13.18
Chapter 13, Verse 18
ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते। ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम्৷৷
jyōtiṣāmapi tajjyōtistamasaḥ paramucyatē. jñānaṅ jñēyaṅ jñānagamyaṅ hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam৷৷
Translation
It is the Light of lights, beyond the reach of darkness; the Wisdom, the only thing that is worth knowing or that wisdom can teach; the Presence in the hearts of all.
Translation — Purohit Swami
Commentary
ज्योतिषाम् of lights, अपि even, तत् That, ज्योतिः Light, तमसः from darkness, परम् beyond, उच्यते is said (to be), ज्ञानम् knowledge, ज्ञेयम् that which is to be known, ज्ञानगम्यम् attainable by knowledge, हृदि in the heart, सर्वस्य of all, विष्ठितम् seated. Commentary: The Supreme Self illumines the intellect, the mind, the sun, moon, stars, fire and lightning. It is selfluminous, The sun does not shine there, nor do the moon and the stars, nor do these lightnings shine and much less this fire. When It shines, everything shines after It all these shine by Its Light. (Kathopanishad 5.15 also Svetasvataropanishad 6.14)Knowledge Such as humility. (Cf.XIII.7to11)The knowable As described in verses 12 to 7.The goal of knowledge, i.e., capable of being understood by wisdom.These three are installed in the heart (Buddhi) of every living being. Though the light of the sun shines in all objects, yet the suns light shines more brilliantly in all bright and clean objects such as a mirror. Even so, though Brahman is present in all objects, the intellect shines with special effulgence received from Brahman. (Cf.X.20XIII.3XVIII.61)
Commentary — Swami Sivananda
Sanskrit and transliteration of the Bhagavad Gita. Corpus compiled from the vedabase and the IIT Kanpur Gita Supersite.