jñānaṃ & jñeyaṃ

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté

Within bhāgavad gītā, the 13^th chapter called kṣetrakṣetrajñavibhāgayogaḥ (kṣetra-kṣetrajña-vibhāga-yogaḥ : field + knowledge of the field + distinction + yoga ) arjuna asks śrībhagavān
(keśava) another great question…

prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva kṣetraṃ kṣetrajñam eva ca |
etad veditum icchāmi jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ ca keśava || 13.1

He asks, what is:
· prakṛtiṃ & puruṣaṃ ~nature~ & the living entity, a person such as pumān puruṣaḥ , a male person or púruṣī a female person
· kṣetraṃ & kṣetrajñam – the field ( the body or śarīra, that which is easily destroyed) & the knower of the field ( the jīva/limited being within this body)
· jñānaṃ & jñeyaṃ - knowledge & what is known ( I see it as what is to be known vs. what is known – that is just my way of thinking)

I do not plan to address the 3 groups above, but look to the last couplet of jñānaṃ & jñeyaṃ for this post.

kṛṣṇa-jī defines what is knowledge and (to me) its application… that is, what is it’s highest use ? Let me start with what is to be known ( its highest use)
as that helps align one’s comprehension of why this knowledge (jñānaṃ) is worthy of one’s attention and merit.

jñeyaṃ yattatpravakṣyāmi yajjñātvāmṛtamaśnute |
anādimatparaṃ brahma na sattannāsaducyate || 13.13
( for easier reading:
jñeyaṃ yat tat pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvāmṛtam aśnute |
anādimat paraṃ brahma na sat tan nāsad ucyate || )

This says in simple terms , what is to be known (jñeyaṃ) is anādimat-paraṃ brahma or brahma¹ the Supreme (paraṃ) Absolute without beginning (anādimat)

Now we can look at what kṛṣṇa-jī defines as knowledge…

It is often called out as the 19 fold knowledge. I see it differently. I see it as 18 + 1. Now why split hairs over this? My 18+1 still = 19.
Yes, I agree. Yet it is vyāsa-ji that offers the theme of 18, not only in the bhāgavad gītā‘s total chapter count, but throughout the mahābhārata .
See this HDF post for the theme of 18: http://hindudharmaforums.com/showthr...da-Mahabharata post numbers 32, 38, (and 7 from a jyotish point of view). So the list of 18 + 1 will be reviewed below. The ‘1’ ( or 19th item) as I see it is the summary of the 18 above it. I will point this out when I get to this juncture.

For for the pāṭhaka (~skilled~ reader ): note the similarities to the yama-s (restraints) and niyama-s (observances) found in patañjali’s yogadarśana.
For the general reader (praghaṭāvid) it is worthy to note that the qualities and behaviors are not something that are contrived or done via pretending.
This is listed out within the 18 as adambhitvam and is defined as ‘sincerity’. Yet it is when we dis-assemble the word we find its core meaning :
a + dambhitva a = not + dambha = deceit , fraud , feigning , hypocrisy . So the finer point of : a+dambhitva is without fraud, without hypocrisy.
We do not pretend to have this qualities if they have not blossomed as yet. They must be there, but they’re in their infancy. Now what to say for emulating
these behaviors ? I will leave that to you.

The first 9:

amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṃsā kṣāntir ārjavam |
ācāryopāsanaṃ śaucaṃ sthairyam ātmavinigrahaḥ ||13.8

• amānitva - modesty , humility; a + mānitva a = not + mānitva = pride , arrogance
• adambhitva – sincerity; a + dambhitva a = not + dambhitva = dambha = deceit , fraud , feigning , hypocrisy
• ahiṃsā – harmlessness; a + hiṃsā a = not + hiṃsā = injuring , injurious , mischievous , hostile
  
  • note that this does not say ‘only your neighbor or man or woman’; it is non-harm for all things.
  
  
• kṣāntir = kṣānti - patience , forbearance , endurance.
  
  • note the inner workings of this word : ka + śānti ka ( 3rd derivative) = joy + śānti = tranquility , peace , quiet , peace or calmness of mind ( the joy of calmness)
  
  
• ārjavam - straightness , straight direction so straightforwardness, honesty ;
  
  • it is from the term ṛjú defined as tending in a straight direction , the right manner; upright , honest
  
  
• ācāryopāsanaṃ = ācārya upāsana
  
  • ācārya ‘knowing or teaching the ācāra or rules’, a spiritual guide. Since we’re talking the bhāgavad gītā, kṛṣṇa-jī would be the example of the ideal ācāra ; within the mahābhārata one could call out bhīṣmá or even droṇa, the teachers of the pāṇḍava-s.
  • upāsana - the act of sitting or being near or at hand; serving , waiting upon , service , attendance , respect
  • ācāryopāsanaṃ is serving and respecting the ācāra; This is beyond a transaction, or expecting something in return.
  
  
• śaucaṃ or śauca - cleanness , purity; this includes the mind. Clean cloths and ‘bad thoughts’ are incongruent with this notion of śauca.
  
  • the term comes from śuci defined as radiant , bright.
  
  
• sthairyam or sthairya - stability; constancy , perseverance , patience
• ātmavinigrahaḥ = ātma + vinigrahaḥ
  
  • ātma in this application is that of the mind or intellect
  • vinigrahaḥ is restraining , checking , stopping , subduing , controlling; note the term graha which is defined as ‘seizing or taking hold of’ ; nigraha is ‘restraining’.
  • ātmavinigrahaḥ - a controlled mind

For upcoming posts
10 though 12
indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam anahaṃkāra eva ca |
janma mṛtyu jarā vyādhi duḥkha doṣānudarśanam|| 13.9

13 and 14
asaktir anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putradāragṛhādiṣu |
nityaṃ ca samacittatvam iṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu|| 13.10

15 though 17
mayi cānanyayogena bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī |
viviktadeśasevitvam aratir janasaṃsadi ||13.11

18 and 19
adhyātmajñānanityatvaṃ tattvajñānārthadarśanam |
etaj jñānam iti proktam ajñānaṃ yadato’nyathā ||13.12

iti śivaṁ


words

• brahma=brahman - is used for the Supreme & Absolute vs. brahmā the creator and part of brahmā-viṣṇu-śiva triad people are familiar with. Note we can say that brahman is the sum total of everything ( manifest , unmanfiest; that wish exists or about to exist in any given future) and is the origin of brahmā-viṣṇu-śiva. In non-dual kaśmir śaivism this term would be called parabhairava.
• veda vyāsa is the one who compiled the veda-s and is also known as kṛṣṇa dvaipāyana