13.8 Knowledge begins with humility Krishna speaks
अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम्
आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः
amānitvam adambhitvam ahinsā kṣhāntir ārjavam
āchāryopāsanaṁ śhauchaṁ sthairyam ātma-vinigrahaḥ
Humility, freedom from pretence, harmlessness, patience, straightness, service of a teacher, cleanliness, steadiness, self-restraint;
Explanation
The definition of knowledge turns out to be a list of manners.
Humility, freedom from pretence, harmlessness, patience, straightness, service of a teacher, cleanliness, steadiness, self-restraint.
Not a single proposition among them. Five verses of this follow, and what the chapter means by jñāna is closer to conduct than to content — the same move chapter 12 made with devotion.
Word by word
- amānitvam
- humbleness
- adambhitvam
- freedom from hypocrisy
- ahinsā
- non-violence
- kṣhāntiḥ
- forgiveness
- ārjavam
- simplicity
- āchārya-upāsanam
- service of the Guru
- śhaucham
- cleanliness of body and mind
- sthairyam
- steadfastness
- ātma-vinigrahaḥ
- self-control
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