अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् ।
एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोन्यथा ॥
एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोन्यथा ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
अध्यात्मज्ञानमें नित्यनिरन्तर रहना, तत्त्वज्ञानके अर्थरूप परमात्माको सब जगह देखना यह पूर्वोक्त साधनसमुदाय तो ज्ञान है और जो इसके विपरीत है वह अज्ञान है ऐसा कहा गया है ॥
English
Constant awareness of the inner reality, and seeing the supreme reality as the meaning of true understanding—this is called knowledge; whatever is contrary to this is ignorance.
What this verse means
Real knowledge means staying aware of the inner reality and seeing the supreme reality everywhere. Anything that misses this is ignorance.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna is frozen, and Krishna is defining what real understanding looks like. After listing the qualities of a mature seeker, he says knowledge is steady awareness of the inner reality and seeing the supreme reality everywhere; anything else is ignorance.
Why this verse still matters
You keep chasing labels, opinions, and surface facts in a tense conversation, but the deeper issue is what is actually real. This verse pulls attention back to that.
The takeaway
Clear seeing feels simpler than grasping at appearances.
Word-by-word translation
अध्यात्म-ज्ञान (knowledge of the inner reality) / नित्यत्वम् (constantness) / तत्त्व-ज्ञान-अर्थ-दर्शनम् (seeing the meaning of knowledge of reality) / एतत् (this) / ज्ञानम् (knowledge) / इति (thus) / प्रोक्तम् (is called) / अज्ञानम् (ignorance) / यत् (which) / अतः अन्यथा (other than this)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13: Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga — Field and Knower of the Field, which contains 35 verses.
Explore related themes: viveka (15 verses), kshetra kshetrajna (10 verses)