Shloka
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते |
तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनि विन्दति ||४-३८||Transliteration
na hi jñānena sadṛśaṃ pavitramiha vidyate .
tatsvayaṃ yogasaṃsiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati ||4-38||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
4.38. In this world there exists no purifier comparabel to knowledge. One who becomes perfect in Yoga finds this, on his own accord, in his Self in course of time.
Shri Purohit Swami
4.38 There is nothing in the world so purifying as wisdom; and he who is a perfect saint finds that at last in his own Self.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
4.38 Na hi etc. There exists no purifier similar to the knowledge. The purity of other things is due to the touch of Consciousness and is not intrinsic. This point is not elaborated here for fear of a lengthy discussion. This purifying nature of the knowledge, one would understand for himself on reaching the stage of being perfectly enlightened.
Sri Ramanuja
4.38 Nothing here in this world purifies like this knowledge; for the knowledge of the self destroys all evil. He who has reached perfection by practising Karma Yoga in its form of knowledge daily in the manner taught, in due time, of his own accord, attaints it, i.e., knowledge concerning his own self.
Sri Krsna expounds the same lucidly thus:
Sri Shankaracharya
4.38 Hi, indeed; na vidyate, there is nothing; pavitram, purifying, sanctifying; iha, here; sadrsam, comparable; jnanena, to Knowledge. Yoga-samsiddhah, one who has become perfected, who as attained fitness through yoga-the seeker after Liberation who has become samsiddhah, purified, qualified; yogena, through the yoga of Karma and the yoga of concentration-; kalena, after a long time; vindati, realizes, i.e. attains; tat, That, Knowledge; verily svayam, by himself; atmani, in his own heart. That means by which Knowledge is invariably attained is being taught:
Swami Adidevananda
4.38 For there is no purifier here eal to knowledge; he that is perfected in Karma Yoga finds this (knowledge) of his own accord in himself in due time.
Swami Gambirananda
4.38 Indeed, there is nothing purifying here comparable to Knowledge. One who has become perfected after a (long) time through yoga, realizes That by himself in his own heart.
Swami Sivananda
4.38 Verily, there is no purifier in this world like knowledge. He who is perfected in Yoga finds it in the Self in time.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
4.38 न not? हि verily? ज्ञानेन to wisdom? सदृशम् like? पवित्रम् pure? इह here (in this world)? विद्यते is? तत् that? स्वयम् oneself? योगसंसिद्धः perfected in Yoga? कालेन in time? आत्मनि in the Self? विन्दति finds.Commentary There exists no purifier eal to knowledge of the Self. He who has attained perfection by the constant practice of Karma Yoga and Dhyana Yoga (the Yoga of meditation) will? after a time? find the knowledge of the Self in himself.