Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 12

Chapter 13 – Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् ।
एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा ॥

Transliteration

adhyātmajñānanityatvaṃ tattvajñānārthadarśanam .
etajjñānamiti proktamajñānaṃ yadato.anyathā ॥

Meaning

Constancy in knowledge of the Self and a clear vision of the goal of the knowledge of truth — all this is declared to be knowledge; whatever is contrary to it is ignorance.

Word meanings

अध्यात्मज्ञान – knowledge of the Self
नित्यत्वम् – constancy, abiding steadily in
तत्त्वज्ञान – knowledge of the ultimate truth
अर्थ – object, goal, purpose
दर्शनम् – seeing, direct perception
एतत् – this (all)
ज्ञानम् – knowledge
इति – thus
प्रोक्तम् – is declared
अज्ञानम् – ignorance
यत् – that which
अतः – from this
अन्यथा – otherwise, contrary

Anvaya (word order)

अध्यात्म-ज्ञान-नित्यत्वम्, तत्त्व-ज्ञान-अर्थ-दर्शनम् — एतत् ज्ञानम् इति प्रोक्तम्; यत् अतः अन्यथा, (तत्) अज्ञानम् ।

Explanation

With this verse the list of twenty marks of knowledge begun in 13.8 comes to its close, and the last two are the highest. The first is adhyatma-jnana-nityatva, constancy in knowledge of the Self: steady, lifelong engagement in discriminating the Self from what is not the Self. This is not something learned once from a book or a lecture; it is a continuous reflection in which the seeker again and again recognises himself as the witness, distinct from body, mind and intellect.

The second is tattva-jnanartha-darshana, keeping in view the purpose of the knowledge of truth. Shankara explains that the fruit of such knowledge is liberation, and that holding this fruit before one's eyes keeps the seeker's zeal alive. Ramanuja understands it as unbroken attention to the goal — the true nature of the self and the attainment of the Supreme.

Then Krishna makes a striking statement: etat jnanam, all this is knowledge. Humility, unpretentiousness, non-violence, forbearance and uprightness, through to exclusive devotion and the vision of truth — these qualities themselves are called knowledge. In the Gita's view, knowledge is not mere intellectual information but a transformed character. Whatever is contrary — pride, hypocrisy, violence, anger, clinging — is ignorance, however many scriptures a person may have mastered.

This gives a valuable test for self-examination: knowledge is measured by conduct. The same vision appears in the divine qualities listed in chapter 16.

Context

This verse concludes the list of the marks of knowledge running from 13.8. The previous verse (13.11) spoke of exclusive devotion and love of solitude. From the next verse (13.13) Krishna begins to describe the jneya, the supreme Brahman that is to be known.

Life lesson

True knowledge is what enters life and becomes character. Judge your learning by how much humility, forgiveness, detachment and devotion have grown in you.

Key terms

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्व: constant abiding in and reflection on Self-knowledge
तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शन: keeping in view the goal of the knowledge of truth — liberation, the Supreme
अज्ञान (ajnana): attitudes and conduct contrary to the marks of knowledge