Use knowledge to cut doubt, then rise into action.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मनः |छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत ||४-४२||
tasmādajñānasambhūtaṃ hṛtsthaṃ jñānāsinātmanaḥ . chittvainaṃ saṃśayaṃ yogamātiṣṭhottiṣṭha bhārata ||4-42||
Use this verse as your Chapter 4 completion action prompt.
Meaning
Therefore, cut this doubt born of ignorance and seated in your heart with the sword of knowledge. Stand in yoga and arise, O Bharata.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Chapter 4 ends with Krishna telling Arjuna to cut doubt and rise in yoga.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This final verse is a powerful call to action. Doubt is not only intellectual; it is seated in the heart. Krishna does not ask Arjuna to suppress doubt but to cut it with knowledge. Then he gives the command: stand in yoga and arise.
Read the traditional commentary
The chapter ends with a stirring call to action. Krishna gathers everything he has taught into a single command: take the jñāna-asi — the sword of knowledge — and cut away the doubt that, born of ignorance (ajñāna-sambhūta), still lodges in Arjuna's heart (hṛtstha). Doubt is the enemy within, and self-knowledge is the blade that severs it.
Then comes the ringing summons: yogam ātiṣṭha uttiṣṭha bhārata — 'establish yourself in yoga; arise, O Arjuna!' This is no abstract conclusion but a charge to act. Having understood the imperishable nature of the Self, the freedom of detached action, and the supremacy of knowledge, Arjuna is now told to rise and do his duty.
The chapter that began with ancient lineage closes with a present, urgent imperative: cut your doubt, stand firm in yoga, and arise.
In daily life
Do not stay stuck after clarity; stand up and act.
After understanding the right step, a person should stop overthinking and make the call, send the proposal, apologize, or begin the work.
Try this today
Write the doubt, write the truth, then take one action within 24 hours.
I cut doubt with knowledge and rise in yoga.Reflect
What doubt must I cut before I rise?
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Quick check
What does ‘ज्ञान-असिना’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on doubt, in other chapters
- Verse 3.1 · ArjunaWhen spiritual ideals seem to clash with hard duties, bring the confusion into the open rather than using it as an excuse to retreat.
- Verse 2.48Equanimity — being balanced in success and failure alike — is not just a nice quality; it is the very definition of yoga.
- Verse 7.1Knowledge of the Divine ripens not from argument but from a mind anchored in Him, steady practice, and wholehearted refuge.
- Verse 18.73 · ArjunaTrue spiritual clarity dispels doubt and flowers naturally into willing, committed action.
Swipe left for 5.1 · Spiritual clarity must guide practical action.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 4.42
Who says Bhagavad Gita 4.42, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 4.42, in Chapter 4, Jnana Karma Sannyas Yoga (Jnana Karma Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 4.42 mean?
Therefore, cut this doubt born of ignorance and seated in your heart with the sword of knowledge. Stand in yoga and arise, O Bharata. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 4.42 for daily life?
Do not stay stuck after clarity; stand up and act. After understanding the right step, a person should stop overthinking and make the call, send the proposal, apologize, or begin the work.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 4.42 mean?
तस्मात् — therefore; अज्ञान-सम्भूतम् — born of ignorance; हृत्स्थम् — residing in the heart; ज्ञान-असिना — with the sword of knowledge; आत्मनः — of the self.
Where does verse 4.42 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 42 of 42 in Chapter 4, Jnana Karma Sannyas Yoga. It closes the chapter; Chapter 5 begins with verse 5.1.