जीवनयज्ञ - Introduction To Bhagavad Gita Chapter4 - Do Work Knowing Everything is Brahman

The fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is very special because it is the first time Shri Krishna has revealed his divinity and instructed how his birth is different from all of us.

We all are born helplessly under the influence of Maya to reap/repay our Prarabdha Karama. But, for Shri Krishna, there is no Sanchit or Prarabahda, so a divine birth or Avatar happens using the divine power of Maya.

The shlokas 4.7 and 4.8 explain that whenever there is a decline in righteousness, Avatar takes birth to help restore it by helping righteous people and punishing the evildoers.

Shri Krishna goes on to explain the Chaturvarna and the roles associated with each of them. Shlokas 18-24 explain how an enlightened person sees action in inaction and inaction in action and how one can do their duties with the spirit of Yajna/Sacrifice and reach the enlightened state of seeing Brahman in everything as explained in the 24th verse.

The shlokas 25-30 provide a list of 12 Sadhanas or practices. If we could do those Sadhanas with the spirit of Yajna, it could help us purify our minds and make us eligible for the state of enlightenment given in the 24th verse.

The remaining verses from 31 to 42 emphasize doing our duties and regular Sadhanas, if needed, recommend we take help from a Guru to stay steadfast on the spiritual path.