Intellect

Because you desired wisdom above all else, and did not ask for victory over your enemies, or riches, or long life, I will give you not only the wisdom you asked for to rule my people righteously, but also the things you did not ask for: riches, wealth, and glory, so that there will be no king like you before or after you.

The sages, united with pure reason, renounce the results of their actions and, liberated from the cycle of birth, they attain a state of bliss.

United with pure reason, one lets go of both good and bad actions. Therefore, embrace yoga, for yoga is skill in action.

The fear of the Lord is wisdom.

O delight of the Kurus, the resolute intelligence on this path is one-pointed; but the thoughts of the irresolute branch endlessly in countless directions.

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.

That intellect which does not correctly discern what is righteous and what is not, what is to be done and what must not be done — that intellect, O Partha, is rajasic.

That intellect which rightly discerns engagement and withdrawal, what must and must not be done, what is to be feared and what need not be feared, what binds and what liberates — that intellect, O Partha, is sattvic.

Know Me, O Partha, as the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intelligence of the intelligent, and the splendour of the splendrous.

They say the senses are superior; superior to the senses is the mind; superior to the mind is the intellect; and that which is beyond even the intellect — that is He (the Self).

This Self, hidden in all beings, does not shine forth. Yet it is seen by subtle seers through the sharp and subtle intellect.

Higher than the senses are their objects; higher than objects is the mind; higher than the mind is intellect; higher than intellect is the great Self.

Hear now the threefold distinction of intellect and steadfastness according to the gunas, expounded fully and severally, O Dhananjaya.

He came to know: 'Discerning consciousness is Brahman.' For from discerning consciousness all these beings arise; born of consciousness they sustain themselves in life; and into consciousness they return and are absorbed at the end. Grasping this insight, he returned once more to his father Varuṇa and pleaded: 'Revered one, instruct me further about Brahman.' Varuṇa said: 'Seek Brahman through austerity; austerity is Brahman.' Bhṛgu resumed his austerity. And having practised it...

Discriminative intelligence stretches out the sacrifice and extends all actions. All the gods worship Brahman as the supreme through discriminative intelligence. If one knows discriminative intelligence as Brahman and is not careless about it, one leaves all sin behind in the body and attains every desire. This is the bodily self of the preceding sheath. Within and beyond this self made of discriminative intelligence lies yet another inner self, composed of bliss; by that, this one is filled.

Higher than the senses is the mind; higher than mind is the Sattva (intellect); higher than Sattva is the great Self; higher than the great Self is the Unmanifest.

When your intellect, tossed about by conflicting scriptural injunctions, becomes still and unmoving, firmly established in deep absorption — then you shall attain yoga.

May God and Eternal Wisdom grant us the ability to remain as steadfast and unchanged as God Himself. Amen.

The fire of wisdom reduces all actions to ashes.

Even if you are the greatest sinner, you can still overcome sin through wisdom.