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Chapter 4 · Verse 40 · Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga

Bhagavad Gita 4.40

urgent Jnana & Wisdom Dharma & Duty Attachment & Letting Go

Sanskrit

अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति। नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः।।4.40।।

Transliteration

ajñaśh chāśhraddadhānaśh cha sanśhayātmā vinaśhyati nāyaṁ loko ’sti na paro na sukhaṁ sanśhayātmanaḥ

Word by Word

ajñaḥ the ignorant
cha and
aśhraddadhānaḥ without faith
cha and
sanśhaya skeptical
ātmā a person
vinaśhyati falls down
na never
ayam in this
lokaḥ world
asti is
na not
paraḥ in the next
na not
sukham happiness
sanśhaya-ātmanaḥ for the skeptical soul
Simplified Perspective

The Lord speaks a truth that pierces through all spiritual bypassing: doubt is not sophistication—it is the sword that cuts you off from both worlds. A person paralyzed by skepticism cannot anchor themselves in this life's dharma, nor can they reach toward the next.

Faith does not mean blind belief; it means the willingness to step into practice and let understanding unfold. In our modern age of endless second-guessing, this verse invites us to recognize when healthy questioning has become a comfortable prison that keeps us from committing to transformation.

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Bhagavad Gita 4.40 — BG 4.40

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Sanskrit text from the Bhagavad Gita (public domain). Commentary © Mahakatha.

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