Verse 4.33

श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप ।

सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते ॥

4.33

Transliteration

śreyāndravyamayādyajñājjñānayajñaḥ parantapa |

sarvaṃ karmākhilaṃ pārtha jñāne parisamāpyate ||

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3

Translation

Superior is wisdom-sacrifice to the sacrifice with objects, O Parantapa (scorcher of the foes). All actions in their entirely, O Arjuna, culminate in knowledge.

From the owner's sheet · +1 more

Word by word

better
of material things
than sacrifice
the sacrifice of knowledge
O scorcher of foes

all
action
entire
O Partha (Arjuna)
in knowledge
culminates

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08

Explanation

Among all the forms of sacrifice, Krishna now ranks jñānayajña, the sacrifice of knowledge, above offerings of material things. All action reaches its fulfilment in knowledge (jñāna). This does not cancel the call to act; rather it says that the purpose of all action is to lead to understanding. Traditions differ on emphasis: some see knowledge as the final goal beyond action, others as the light in which action is rightly done. Either way, knowledge crowns the whole range of sacrifices just described.