The Supreme Lord began by revealing that this eternal science of Yoga was long ago imparted to Vivasvan, the Sun-god, who passed it to Manu, who in turn taught it to the royal sage Ikshvaku. Thus, it was handed down through a sacred succession of noble sages. Yet, over the great span of time, this profound wisdom was lost to the world, and today, because you are My devotee and My friend, I have restored this supreme mystery to you. Arjuna, puzzled, asked how it was possible for Krishna to have taught this at the dawn of creation, as His birth was far more recent than the Sun-god’s. The Lord replied that many births have passed for both of them; while Arjuna has forgotten them, He remembers them all. Though He is the unborn, eternal Lord of all beings, He chooses to manifest through His own divine power. Whenever righteousness declines and unrighteousness rises, He descends into the world to protect the good, destroy the wicked, and establish the eternal law of Dharma, age after age. Those who truly understand this divine birth and these sacred actions are never born into the cycle of mortality again; they come to Him. Many who have cleansed themselves in the fire of knowledge, free from attachment, fear, and anger, have found refuge in Him and attained His state of being. Regardless of how men approach Him, He rewards them, for all paths, in their many ways, are ultimately paths leading to Him. Those who crave the fruits of their work worship the lesser gods, for in this human world, results from such actions are attained quickly. Yet, it was He who created the four divisions of society based on the inherent qualities and activities of individuals; though He is the author of this system, He remains the immutable non-doer. He is not stained by the fruits of action, and he who understands this truth is likewise liberated from the bondage of karma. Knowing this, the seekers of old performed their duties; therefore, Arjuna, you too must perform your duty as those ancients did. The nature of action, inaction, and forbidden action is deeply subtle, and even the wise are often confused. To understand this, one must perceive inaction within action and action within inaction. This is the vision of the wise—a person who, while engaged in all manner of activity, remains a true yogi. Such a person, having burned all their past actions in the fire of wisdom, performs their duties without selfish desire or craving for results. Ever content and self-reliant, they act, yet are truly doing nothing. Freed from expectations, with a controlled mind, and having relinquished all sense of ownership, they perform their duties only with the body and remain untouched by sin. Satisfied with whatever comes to them, rising above the pairs of opposites like joy and sorrow, and free from envy, they are not bound by their actions, even when they act. For one who is detached and established in wisdom, all actions dissolve into the divine. To such a person, the very act of offering is Brahman; the offering itself is Brahman; it is offered by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. By thus seeing the Divine in every action, they move toward Him. While some perform sacrifice to the gods, the enlightened offer their very selves as a sacrifice into the fire of Brahman. Some sacrifice their senses in the fire of self-restraint; others offer sense-objects into the fire of their senses. Others, kindled by wisdom, sacrifice all bodily functions and the movements of the life-breath into the fire of self-control. Some offer their wealth, others their austerities, and others still the study of scriptures and the pursuit of knowledge. Through the practices of breath control, these devotees purify themselves, and having consumed their sins through sacrifice, they partake of the nectar of eternal Truth. This world is not for those who do not sacrifice; how then can the higher worlds be for them? All these various sacrifices are paths leading to Brahman, and knowing them to be rooted in action, one attains liberation. Yet, the sacrifice of wisdom is greater than any material sacrifice, for all actions culminate in the attainment of knowledge. Approach a realized teacher with humility, serve them, and ask them questions, and they will impart this wisdom to you. Once you have realized it, you will never again fall into delusion; you will see all beings within yourself, and then within Me. Even if you were the most sinful of all, you would cross the ocean of sin on the raft of this knowledge. Just as a blazing fire turns fuel to ashes, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all karma to ash. Indeed, there is no purifier in this world like knowledge, which a person perfects in Yoga will find within their own heart in time. With faith and controlled senses, one attains this wisdom and immediately finds the supreme peace. But the ignorant and the doubting find no happiness in this world or the next. Therefore, Arjuna, renounce the fruits of your actions through Yoga, dispel your doubts with the sword of knowledge, and stand firm in your duty. Arise, descendant of Bharata, and take up the path of action!