B.G 18.21 and 22
पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान् पृथग्विधान्। वेत्ति सर्वेषु भूतेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि राजसम् ॥२१॥
pṛthaktvena tu yajjñānaṃ nānābhāvān pṛthagvidhān। vetti sarveṣu bhūteṣu tajjñānaṃ viddhi rājasam ॥21॥
[पृथक्त्वेन (pṛthaktvena) - separately; तु (tu) - but; यत् (yat) - which; ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge; नानाभावान् (nānābhāvān) - various; पृथग्विधान् (pṛthagvidhān) - distinct; वेत्ति (vetti) - knows; सर्वेषु (sarveṣu) - in all; भूतेषु (bhūteṣu) - beings; तत् (tat) - that; ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge; विद्धि (viddhi) - understand; राजसम् (rājasam) - passionate;]
But the knowledge that perceives various distinct entities separately in all beings, know that knowledge to be 'rājas' i.e. passionate.
यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन् कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम्। अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥२२॥
yattu kṛtsnavadekasmin kārye saktamahaitukam। atattvārthavadalpaṃ ca tattāmasamudāhṛtam ॥22॥
[यत् (yat) - that which; तु (tu) - but; कृत्स्नवत् (kṛtsnavat) - as if complete; एकस्मिन् (ekasmin) - in one; कार्ये (kārye) - in action; सक्तम् (saktam) - attached; अहैतुकम् (ahaitukam) - without reason; अतत्त्वार्थवत् (atattvārthavat) - without understanding the essence; अल्पम् (alpaṃ) - insignificant; च (ca) - and; तत् (tat) - that; तामसम् (tāmasam) - in the mode of ignorance; उदाहृतम् (udāhṛtam) - is said to be;]
That which is done with attachment to a single action, as if it were all-important, without reason, and without understanding the essence, is said to be 'tāmas' i.e. in the mode of ignorance.
Gīta Tātparya 18.21 and 22
The inability to recognize the all-pervading one Lord is considered a characteristic of 'rājasatvam' i.e. passion. Viewing the knowledge of one as complete is indeed 'tāmasam' i.e. ignorance. The knowledge of unity with the complete Brahman, in the form of liberation and other qualities, is considered great darkness due to the obligatory nature and dependence of the limited living being. What then is the knowledge that everything is only that? Knowledge that is devoid of causality is considered ignorance. It is characterized by false imagination arising from the non-distinction between the real and the unreal, and is devoid of true meaning. Thus, 'māyāvāda' i.e. the doctrine of illusion, which attributes the actions of an attached individual to the complete Brahman and conceptualizes truth from imagination born out of little knowledge — must be rejected.
"विष्णोरन्यस्य याथार्थ्यज्ञानं राजसमुच्यते। यदि विष्णुं न जानाति यदि वा मिश्रतत्त्ववित्। अन्यथा करणीयत्वात् कार्याख्यं जीवमेव यः॥
"viṣṇoranyasya yāthārthyajñānaṃ rājasamucyate। yadi viṣṇuṃ na jānāti yadi vā miśratattvavit। anyathā karaṇīyatvāt kāryākhyaṃ jīvameva yaḥ॥
[विष्णोः (viṣṇoḥ) - of Vishnu; अन्यस्य (anyasya) - of another; याथार्थ्यज्ञानं (yāthārthyajñānaṃ) - true knowledge; राजसमुच्यते (rājasamucyate) - is called rajasic; यदि (yadi) - if; विष्णुं (viṣṇuṃ) - Vishnu; न (na) - not; जानाति (jānāti) - knows; यदि (yadi) - if; वा (vā) - or; मिश्रतत्त्ववित् (miśratattvavit) - knower of mixed truth; अन्यथा (anyathā) - otherwise; करणीयत्वात् (karaṇīyatvāt) - because of the state or condition of being something that ought to be done; कार्याख्यं (kāryākhyaṃ) - called action; जीवमेव (jīvameva) - only the living being; यः (yaḥ) - who;]
"The understanding of anything devoid of its relation to Lord Vishnu is considered rajasic. If one does not know Lord Vishnu or knows a mixed truth, then due to its destined instrumentality, it is merely action (that leaves further imprints), pertaining only to the living being.
अकार्यं ब्रह्म जानाति स एवाखिलमित्यपि। एकजीवपरिज्ञानात् कृत्स्नज्ञोऽस्मीति मन्यते। युक्तिविज्ञानराहित्यात् स्वपक्षस्याल्पयुक्तितः॥
akāryaṃ brahma jānāti sa evākhilamityapi। ekajīvaparijñānāt kṛtsnajño'smīti manyate। yuktivijñānarāhityāt svapakṣasyālpayuktitaḥ॥
[अकार्यं (akāryam) - non-action; ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahman; जानाति (jānāti) - knows; स (sa) - he; एव (eva) - indeed; अखिलम् (akhilam) - entire; इति (iti) - thus; अपि (api) - also; एक (eka) - one; जीव (jīva) - living being; परिज्ञानात् (parijñānāt) - from complete understanding; कृत्स्नज्ञः (kṛtsnajñaḥ) - omniscient; अस्मि (asmi) - I am; इति (iti) - thus; मन्यते (manyate) - thinks; युक्ति (yukti) - reasoning; विज्ञान (vijñāna) - knowledge; राहित्यात् (rāhityāt) - due to absence; स्व (sva) - own; पक्षस्य (pakṣasya) - of side; अल्प (alpa) - little; युक्तितः (yuktitaḥ) - from reasoning;]
Brahman knows non-action and indeed knows everything. But the individual living being, through an understanding of only one living being, considers itself omniscient. However, due to the lack of reasoning and knowledge, his own perspective is limited.
अयुक्ततामेव गुणं मन्यते चाल्पदर्शनः। अतत्त्वार्थं जगद् ब्रूते तत्त्वार्थज्ञानवर्जनात्॥
ayuktatāmeva guṇaṃ manyate cālpadarśanaḥ। atattvārthaṃ jagad brūte tattvārthajñānavarjanāt॥
[अयुक्तताम् (ayuktatām) - improperness; एव (eva) - indeed; गुणम् (guṇam) - virtue; मन्यते (manyate) - considers; च (ca) - and; अल्पदर्शनः (alpadarśanaḥ) - one with limited vision; अतत्त्वार्थम् (atattvārtham) - unreal meaning; जगत् (jagat) - world; ब्रूते (brūte) - speaks; तत्त्वार्थ (tattvārtha) - true meaning; ज्ञान (jñāna) - knowledge; वर्जनात् (varjanāt) - due to lack of;]
A person with limited understanding mistakes impropriety for virtue and speaks about the world without understanding its true meaning due to a lack of real knowledge.
स मुख्यतामसज्ञानी हि एकैकेनापि किं पुनः। सर्वैरेतैः र्विशेषैश्च युक्तः पापतमाधिकः॥"
sa mukhyatāmasajñānī hi ekaikenāpi kiṃ punaḥ। sarvairetaiḥ rviśeṣaiśca yuktaḥ pāpatamādhikaḥ॥"
[स (sa) - he; मुख्य (mukhya) - chief; तमस (tamasa) - of darkness; ज्ञानी (jñānī) - wise; हि (hi) - indeed; एकैकेन (ekaikena) - by each one; अपि (api) - even; किं (kiṃ) - what; पुनः (punaḥ) - again; सर्वैः (sarvaiḥ) - by all; एतैः (etaiḥ) - these; र्विशेषैः (rviśeṣaiḥ) - with distinctions; च (ca) - and; युक्तः (yuktaḥ) - endowed; पापतम (pāpatama) - most sinful; अधिकः (adhikaḥ) - excessive;]
He, being primarily ignorant, without knowledge, is indeed affected by each one of these distinctions. Is he not excessively sinful?"
इति पाद्मे।
iti pādme।
[इति (iti) - thus; पाद्मे (pādme) - in the Padma Purana;]
- stated thus in the Padma Purana.
"पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं" इत्यस्य व्याख्या "नानाभावान्" इत्यादि।
"pṛthaktvena tu yajjñānaṃ" ityasya vyākhyā "nānābhāvān" ityādi।
[पृथक्त्वेन (pṛthaktvena) - by separateness; तु (tu) - but; यत् (yat) - which; ज्ञानं (jñānaṃ) - knowledge; इत्यस्य (ityasya) - of this; व्याख्या (vyākhyā) - explanation; नानाभावान् (nānābhāvān) - various states / different conditions; इत्यादि (ityādi) - and so on;]
सर्वगतमेकमीश्वरं न जानातीत्येतावतैव राजसत्वम्। एकस्य कृत्स्नवद् ज्ञानमेव तामसम्।
sarvagatamekamīśvaraṁ na jānātītyetāvataiva rājasatvam। ekasya kṛtsnavad jñānameva tāmasam।
[सर्वगत (sarvagata) - all-pervading; एकम् (ekam) - one; ईश्वरम् (īśvaram) - Lord; न (na) - not; जानाति (jānāti) - knows; इति (iti) - thus; एतावतैव (etāvataiva) - only this much; राजसत्वम् (rājasatvam) - passion; एकस्य (ekasya) - of one; कृत्स्नवत् (kṛtsnavat) - as entirety; ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge; एव (eva) - indeed; तामसम् (tāmasam) - ignorance;]
मुक्तत्वादि रूपेण अन्यथा करणीयत्वात् पराधीनत्वेन अल्पस्यजीवस्य स्वातन्त्र्यादिगुणपूर्णत्वात् कृत्स्नेन ब्रह्मणा ऐक्यज्ञानं च महातामसम्। किं पुनः तावन्मात्रं सर्वमिति ज्ञानम्।
muktatvādi rūpeṇa anyathā karaṇīyatvāt parādhīnatvena alpasyajīvasya svātantryādiguṇapūrṇatvāt kṛtsnena brahmaṇā aikyajñānaṃ ca mahātāmasam। kiṃ punaḥ tāvanmātraṃ sarvamiti jñānam।
[मुक्तत्वादि (muktatvādi) - state of liberation, etc.; रूपेण (rūpeṇa) - in the form of; अन्यथा (anyathā) - otherwise; करणीयत्वात् (karaṇīyatvāt) - due to being obligatory; पराधीनत्वेन (parādhīnatvena) - by dependence; अल्पस्य (alpasyajīvasya) - of the limited living being; स्वातन्त्र्यादि (svātantryādi) - freedom, etc.; गुणपूर्णत्वात् (guṇapūrṇatvāt) - due to being full of qualities; कृत्स्नेन (kṛtsnena) - by the complete; ब्रह्मणा (brahmaṇā) - by Brahman; ऐक्यज्ञानं (aikyajñānaṃ) - knowledge of unity; च (ca) - and; महातामसम् (mahātāmasam) - great darkness; किं (kiṃ) - what; पुनः (punaḥ) - again; तावन्मात्रं (tāvanmātraṃ) - only that much; सर्वम् (sarvam) - all; इति (iti) - thus; ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge;]
The explanation of "the knowledge which is by separateness" is referred to as "having different conditions" and so forth. The inability to recognize the all-pervading one Lord is considered a characteristic of 'rājasatvam' i.e. passion. Viewing the knowledge of one as complete is indeed 'tāmasam' i.e. ignorance. The knowledge of unity with the complete Brahman, in the form of liberation and other qualities, is considered great darkness due to the obligatory nature and dependence of the limited living being. What then is the knowledge that everything is only that?
किं पुनः तत्रापि एकजीवादन्यत् किमपि नास्तीति। अहैतुकं ज्ञानं सर्वमपि तामसम्।
kiṁ punaḥ tatrāpi ekajīvādanyat kimapi nāstīti। ahaitukaṁ jñānaṁ sarvamapi tāmasam।
[किं (kiṁ) - what; पुनः (punaḥ) - again; तत्र (tatra) - there; अपि (api) - also; एक (eka) - one; जीवात् (jīvāt) - from life; अन्यत् (anyat) - other; किमपि (kimapi) - anything; न (na) - not; अस्ति (asti) - exists; इति (iti) - thus; अहैतुकं (ahaitukaṁ) - causeless; ज्ञानं (jñānaṁ) - knowledge; सर्वम् (sarvam) - all; अपि (api) - also; तामसम् (tāmasam) - ignorant;]
किमु तदेवोक्त लक्षणम्। अतत्त्वार्थवत् सदसद्वैलक्षण्याद्यन्यथार्थकल्पना युक्तमेव तामसम्।
kimu tadeva ukta lakṣaṇam। atattvārthavat sadasadvailakṣaṇyādyanyathārthakalpanā yuktameva tāmasam।
[किमु (kimu) - what indeed; तदेव (tadeva) - that indeed; उक्त (ukta) - said; लक्षणम् (lakṣaṇam) - characteristic; अतत्त्वार्थवत् (atattvārthavat) - without real meaning; सदसद्वैलक्षण्यात् (sadasadvailakṣaṇyāt) - from the distinction between real and unreal; अन्यथार्थकल्पना (anyathārthakalpanā) - false imagination; युक्तमेव (yuktameva) - indeed associated; तामसम् (tāmasam) - darkness;]
किमु तदेव उक्तविशेषणैः युक्तम्। प्रायो अल्पज्ञानमपि तामसम्। अज्ञानबहुलत्वात्।
kimu tadeva uktaviśeṣaṇaiḥ yuktam। prāyo alpajñānamapi tāmasam। ajñānabahulatvāt।
[किमु (kimu) - what indeed; तदेव (tadeva) - that indeed; उक्तविशेषणैः (uktaviśeṣaṇaiḥ) - with the mentioned attributes; युक्तम् (yuktam) - suitable; प्रायः (prāyaḥ) - generally; अल्पज्ञानम् (alpajñānam) - little knowledge; अपि (api) - also; तामसम् (tāmasam) - ignorant; अज्ञानबहुलत्वात् (ajñānabahulatvāt) - due to predominance of ignorance;]
What then about the thinking there exists no other than one living being? Knowledge that is devoid of causality is considered ignorance. What indeed is that characteristic which is said to be associated with darkness? It is characterized by false imagination arising from the non-distinction between the real and the unreal, and is devoid of true meaning. What then about arguing those attributes are indeed mentioned? Generally, even those with a little knowledge are considered ignorant due to the predominance of ignorance.
किमु तदेव उक्तमिथ्याज्ञानबहुलमित्य पुनरुक्तिः। एकस्मिन् सर्ववज्ज्ञानं कार्ये जीवे पूर्ण ब्रह्मेति सक्तं ज्ञानं निर्युक्तिकं च तत्त्वार्थकल्पनायुक्तमल्पज्ञानं च पृथक् पृथक् तामसानीति वा। मायावादे तु एतानि समस्तानि। अन्यत्रापि तु अहैतुकत्वादिकं विरुद्धवादिषु समं सर्वेषु ॥
kimu tadeva uktamithyājñānabahulamitya punaruktiḥ। ekasmin sarvavajjñānaṃ kārye jīve pūrṇa brahmeti saktaṃ jñānaṃ niryuktikaṃ ca tattvārthakalpanāyuktamalpajñānaṃ ca pṛthak pṛthak tāmasānīti vā। māyāvāde tu etāni samastāni। anyatrāpi tu ahaitukatvādikaṃ viruddhavādiṣu samaṃ sarveṣu॥
[किमु (kimu) - what indeed; तदेव (tadeva) - that indeed; उक्तमिथ्याज्ञानबहुलमित्य (uktamithyājñānabahulamitya) - said false knowledge abundant; पुनरुक्तिः (punaruktiḥ) - repetition; एकस्मिन् (ekasmin) - in one; सर्ववज्ज्ञानं (sarvavajjñānaṃ) - all-encompassing knowledge; कार्ये (kārye) - in action; जीवे (jīve) - in the living being; पूर्ण (pūrṇa) - complete; ब्रह्मेति (brahmeti) - Brahman is; सक्तं (saktaṃ) - attached; ज्ञानं (jñānaṃ) - knowledge; निर्युक्तिकं (niryuktikaṃ) - without reason; च (ca) - and; तत्त्वार्थकल्पनायुक्तमल्पज्ञानं (tattvārthakalpanāyuktamalpajñānaṃ) - conceptualized truth with imagination born out of little knowledge; च (ca) - and; पृथक् (pṛthak) - separate; पृथक् (pṛthak) - separate; तामसानीति (tāmasānīti) - ignorant nature; वा (vā) - or; मायावादे (māyāvāde) - in the illusionist doctrine; तु (tu) - but; एतानि (etāni) - these; समस्तानि (samastāni) - all; अन्यत्रापि (anyatrāpi) - elsewhere also; तु (tu) - but; अहैतुकत्वादिकं (ahaitukatvādikaṃ) - causelessness and the like; विरुद्धवादिषु (viruddhavādiṣu) - in contradictory doctrines; समं (samaṃ) - equally; सर्वेषु (sarveṣu) - in all;]
(What indeed, that indeed is said to be abundant false knowledge, repetition. In one, all-encompassing knowledge in action, in the living being, complete Brahman is attached knowledge without reason and conceptualized truth with little knowledge, separate, separate, ignorant nature or. In the illusionist doctrine, but these all. Elsewhere also, but causelessness and the like in contradictory doctrines equally in all.)
Is it not said that repetition is abundant with false knowledge? In one, the all-encompassing knowledge - action of the attached individual being as that of complete Brahman born out of false reasoning, and conceptualized truth arising from imagination born out of little knowledge, is again and again stated to be ignorance. However, all these attributes are present in 'māyāvāda' — that is, the doctrine of illusion. In other places too, cause-lessness and similar concepts are equally present in contradictory arguments.
