Verse 4.40

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 4.40:

अज्ञश् चाश्रद्दधानश् च संशयात्मा विनश्यति ।
नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ॥ ४० ॥

ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca saṃśayātmā vinaśyati |
nāyaṃ loko'sti na paro na sukhaṃ saṃśayātmanaḥ || 40 ||

ajñaḥ–a fool; ca–and; aśraddadhānaḥ–faithless; ca–and; saṃśaya-ātmā–a doubting soul; vinaśyati–is ruined; na–not; ayam lokaḥ–in this world; asti–there is; na–nor; paraḥ–in the next; na–not; sukham–happiness; saṃśaya-ātmanaḥ–for a doubting soul.

Those who are ignorant, faithless and who have a doubting nature are ruined. A sceptic cannot achieve his well-being in this world or the next, nor can he even achieve happiness.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

After explaining the qualification needed to attain transcendental knowledge, Śrī Bhagavān describes one who is not fit to attain such knowledge. Ajñaḥ means ‘foolish, like an animal’. Aśraddadhānaḥ refers to one who has knowledge of scripture but does not have faith in any siddhānta because he cannot reconcile the contradictions between the various philosophers. Saṃśaya-ātmā means ‘one who, despite having faith, still doubts whether his efforts will become successful’. Of these three, the line beginning with nāyam specifically condemns one who is doubtful.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

After explaining the types of people who are qualified to attain transcendental knowledge and its subsequent result, Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes the ignorant, who are not qualified to attain it. He also explains the degraded result of such disqualification. A man who is ignorant, faithless and cynical perishes.

According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, ajñaḥ here means ‘ignorant of the topics instructed by śrī guru’. According to Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, it means that one who does not have knowledge of the scriptures is like an animal.

Those who do not have faith in the words of the scriptures, guru and the Vaiṣṇavas are called aśraddhālu, or faithless. One who always doubts the instructions of Hari, Guru and the Vaiṣṇavas is called saṃśaya-ātmā, a man of doubt. Such doubtful persons are more fallen than the ignorant and faithless, and they cannot attain happiness and peace anywhere, either in this world or in the next.