Knowledge

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.

Knowledge is what moves towards unity, and when it reaches the supramental level, it grasps the oneness, essence, and self-law of existence, and views and handles the many things from that light and fullness, somewhat like the Divine does from the highest point from which He embraces the world.

Ignorance is the lack of the divine ability to see the supramental Truth; it is the part of our consciousness that does not perceive, as opposed to the part that sees and knows the truth.

The distinction between knowledge and ignorance starts with the hymns of the RigVeda, where knowledge means being conscious of the Truth and what is right, and ignorance is being unconscious of the Truth and what is right, opposing it and creating false or negative effects.

'I' and 'mine' represent ignorance, while 'Thou' and 'Thine' represent knowledge.

One cannot attain knowledge unless one is free from egotism.

Brahman is beyond knowledge and ignorance, virtue and vice, merit and demerit, cleanliness and uncleanliness.

One attains Perfect Knowledge when one sees God in man.

We have been given this human life to understand the all-pervading, omnipresent God. This knowledge can only be given by someone who has themselves realized God. Life becomes truly happy only after meeting such a God-realized person.

The fear of the Lord is wisdom.

Be still and know that I am God.

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

The Eternal among eternals, the Conscious among the conscious — the one who grants the desires of the many. That cause, attainable through Sankhya-yoga — knowing that divine One, one is freed from all bonds.

By the grace of Vyasa I heard this supreme secret, this yoga, directly from Krishna, the Lord of yoga, speaking it Himself.

Sanjaya said: Thus have I heard this wondrous dialogue between Vasudeva and the great-souled Partha — one that makes the hair on the body stand on end.

The Blessed Lord said: Many births have passed for Me, and for you too, O Arjuna. I know them all — you do not know them, O scorcher of foes.

That very same ancient yoga has now been declared to you by Me today, for you are My devotee and My friend — this indeed is the supreme secret.

The Blessed Lord said: I proclaimed this imperishable yoga to Vivasvan; Vivasvan taught it to Manu; Manu declared it to Ikshvaku.

The Blessed Lord said: O sinless one, I have explained two paths of dedication in this world from the beginning — the path of knowledge for the contemplative Samkhyas, and the path of action for the Yogins.

This wisdom I have taught you is of the Sankhya school. Now hear of the wisdom of Yoga — armed with which, O Partha, you will shed the bondage of action.