Across world spiritual traditions, ignorance refers to a state of lack of knowledge or understanding. Traditions converge in viewing ignorance as a fundamental obstacle to spiritual growth and enlightenment. They diverge in their perspectives on the nature and consequences of ignorance, offering unique insights and approaches to overcoming it.
144 quotes
Dwelling in the midst of ignorance, thinking themselves wise and learned, the fools go around stricken, like the blind led by the blind.
अविद्यायामन्तरे वर्तमानाः स्वयं धीराः पण्डितंमन्यमानाः । जङ्घन्यमानाः परियन्ति मूढा अन्धेनैव नीयमाना यथान्धाः ॥ ८॥
The resolve by which a dull-witted person does not let go of sleep, fear, grief, despondency, and conceit — that resolve, Partha, is tamasic.
यया स्वप्नं भयं शोकं विषादं मदमेव च | न विमुञ्चति दुर्मेधा धृतिः सा पार्थ तामसी ||१८-३५||
The intellect that, wrapped in darkness, regards adharma as dharma and sees all things upside down — that intellect, Partha, is tamasic.
अधर्मं धर्ममिति या मन्यते तमसावृता | सर्वार्थान्विपरीतांश्च बुद्धिः सा पार्थ तामसी ||१८-३२||
The agent who is undisciplined, vulgar, stubborn, deceitful, dishonest, lazy, despondent, and procrastinating — that agent is called tamasic.
अयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो नैष्कृतिकोऽलसः | विषादी दीर्घसूत्री च कर्ता तामस उच्यते ||१८-२८||
Constancy in knowledge of the self, and insight into the goal of knowledge of truth — this is declared to be knowledge; whatever is contrary to it is ignorance.
अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् | एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा ||१३-१२||
In the imperishable, infinite, supreme Brahman two things are hidden: knowledge and ignorance. Ignorance is perishable, but knowledge is immortal; and he who rules over both knowledge and ignorance is another, distinct from both.
द्वे अक्षरे ब्रह्मपरे त्वनन्ते विद्याविद्ये निहिते यत्र गूढे । क्षरं त्वविद्या ह्यमृतं तु विद्या विद्याविद्ये ईशते यस्तु सोऽन्यः ॥ १॥
Dwelling in ignorance in many ways, the childish think, 'We have accomplished our aim.' Because those attached to works do not understand, through attachment they suffer and fall when their worlds are exhausted.
अविद्यायां बहुधा वर्तमाना वयं कृतार्था इत्यभिमन्यन्ति बालाः । यत्कर्मिणो न प्रवेदयन्ति रागा- त्तेनातुराः क्षीणलोकाश्च्यवन्ते ॥ ९॥
Fragile indeed are these boats of sacrifice, in which are told the eighteen lower forms of ritual. The fools who welcome this as the highest good go again to old age and death.
प्लवा ह्येते अदृढा यज्ञरूपा अष्टादशोक्तमवरं येषु कर्म । एतच्छ्रेयो येऽभिनन्दन्ति मूढा जरामृत्युं ते पुनरेवापि यन्ति ॥ ७॥
But the knowledge that clings to a single effect as if it were the whole, without reason, without grasp of the truth, and trivial — that is declared to be tamasic.
यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम् | अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ||१८-२२||
This being so, one who, through an untrained understanding, sees the self alone as the agent — that person of perverse mind does not see truly.
तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः | पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः ||१८-१६||
Hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness, and ignorance — these belong to one born for a demonic destiny, Partha.
दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च | अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम् ||१६-४||
From sattva arises knowledge, and from rajas greed; heedlessness and delusion arise from tamas, and so does ignorance.
सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च | प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च ||१४-१७||
But know tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings; it binds through heedlessness, laziness, and sleep, Bharata.
तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् | प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत ||१४-८||
Fools disregard me when I take a human form, not knowing my higher nature as the great lord of all beings.
अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम् | परं भावमजानन्तो मम भूतमहेश्वरम् ||९-११||
The unintelligent think of me — the unmanifest — as having come into manifestation, not knowing my higher nature, which is imperishable and supreme.
अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धयः | परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम् ||७-२४||
The evildoers, the deluded, the lowest of men do not take refuge in me; their knowledge stripped away by māyā, they cling to a demonic nature.
न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः | माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः ||७-१५||
But those who, finding fault with this teaching of Mine, do not follow it, know them to be deluded about all knowledge, senseless, and lost.
ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् | सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः ||३-३२||
Those deluded by the gunas of nature become attached to the actions of the gunas. The one who knows the whole should not unsettle the dull-witted who do not know the whole.
प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु | तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ||३-२९||
One who is without understanding, whose mind is always unrestrained—his senses are unmanageable, like the bad horses of a charioteer.
यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्ययुक्तेन मनसा सदा । तस्येन्द्रियाण्यवश्यानि दुष्टाश्वा इव सारथेः ॥ ५॥
Dwelling in the midst of ignorance, thinking themselves wise and learned, the fools go around wandering, like the blind led by the blind.
अविद्यायामन्तरे वर्तमानाः स्वयं धीराः पण्डितंमन्यमानाः । दन्द्रम्यमाणाः परियन्ति मूढा अन्धेनैव नीयमाना यथान्धाः ॥ ५॥