Sacrifice of knowledge is greater than a material sacrifice

Yog of Knowledge and Action 

Chapter 4, Verse 33

 

śreyān dravyamayād yajñāt 

jñāna yajñaḥ parantapa 

sarvaṁ karmākhilaṁ pārtha 

jñāne parisamāpyate

 

The sacrifice of knowledge, O Arjuna, is greater than any material sacrifice. Knowledge is that in which all this action culminates, O Paartha!

 

“The sacrifice of knowledge.” If you have the knowledge of the Self, you are constantly immersed in the awareness that to attain God Consciousness, God-Realisation, is far “greater than any material sacrifice”, which means that it is far greater than any external offering. Because you are immersing yourself in the Divine inside of you, where the Divine reveals Himself. You are not offering something outside of you, but you are offering everything inside of you.

 

“‘Knowledge is that in which all this action culminates, O Paartha! This knowledge of the Self, Brahma Jyaan, is the aim of all action. Whatever you do is to attain this knowledge of the Self. And once you have reached the state of this supreme knowledge, my dear, that’s the greatest sacrifice, that’s the greatest offering! So practice the yoga of the Self! Find the Divine inside of you! Realise yourself and be free from bondage. Attain the true knowledge of God. It’s through this knowledge of the Self that I’m giving you, this Brahma Jyaan, that you will attain Realisation. And if you offer this knowledge, this Jyaana, this awareness, this Realisation as sacrifice, you’ll not be attached to it, and you’ll be free.”

 

In the case of material sacrifice, the devotee, the bhakta renounces worldly objects. They don’t involve themselves in trying to gain anything: they offer everything to the Lord. But from the core of that knowledge, one attains the Divine. And if one realises that, in everything one does, it is God Himself doing it, this Realisation is far superior than making a second-hand offering to God saying, “This comes from my work. Let me offer it to God!” If one does an offering with the attitude that everything is Him and it is Him doing everything, this sacrifice of knowledge is greater than a material sacrifice.

Bhagavad Gita