The Yoga of Knowledge and Renunciation of Action

Krishna uses a powerful metaphor: knowledge is like fire that burns all actions to ashes. Just as fire consumes fuel completely, knowledge consumes the binding power of action completely. 'Jñānāgniḥ sarvakarmāṇi bhasmasāt kurute' (the fire of knowledge reduces all actions to ashes) means that when you truly understand—when knowledge burns bright—all actions lose their binding power. This doesn't mean you stop acting, but that actions performed with knowledge don't create bondage. The metaphor emphasizes completeness—fire doesn't partially burn fuel, it consumes it entirely. Similarly, true knowledge doesn't partially purify—it burns all the binding power of actions. This verse emphasizes the transformative power of knowledge—it's not gradual purification, but complete transformation.