BG 04.37 yathaidhamsi samiddho gnir... cited

Expressions researched:
"bhasma-sat kurute 'rjuna" |"bhasma-sat kurute tatha" |"bhasmasat kurute 'rjuna" |"bhasmasat kurute tatha" |"jnanagnih sarva-karmani" |"yathaidhamsi samiddho 'gnir"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 4.37, Translation and Purport:

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

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."

SB Canto 5

SB 5.5.5, Purport:

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):

yathaidhāṁsi samiddho 'gnir

bhasmasāt kurute 'rjuna

jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi

bhasmasāt kurute tathā

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

Unless one understands the self and its activities, one has to be considered in material bondage. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.2.32) it is also said: ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. A person who doesn't have knowledge of devotional service may think himself liberated, but actually he is not. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) such people may approach the impersonal Brahman effulgence, but they fall down again into material enjoyment because they have no knowledge of devotional service. As long as one is interested in karma and jñāna, he continues enduring the miseries of material life—birth, old age, disease and death. Karmīs certainly take on one body after another. As far as jñānīs are concerned, unless they are promoted to the topmost understanding, they must return to the material world.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

Now here Kṛṣṇa says, api ced asi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpa-kṛttamaḥ. If, if a person is the most sinful, the, and the, I mean, the supermost sinful man, but if he gets this knowledge, this knowledge of Kṛṣṇa science, then he can cross over this ocean of ignorance very easily. That means it does not matter what was our past life. Either... Any Vedic literature, especially Bhagavad-gītā... Bhagavad-gītā does not take into account what was you in the past life. That doesn't matter. Because we are in ignorance, we might have done so many things in ignorance, which is not approved, which is not virtuous. That is quite possible. Every one of us, we are subjected. Because due to ignorance, we do so many things, so nobody can say that "I am free from any sinful activities." Nobody can say. So that doesn't matter. But if we get, if we can learn the science of Kṛṣṇa, then, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, api ced asi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpa-kṛttamaḥ: "Even one is the most sinful man, but if he gets the Kṛṣṇa science, he is free. He is free, and he can go. He can cross over the material ocean of ignorance very easily."

How it is possible? He's giving a very nice example.

yathaidhāṁsi samiddho 'gnir

bhasmasāt kurute 'rjuna

jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi

bhasmasāt kurute tathā

(BG 4.37)

"Just like in the fire if you put anything, whatever, it will go on burning. Everything it will burn into ashes. Never mind, either wood or any dirty things, whatever you will, it will turn into ashes. Similarly, if we get this Kṛṣṇa science, if we understand this Kṛṣṇa science, then all our reactions of sinful activities, what we might have done in our past life, that will be all burned into ashes. Burnt into ashes."

yathaidhāṁsi samiddho 'gnir

bhasmasāt kurute 'rjuna

jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi

bhasmasāt kurute tathā

Bhasmasāt means "turns into ashes."

na hi jñānena sadṛśaṁ

pavitram iha vidyate

tat svayaṁ yoga-saṁsiddhaḥ

kālenātmani vindati

(BG 4.38)

Therefore knowledge, we must seek knowledge. And the perfection of knowledge, as we have several times explained in this meeting, the perfection of knowledge is to understand Kṛṣṇa. That's all. As in the Seventh Chapter you'll find, that, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Now, after culturing many, many births knowledge, one comes to Kṛṣṇa and he understands, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa is everything, all causes of causes. He's the cause of all causes. Always remember. When I speak of Kṛṣṇa, He's God. God. God is the cause of all causes.

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

Madhudviṣa: Thirty-seven: "As the blazing fire turns wood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities (BG 4.37)."

Prabhupāda: Yes. I may be very seriously sinful, but when I get the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all my sins will be burned into ashes. Just like if you have... You have got a small fire. You bring tons of wood. Go on putting it. Go on putting it. Gradually everything will become ashes. This example. Tons of wood, you go on putting in that small fire. May not be immediately, but you go on putting, day after day, hours after hours; all wood will be burned into ashes. Very nice example.

Similarly, if you keep yourself Kṛṣṇa consciousness, burning, your tons and millions of sinful activities will be burned into ashes. These are practical. So we have to keep the fire blazing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then everything is all right. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

Prabhupāda:

yathaidhāṁsi samiddho 'gnir

bhasmasāt kurute 'rjuna

jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi

bhasmasāt kurute tathā

(BG 4.37)

Yathā, "as," as an edhāṁsi. Edhāṁsi means "fuel." Sammidho 'gniḥ, "blazing fire." Bhasmasāt, "turns into ashes." "Just like blazing fire, whatever you put into it, any fuel, that becomes turned into ashes, similarly," jñānāgniḥ, "when your fire of knowledge will be ablaze, then sarva-karmāṇi, all reactions of your work, will turned into ashes." Because the reaction of our karma, reaction of our work, is the cause of our bondage. There are good work and bad work. Here it is stated, sarva-karmāṇi. Sarva-karmāṇi means either good work or bad work. There are reactions of bad work, and there is reaction of good work. But a, a person who is going to be liberated from this material bondage, for him, both good work and bad work are reprehensible. There is no need of reaction of good work also. In this material world we are attached to perform good work. Not all. Those who are in the modes of goodness, they want to do some good work in the material estimation. And those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, they do work, bad work, passionate work, work in ignorance. But those who are going to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, they have no need, either this good work or bad work.

Why? Now, either you enjoy the reaction of good work or bad work, your material bondage is there. Suppose by bad work I am born... Because, according to work, there are different position of life. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ pumān (SB 1.8.26). By good work we get good heritage, birth in a very good place, in a high family, in rich family, aristocratic family. And with bad work we may get our birth even in the animal kingdom or lower grade family, poor family. These are Vedic estimation of good work and bad work. But for a person who is going to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no need either for good work or bad work because he has no need bondage again.