yathaidhānsi samiddho ’gnir bhasma-sāt kurute ’rjuna
jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi bhasma-sāt kurute tathā
yathā — as;
edhānsi — firewood;
samiddhaḥ — blazing;
agniḥ — fire;
bhasma-sāt — to ashes;
kurute — turns;
arjuna — Arjun;
jñāna-agniḥ — the fire of knowledge;
sarva-karmāṇi — all reactions from material activities;
bhasma-sāt — to ashes;
kurute — it turns;
tathā — similarly
In this verse, Krishna is explaining to Arjuna how powerful knowledge is, much like a fire. When you burn wood, it turns to ash, right? Similarly, when you have true knowledge—especially about who you are and how you connect with the universe—it can completely erase the effects of your actions, whether good or bad.
Let’s break that down a bit. Every action we take in life leads to some kind of result, or reaction. This can be a reaction from something harmful we did, like saying something hurtful to someone, or from something good, like helping a friend. These reactions can hang over us, affecting our mood and our life.
But when we gain deep understanding—what is sometimes referred to as 'spiritual knowledge'—it’s like setting a fire to those reactions. Just like fire consumes wood, this knowledge cleans up all those reactions associated with our past actions, turning them to ashes. This means that not only the bad results of our wrongdoings are removed, but also the good ones. It’s like finding peace of mind and freedom from the weight of past actions.
Now, you might think, 'But why would I want to get rid of good reactions too?' This is because the idea is to reach a state of living freely, without attachment or fear of past actions, whether they were good or bad. The ultimate goal is to focus on living in the present without being burdened by what has been done before.
In essence, having perfect knowledge helps in a big way—imagine living without fear or guilt from past wrongs or even being overly proud about your good deeds. It allows one to start fresh, live fully, and find real happiness.
Krishna mentions that this knowledge helps both with actions that are just starting, those that are currently happening, and those that have already passed, and this smooths everything over. The wise understand that through this knowledge, they transcend or go beyond the results of their actions.
In simple terms, if you've made mistakes or done good things in life, don't worry too much about what will come of it. Focus on gaining this knowledge that Krishna speaks of, and you'll find that you can simply let go of all that weight.