View source for As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities

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{{terms|"the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities"}}
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{{compiler|MadhuGopaldas|Serene}}
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{{first|25Sep12}}
{{last|01Oct12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=1|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
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[[Category:Blazing Fire]]
[[Category:Turn]]
[[Category:Fire]]
[[Category:Wood]]
[[Category:Ashes]]
[[Category:O Arjuna]]
[[Category:Does]]
[[Category:Knowledge]]
[[Category:Burn]]
[[Category:Ashes]]
[[Category:Reaction]]
[[Category:material Activities]]
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is" class="section" sec_index="0" parent="compilation" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is"><h2>Bhagavad-gita As It Is</h2>
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<div id="BG_Chapters_1_-_6" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is" text="BG Chapters 1 - 6"><h3>BG Chapters 1 - 6</h3>
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<div id="BG437_0" class="quote" parent="BG_Chapters_1_-_6" book="BG" index="190" link="BG 4.37" link_text="BG 4.37">
<div class="heading">As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:BG 4.37 (1972)|BG 4.37, Translation and Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.</p>
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<div class="purport text"><p>Perfect knowledge of self and Superself and of their relationship is compared herein to fire. This fire not only burns up all reactions to impious activities, but also all reactions to pious activities, turning them to ashes. There are many stages of reaction: reaction in the making, reaction fructifying, reaction already achieved, and reaction a priori. But knowledge of the constitutional position of the living entity burns everything to ashes. When one is in complete knowledge, all reactions, both a priori and a posteriori, are consumed. In the Vedas (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.22) it is stated, ubhe uhaivaiṣa ete taraty amṛtaḥ sādhv-asādhūnī: "One overcomes both the pious and impious reactions of work."</p>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
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<div id="SB_Canto_5" class="sub_section" sec_index="5" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 5"><h3>SB Canto 5</h3>
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<div id="SB555_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_5" book="SB" index="111" link="SB 5.5.5" link_text="SB 5.5.5">
<div class="heading">"As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities."
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 5.5.5|SB 5.5.5, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Generally people think that one should act very piously in order to be relieved from misery, but this is not a fact. Even though one engages in pious activity and speculation, he is nonetheless defeated. His only aim should be emancipation from the clutches of māyā and all material activities. Speculative knowledge and pious activity do not solve the problems of material life. One should be inquisitive to understand his spiritual position. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.37):</p>
:yathaidhāṁsi samiddho 'gnir
:bhasmasāt kurute 'rjuna
:jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi
:bhasmasāt kurute tathā
<p>"As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities."</p>
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