BG 4.3 — Jñāna-Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 4.3Chapter 4 · Jñāna-Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · anuṣṭubh

स एवायं मया ते ऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः ।

भक्तो ऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ॥

sa evāyaṃ mayā te 'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ

bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti rahasyaṃ hy etad uttamam

spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip

meaning

That same ancient yoga, lost over time, I am telling you again today, because you are both devoted to me and my friend, and this is the highest secret.

ekras · bhāṣya

Krishna names why this listener. "That same ancient yoga is what I have spoken to you today, because you are my bhakta and my sakha, and this is the highest rahasya." Two terms identify Arjuna in this transmission. Bhakta — devoted to me. Sakha — friend. Both are required. Bhakta alone might receive the teaching as worship at a distance; sakha alone might receive it without the discrimination that bhakti supplies. Together they make the listener Krishna can address as an equal who is also a shishya.

Madhusudana reads anadi-guru-parampara into the verse: the unbroken guru-line had been severed (vichchhinna sampradaya), and Krishna is now resuming it personally because Arjuna is the right vessel at the right moment.

Shankara is precise: the word rahasyam marks not what cannot be told, but what cannot be told to the wrong person. The teaching is rahasya not because it is hidden but because it lands only in the prepared.

Vallabha extends the chain — Krishna himself, not any secondary teacher, is now the speaker; the parampara is being relinked at its source. The address adya — today — is doing soft work. Today, on this chariot, between two armies, in the middle of a man's collapse, the lost teaching is being given again. The transmission is alive in this moment because of who Krishna is and who Arjuna is. The verse closes the framing of the chapter's avatara-discussion. The next verse is Arjuna's question that will allow Krishna to disclose the deeper answer.

Context

where

Chapter 4 · Jñāna-Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga · meter anuṣṭubh

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna

preceded by — BG 4.2

The royal sages received this yoga through an unbroken lineage, but over the long passage of time it was lost, Arjuna.

What's going on

That same ancient yoga, lost over time, I am telling you again today, because you are both devoted to me and my friend, and this is the highest secret.

Sūtras through this verse (51)

ŚrīdharaclassicalB

The Lord descends out of compassionbetween

1.1The first epithet: supremely compassionate.───→here4.3───→4.7When right wanes, I take a body.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalA

Sorrow and delusion are the diseasebetween

2.69Ignorance is night, wisdom alone wakes.───→here4.3───→4.42Cut the heart's doubt with the sword of knowledge.

MadhvaclassicalT1

Hari is supreme — the running reading-rulebetween

2.18'Imperishable' is said to mark off the Lord.───→here4.3───→4.24Every word for ritual points back to Viṣṇu.

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Madhvaclassicalmadhva_pratibimba

Madhva Pratibimbabetween · other

2.18Image perishes, source endures───→here4.3───→4.13Creates yet uncreated

MadhvaclassicalT3

Ranking is real — and it never collapsesbetween

2.52Higher devotion earns higher liberation.───→here4.3───→4.6Avatāras differ in their fullness of Hari.

MadhvaclassicalT5

Mirror-and-image — how seeming-action worksbetween

2.18The image perishes, but the source endures.───→here4.3───→4.13He creates and yet is uncreated by it.

MadhvaclassicalT6

Citation is the spine — texts carry the loadbetween

2.72The verse closes with the Akṣapāda rejection.───→here4.3───→4.8Ṛgveda khilas explain the descent as play.

MadhvaclassicalT12

Closure by gloss — the small repertoirebetween

2.55'Self' here means mind — a single word redirects.───→here4.3───→4.11'Me' is glossed by what the speaker is doing.

ŚrīdharaclassicalE

Inner cleansing reconciles work and knowingbetween

3.3One path, two grades: impure, then pure mind.───→here4.3───→4.39Faith earns knowing; work readies that faith.

MadhvaclassicalT10

The deluder is named — three goddesses, one Lordapproach

───→here4.3───→4.6Even the unborn descends through the deluder Durgā.

ŚrīdharaclassicalC

Devotion is both the way and the homeapproach

───→here4.3───→6.47Be a devotee: that is the meaning.

ŚrīdharaclassicalD

The path that turns no one awayapproach

───→here4.3───→4.11However they come, I meet them so.

ŚrīdharaclassicalI

His evenness as ground for refugeapproach

───→here4.3───→4.11I meet each one as that one approaches.

ŚrīdharaclassicalJ

Insight given as a gift, not earned aloneapproach

───→here4.3───→4.34Knowers will pass it to you by teaching.

ŚrīdharaclassicalL

Chapter prefaces as the bhāṣya's spineapproach

───→here4.3───→5.1Settling the doubt: renounce or work?

ŚaṅkaraclassicalE

Ignorance is the only enemybetween

2.69Wisdom rises; ignorance fades like dawn-darkness.───→here4.3───→4.18See not-doing in doing, doing in not-doing.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalG

After knowing, act only to hold the worldbetween

3.25The wise act as the unwise, but unattached.───→here4.3───→4.18The post-knowledge actor does no action at all.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalJ

Scripture stands behind every claimbetween

3.4Brāhmaṇas seek the Self by Veda, then by rite.───→here4.3───→4.13The four orders are the Puruṣa's own body.

RamsukhdasclassicalA

What binds you (and how to let go)between

2.47Hold no mine-ness on body or on fruit.───→here4.3───→4.23Clinging to anything is what binds you.

RamsukhdasclassicalE

Your own work as worshipbetween

3.35Your own flawed work beats another's perfect.───→here4.3───→4.13The four orders are His own creation.

RamsukhdasclassicalH

All paths arrive at the same roombetween

2.55Each path names its sage in its own words.───→here4.3───→4.23Action's flagship verse: it dissolves itself.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here4.3───→

ŚaṅkaraclassicalF

The Lord is born only as it wereapproach

───→here4.3───→4.6I appear as if born, never really, by māyā.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalH

The Lord is friend of every beingapproach

───→here4.3───→5.29Friend of all beings, the witness of every act.

RamsukhdasclassicalI

The Lord already inside the heartapproach

───→here4.3───→6.30See Me everywhere, I am never lost.

Ekrasmodernkarma_yoga

Karma yoga — the apprentice pathbetween · v2

3.20Janaka, lokasangraha───→here4.3───→4.18Action in inaction

Ekrasmodernstress

Stress — panic to shelterbetween · v2

2.22Worn-out garments───→here4.3───→4.16Even the wise are confused

Gauravmodernsanatana_dharma_101

Sanatana Dharma 101between

3.27Karma pillar. The 'ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate' line is where Gaura───→here4.3───→4.7Cyclic time. 'Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati Bharata.' Gaurav uses this l

RāmānujaclassicalD

Karma-yoga as kainkarya (worship)between

3.30Surrender every act.───→here4.3───→4.24Brahman the offering, Brahman the offerer.

VallabhaclassicalD

Chapter-opening preludesbetween

4.1Four-verse prelude names avatāra-līlā.───→here4.3───→5.1Single-verse prelude sets sannyāsa-yoga eka.

Ekrasmodernmeditation

Meditation — the dhyāna tourapproach · v2

───→here4.3───→6.10Solitary seat

Gauravmodernchaplaincy_kit_of_tools

Chaplaincy Kit Of Toolsapproach

───→here4.3───→4.34Paramparā / direct transmission. 'Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprashnena sevaya, u

Gauravmoderninterfaith_cosmology

Interfaith Cosmologyapproach

───→here4.3───→4.11'Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham.' As they approach me, so I

RāmānujaclassicalC

Three ṣaṭkas (1–6 / 7–12 / 13–18)approach

───→here4.3───→5.1A four-clause summary of all of 2 through 4.

RāmānujaclassicalG

Māyā is real causal powerapproach

───→here4.3───→4.6Self-power, not self-illusion.

RāmānujaclassicalH

Prapatti / śaraṇāgati — universal upāyaapproach

───→here4.3───→4.11As they approach Me, so do I receive them.

VallabhaclassicalA

Two paths — rule-bound and grace-onlyapproach

───→here4.3───→4.11Each soul takes the path Krishna assigns to it.

VallabhaclassicalG

The Lord plays — calf-affection, not contractapproach

───→here4.3───→4.7When dharma weakens, the Lord descends to play.

VallabhaclassicalK

Aphorism, gloss, full commentaryapproach

───→here4.3───→6.47Six chapters of aphorism close at this verse.

Ekrasmodernfamily_conflict

Family Conflictexit · other

2.8No grief-remover I see───→here4.3───→

Gauravmoderneminem_dsm_arjuna

Eminem Dsm Arjunaexit

2.11'Ashochyan anvashochas tvam prajna-vadamsh cha bhashase.' You grieve those not t───→here4.3───→

JayatīrthaclassicalD

Saṅgati declared at the head of every adhyāyabetween

4.1Three blocks named at the chapter head.───→here4.3───→6.1Karma-yoga is outer; samādhi-yoga inner.

JayatīrthaclassicalE

Vishnu-sarvottamatva read into apparently neutral wordsbetween

3.15Brahmodbhavam — born of parabrahman.───→here4.3───→4.11Mām is Viṣṇu, not generic absolute.

JayatīrthaclassicalF

Bhakti-tāratamya: gradation among devotees, gradation in fruitapproach

───→here4.3───→4.11Fruit proportional to the service offered.

ĀnandagiriclassicalF

Which karma? — fourfold typologybetween

3.3Vaidika action sorted by life-stage rule.───→here4.3───→4.18Action-in-inaction needs the typology.

ĀnandagiriclassicalH

Phala-saṃkalpa is the only upādhibetween

3.4No mokṣa from mere non-starting.───→here4.3───→4.18Action-in-inaction: the upādhi seen. Anchor.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalD

Avatāra: appearance without departurebetween

4.1Teaching descends; the teacher does not move.───→here4.3───→4.6Creator and non-doer held both at once.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalG

Three yogas — three angles on one configurationbetween

3.30Karma offered to the indweller becomes worship.───→here4.3───→4.33Knowledge-rite outranks mere material rites.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalB

Recognition, not additionapproach

───→here4.3───→4.14Recognize, do not learn — the verb shifts.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalD

Adhikāra — eligibility as architecture, not exceptionapproach

───→here4.3───→4.11'Yathā' is open; the verb is the gate.

MadhusūdanaclassicalG

Knowing and acting cannot run togetherbetween

3.1The grand architecture cannot mix the two.───→here4.3───→4.34Approach a knower; knowing is not earned by action.

Śabda · lemmas (18 unique · 19 occurrences)

योगः yoga — yoga; union, discipline, application · nominative masculine singular noun
प्रोक्तः pra-√vac — to declare (pra- + √vac 'speak forth') · nominative masculine singular participle noun
पुरातनः purātana — ancient, of old (from purā) · nominative masculine singular noun · also at 3.10, 3.11

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मया·मे mad ×2 — I, me (1st person pronoun stem); also: to rejoice (verbal root) · instrumental singular noun / genitive singular noun
सः tad — that (distal demonstrative); also 3rd-person pronoun · nominative masculine singular noun
एव eva — indeed, truly, only (emphatic particle)
अयम् idam — this (proximal demonstrative) · nominative masculine singular noun
ते tvad — you (2nd person pronoun stem) · dative singular noun
अद्य adya — today, now
भक्तः bhakta — devotee; one who is devoted · nominative masculine singular noun
असि √as — to be (verbal root) · present indicative 2nd person singular verb
सखा sakhi — friend, companion · nominative masculine singular noun
च ca — and; (homonym: also the consonant ca)
इति iti — thus (quotative particle)
रहस्यम् rahasya — (rahas + -ya: secrecy) · nominative neuter singular noun
हि hi — for, indeed, because (particle)
एतत् etad — this (proximal demonstrative) · nominative neuter singular noun
उत्तमम् uttama — highest, best, supreme (superlative of ud) · nominative neuter singular noun · also at 6.27, 9.2, 14.1

Praśna · so what (7)

01If this yoga is 'ancient' (purātana) and was first spoken to the Sun, why does it require re-disclosure — what is the structural account of how authoritative knowledge decays within traditions?
02Śaṅkara equates yoga with jñāna here; Rāmānuja insists on bhakti-qualified surrender as the receptor. Is the difference in what is transmitted, or in what qualifies someone to receive it?

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03All six schools agree that the disclosure is conditioned on the relationship between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna — friendship and devotion together. What does it mean that supreme knowledge is not impersonally broadcast but personally addressed?
04Madhusūdana and Śrīdhara both invoke the rupture (viccheda) of the tradition as the occasion for re-speaking. Is every genuine transmission an act of repair — and if so, what does that imply about the necessity of lineage breaks?
05Vallabha treats the yoga as avyaya (imperishable) in its fruit, linking this disclosure to cosmic redemption rather than one battle. How does the scale of the disclosure — personal vs. cosmological — change what Arjuna is being asked to become?
06Madhva frames this as the yoga of 'buddheḥ parasya māhātmyam' — the greatness of the supreme Intellect. If the teacher is the supreme Intellect itself, what kind of listening is required that ordinary instruction does not demand?
07Five of six schools locate the verse's weight in the word 'rahasyam' (secret). What makes something a secret in the doctrinal sense — unavailability to the unqualified, or unrepresentability in ordinary language?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

When sharing hard-won understanding with a student or colleague, check whether you are transmitting knowledge or merely information. Śaṅkara's reading asks: is what you are passing on jñāna — insight that transforms the recipient — or a procedure they can follow without understanding? Speak the former only when the listener's readiness (adhikāra) is present; otherwise the act is technically sound but practically empty.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

Rāmānuja's 'saparikara savistara' — full with all its apparatus — is a discipline for any act of teaching or mentorship: do not abridge. When you pass on a method, a practice, or a skill, resist the compression that drops the context, the lineage, and the occasions of error. The full transmission is the act of care; the shortcut is a kind of abandonment of the recipient.

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Dvaita

Madhva's asymmetry — Hari gives, the jīva receives — maps onto any situation where you are the beneficiary rather than the originator of what you possess. The everyday discipline is to hold expertise, capacity, or position without the quiet presumption that you generated it. Re-locating the source keeps the gift in right relationship and prevents the inflation of the self that competence routinely produces.

Śuddhādvaita

Vallabha's insistence on sampradāya — that what is given is given through a lineage, not invented — applies to any craft, art, or practice carried forward. Before you adapt or innovate a received method, name and honour its lineage explicitly. The prasāda-frame does not prohibit development; it prevents the amnesia that makes development look like origination and thereby severs the living chain.

Bhakti

Śrīdhara's 'vicchinne sampradāye' — the broken tradition — names a condition that recurs in any organisation, family, or practice community. When a discipline has lapsed, the re-introduction is not just logistical restoration but a relational act requiring a recipient who combines devotion (committed interest) and intimacy (genuine relationship). Before re-transmitting anything of value, ask whether the relationship has those two conditions.

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusūdana's precision about sakhā — same-generation, warm, constant companion — identifies the specific relational form that makes the transmission of the highest things possible. The application is to recognise that certain conversations require a peer-relationship, not a hierarchical one, and to be patient about building the companionship that makes such exchange possible rather than forcing depth before the relationship supports it.

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

substratev2.6-frozen

parserByT5-Sanskrit-multitask (Nehrdich/Hellwig/Keutzer EMNLP 2024)

mūlaBelvalkar critical edition (BORI 1947), via Ambuda multi-witness

show all metadata

weightsa=1 · b=0.01 · e_v=0.005 · z=0.2 · h=0 · th=0.01

anchorfit on Ramsukhdas's Sādhak Sañjīvanī (1980), frozen across the eight-commentator panel; cross-validated R@4 = 71.6% on Śaṅkara

extracted2026-04-21

methodPaper 1, Section II.B

↓ view raw per-verse object (JSON)↗ per-verse-object schema ↗ substrate code (MIT) + data (CC-BY 4.0)

The schema generalizes to any bounded-polysemy corpus with discrete primary text units, attested witness traditions, identifiable schools, and formal substrate. Port the per-verse object; refit weights on a domain-appropriate Layer-3 anchor; ship.

Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 4, Verse 3: Krishna to Arjuna — Jñāna-Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga