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Chapter 4 · Transcendental Knowledge · 42 verses

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Duty & actionChapter 4 · Transcendental Knowledge

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 4.29

Sacrifice, discipline and knowledge

अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे ।

प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः ।

अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति ॥ २९ ॥

apāne juhvati prāṇaṁ

prāṇe ’pānaṁ tathāpare

prāṇāpāna-gatī ruddhvā

prāṇāyāma-parāyaṇāḥ

apare niyatāhārāḥ

prāṇān prāṇeṣu juhvati

Translation

Still others, who are inclined to the process of breath restraint to remain in trance, practice by offering the movement of the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming breath into the outgoing, and thus at last remain in trance, stopping all breathing. Others, curtailing the eating process, offer the outgoing breath into itself as a sacrifice.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Breath Control and Devotional Service

  1. 1Some offer the outgoing and incoming breaths into each other, finally stopping breathing in trance. Others reduce eating as a sacrifice.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that breath control helps control the senses and advance spiritual understanding. Loving service to Kṛṣṇa automatically controls the senses and brings liberation.
  3. 3Engage your senses in Kṛṣṇa’s service and eat only food first offered to Him. This helps control the senses.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 4, Transcendental Knowledge: sacrifice, discipline and knowledge.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Act dutifully without attachment to fruits.

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Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: karma, sva-dharma.

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 4.29 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to duty & action?

Practice

Do one task today purely because it is right.

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The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 4 ›
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Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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