Ignorance

Living within the sphere of ignorance, fancying themselves wise and learned, the deluded go round and round, stumbling—like the blind being led by the blind.

That steadfastness by which a dull-witted person does not release sleep, fear, grief, despondency, and arrogance — that steadfastness, O Partha, is tamasic.

That intellect, shrouded in darkness, which takes what is unrighteous for righteous, and sees all things in their opposite nature — that intellect, O Partha, is tamasic.

Undisciplined, vulgar, obstinate, deceitful, spiteful, slothful, despondent, and a perpetual procrastinator — such a doer is called tamasic.

Constant abiding in the knowledge of the Self, and clear perception of the purpose of the knowledge of ultimate truth — all this is declared to be knowledge; whatever is contrary to this is ignorance.

Two syllables are hidden in the infinite supreme Brahman — knowledge and ignorance. Ignorance is perishable; knowledge is immortal. He who rules over both knowledge and ignorance is other — He is the One.

Dwelling deep in ignorance, the childish say: 'We have achieved our purpose!' But because those attached to rituals do not understand the truth, their rewards are exhausted, and they fall back from their earned worlds, afflicted.

These eighteen ritual forms are but frail, leaking boats—impermanent rafts. The fools who take them for the highest good will return again to old age and death.

That which clings to a single effect as though it were the whole, without reason, without grasping the true nature of things, and petty in scope — that is declared to be tamasic knowledge.

Yet, things being so, one who sees the pure Self alone as the doer — that dim-witted person, with an uncultured intellect, does not truly see.

Hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness, and ignorance — these belong to one born to demoniac endowment, O Partha.

From sattva, knowledge is born; from rajas, greed alone arises; and from tamas come negligence and delusion — and ignorance as well.

Know tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings. O scion of Bharata, it binds through negligence, idleness, and sleep.

Fools despise Me when I dwell in human form, not knowing My higher nature as the great Lord of all beings.

The unintelligent think that I, the Unmanifest, have taken on manifest form — not knowing My higher nature, which is imperishable and unsurpassed.

The wicked, the foolish, the lowest of humans — robbed of understanding by illusion, dwelling in a demonic disposition — they do not take refuge in Me.

But those who find fault with this and do not follow My teaching — know them to be confused about all knowledge, deluded, and utterly lost.

Those who are deluded by the qualities of nature cling to those qualities and their actions. The one of complete knowledge should not disturb these dull-witted ones who do not know the whole.

But one who lacks wisdom, with a mind ever undisciplined — whose senses are unruly like the restive horses of a poor charioteer.

Dwelling in the midst of ignorance, yet fancying themselves wise and learned, the deluded wander about stumbling — like the blind led by the blind.