Chapter 4 Verse 9
Jñāna Karm Sanyās Yog
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः। त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन।।4.9।।
janma karma cha me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna
Word Meanings
| janma | birth |
| karma | activities |
| cha | and |
| me | of mine |
| divyam | divine |
| evam | thus |
| yaḥ | who |
| vetti | know |
| tattvataḥ | in truth |
| tyaktvā | having abandoned |
| deham | the body |
| punaḥ | again |
| janma | birth |
| na | never |
| eti | takes |
| mām | to me |
| eti | comes |
| saḥ | he |
| arjuna | Arjun |
Translation
He who thus knows, in their true light, My divine birth and actions, having abandoned the body, is not born again; he comes to Me, O Arjuna.
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
This verse says that when a person truly understands the divine nature of the Lord—His birth and actions as beyond ordinary life—they no longer see themselves as merely a body. True knowledge removes the fear of death and the tight hold of ego.
By letting go of identification with the body and its roles, a person breaks the chain of repeated births. "Not born again" means freedom from the cycle of birth and death and arriving at the Divine reality.
Coming to the Lord means inner union and lasting peace. This is not about physical travel after death alone, but about living and dying with the inner sense of belonging to the Divine.
Life Application
- Practice seeing your work as an offering, not a way to feed ego; focus on duty without clinging to results.
- Remind yourself daily you are more than your body—use a short meditation or pause to notice the witness within.
- Cultivate surrender and devotion: pray, serve others, or repeat a simple mantra to steady your mind toward the Divine.
Reflection Question
If you truly believed you were not just your body, how would your choices today be different?