Bhagavad Gita BG 4.25
Chapter 4, Verse 25 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते । ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति ॥
daivam evapare yajnam yoginah paryupasate brahmagnaav apare yajnam yajnaivopajuhvati
Meaning
Some yogis perform worship of the gods as yajna; others offer yajna as yajna itself into the fire of Brahman.
Understanding
Two levels of yajna: some yogis daivam yajnam paryupasate (worship the gods as their yajna — external devotion with distinct deity). Others offer yajnam yajnaiva (yajna itself into yajna) in the fire of Brahman — a self-referential offering where the very act of offering is offered, dissolving the distinction between offerer, offering, and receiver. The second is the more non-dual approach, where all duality of 'me offering to God' collapses.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| दैवम् | daivam | pertaining to the gods, divine |
| पर्युपासते | paryupasate | worship, serve, attend to |
| ब्रह्माग्नौ | brahmagnauh | in the fire of Brahman |
| उपजुह्वति | upajuhvati | offer, pour as oblation |
| एव | eva | indeed / alone (some worship the divine alone) |
| अपरे | apare | others / some others |
| यज्ञम् | yajñam | sacrifice / the yajna |
| योगिनः | yoginaḥ | the yogis / the practitioners of yoga |
| यज्ञेन | yajñena | by sacrifice / as a sacrifice (the self into Brahman-fire) |