18.21
Chapter 18, Verse 21
पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान्। वेत्ति सर्वेषु भूतेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि राजसम्৷৷
pṛthaktvēna tu yajjñānaṅ nānābhāvānpṛthagvidhān. vētti sarvēṣu bhūtēṣu tajjñānaṅ viddhi rājasam৷৷
Translation
The knowledge which thinks of the manifold existence in all beings as separate - that comes from Passion.
Translation — Purohit Swami
Commentary
पृथक्त्वेन as different from one another, तु but, यत् which, ज्ञानम् knowledge, नानाभावान् various entities, पृथग्विधान् of distinct kinds, वेत्ति knows, सर्वेषु (in) all, भूतेषु in beings, तत् that, ज्ञानम् knowledge, विद्धि know, राजसम् Rajasic. Commentary: Knowledge which sees As knowledge cannot be an agent, this should be interpreted to mean knowledge by which one sees.Entities Selves or souls.Different from one another Regarding them as different in different bodies.The knowledge that is led by the idea of separateness is passionate. Enveloping as it does the manifold creation with the veil of separateness, it deludes even the wise man. Owing to passionate knowledge, beings appear to be separate and the perception of unity is also lost sight of. That knowledge which beholds multiplicity in created objects and differentiates them as being small or great, according to their form and size, is of passionate nature and tainted. A man with passionate knowledge sees diversity everywhere. He beholds the many only.Now I will explain to thee, O Arjuna, knowledge that is of the ality of darkness, in order that thou mayest avoid it.
Commentary — Swami Sivananda
Sanskrit and transliteration of the Bhagavad Gita. Corpus compiled from the vedabase and the IIT Kanpur Gita Supersite.