अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् ।एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा ॥
adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvaṃ tattva-jñānārtha-darśanam |etaj jñānam iti proktam ajñānaṃ yad ato 'nyathā ||
- अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वम् · adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvam
- constancy in knowledge of the self
- तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् · tattva-jñānārtha-darśanam
- seeing the aim of true knowledge
- एतत् ज्ञानम् · etat jñānam
- this is knowledge
- प्रोक्तम् · proktam
- declared
- अज्ञानम् · ajñānam
- ignorance
- अतः अन्यथा · ataḥ anyathā
- other than this
“Constancy in knowledge of the self and seeing the aim of true understanding — this is declared to be knowledge; all else is ignorance.”
— Original plain-language translation
The verdict falls: eighteen virtues, and whatever contradicts them is ignorance — however learned. The Gita's epistemology is ethical through and through; being and knowing complete each other.
— Reader's notes (original)