The yagya of wisdom, made by means of austerity, continence, faith, and knowledge, which brings about a direct perception of God, is the most propitious. All actions are fully dissolved in this knowledge. Knowledge is thus the crowning point of yagya. Thenceforth there is neither any profit in the doing of action nor any loss in abstaining from it.

Lord Krishn sings in Bhagavad Gita:

“Sacrifice through wisdom is, O Parantap,
in every way superior to sacrifices made with material objects,
because O Parth, all action ceases in knowledge,
their culmination.”

There are yagya that are performed with material objects, but they are insignificant in comparison with the yagya of knowledge which enables a man to have direct perception of God.

Even if we sacrifice millions, build hundreds of altars for the sacred fire, contribute money to good causes, and invest money in the service of sages and saints, this yagya is much inferior to the sacrifice of knowledge.

Real yagya is restraint of the vital winds of life, subduing of the senses, and control of the mind.

From where can we learn its mode?

Lord Krishn’s pronouncement is that it can be had from only one source, namely, the sage who has known the reality.

“Obtain that knowledge from sages through reverence,
inquiry and innocent solicitation,
and the sages who are aware of reality will initiate you into it.”

So Arjun is advised to approach seers with reverence, self-surrender, and humility, to be instructed in true knowledge through devoted service and guileless curiosity. These seers will enlighten him on it. The ability to acquire this knowledge comes only with a wholly dedicated service. They are seers who enable us to have direct perception of God. They know the mode of yagya and they will teach it to Arjun.

Had the war been external, what need was there of a seer?

Lord Krishn sings:

“Knowing which, O son of Pandu,
you will never again be a prey like this to attachment,
and equipped with this knowledge you will see all beings
within yourself and then within me.”

After acquiring this knowledge from sages Arjun will be rid of all attachment. Possessed of this knowledge he will perceive all beings in his Self, that is, he will see the extension of the same Self everywhere, and only then can he become one with God. Thus the means of attaining to that God is the sage who has perceived reality.

Lord Krishn adds:

“Even if you are the most heinous sinner,
the ark of knowledge will carry you safely across all evils.”

We should not make the error of concluding from this that we will know salvation even with committing more and yet more sin. Lord Krishn rather intends to say by this that we should not be under the mistaken impression that we are such great sinners that there cannot be salvation for us.

So this is Lord Krishn’s message of hope and courage to Arjun and to everybody: that despite being the doer of sins greater than the sins of all sinners he will sail across sins successfully, by the ark of knowledge acquired from seers.

Lord Krishn sings:

“As blazing fire turns fuel to ashes,
so verily O Arjun,
the fire of knowledge reduces all action to ashes.”

Here we have a portrayal, not of an introduction to knowledge through which one approaches yagya, but of the culmination of knowledge or perception of God, in which there is first the destruction of all unrighteous inclinations and in which then even the act of meditation is dissolved. The one who had to be attained to has been attained. Now who is there to look for by further meditation? The sage with the wisdom that arises from perception of God brings his actions to an end.

But where does this perception of God occur? Is it an external or internal phenomenon?

Lord Krishn adds:

“Doubtlessly nothing in the world is more purifying
than this knowledge and your heart will realize it spontaneously
when you have attained to perfection on the Way of Action.”

Nothing in this world purifies as this knowledge does. And this knowledge will be manifest to the doer alone, not to anyone else, when his practice of yog has reached maturity, not at its inception, not in the middle, not externally but within his heart-within his Self.

What is the required ability for this knowledge?

Lord Krishn sings:

“The worshipper of true faith who has subdued his senses
attains to this knowledge and at the very moment of attainment
he is rewarded with the benediction of supreme peace.”

For realization of God one needs to possess faith, determination, and restraint of the senses. If there is no intensely felt curiosity for the knowledge of God, even taking refuge in a seer will not bring it.

Also, mere faith is not enough. The worshiper’s effort may be feeble. Therefore, the determination to proceed resolutely along the prescribed way is a necessity. Along with this it is also necessary to restrain the senses.

Realization of the Supreme God will not come easily to one who is not free from desire. So only a man who has faith, enthusiasm for action, and restraint of the senses can have this knowledge. And the very moment this knowledge dawns upon him, he is blessed with the ultimate eternal peace, because after this there is left nothing more to strive for. After this he will never know anything other than peace.

Lord Krishn adds:

“For a skeptic, bereft of faith and knowledge,
who strays from the path of righteousness,
there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next;
he loses both the worlds.”

For the man who is ignorant of the way of yagya-for the doubting man who is of devoid of faith and who strays from the path of good, there is no happiness, no next life in human form, and no God. So if there are any doubts in the worshiper, he should go to a seer and resolve them, or else he will never know the reality.

So who is blessed with knowledge?

Lord Krishn sings:

“O Dhananjay, action cannot bind the man
who relies on God and who has surrendered all his actions to him
by the practice of karm-yog and all whose doubts have been put
to rest by knowledge.”

Action cannot enslave the man whose deeds are dissolved in God by the practice of yog, whose doubts have been resolved by perception, and who is united with God. Action will be brought to an end only by yog.

Only true knowledge will destroy doubts.

Lord Krishn concludes:

“So, O Bharat, dwell in yog and stand up to cut down this irresolution
that has entered into your heart because of ignorance
with the steel of knowledge.”

Arjun has to fight. But the enemy-irresolution-is within his own heart, not outside. When we proceed on the way of devotion and contemplation, it is but natural that feelings of doubt and passion will arise as obstacles before us. These enemies launch a fearful assault.

To fight them and overcome them, through the destruction of uncertainties by the practice of the ordained yagya, is the war that Arjun has to wage, and the result of this war for him will be absolute peace and victory after which there is no possibility of defeat.

~ Revered Gurudev Swami Adgadanand Jee Paramhans ~
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Humble Wishes.
~ mrityunjayanand ~

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