Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, Verse 34
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया । उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः
tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā | upadekṣyanti te jñānaṃ jñāninastattvadarśinaḥ
Translation
Know this: by long prostration, by enquiry, by service, those men of wisdom who have realised the truth will teach thee wisdom.
— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri
Word meanings
- tat
- that
- viddhi
- know
- praṇipātena
- by obeisance
- paripraśnena
- by questioning
- sevayā
- by service
- upadekṣyanti
- shall teach
- te
- (to) thee
- jñānam
- wisdom
- jñāninaḥ
- the wise
- tattvadarśinaḥ
- the truth-seeing
Śaṅkarācārya's commentary
Know thou by what process it is obtained. Go to the teachers (Ācāryas) and humbly prostrate thyself before them. Ask them what is the cause of bondage (bandha) and what the means of deliverance; what is wisdom (vidyā) and what nescience (avidyā). Do service to the Guru. Won over by these and other marks of respect, the teachers who, knowing the truth as well as realising it themselves, will impart to thee their wisdom. Some only, but not all, know as well as realise the truth — by this the Lord means to say that that knowledge alone which is imparted by those who have realised the truth — and no other knowledge — can prove effective.