BG 4.41 — Jñāna-Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 4.41Chapter 4 · Jñāna-Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · Dhanañjaya · anuṣṭubh

योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसंछिन्नसंशयम् ।

आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय ॥

yoga-saṃnyasta-karmāṇaṃ jñāna-saṃchinna-saṃśayam

ātmavantaṃ na karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya

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

meaning

When you have surrendered action through yoga, cut doubt with knowledge, and stand possessed of yourself, Dhanañjaya, no karma can bind you.

ekras · bhāṣya

The verse names the unbreakable practitioner. "The yoga-samnyasta-karman, the jnana-samchinna-samshaya, the atmavant — Dhananjaya, no karmas bind that one." Three compound qualifications named, then the consequence. Yoga-samnyasta-karman — one who has placed all action in yoga, surrendered the karma into the discipline that received it. Jnana-samchinna-samshaya — one whose doubt has been cut through by jnana. The verb samchinna is precise: not loosened, not weakened — cut through completely. Atmavant — possessed of the atman; the inner standing-place is the atman itself, not the body or the manas or the buddhi. Three together describe a practitioner whose entire inner apparatus has been reorganized.

Vallabha praises the one who stands at the convergence of both paths: outwardly engaged in kriya with equanimity in success and failure, inwardly free of any bond to the inner organ. The closing claim is the chapter's structural promise. Na karmani nibadhnanti. Karmas do not bind. Not because the man has stopped acting; because the inner condition has stopped offering the karmas any place to attach.

Madhusudana holds open both readings of yoga here: yoga as samata-buddhi offered as bhagavad-aradhana, or yoga as paramartha-darshana that ends doubt at the root. Either reading lands the same conclusion. The verse is the chapter's summation: the karma-yoga arc that began in 2.39 reaches the point where karma performed in this inner condition produces no further bondage.

Context

where

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

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna · vocative Dhanañjaya

preceded by — BG 4.40

The ignorant, the faithless, and the one whose very self is doubt all come to ruin; for the doubter, neither this world nor the next holds any place, and no happiness reaches him.

What's going on

When you have surrendered action through yoga, cut doubt with knowledge, and stand possessed of yourself, Dhanañjaya, no karma can bind you.

Sūtras through this verse (51)

ŚrīdharaclassicalB

The Lord descends out of compassionbetween

4.9His acts are willed only to bless others.───→here4.41───→11.1By high compassion He showed the world-form.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalA

Sorrow and delusion are the diseasebetween

2.69Ignorance is night, wisdom alone wakes.───→here4.41───→4.42Cut the heart's doubt with the sword of knowledge.

MadhvaclassicalT1

Hari is supreme — the running reading-rulebetween

4.24Every word for ritual points back to Viṣṇu.───→here4.41───→5.7'Self of all beings' just means the Lord.

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Madhvaclassicalmadhva_pratibimba

Madhva Pratibimbabetween · other

4.14Acts without clinging───→here4.41───→5.14Two tiers of rulership

MadhvaclassicalT3

Ranking is real — and it never collapsesbetween

4.6Avatāras differ in their fullness of Hari.───→here4.41───→6.9Devas, asuras, mortals are three native kinds.

MadhvaclassicalT5

Mirror-and-image — how seeming-action worksbetween

4.14He acts but does not cling to the act.───→here4.41───→5.14The Lord rules the modes; the soul rules the body.

MadhvaclassicalT6

Citation is the spine — texts carry the loadbetween

4.8Ṛgveda khilas explain the descent as play.───→here4.41───→6.6Maitrāyaṇī defines the stilled mind.

MadhvaclassicalT10

The deluder is named — three goddesses, one Lordbetween

4.6Even the unborn descends through the deluder Durgā.───→here4.41───→7.4Eight elements name the inert side of nature.

MadhvaclassicalT12

Closure by gloss — the small repertoirebetween

4.25'Divine' just means the Lord, named indirectly.───→here4.41───→5.7'Self of all' resolves to the Lord himself.

ŚrīdharaclassicalD

The path that turns no one awaybetween

4.11However they come, I meet them so.───→here4.41───→7.16Four kinds of seekers, all good-hearted.

ŚrīdharaclassicalE

Inner cleansing reconciles work and knowingbetween

4.39Faith earns knowing; work readies that faith.───→here4.41───→5.5See sāṅkhya and yoga as one — see truly.

ŚrīdharaclassicalI

His evenness as ground for refugebetween

4.11I meet each one as that one approaches.───→here4.41───→9.29Even to all — yet near to those who turn.

ŚrīdharaclassicalJ

Insight given as a gift, not earned alonebetween

4.34Knowers will pass it to you by teaching.───→here4.41───→10.10I give them buddhi by which they come.

ŚrīdharaclassicalC

Devotion is both the way and the homeapproach

───→here4.41───→6.47Be a devotee: that is the meaning.

ŚrīdharaclassicalL

Chapter prefaces as the bhāṣya's spineapproach

───→here4.41───→5.1Settling the doubt: renounce or work?

ŚaṅkaraclassicalE

Ignorance is the only enemybetween

4.18See not-doing in doing, doing in not-doing.───→here4.41───→5.13Body-self confusion is the only error.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalF

The Lord is born only as it werebetween

4.9My birth and acts are not of this world.───→here4.41───→7.14Divine illusion is hard to cross alone.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalG

After knowing, act only to hold the worldbetween

4.18The post-knowledge actor does no action at all.───→here4.41───→5.8I do nothing at all, says the knower.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalJ

Scripture stands behind every claimbetween

4.13The four orders are the Puruṣa's own body.───→here4.41───→15.1The world-tree is the tree of the Kaṭha.

RamsukhdasclassicalA

What binds you (and how to let go)between

4.23Clinging to anything is what binds you.───→here4.41───→5.12Drop the wish for fruit, not the fruit itself.

RamsukhdasclassicalE

Your own work as worshipbetween

4.13The four orders are His own creation.───→here4.41───→18.41Each order's work is born of its nature.

RamsukhdasclassicalH

All paths arrive at the same roombetween

4.36Knowledge ferries you across the ocean.───→here4.41───→5.4Insight and practice are not two paths.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here4.41───→

ŚaṅkaraclassicalH

The Lord is friend of every beingapproach

───→here4.41───→5.29Friend of all beings, the witness of every act.

RamsukhdasclassicalI

The Lord already inside the heartapproach

───→here4.41───→6.30See Me everywhere, I am never lost.

Ekrasmodernkarma_yoga

Karma yoga — the apprentice pathbetween · v2

4.18Action in inaction───→here4.41───→5.6Renunciation needs the path

Ekrasmodernstress

Stress — panic to shelterbetween · v2

4.16Even the wise are confused───→here4.41───→7.14Cross the maya

Gauravmodernchaplaincy_kit_of_tools

Chaplaincy Kit Of Toolsbetween

4.34Paramparā / direct transmission. 'Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprashnena sevaya, u───→here4.41───→6.11Mudra and posture. 'Shuchau deshe pratishthapya sthiram asanam atmanah.' Establi

Gauravmoderninterfaith_cosmology

Interfaith Cosmologybetween

4.11'Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham.' As they approach me, so I───→here4.41───→7.21'Yo yo yam yam tanum bhaktah shraddhayarchitum ichchhati.' Whatever form the dev

Gauravmodernsanatana_dharma_101

Sanatana Dharma 101between

4.8'Paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkritam, dharma-samsthapana-arthaya sambh───→here4.41───→9.27Dharma-as-offering pillar. 'Yat karoshi yad ashnasi yaj juhoshi dadasi yat.' Gau

RāmānujaclassicalD

Karma-yoga as kainkarya (worship)between

4.24Brahman the offering, Brahman the offerer.───→here4.41───→6.1The renouncer is the one who acts for Me.

RāmānujaclassicalG

Māyā is real causal powerbetween

4.6Self-power, not self-illusion.───→here4.41───→7.14Māyā is real wonder, not unreality.

RāmānujaclassicalH

Prapatti / śaraṇāgati — universal upāyabetween

4.11As they approach Me, so do I receive them.───→here4.41───→7.14Surrender alone crosses the māyā.

VallabhaclassicalA

Two paths — rule-bound and grace-onlybetween

4.11Each soul takes the path Krishna assigns to it.───→here4.41───→9.4The Lord pervades all, yet stays untouched.

VallabhaclassicalD

Chapter-opening preludesbetween

4.1Four-verse prelude names avatāra-līlā.───→here4.41───→5.1Single-verse prelude sets sannyāsa-yoga eka.

VallabhaclassicalG

The Lord plays — calf-affection, not contractbetween

4.8A mother chastising her child is no cruelty.───→here4.41───→7.1The play-Person of every form opens chapter 7.

Ekrasmodernmeditation

Meditation — the dhyāna tourapproach · v2

───→here4.41───→6.10Solitary seat

RāmānujaclassicalC

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

───→here4.41───→5.1A four-clause summary of all of 2 through 4.

VallabhaclassicalK

Aphorism, gloss, full commentaryapproach

───→here4.41───→6.47Six chapters of aphorism close at this verse.

Ekrasmodernfamily_conflict

Family Conflictexit · other

2.8No grief-remover I see───→here4.41───→

Gauravmoderneminem_dsm_arjuna

Eminem Dsm Arjunaexit

2.11'Ashochyan anvashochas tvam prajna-vadamsh cha bhashase.' You grieve those not t───→here4.41───→

JayatīrthaclassicalD

Saṅgati declared at the head of every adhyāyabetween

4.1Three blocks named at the chapter head.───→here4.41───→6.1Karma-yoga is outer; samādhi-yoga inner.

JayatīrthaclassicalE

Vishnu-sarvottamatva read into apparently neutral wordsbetween

4.11Mām is Viṣṇu, not generic absolute.───→here4.41───→7.5Higher prakṛti is Śrī, not the eight-fold.

JayatīrthaclassicalF

Bhakti-tāratamya: gradation among devotees, gradation in fruitbetween

4.11Fruit proportional to the service offered.───→here4.41───→7.21Other deities give what Viṣṇu permits.

ĀnandagiriclassicalF

Which karma? — fourfold typologybetween

4.18Action-in-inaction needs the typology.───→here4.41───→5.1Body-residue karma vs. fruit-bearing karma.

ĀnandagiriclassicalH

Phala-saṃkalpa is the only upādhibetween

4.18Action-in-inaction: the upādhi seen. Anchor.───→here4.41───→5.13All actions renounced by mind alone.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalB

Recognition, not additionbetween

4.14Recognize, do not learn — the verb shifts.───→here4.41───→7.24Failure of seeing, not absence of presence.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalD

Avatāra: appearance without departurebetween

4.13Four orders made by the one who stays equal.───→here4.41───→9.4He pervades, yet is not in any of it.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalD

Adhikāra — eligibility as architecture, not exceptionbetween

4.11'Yathā' is open; the verb is the gate.───→here4.41───→9.22Yoga-kṣemam: the Lord's work, not the seeker's caste.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalG

Three yogas — three angles on one configurationbetween

4.33Knowledge-rite outranks mere material rites.───→here4.41───→5.4Whoever sees them as one, sees rightly.

MadhusūdanaclassicalG

Knowing and acting cannot run togetherbetween

4.34Approach a knower; knowing is not earned by action.───→here4.41───→5.1Neither combined, nor optionally substituted.

Śabda · lemmas (10 unique · 11 occurrences)

कर्माणम्·कर्माणि karman ×2 — action, deed, the law of action · accusative masculine singular noun / nominative neuter plural noun · also at 1.1, 2.48, 3.26, 3.27, 3.30, 4.14 +12
निबध्नन्ति ni-√bandh — to bind, tie down (ni- + √bandh) · present indicative 3rd person plural verb
धनञ्जय dhanaṃjaya — winner of wealth (epithet of Arjuna) · vocative masculine singular noun · also at 1.15, 12.9, 18.29, 18.72

show all 10

योग yoga — yoga; union, discipline, application · compound
संन्यस्त saṃ-√nyas — to renounce, cast down (sam- + ni- + √as 'throw') · compound participle (compound member)
ज्ञान jñāna — knowledge, wisdom, cognition · compound · also at 1.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.26, 3.32 +70
संछिन्न saṃ-√chid — to cut to pieces (sam- + √chid) · compound participle (compound member)
संशयम् saṃśaya — doubt (sam- + √śi 'lie/rest' — 'lying both ways') · accusative masculine singular noun
आत्मवन्तम् ātmavat — self-possessed, possessing self (ātman + -vat) · accusative masculine singular noun
न na — not (negation particle)

Praśna · so what (7)

01If karma binds only through doubt and identification, what exactly is 'doubt' here — epistemological uncertainty or existential self-misidentification?
02Śaṅkara requires ātma-Īśvara oneness as the content of liberating knowledge; Rāmānuja requires ātma-knowledge that preserves distinction — can the same verse verse hold both without equivocation?

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03Vallabha's binary (ātmavant vs. anātmābhimānavant) implies identification is itself the binding mechanism — does that mean karma has no intrinsic power to bind, and bondage is always a category-error?
04Madhusūdana's 'apramāditva as prerequisite for jñāna' introduces a teleological loop: vigilance generates knowledge, knowledge enables non-binding action. Is this circular, or is it a bootstrapping protocol?
05Rāmānuja specifies that infinite prior (prācīna) karmas also cease to bind — does this imply retroactive liberation from accumulated saṃskāras (latent impressions), not merely prospective freedom?
06Śrīdhara explicitly includes svābhāvika (spontaneous, nature-arising) action as non-binding — does this dissolve the distinction between deliberate niṣkāma-karma and unreflective habit?
07Madhva's silence on this verse: is the absence strategic — does Dvaita siddhānta find the verse's grammar of self-possession philosophically incomplete without explicit reference to Hari's will?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

When facing a demanding project, act with full competence while recognizing that the 'doer' is a functional construct, not the ground of your identity. Notice how the sense of anxious ownership around outcomes arises precisely when you forget paramārtha (ultimate reality) — and dissolves in moments of total absorption. The work proceeds; the binding does not.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

Before beginning a task, consciously offer it to Bhagavān — not as a ritual disclaimer, but as a resetting of orientation. As Rāmānuja stresses, even an infinite backlog of consequences from past choices cannot bind a mind that is manasvī (steady) and established in what has been taught. Treat professional commitments as kainkarya (service); the result belongs to the Lord, not to your résumé.

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Dvaita

Acknowledge that whatever skill or insight you bring to a situation is a derived capacity — sustained by a power not of your making. This is not self-deprecation; it is accuracy. Acting from this acknowledgment removes the brittle urgency of proving independent excellence, and opens space for Hari's will to operate through you without your resistance.

Śuddhādvaita

Vallabha's dhīra is outwardly ordinary — engaged, capable, responsive — but inwardly antaḥkaraṇa-śūnya (empty of inner-organ possession). In practice: bring full energy to what is in front of you, but catch the moment when you begin identifying with the role ('I am the one who solved this'). That identification is anātmābhimāna (misidentification with non-self). Return to the bare fact of awareness — that is Kṛṣṇa's prasāda (grace-gift) operating as you.

Bhakti

Śrīdhara's apramādin (the vigilant one) is the practical key. Maintain a quality of alert sincerity in action — not anxious monitoring, but the attentiveness of genuine care. Dedicate the action to Parameśvara at the outset; let deha-abhimāna (body-identification) be the doubt you watch dissolve rather than suppress. Even routine, lokasaṃgraha (world-sustaining) work — meetings, errands, caregiving — is included: none of it binds the vigilant devotee.

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusūdana's emphasis on apramāditva (perpetual wakefulness) is actionable as a daily discipline: remove the conditions that produce viṣaya-paravaśatva (captivity to distraction) — not by avoidance, but by maintaining the samata-buddhi (equanimous awareness) that converts engagement into worship. The synthesis he offers means you need not choose between jñāna and bhakti orientations: sustained attention itself is the Bhagavad-ārādhana (offering to the Lord), and it simultaneously clears the ground for ātma-niścaya (settled self-knowledge).

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

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

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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 41: Krishna to Arjuna — Jñāna-Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga