Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingयथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन।
ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा
yathaidhānsi samiddho ’gnir bhasma-sāt kurute ’rjuna
jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi bhasma-sāt kurute tathā
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaO Arjuna, just as a blazing fire reduces wood to ashes, similarly the fire of Knowledge reduces all actions to ashes.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
जैसे प्रज्जवलित अग्नि ईन्धन को भस्मसात् कर देती है, वैसे ही, हे अर्जुन ! ज्ञानरूपी अग्नि सम्पूर्ण कर्मों को भस्मसात् कर देती है।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiयथै धांसि समिद् धोऽग्निः
भस्म सात् कुरु तेऽ र्जुन
ज्ञानाग् निस् सर्व कर्माणि
भस्म सात् कुरु ते तथा
॥ ३७ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthayathāas
edhānsifirewood
samiddhaḥblazing
agniḥfire
bhasma-sātto ashes
kuruteturns
arjunaArjun
jñāna-agniḥthe fire of knowledge
sarva-karmāṇiall reactions from material activities
bhasma-sātto ashes
kuruteit turns
tathāsimilarly
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA4.37What does the fire of Knowledge do to the whole stock of karma?
O Arjuna, just as a blazing fire reduces wood to ashes, similarly the fire of Knowledge reduces all actions to ashes.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.