Chapter 4, Verse 30 (Bhagavad Gita 4.30)
Chapter 4: Jñāna Karm Sanyās Yog – Path of Knowledge and the Disciplines of Action
Sanskrit Shloka
अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति। सर्वेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः
Transliteration
apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇān prāṇeṣu juhvati sarve py 'ete yajña-vido yajña-kṣapita-kalmaṣāḥ
Word Meanings
apare—others; niyata—controlled; āhārāḥ—eating; prāṇān—outgoing air; prāṇeṣu—in the outgoing air; sarve—all; api—although apparently different; ete—all these; yajñavidaḥ—conversant with the purpose of performing; yajña—sacrifices; kṣapita—being cleansed of the result of such performances; kalmaṣāḥ—sinful reactions; juhvati—sacrifices.
Translation
Others who regulate their diet offer their life-breaths into the life-breaths as a sacrifice. All these knowers of sacrifice have their impurities cleansed by the performance of such acts.
Meaning & Commentary
This verse reveals that sacrifice is not merely an external ritual but an internal process of self-regulation and mindfulness. By consciously channeling the life-force (prana) and disciplining the senses, the practitioner burns away the accumulated tendencies of ego and past karma. It teaches that life itself becomes a sacred offering when every biological and mental function is performed with awareness rather than unconscious desire. Through this constant refinement, the practitioner moves from a state of conditioned reaction to one of spiritual clarity. Ultimately, this demonstrates that transformation is found in the mastery of one’s own internal energy.