Bhagavad Gita BG 13.12
Chapter 13, Verse 12 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् । एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तम् अज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा ॥
adhyatma-jnana-nityatvam tattva-jnanartha-darshanam etaj jnanam iti proktam ajnanam yad ato 'nyatha
Meaning
Constancy in knowledge of the Self and seeing the aim of the knowledge of truth — this is declared to be knowledge; whatever is contrary to it is ignorance.
Understanding
This verse closes the list of qualities that Krishna calls jnana, knowledge, in 13.8-12: humility, non-violence, patience, self-control and the rest. The last items are constancy in knowledge of the Self and the vision of what the knowledge of truth is for. Then comes a blunt definition: all this is knowledge, and whatever runs against it is ignorance. Knowledge here is a way of being, not just information.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वम् | adhyatma-jnana-nityatvam | constancy in knowledge of the Self |
| तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् | tattva-jnana-artha-darshanam | seeing the aim of knowing the truth |
| एतत् | etat | this |
| ज्ञानम् | jnanam | knowledge |
| इति | iti | thus |
| प्रोक्तम् | proktam | is declared |
| अज्ञानम् | ajnanam | ignorance |
| यत् | yat | what |
| अतः | atah | than this |
| अन्यथा | anyatha | otherwise, contrary |
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