FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 4.41

యోగసన్న్యస్తకర్మాణం జ్ఞానసఞ్ఛిన్నసంశయమ్ । ఆత్మవన్తం న కర్మాణి నిబధ్న‍‍న్తి ధనఞ్జయ ॥ ౪౧ ॥
yoga-sannyasta-karmāṇaṁ
[yoga-sannyasta-karmaanam]
jñāna-sañchinna-saṁśayam
[jnaana-sanchinna-samshayam]
ātmavantaṁ na karmāṇi
[aatmavantam na karmaani]
nibadhnanti dhanañ-jaya
[nibadhnanti dhanan-jaya]
Word-for-word
yoga — by devotional service in karma-yoga sannyasta — one who has renounced karmāṇam — the fruits of actions jñāna — by knowledge sañchinna — cut saṁśayam — doubts ātma - vantam — situated in the self na — never karmāṇi — works nibadhnanti — do bind dhanam - jaya — O conqueror of riches .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yoga-sannyasta-karmāṇaṁ
yoga
by devotional service in karma-yoga
sannyasta
one who has renounced
karmāṇam
the fruits of actions
jñāna-sañchinna-saṁśayam
jñāna
by knowledge
sañchinna
cut
saṁśayam
doubts
ātmavantaṁ na karmāṇi
ātma - vantam
situated in the self
na
never
karmāṇi
works
nibadhnanti dhanañ-jaya
nibadhnanti
do bind
dhanam - jaya
O conqueror of riches .
Important Words
  • sannyasta — renounced
    Past passive participle of sam + ni + √as — 'thrown down completely.' Paired with yoga and karmāṇam to form yoga-sannyasta-karman: actions renounced *through* yoga, not renunciation *of* yoga. Yoga is the instrument by which karma's claim is set aside.
  • sañchinna — thoroughly cut
    Past passive participle of sam + √chid — 'completely severed.' Paired with jñāna and saṁśayam: doubts cut by knowledge. The verb anticipates 4.42's chittvā — both verses use the sword imagery. Knowledge as the cutting edge.
  • ātma - vantam — self-possessed
    Compound: ātma + vantam (possessing). Literally 'one who possesses himself.' Not merely self-aware but self-owning. The Gītā's idea of inner sovereignty.
  • nibadhnanti — bind
    Ni + √bandh — 'bind down.' Negated by na: 'do not bind.' The negation is structural — actions *cannot* bind such a one. Same teaching as 4.14 (limpanti negated), now applied to the devotee rather than the Lord.
  • dhanam - jaya — O conqueror of riches
    Arjuna's epithet — 'winner of wealth.' Kṛṣṇa addresses him by his most worldly title precisely when describing the renunciation of works. The juxtaposition is deliberate: even the conqueror of riches can be the renouncer of fruits.
One who acts in devotional service, renouncing the fruits of his actions, and whose doubts have been destroyed by transcendental knowledge, is situated factually in the self. Thus he is not bound by the reactions of work, O conqueror of riches.
Purport

One who follows the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā, as it is imparted by the Lord, the Personality of Godhead Himself, becomes free from all doubts by the grace of transcendental knowledge. He, as a part and parcel of the Lord, in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is already established in self-knowledge. As such, he is undoubtedly above bondage to action.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
41. Actions do not bind the person who has renounced all action through niṣkāma-karma-yoga, who has then cut all doubts through jṣāna-yoga, and who has then attained directly realization of the ātmā.
Commentary

In such a state, a person will reach a state of no karma (naiṣkarmyam). Having renounced all actions by sannyāsa, after performance of niṣkāma-karma-yoga, and having eradicated all doubts through practice of jṣāna, actions do not bind that person, who has attained realization of the soul.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
41. Actions do not bind the person whose actions are transformed into jṣāna through niṣkāma karma yoga, who has then cut all doubts through jṣāna yoga, and who has then attained directly realization of the ātmā.
Commentary

Such a person will attain the perfection of stopping all actions. Actions do not bind that person who has renounced all actions by yoga. This means that the actions have become jṣāna, being executed without attachment, by niṣkāma karma yoga, expressed by words like yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi: perform your duty with composure, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. (BG 2.48). Actions do not bind the person who has vanquished all doubts by the knowledge spoken by Me and who is seeing the ātmā (ātmavantam). The actions do not bind because they have been destroyed by knowledge.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This is niskama karma knowledge applied to work. Acts accordingly to one's duty in devotional service or just even prescribed duties, renunciation of the fruits of one's actions, no doubts due to one's deep, intense and realized transcendental knowledge ‑ he is actually situated in the self. That means he knows that he is not this body. Therefore, even though working, but in this consciousness, with this knowledge ‑ he is not bound by the reactions of work. And what is the knowledge? That ultimately we are all parts and parcels of Krsna (already explained in text 35).

[ 5 . Conclusion: Slash with knowledge all doubts born of ignorance. "Arjuna, armed with yoga, stand and fight!" (42) ]

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

No sinful reactions can affect one who performs his duties with transcendental knowledge

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
4.41 Yoga-sannyasta-karmanam, one who has renounced actions through yoga: that person who is a knower of the supreme Goal, by whom actions called righteous or unrighteous have been renounced through the yoga characterized as the Knowledge of the supreme Goal. How does one become detached from actions through yoga? The Lord says: He is jnana-samchinna-samsayah, one whose doubts (samsaya) have been fully dispelled (samchinna) by Knowledge (jnana) characterized as the realization of the identity of the individual Self and God. O Dhananjaya, he who has thus renounced actions through yoga, atmavantam, who is not inadvertent, not careless; him, karmani, actions, seen as the activities of the gunas (see 3.28); na nibadhnanti, do not bind, (i.e.) they do not produce a result in the form of evil etc. Since one whose doubts have been destroyed by Knowledge-arising from the destruction of the impurities (of body, mind, etc.) as result of the practise of Karma-yoga-does not get bound by acitons owing to the mere fact of his actions having been burnt away by Knowledge; and since one who has doubts with regard to the practice of the yogas of Knowledge and actions gets ruined-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
4.41 The countless ancient Karmas which constitute the cause of bondage, do not bind him who has renounced actions through Karma Yoga in the manner explained before, who has sundered all doubts concerning the self by the knowledge of the self in the manner explained before, and who is of steady mind, i.e., unshakable, with the mind focussed steadily on the meaning that has been forth.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
4.41 Yoga-etc. Renunciation of actions becomes possible only through Yoga and not otherwise. This has been discussed also [in the seel].
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
4.41 He who has renounced actions by Yoga, whose doubts are rent asunder by knowledge, and who is self-possessed actions do not bind him, O Arjuna.
Commentary

4.41 योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणम् one who has renounced actions by Yoga? ज्ञानसंछिन्नसंशयम् one whose doubts are rent asunder by knowledge? आत्मवन्तम् possessing the self? न not? कर्माणि actions? निबध्नन्ति bind? धनञ्जय O Dhananjaya.Commentary Sri Madhusudana Sarasvati explains Atmavantam as always watchful.He who has attained to Selfrealisation renounces all actions by means of Yoga or the knowledge of Brahman. As he is established in the knowledge of the identity of the individual soul with the,Supreme Soul? all his doubts are cut asunder. Actions do not bind him as they are burnt in the fire of wisdom and as he is always watchful over himself. (Cf.II.48III.9IV.20)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
4.41 O Dhananjaya (Arjuna), actions do not bind one who has renounced actions through yoga, whose doubt has been fully dispelled by Knowledge, and who is not inadvertent.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
4.41 But the man who has renounced his action for meditation, who has cleft his doubt in twain by the sword of wisdom, who remains always enthroned in his Self, is not bound by his acts.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 4.42 BG 3.30 BG 5.12 SB 11.20.30 SB 1.2.21 SB 11.13.31 CC Madhya 22.145 CC Madhya 24.118 CC Madhya 19.149 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 2.2.8BRS 1.2.255
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
One whose doubts are destroyed by knowledge, who has renounced the fruits of action, is firmly self-situated and not bound by his actions.
Practical Applications
  • Use knowledge to destroy doubts — not to merely manage them.
  • Renounce the fruits of action explicitly each day.
  • Aim at being 'self-situated,' not externally validated.
Reflection Questions
  • Which doubt is overdue for destruction by knowledge?
  • What does 'self-situated' look like in my life?
Analogy

A swordsman with a sharpened blade in hand walks through the field unbound by what he cuts. Knowledge is the sword; renounced karma is the freedom; ātma-vān — self-possessed — is the swordsman. The verse names the integrated state: action, knowledge, self-possession together.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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