18.22 Clinging to one thing Krishna speaks
यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम्
अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्
yat tu kṛitsna-vad ekasmin kārye saktam ahaitukam
atattvārtha-vad alpaṁ cha tat tāmasam udāhṛitam
And the knowledge which clings to one thing as if it were the whole, without reason, without regard for truth, and is small — that is said to be of inertia.
Explanation
Clinging to one thing as if it were the whole.
Without reason, without regard for truth, and small.
The lowest kind of knowledge is not ignorance — it is a fixation mistaken for completeness. Which is exactly 2.42's charge against those who delight in the letter and say there is nothing more.
Word by word
- yat
- which
- tu
- but
- kṛitsna-vat
- as if it encompasses the whole
- ekasmin
- in single
- kārye
- action
- saktam
- engrossed
- ahaitukam
- without a reason
- atattva-artha-vat
- not based on truth
- alpam
- fragmental
- cha
- and
- tat
- that
- tāmasam
- in the mode of ignorance
- udāhṛitam
- is said to be
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