• Krishna. This deathless Yoga, this deep union,
• I taught Vivaswata, the Lord of Light;
• Vivaswata to Manu gave it; he
• To Ikshwaku; so passed it down the line
• Of all my royal Rishis. Then, with years,
• The truth grew dim and perished, noble Prince!
• Now once again to thee it is declared-
• This ancient lore, this mystery supreme-
• Seeing I find thee votary and friend.
• Arjuna. Thy birth, dear Lord, was in these later days
• And bright Vivaswata's preceded time!
• How shall I comprehend this thing thou sayest,
• "From the beginning it was I who taught?"
• Krishna. Manifold the renewals of my birth
• Have been, Arjuna! and of thy births, too!
• But mine I know, and thine thou knowest not,
• O Slayer of thy Foes! Albeit I be
• Unborn, undying, indestructible,
• The Lord of all things living; not the less-
• By Maya, by my magic which I stamp
• On floating Nature-forms, the primal vast-
• I come, and go, and come. When Righteousness
• Declines, O Bharata! when Wickedness
• Is strong, I rise, from age to age, and take
• Visible shape, and move a man with men,
• Succouring the good, thrusting the evil back,
• And setting Virtue on her seat again.
• Who knows the truth touching my births on earth
• And my divine work, when he quits the flesh
• Puts on its load no more, falls no more down
• To earthly birth: to Me he comes, dear Prince!
• Many there be who come! from fear set free,
• From anger, from desire; keeping their hearts
• Fixed upon me- my Faithful- purified
• By sacred flame of Knowledge. Such as these
• Mix with my being. Whoso worship me,
• Them I exalt; but all men everywhere
• Shall fall into my path; albeit, those souls
• Which seek reward for works, make sacrifice
• Now, to the lower gods. I say to thee
• Here have they their reward. But I am He
• Made the Four Castes, and portioned them a place
• After their qualities and gifts. Yea, I
• Created, the Reposeful; I that live
• Immortally, made all those mortal births:
• For works soil not my essence, being works
• Wrought uninvolved. Who knows me acting thus
• Unchained by action, action binds not him;
• And, so perceiving, all those saints of old
• Worked, seeking for deliverance. Work thou
• As, in the days gone by, thy fathers did.
• Thou sayst, perplexed, It hath been asked before
• By singers and by sages, "What is act,
• And what inaction?" I will teach thee this,
• And, knowing, thou shalt learn which work doth save
• Needs must one rightly meditate those three-
• Doing,- not doing,- and undoing. Here
• Thorny and dark the path is! He who sees
• How action may be rest, rest action- he
• Is wisest 'mid his kind; he hath the truth!
• He doeth well, acting or resting. Freed
• In all his works from prickings of desire,
• Burned clean in act by the white fire of truth,
• The wise call that man wise; and such an one,
• Renouncing fruit of deeds, always content.
• Always self-satisfying, if he works,
• Doth nothing that shall stain his separate soul,
• Which- quit of fear and hope- subduing self-
• Rejecting outward impulse-yielding up
• To body's need nothing save body, dwells
• Sinless amid all sin, with equal calm
• Taking what may befall, by grief unmoved,
• Unmoved by joy, unenvyingly; the same
• In good and evil fortunes; nowise bound
• By bond of deeds. Nay, but of such an one,
• Whose crave is gone, whose soul is liberate,
• Whose heart is set on truth- of such an one
• What work he does is work of sacrifice,
• Which passeth purely into ash and smoke
• Consumed upon the altar! All's then God!
• The sacrifice is Brahm, the ghee and grain
• Are Brahm, the fire is Brahm, the flesh it eats
• Is Brahm, and unto Brahm attaineth he
• Who, in such office, meditates on Brahm.
• Some votaries there be who serve the gods
• With flesh and altar-smoke; but other some
• Who, lighting subtler fires, make purer rite
• With will of worship. Of the which be they
• Who, in white flame of continence, consume
• Joys of the sense, delights of eye and ear,
• Foregoing tender speech and sound of song:
• And they who, kindling fires with torch of Truth,
• Burn on a hidden altar-stone the bliss
• Of youth and love, renouncing happiness:
• And they who lay for offering there their wealth,
• Their penance, meditation, piety,
• Their steadfast reading of the scrolls, their lore
• Painfully gained with long austerities:
• And they who, making silent sacrifice,
• Draw in their breath to feed the flame of thought,
• And breathe it forth to waft the heart on high,
• Governing the ventage of each entering air
• Lest one sigh pass which helpeth not the soul:
• And they who, day by day denying needs,
• Lay life itself upon the altar-flame,
• Burning the body wan. Lo! all these keep
• The rite of offering, as if they slew
• Victims; and all thereby efface much sin.
• Yea! and who feed on the immortal food
• Left of such sacrifice, to Brahma pass,
• To The Unending. But for him that makes
• No sacrifice, he hath nor part nor lot
• Even in the present world. How should he share
• Another, O thou Glory of thy Line?
• In sight of Brahma all these offerings
• Are spread and are accepted! Comprehend
• That all proceed by act; for knowing this,
• Thou shalt be quit of doubt. The sacrifice
• Which Knowledge pays is better than great gifts
• Offered by wealth, since gifts' worth- O my Prince!
• Lies in the mind which gives, the will that serves:
• And these are gained by reverence, by strong search,
• By humble heed of those who see the Truth
• And teach it. Knowing Truth, thy heart no more
• Will ache with error, for the Truth shall show
• All things subdued to thee, as thou to Me.
• Moreover, Son of Pandu! wert thou worst
• Of all wrong-doers, this fair ship of Truth
• Should bear thee safe and dry across the sea
• Of thy transgressions. As the kindled flame
• Feeds on the fuel till it sinks to ash,
• So unto ash, Arjuna! unto nought
• The flame of Knowledge wastes works' dross away!
• There is no purifier like thereto
• In all this world, and he who seeketh it
• Shall find it- being grown perfect- in himself.
• Believing, he receives it when the soul
• Masters itself, and cleaves to Truth, and comes-
• Possessing knowledge- to the higher peace,
• The uttermost repose. But those untaught,
• And those without full faith, and those who fear
• Are shent; no peace is here or other where,
• No hope, nor happiness for whoso doubts.
• He that, being self-contained, hath vanquished doubt,
• Disparting self from service, soul from works,
• Enlightened and emancipate, my Prince!
• Works fetter him no more! Cut then atwain
• With sword of wisdom, Son of Bharata!
• This doubt that binds thy heart-beats! cleave the bond
• Born of thy ignorance! Be bold and wise!
• Give thyself to the field with me! Arise!

HERE ENDETH Chapter IV OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, Entitled "Jnana Yog," Or "The Book of the Religion of Knowledge."