Verse 14.11
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते | ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ||११||
Transliteration (IAST)
sarva-dvāreṣu dehe 'smin prakāśa upajāyate | jñānaṁ yadā tadā vidyād vivṛddhaṁ sattvam ity uta ||11||
Word-by-Word Meanings
sarva-dvāreṣu-in all the gates (senses)
dehe-in the body
prakāśaḥ-illumination/light
upajāyate-arises
jñānam-knowledge
vivṛddham-increased/predominant
sattvam-the mode of goodness
Translation
When through every gate of the body the light of intelligence shines, then it should be known that Sattva is predominant.
Commentary
Shankaracharya explains that the 'gates' refer to the sense organs - eyes, ears, etc. When Sattva predominates, all the senses function with clarity and discrimination, and the mind is filled with the light of knowledge. Ramanuja notes that this illumination manifests as viveka (discernment) and vairāgya (dispassion), the hallmarks of a sattvic state.
Themes
jnanayoga