THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER NUMBER 07, JNANA VIJNANA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE AND REALIZATION, VERSE NUMBER 02

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 07

JNANA VIJNANA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE AND REALIZATION:

VERSE NUMBER 02

Text in Transliteration:

jnaanam te ‘bam svijnaanam edam vaksyaamy asesatah

yaj jnaatva ne ‘ha bhooyo ‘nuaj. Jaatavyam avaseesyate

 Text in English:

I shall teach you in full this knowledge combined with realization, which being known, nothing more here remains to be known.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:

Whatever is comprehended with the aid of the senses, mind and intellect is jnana or knowledge. And vijnana is the direct grasp of the reality, come about through self-discipline. the former is mediate and the latter immediate. The one is derived through sight and the other through insight. Tuition is needed for the one and intuition for the other. The former is paroksha jnanam and the latter, aparoksha jnanam. Endowed with both of these, the aspirant gets to know Brahman or Truth in Its entirety.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

See III, 41 note. Jnaana is interpreted as wisdom, the direct spiritual illumination and vijnaana as the detailed rational knowledge of the principles of existence. We must have not merely knowledge of the relationless Absolute but also of Its varied manifestation. The Supreme is in man and nature though these do not limit Him.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:

Jnanam is Paroksha Jnanam or indirect knowledge of Brahman obtained through the study of the Upanishads. Vijnanam is Visesha Jnanam, i.e., Aparoksha Jnanam obtained through direct Self-realisation (intuitional wisdom).

In this verse, the Lord praises knowledge in order to make Arjuna follow his instruction closely with rapt attention, faith, and interest. The Lord says: “I shall teach thee in full. You will attain to omniscience or perfect knowledge of the Self, after knowing which nothing more remains to be known here”. If anyone attains the knowledge of the Self he will know everything. That is the reason why Saunaka, the great householder, approached Angirasa respectfully and asked: “What is that, O Lord which being Known all this becomes known?”

Comments by the blogger:

In the previous verse, the Lord has said that with the mind of Arjuna should cling to Him and Arjuna should take refuge in Him. And that Arjuna should practise yoga to know Him in full. In the second verse, the Lord promises Arjuna that He would teach him in full this knowledge. And when this is combined with realization, he shall know Him. That having known the Lord there would be nothing more to be known.

The whole Universe is scintillating with the Knowledge of the Lord. That is why Man considers acquirement of knowledge is more important than anything else. Today’s world is knitted together with the Net or Internet. Man has become greatly knowledgeable. But more the acquirement of knowledge the greater is the thirst for more knowledge. once the computer was as big as a small concrete house! Now it has become as small as a leaf of the Pepul tree. Researches are going on and on. So there would never be a time in the world when Man would really feel satisfied with his knowledge and he would never be satisfied with what has been achieved. But knowing the Lord would slack all the thirst for knowledge of Man. The Lord is the fountain of all knowledge. Knowing Him would bring Man’s search to a complete full.

Once again, Knowing the Lord is peculiar to the Lord. The Lord never keeps Himself aloof from the searching Man. Ready accessibility is one of the attributes of the Lord.