Bhagavad Gita · Jnana Karma Sannyasa YogaChapter 4, Shloka 25 (4.25)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते
ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति
॥ 4.25 ॥
daivamevāpare yajñaṃ yoginaḥ paryupāsate
brahmāgnāvapare yajñaṃ yajñenaivopajuhvati
Translation
"Some yogis perform only the yajña of worshipping the gods; and others offer yajña itself, by means of yajña, into the fire that is Brahman."
Interpretation
Two yajñas. (1) Daiva yajña — worship of the gods; (2) brahmāgnau yajñaṃ yajñenaivopajuhvati — offering "yajña" by "yajña" into the fire of Brahman.
Shankaracharya — the offering of the self. The daiva yajña is performed by the karmins (people of ritual action). The second: into brahmāgnau — the fire that is Brahman (free of attributes, described as satyaṃ jñānam anantaṃ brahma and by neti neti) — apare brahmavidaḥ — other knowers of Brahman — offer yajñam — here "yajña" = the self ("yajña" is counted among the names of the self) — that self with its limiting adjuncts, yajñena eva ātmanā — by the self itself: that is, sopādhikasya ātmanaḥ nirupādhikena para-brahma-svarūpeṇaiva yad darśanam — seeing the self with its adjuncts as nothing but the Supreme Brahman without adjuncts — this is the "homa" (offering); it is performed by brahmātmaikatva-darśana-niṣṭhāḥ saṃnyāsinaḥ — renunciates steadfast in the vision of the oneness of Brahman and the self.
Acharya Ramanuja — traditional yajña, seen as Brahman. Daivaṃ daivārcana-rūpaṃ yajñam apare karma-yoginaḥ … tatra eva niṣṭhāṃ kurvanti — some karma-yogis are devoted to yajña in the form of worship of the gods. Others yajñaṃ yajña-rūpaṃ brahmātmakam ājyādi-dravyaṃ yajñena yajña-sādhana-bhūtena srug-ādinā juhvati — offer (into the fire of Brahman) the ghee and other materials, which are the yajña and have Brahman as their self, with the ladle and other instruments of the yajña — brahmārpaṇaṃ brahma haviḥ iti nyāyena — in the spirit of 4.24 — yāga-homayor niṣṭhām — devoted to sacrifice and offering.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.