दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते ।
ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति ॥
ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
अन्य योगीलोग भगवदर्पणरूप यज्ञका ही अनुष्ठान करते हैं और दूसरे योगीलोग ब्रह्मरूप अग्निमें विचाररूप यज्ञके द्वारा ही जीवात्मारूप यज्ञका हवन करते हैं ॥
English
Some yogis offer sacrifice to the divine alone. Others offer the self into the fire of Brahman through sacrifice itself.
What this verse means
Different yogis practice sacrifice in different ways. Some dedicate worship to the divine, while others make the act of sacrifice itself into an offering within Brahman.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is still frozen while Krishna keeps unfolding the inner logic of action. After describing sacrifice as purified knowledge, Krishna now shows that yogic practice can take different forms, all aimed at offering action back into the absolute.
Why this verse still matters
You sit in a quiet room before a hard decision, trying to get the wording right before you speak. The form may differ, but the real task is the same: let the act become an offering, not a performance.
The takeaway
There are many forms of sincere practice, but all can become a way of offering the whole self.
Word-by-word translation
दैवमेव (to the divine alone) / अपरे (others) / यज्ञम् (sacrifice) / योगिनः (yogis) / पर्युपासते (worship) / ब्रह्माग्नौ (in the fire of Brahman) / अपरे (others) / यज्ञम् (sacrifice) / यज्ञेन (by sacrifice) / एव (indeed) / उपजुह्वति (offer)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4: Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga — Knowledge and Renunciation of Action, which contains 42 verses.
Explore related themes: karma yoga (55 verses), yajna (32 verses), jnana yoga (13 verses)