary for performance of sankhya (sāṅkhye) alone has been spoken to you, starting with ne tv evāhaṁ (verse 12) and ending with tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni (verse 30). If that understanding does not arise because of impurities in your heart, hear about the understanding necessary to execute karma yoga (yoge), which will now be spoken, and which includes with it knowledge or jñāna, according to statements of the śrutis: tam etaṁ vedānuvacanena brāhmaṇā vividiṣanti yajñena dānena tapasā nāśakena: Brāhmaṇas seek to know the Lord by study of the Vedas, by sacrifice, by charity, by austerity, and by fasting. Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Uāniṣad 4.4.22 This niṣkāma karma yoga is then praised in the last line by stating the results of practicing it. You, performing these actions, engaged in this understanding, will be freed from the bondage created by action. Executing these actions with great energy with a desire for the bliss of ātmā and by the order of the Lord, you will cross over saṁsāra by being fixed in ātmā jñāna which will appear within you, which gains its power to liberate by being directed to ātmā and the Lord. In the Gītā it is explained that sakāma karma leads to gaining animals, sons or kingdom, whereas niṣkāma karma brings about jñāna.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Here is a break in the flow of this chapter of the B.gita. Previously what was discussed, aside from Karma‑kanda, was Jnana or basically a inactive way of Sankhya or Jnana‑yoga where one renounces work and through his intelligence, through his descriminating powers,he realizes and contemplates on the fact that he is a soul and not his body. That what was previously described. Now Krsna is going to describe in the next section, Buddhi‑yoga, or a different way to realize trancendental knowledge, not through renunciation of activity but through work. This descrimination of two ways to understand transcendental knowledge, one by renouncing work and the other by working in the proper consciousness, is one of the main considerations of the entire B.gita. There will be many tricky points that will become very clear if one understands these two issues. And Arjuna asks this question at the beginning of the 3rd Chapter, at the beginning of the 5th Chapter, at the beginning of the 6th Chapter, in the 18th Chapter, right at the beginning, Arjuna summarizes to clarify "what actually is renunciation and what is work? Which should I do? Should I become renounced, not performing any activity, or should I work? Inactivity or activity ‑ which is spiritual? " And which does Krsna recommend? This is a very important descrimination that Krsna answers again and again for Arjuna to push him towards "working in the consciousness of renunciation", not renouncing activity. This is the particular discrimination that this Text 39 is making. Analytical study means renunciation of activity and that brings one to the platform of Jnana or acting in Jnana. So renunciation of activity in one hand and acting in renunciation on the other hand. Krsna is a great speaker, He says:"Now listen, if you act O son of Prtha in such knowledge you will free yourself from the bondage of works". He is here awakening Arjuna's interest, because Arjuna is very much afraid of the sinful reactions. And Krsna says :"here listen very carefully, I will explain to you how you become free of sinful reactions!" And if someone tells us "I am going to tell you how to remove your fear from you right now!", naturally we will listen very closelly. Srila Prabhupada explains in his Purport: "Arjuna has already accepted Krsna as his spiritual master by surrendering himself unto Him: sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam. Consequently, Krsna will now tell him about the working process in buddhi‑yoga, or karma‑yoga, or in other words, the practice of devotional service only for the sense gratification of the Lord. This buddhi‑yoga is clearly explained in Chapter Ten, verse ten, as being direct communion with the Lord, who is sitting as Paramatma in everyone's heart. But such communion does not take place without devotional service. One who is therefore situated in devotional or transcendental loving service to the Lord, or, in other words, in Krsna consciousness, attains to this stage of buddhi‑yoga by the special grace of the Lord. The Lord says, therefore, that only to those who are always engaged in devotional service out of transcendental love does He award the pure knowledge of devotion in love. In that way the devotee can reach Him easily in the ever‑blissful kingdom of God."

This Buddhi‑yoga or Karma‑yoga has different stages and the topmost stage is when Krsna blesses the devotee with full Buddhi or intelligence or Samvit and Hladhini Saktis and in this way one is fully absorbed in Krsna without any effort ‑ that is called "love of God".

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study Key verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Buddhi-yoga as the motivating principle – Sankhya-yoga (analytical study of body and soul) is

explained to bring one to the platform of Buddhi-yoga (working without fruitive results)

Benefits of acting in Buddhi-yoga – One can work but still remain free from bondage of works (No need to avoid work, if you desire to avoid reaction)

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXT 2.39

Here Jnana is used as a basis to perform duty and not used to renounce

duty (as against Arjuna’s desire to renounce duty based on jnana)

SUMMARISED THEME 2E

KRISHNA’S MOTIVATING STRATEGY TO CONVINCE
ARJUNA TO FIGHT (2.10 – 2.39)

A) Texts 2.10 – 2.11

Krishna decides to speak and motivate Arjuna to fight

B) Texts 2.11 – 2.30

Strategy used: Philosophy of ‘Jnana’
Principle involved – Knowledge of ‘immortality of soul’
This dispels Arjuna’s material compassion and lamentation based on the bodily conception of life

C) Texts 2.31 – 2.38

Strategy used: Philosophy of ‘Karma Kanda’
Principle involved – How to gain higher enjoyment and avoid misery by performing prescribed duty of fighting
This is a mundane principle and has no spiritual value

D) Texts 2.39 – 2.53

Strategy used: Philosophy of ‘Niskama-karma-yoga’/’Buddhi-yoga’
Principle involved – Detached work (Work based on ‘jnana’)

▪ Based on ‘knowledge of soul’ and ‘relation with Krishna’ (This knowledge was

explained in Section II)

▪ Detached from calculation of enjoyment and misery as was suggested in

Section III - Karma-kanda (2.31 – 2.38)

This principle involves practical application of the knowledge of the constitutional position of the soul

E) Srila Prabhupada takes it to an even higher level of motivation – “Pleasure of Krishna” (Ref. 2.38

purport). This equates Niskama-karma-yoga on the level of Bhakti-yoga

Focus of Learning

(a) Meaning of terms Saìkhyā & Sāìkhya and yoga:

Saìkhyā – That which describes things in detail
Sāìkhya – That philosophy which describes the real nature of the soul
Yoga – Yoga involves controlling the senses

(b) Basis of Arjuna’s decision – Arjuna’s decision was based on ‘sense gratification’ as opposed to the

‘concept of yoga’

Forgetting his prime duty to fight, he thought that by not killing his relatives he would be happier than by enjoying the kingdom after killing all the sons of Dhrtarastra
Happiness from conquering them and happiness by seeing kinsmen alive are both based on personal sense gratification

(c) How Krishna addressed this issue based on Sāìkhya philosophy

Krishna explained that by killing the body, he would not be killing the soul proper – all are eternal individuals (2.12)
Body is changed like change of dress (2.22)
This descriptive knowledge of soul and body from different angles of vision has been described here as Sāìkhya (according to Nirukti dictionary)
This is different from atheistic Sāìkhya (of imposter Kapila)

(d) ‘Krishna’s Sāìkhya in this text’ vs ‘Lord Kapila’s Sāìkhya’ vs ‘Athestic Kapila’s Sāìkhya’

Buddhi-yoga mentioned here refers to devotional service of the Lord
Athestic Sāìkhya philosophy had no influence during that time, nor would Lord Krishna care to mention such god-less philosophical speculations
Real Sāìkhya philosophy is described by Lord Kapila in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, but even that Sāìkhya has nothing to do with the current topics.
Sāìkhya-yoga to Buddhi-yoga – Here, Sāìkhya means analytical description of the body and the soul. Lord Krishna made an analytical description of the soul just to bring Arjuna to the point of buddhi-yoga, or bhakti-yoga
Krishna’s Sāìkhya vs Kapila’s Sāìkhya – Therefore, Lord Krishna's Sāìkhya and Lord Kapila's Sāìkhya, as described in the Bhagavatam, are one and the same. They are all bhakti-yoga
Conclusion – Lord Krishna said, therefore, that only the less intelligent class of men make a distinction between Sāìkhya-yoga and Bhakti-yoga – Ref. Bg. 5.4 (Sāìkhya-yogau prthag...)

(e) What was true Lord Kapila’s Sāìkhya which was explained to His mother Devahuti – Following

are the basic principles:

Purusha creates material world – It says that Purusha or the Supreme Lord is active and He creates by looking over the prakriti
Creates by glace – Vedic description indicates that Lord glanced over the prakriti or nature and impregnated it with the atomic individual souls
Spell of illusion in material world – Under the spell of material energy, all these individuals are working for sense gratification thinking of being enjoyers, this mentality is being dragged to the last snare of maya, when the living entity wants to become one with the Lord
Ultimate goal of living entity – After many, many births of sense gratification, a great soul surrenders unto Vasudeva (Bg. 7.19)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.39 Partha, O son of Prtha (Arjuna); esa, this; buddhih, wisdom, the Knowledge which directly removes the defect (viz ignorance) that is responsible for sorrow, delusion, etc. [Mundane existence consists of attraction and repulsion, agentship and enjoyership, etc. These are the defects, and they arise from ignorance about one's Self. Enlightenment is the independent and sole cause that removes this ignorance.] constituting mundane existence; abhihita, has been imparted; te, to you; sankhye, from the standpoint of Self-realization, with regard to the discriminating knowledge of the supreme Reality. Tu, but; srnu, listen; imam, to this wisdom which will be imparted presently; yoge, from the spandpoint of Yoga, from the standpoint of the means of attaining it (Knowledge) i.e., in the context of Karma-yoga, the performance of rites and duties with detachment after destroying the pairs of opposites, for the sake of adoring God, as also in the context of the practice of spiritual absorption. As as inducement, He (the Lord) praises that wisdom: Yuktah, endowed; yaya, with which; buddhya, wisdom concerning Yoga; O Partha, prahasyasi, you will get rid of; karma-bandham, the bondage of action action is itself the bondage described as righteousness and unrighteousness; you will get rid of that bondage by the attainment of Knowledge through God's grace. This is the idea.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
2.39 'Sankhya' means 'intellect,' and the truth about the Atman, which is determinable by the intellect, is 'Sankhyam'. Concerning the nature of the self which has to be known, whatever Buddhi has to be taught, has been taught to you in the passage beginning with, 'It is not that I did not exist' (II.12) and ending with the words, 'Therefore, you shall not grieve for any being' (II.30). The disposition of mind (Buddhi) which is reired for the performance of works preceded by knowledge of the self and which thus constitutes the means of attaining release, that is here called by the term Yoga. It will be clearly told later on, 'Work done with desire for fruits is far inferior to work done with evennes of mind' (II. 49). What Buddhi or attitude of mind is reired for making your act deserve the name of Yoga, listen to it now. Endowed with that knowledge, you will be able to cast away the bondage of Karma. 'Karma-bandha' means the bondage due to Karma i.e., the bondage of Samsara. Now Sri Krsna explains the glory of works associated with the Buddhi to be described hereafter:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
2.39 Esa te etc. And this knowledge in th form of determination has been declared [to you] for your sankhya, i.e., perfect knowledge. Now, how the self-same determinate knowledge is also taught for the Yoga i.e., dexerity in action - in that manner only you must listen to by means of which determinate knowledge you shall avoid the binding nature of the actions. Truely, the actions do not themselves bind as they are insentient. Hence, it is the Self which binds Itself by means of the actions in the form of mental impressions.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.39 This, which has been taught to thee, is wisdon concerning Sankhya. Now listen to wisdom concerning Yoga, endowed with which, O Arjuna, thou shalt cast off the bonds of action.
Commentary

2.39 एषा this? ते to thee? अभिहिता (is) declared? सांख्ये in Sankhya? बुद्धिः wisdom? योगे in the Yoga? तु indeed? इमाम् this? श्रृणु hear? बुद्ध्या with wisdom? युक्तः endowed with? यया which? पार्थ O Partha? कर्मबन्धम् bondage of Karma? प्रहास्यसि (thou) shalt cast off.Commentary Lord Krishna taught Jnana (knowledge) to Arjuna till now. (Sankhya Yoga is the path of Vedanta or Jnana Yoga? which treats of the nature of the Atman or the Self and the methods to attain Selfrealisation. It is not the Sankhya philosophy of sage Kapila.) He is now giving to teach Arjuna the technie or secret of Karma Yoga endowed with which he (or anybody else) can break through the bonds of Karma. The Karma Yogi should perform work without expectation of fruits of his actions? without the idea of agency (or the notin I do this)? without attachment? after annihilating or going beyond all the pairs of opposites such as heat and cold? gain and loss? victoyr and defeat? etc. Dharma and Adharma? or merit and demerit will not touch that Karma Yogi who works without attachment and egoism. The Karma Yogi consecrates all his works and their fruits as offerings unto the Lord (Isvararpanam) and thus obtains the grace of the Lord (Isvaraprasada).

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.39 O Partha, this wisdom has been imparted to you from the standpoint of Self-realization. But listen to this (wisdom) from the standpoint of Yoga, endowed with which wisdom you will get rid of the bondage of action.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.39 I have told thee the philosophy of Knowledge. Now listen and I will explain the philosophy of Action, by means of which, O Arjuna, thou shalt break through the bondage of all action.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.49 BG 3.3 BG 18.13 SB 3.25.32 SB 11.19.36 SB 11.20.9 CC Madhya 20.137 CC Madhya 22.95 CC Madhya 24.180 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.12BRS 1.2.255
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Krishna now turns from sāṅkhya (analytical knowledge) to yoga (work in equanimity) — knowing alone is not enough; how you act must transform too.
Practical Applications
  • Treat philosophy and practice as two sides of one realization, never as alternatives.
  • Notice if your sādhana is heavy on theory but light on application — adjust accordingly.
  • Bring one Sāṅkhya truth into one piece of action this week.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is my knowledge running ahead of my practice?
  • What single yogic application would test my Sāṅkhya understanding?
Analogy

The same teacher has spoken so far in the language of analysis (sāṅkhya) — distinguishing soul from body. Now he turns the medallion and shows its other face: the language of yoking (yoga) — acting without attachment. Two doors into one room; both lead out of karma-bandha.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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