Verse-36
Chapter 4 — Gyan Karma Sannayasa Yoga
Verse 36
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
api cedasi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpakṛttamaḥ
sarvaṁ jñānaplavenaiva vṛjinaṁ santariṣyasi
🕉 English Translation
Agar hai tu papi sabse bada,
Hai papon ke sagar mein aundha pada.
Toh aa baith is gyan nauka mein tu,
Tar jayega paap sagar se tu.
📜 Translation
English
Even if, you are the greatest doer of sin beyond all doers, even then undoubtedly by the boat of knowledge you will very well cross over the entire ocean of sins.
Extremely magnanimous scripture is the Bhagvad Gita. Why should it not be so, as it is the divine word of the supremely large-hearted Supreme Lord Krishna. How can anyone remain deprived of His bounty? Not just sinners but amongst them the greatest doer of sin (papakrittmah) even then there is no hopelessness. To repent for one's sins is good and proper. To take lesson-warning from the sins done earlier is right; but to plunge into depression thinking that upliftment is not possible, is not proper. Nor from any viewpoint is it approved by the Gita. Which Gita is a holy scripture which lifts one out from despair. From this viewpoint, this verse is a great one. Let there be elevation, on the purification of the inmost spirit and also due to the performance of virtuous deeds; it is a natural outcome of these; but even for the greatest doer of sin the doors of upliftment are not closed.
Though this appears to be impossible, but if the Lord wills or with the blessings of any man of Real Knowledge, the question of impossibility cannot arise. If the blessings are received and in the inner-self this inspiration awakens that whatever has happened has happened, now one should aspire for evolution of self, have faith that even this much of earnestness will ensconce you on the path of knowledge and will lodge you on the boat of knowledge. To embark on the boat of knowledge implies being above ignorance-steadfastness in knowledge! Due to abidance in ignorance and due to contact with untruth the inclination was towards sins earlier. The implication of abidance in knowledge means snapping ties with the unreal. As a result, deliverance from sins occurs! Along with the example of the boat another illustration is given.