Chapter 4 · Verse 31

Path of Knowledge and the Disciplines of Action

यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम्। नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञस्य कुतो़ऽन्यः कुरुसत्तम

yajña-śhiṣhṭāmṛita-bhujo yānti brahma sanātanam nāyaṁ loko ’styayajñasya kuto ’nyaḥ kuru-sattama

Word Meanings

yajña-śhiṣhṭa amṛita-bhujaḥ — they partake of the nectarean remnants of sacrifice; yānti — go; brahma — the Absolute Truth; sanātanam — eternal; na — never; ayam — this; lokaḥ — planet; asti — is; ayajñasya — for one who performs no sacrifice; kutaḥ — how; anyaḥ — other (world); kuru-sat-tama — best of the Kurus, Arjun

Language:

Translation

Those who partake of the sacred nectar remaining from sacrifice attain the eternal Absolute. For one who offers no sacrifice, even this world is not theirs, O Arjuna — how then any other?

Commentary

यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजः eaters of the nectar -- the remnants of the sacrifice? यान्ति go? ब्रह्म Brahman? सनातनम् eternal? न not? अयम् this? लोकः world? अस्ति is? अयज्ञस्य of the nonsacrificer? कुतः how? अन्यः other? कुरुसत्तम O best of the Kurus.Commentary They go to the eternal Brahman in course of time after attaining the knowledge of the Self through purification of the mind by performing the above sacrifices. He who does not perform any of these is not fit even for this miserable world. How then can he hope to get a better world than this (Cf.III.13)