Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 Summary

Krishna: Hey Arjun, I gave this Spiritual knowledge to Sun God who then gave it to Manu, to Ikshvaku.

In this way the chain of discipline succession went, but due to the influence of time, the chain got lost. Now I am giving the same divine knowledge to you because you are my devotee & best friend - so you can understand it.

Explanation: To understand Gita, you need to become Devotee. To become Devotee, you need to understand Gita. Devotees association will help u in both.

Arjuna: How you said to Sun millions of years ago ?

Krishna: You and I took millions of births, you don't remember, but I do all.

I am the isvara (controller), master of all this world. I appear by my sweet will by my spiritual potency. I appear every millennia to reestablish dharma, protect devotees, kill miscreants.

Fools think I am forced to take birth like humans. No, my birth is divine & transcendental. One who knows my birth & activities as transcendental - will not take birth again & will come to me.

Explanation: Krishna's supremacy is shown. Krishna is explaining Jnana Tapasya, to use spiritual intelligence to understand reality.

Everyone is following my path according to their level of awareness & faith.

People approach devatas (big powerful persons) to fulfill their desires. Sun gives health, Ganesh removes obstacles, katyayini gives husband,..

I don't have any desires, so I don't have any work, but still I do work to set example.

I have established the Daivi Varna-Ashram system and classified people according to Guna (qualities) & Karma (work), so that people can work & fulfill their desires + understand the spiritual knowledge by following this system.

Even inteligent people get confused what is karma ? Hear from me,

Just like me, my devotees also don't have any work (as they don't have any desires). They still work to set an example. They work with transcendental knowledge.

Conclusion: Hey Arjun, you fight because I said, when you do so, you'll not get any karma bandana (bondage). Do it without any desire, any profit, any results. Just do it.

Anything done for my pleasure, such work becomes divine karma, spiritual work with no bondage.

In this way you should sacrifice - offer your work to me. People do this in many ways: by hearing this knowledge, by doing yajnas like dravya, tapo, jnana - to cultivate knowledge, pranayam, meditate on paramatma.

If one doesn't offer work to me, they can neither be happy now nor in future, & remain in illusion. If one does so one'll be liberated & come out of illusion.

Best sacrifice of all is Jnana (to know knowledge). For that one must approach Guru.

Approach Spiritual Master: a) Approach with humility & serve Guru b) Pay obediences & Ask questions c) Hear knowledge. {Guru strengthens our faith}

Lesson: We must know that we are soul, servant of Krishna. To use intelligence & know how to serve Krishna.

This divine knowledge will burn all our past sinful activities.

Only when we keep faith, we can gain knowledge - then control our senses - which brings long lasting Peace.

Faithless - gets no knowledge - uncontrolled senses - no happiness anywhere.

Conclusion: Therefore, with this sword of divine knowledge kill all your doubts. Now you arise, awake and fight.