Bhagavad-gītā 4.40

Explain simply

Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa

अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति ।
नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ॥४०॥

ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca
saṁśayātmā vinaśyati
nāyaṁ loko 'sti na paro
na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ

Word for word (synonyms)

ajñaḥ
fools who have no knowledge in standard scriptures
ca
and
aśraddadhānaḥ
without faith in revealed scriptures
ca
also
saṁśaya
doubts
ātmā
person
vinaśyati
falls back
na
never
ayam
this
lokaḥ
world
asti
there is
na
neither
paraḥ
next life
na
not
sukham
happiness
saṁśaya
doubtful
ātmanaḥ
of the person

Translation

But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.

Defined in the Gītā

Happiness

What is real happiness?

O best of the Bhāratas, now please hear from Me about the three kinds of happiness which the conditioned soul enjoys, and by which he sometimes comes to the end of all distress. That which in the beginning may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens one to self-realization is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness.

Bhagavad-gītā 18.36–37

See the definition

Purport

Out of many standard and authoritative revealed scriptures, the Bhagavad-gītā is the best. Persons who are almost like animals have no faith in, or knowledge of, the standard revealed scriptures; and some, even though they have knowledge of, or can cite passages from, the revealed scriptures, have actually no faith in these words. And even though others may have faith in scriptures like Bhagavad-gītā, they do not believe in or worship the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Such persons cannot have any standing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They fall down. Out of all the abovementioned persons, those who have no faith and are always doubtful make no progress at all. Men without faith in God and His revealed word find no good in this world, nor in the next. For them there is no happiness whatsoever. One should therefore follow the principles of revealed scriptures with faith and thereby be raised to the platform of knowledge. Only this knowledge will help one become promoted to the transcendental platform of spiritual understanding. In other words, doubtful persons have no status whatsoever in spiritual emancipation. One should therefore follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas who are in the disciplic succession and thereby attain success.

What this verse teaches

Role of faith in acquiring j’āna ñ Who can and cannot attain jñāna?; Reaction free work; Rise and fight!

Gita for Life
Confusion and doubt
This verse in a ladder 1
The faithful and the doubting soul Bhagavad-gītā 4.39–40

The way up

  1. A faithful man 4.39
  2. absorbed in transcendental knowledge 4.39
  3. subdues his senses 4.39
  4. quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace 4.39

The way down

  1. ignorant and faithless persons 4.40
  2. doubt the revealed scriptures 4.40
  3. do not attain God consciousness 4.40
  4. happiness neither in this world nor in the next 4.40

All ladders of the Gītā

In thematic compilations 1

How to Receive Knowledge

  • Doubting mentality (4.40 ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca...)
Śrīla Prabhupāda lectures 2

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.