Introduction to Gita

Traditionally the term Gita is explained by Sanskrit aphorism “Giyate stuyate yah sa Gita”. It translates to “That which is sung and glorified is the Gita.”

The root word for Gita is Gitam which is translated as song. Gitam is classified as a neutral gender word in Sanskrit and masculine in Hindi; however Gita is considered a feminine gender word due to its association with Upanishads, which belong to the feminine group. It is not uncommon to find names such as Bhagavad-gitopanishad, Bhagavati-gitopanishad, Shiv-gitopanishad and other similar book titles.

Hindu sacred texts including Purans, Ramayan and Mahabharat contain sections including themes on glorification of divine entities, moral teachings and spiritual and social guidance for cultured living. Many of these are known as Gita with prefixes referring to the specific divinity, personality or topic.

There are over one hundred Gitas which are either taken from major sacred books or composed by sages as independent texts. A number of widely known Gitas followed by their sources in brackets are listed below.

1. Bhagavadgita (Mahabharat Bhishma Parva);

2 Vyadhgita (Mahabharat Aranya Parva);

3. Shadajgita (Mahabharat Shanti Parva);

4. Pinglagita (Mahabharat Shanti Parva);

5. Shampakgita (Mahabharat Shanti Parva);

6. Mankigita (Mahabharat Shanti Parva);

7. Ajgargita (Mahabharat Shanti Parva);

8. Haritgita (Mahabharat Shanti Parva);

9. Vritragita (Mahabharat Shanti Parva);

10. Naradgita (Mahabharat Shanti Parva)

11 Hansgita – 2 (Mahabharat Shanti Parva)

12. Putragita (Mahabharat Shanti Parva);

13. Kamgita (Mahabharat Ashvamedhic Parva)

14. Uttargita or Anugita (Mahabharat Ashvamedhic Parva);

15. Bhikshugita (Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapuran);

16. Paramhansgita (Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapuran);

17. Hansgita -1 (Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapuran);

18. Avadhutgita -2 (Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapuran);

19. Ramgita -1 (Adhyatma Ramayan);

20. Ramgita -2 (Adbhut Ramayan);

21. Yamgita -1 (Vishnu Mahapuran);

22. Yamgita -2 (Agni Mahapuran);

23. Ganeshgita (Ganesh Mahapuran);

24. Bhagavatigita (Devi Puran);

25 Ashtavakragita (Sage Astavakra);

26. Avadhutgita -1 (Bhagavan Dattatreya);

27. Jivanmuktgita (Bhagavan Dattatreya),

28. Ribhugita (Sage Ribhu).

These are all sacred texts. The Bhagavadgita is the widely known Hindu scripture. It is also written as Bhagavad Gita. When most people speak of Gita, they generally mean the Bhagavad Gita.

Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is a section of the Mahabharat, an ancient epic composed in Sanskrit poems by Vedvyas Krishna Dvaipayan. It is located in the sixth book entitled the Bhishma Parva and contains 700 verses in 18 chapters. It is numbered in the English version of the Mahabharat as chapters 6.25-42, for example in the translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, and chapters 6.23-40 in the translation by John D. Smith. These differences are explained by the variance in original sources used for translation.

The Gita has been recognised as an important scripture of the Hindu religion with its authority similar to that of Upanishads and Brahma Sutra for centuries. The three together form Prasthantray, the foundational canonical texts of Hindu philosophy, specifically of the Vedant schools.

Adi Shankaracharya authored commentary on the Gita, Upanishads and Brahma Sutra. His writing is the earliest extant exposition on the Gita. He had made several references in his writings to earlier teachers who appear to have written on the subject before him, but their original works have not survived. The number of verses arranged by Shankaracharya has become the standard text of the book.

Gita is regarded as an Upanishad and hence it is also named Gitopanishad. A number of similarities between the Gita and Upanishads on philosophical topics is evident from their common themes and some shared verses.

There have been numerous interpretations of the Gita since Shankaracharya’s time (circa 8th century). The subsequent founders of almost all Hindu religious traditions since have produced commentaries on the Gita. Two of the most notable have been those written by Ramanujacharya and Madhavacharya. Other notables are Nimbarkacharya and Vallabhabhacharya. Successive acharyas, scholars, politicians and many others have produced translations in various languages.

It is translated in all major languages of the world. By the 1980s, before the arrival of Internet, there were an estimated 3,000 translations of the Gita in almost fifty languages, and nearly a thousand in English. The practice of translating and ongoing commentary on its content continues to date suggesting its relevance to contemporary audiences.

It is believed that the Bhagavad Gita was delivered on Shukla Ekadashi in the month of Margashirsh (Nov-Dec). Gita Jayanti is celebrated annually on this day to honour the divine message. This day is also called Mokshada Ekadashi because it brings liberation (moksha).
Content – Its central component is the sermon in the battlefield of Kurukshetra between Arjun, a Pandav warrior, and Krishna, the god incarnate. The private discourse is described in answers to queries from King Dhritarastra to Sanjay, his charioteer and a trusted advisor.

When the war between Kauravs and Pandavs became inevitable, sage Vyas came to Dhritarastra and offered to grant him vision to observe the war directly. Dhritarastra declined the offer indicating that he did not wish to see the destruction of his clan, however he would accept hearing about it.

On the King’s request, Vyas granted the boon to Sanjay who would describe the war to the king. The blessing would allow Sanjay to see all that came to pass in the battlefield. He would be privy to everything, including people’s thoughts, and he would emerge alive from the warfare.

Eventually, the war started. After witnessing the first phase of the battle, Sanjay returned to Dhritarastra to report about it. He informed him about Bhishma’s death. Dhritarastra expressed grief and asked him to describe the preparation by the two opposing armies, including their arrangement in the battlefield. Sanjay answered his queries and subsequently the narrative moved towards the discourse between Arjun and Krishna, which forms the essence of the book.

The Gita being a discourse between Arjun, the most excellent human being, and Krishna, the God, is revered and is considered to include the essence of Hindu philosophical thoughts. It synthesises various elements, resulting in a book acceptable and applicable to almost all sects of Hindu tradition.
Main warriors on the Pandavs side

Krishna performed the duty of a charioteer and counsellor to Arjun, and also advised other Pandavs when necessary. He had pledged not to take weapons into the battle field.

Pandav brothers:

1. Yudhishthir – son of Kunti by Dharma, the god of righteousness, the eldest Pandav prince. Kunti also known as Pritha, was the first wife of Pandu.

2. Bhim – son of Kunti by Vayu the wind god, the most powerful of the Pandav princes, also known as Vrikodar (the wolf bellied) because of his insatiable appetite.

3. Arjun – son of Kunti by Indra the chief of gods, protagonist of the Bhagavad Gita.

4. Nakul – son of Madri by one of the Ashvins, the divine twin horsemen also known as physicians of gods and masters of medicines; Madri was the second wife of Pandu.

5. Sahadev – Son of Madri by the other of the Ashvins, a twin brother of Nakul.

Pandav allies:
1. Dhristadyumna – son of Drupad, commander in chief of Pandav armies.
2. Yuyudhan also known as Satyaki – a kinsman of Krishna and king of the Vrishni clan.
3. Virat – king of Matsya, at whose court Pandavs with Draupadi had taken refuge in disguise during the final year of their exile.
4. Drupad – king of Panchal, father of Dhristadyumna and his twin sister Draupadi, father-in-law of Pandavs.
5. Dhristaketu – king of Chedi, son of Shishupal.
6. Chekitan – a prince allied to Pandavs.
7. Kashiraj – king of Kashi.
8. Purujit and Kuntibhoj are two brothers; Purujit Kuntibhoj is sometimes taken as one.
9. Shaibya – king of the Sibi tribe.
10. Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas – Panchal princes.
11. Abhimanyu – son of Arjun by his second wife Subhadra.
12. Draupadeya – sons of Draupadi.
13. Shikhandi – son of Drupad, an incarnation of Amba who had taken vows in her previous life to take revenge on Bhishma.
14. Uttar – son of Virat, brother-in-law of Abhimanyu.
15. Ghatotkach – son of Bhim by a rakshasi, named Hidimba.
16. Iravat – son of Arjun by a naga princess Ulupi.
17. Yuyutsu – Kauravs’ half-brother who defected to Pandavs.
18. Sahadev – king of Magadh, son of Jarasandh (different from the fifth Pandav).
19. Malayadhvaj – king of Pandya and southern regions.
Main warriors on the Kauravs side

Kaurav court members:

1. Duryodhan – the eldest son of Dhritastra and instigator of events that led to the Mahabharat war. He is also addressed as Raja, the king.
2. Bhishma – the first commander in chief of the Kauravs army. He is the granduncle of both Kaurav and Pandav princes and is addressed by them as Pitamah. He is an elder warrior who despite his personal affection for the Pandavs, fought on the Kauravs’ side due to his vow of loyalty to the Hastinapur throne. He led the Kaurav army for ten days.
3. Drona – the royal preceptor in Hastinapur. He taught military arts and divine weapons to both the Pandav and Kaurav princes. He became commander in chief after Bhishma and led the Kaurav armies for five days. His sympathises lie with the Pandavs and he considered Arjun his finest disciple.
4. Karna – a powerful warrior and great general; a son of Kunti by the sun god before her marriage to Pandu. He was abandoned as an infant, left afloat in a river and brought up by a charioteer. Duryodhan crowned him with the kingship. Karna became his close friend and supporter. He led the Kaurav army for two days after Drona.
5. Kripa – the chief priest and a courtier in the Kuru royal court. He was a great general and is considered Cheeranjivi, immortal. He and his sister Kripi were adopted and brought up by king Shantanu, the great grandfather of Kauravs and Pandavs. Kripi was married to Drona.
6. Ashwatthama – son of Drona, the one who had the strength of a horse; also considered Cheeranjivi.
7. Dushasan – son of Dhritarastra and a warrior who dragged queen Draupadi by the hair to the Kaurav assembly after the first dice game; Vikarna and 97 more sons of Dhritrastra also fought and died in battles.

Kaurav allies:

1) Bhagadatta – king of Pragjyotishpur.
2) Salya – king of Madra, brother of Madri, Pandu’s second wife.
3) Kritavarma – chief of the Bhojas, and a commander of the Narayani Sena.
4) Jayadrath – king of Sindhu, a region near the Indus River.
5) Shakuni – king of Gandhar; brother-in-law of king Dhritarastra.
6) Sudakshina – king of the Kambhoj.
7) Somadatta – king of the Bahlik; Bhurishrava – son of Somadatta.
8) Shrutayudh – king of Kaling.
9) Susharma – king of Trigarta.
10) Vind and Anuvind – two brothers and princes of Avanti.
11) Salva – king of the Salva people.
12) Surasen – king of Mathura.
13) Alambush – a powerful rakshas warrior; a brother of Baka and Kirmira whom Bhima had destroyed in the past.

Pandavs and Kauravs assembled 18 akshauhini (divisions) of army that included 7 divisions by Pandavs and 11 divisions by Kauravs for the war in the field of Kurukshetra. Each division roughly consisted of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 65,610 horses, and 109,350 foot-soldiers.

The Pandavs army was assembled through alliances secured directly by the Pandavs themselves and with support from various other sympathetic kings and allies. The main contributors to forming the seven akshauhini were Drupada, Virat, Dhrishtaketu, Sahadev, Satyaki, Kuntibhoj and Malayadhvaj. Additionally, the army was supported by the rakshas forces of Ghatotkach and naga forces of Iravan.

The Kuru army was a coalition of 11 akshauhini formed by the kingdom of Hastinapura in alliance with its supporters. The main contributors to the Kaurav forces included Bhagadatta, Salya, Kritavarma, Jayadrath, Shakuni, Karna, Bhurishrava, Sudakshina, Shrutayudh, Susharma and Kurus. Other allies included Surasen, Salva, Vind and Anuvind and rakshas chief Alambush.

Name of Shankh (conch-shells) blown at the start of the war

The Shankh symbolises purity, auspiciousness, and the primordial sound OM. The blowing of it wards off evils, and invites divine presence. According to ancient texts, it appeared alongside Goddess Lakshmi during the churning of the ocean.

Before the start of the war, warriors blew their conch-shells to declare their readiness to begin combat for victory of righteousness over unrighteousness. The Bhagavad Gita chapter 1, verses 14 – 16, describes the blowing of conches by Krishna and Pandavs.

Their conch shells had specific names. Krishna’s conch shell was named Panchjanya. Arjun’s shell was called Devadatta. Bhim’s was known as Paundra. Yudhisthir’s was named Anantavijay. Nakul’s conch shell was Sughosh and Sahadev’s conch shell was known as Manipushpak.

Awadhesh Sharma, www.hinduguru.com.au

The Significance of the Word “Bhagaván”

Calcutta, 13 January 1980 by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

We have been discussing the Giitá. In order to delve into the essential import of the Giitá, it was necessary [in previous discourses] to start with an introduction. About the Giitá it has been said, Yá Bhagavatá giitá sá Giitá [“That which has been sung by Bhagaván, the Lord, is the Giitá”]. Here the question of “Krśńa” arises. We have already examined some of the meanings of “Krśńa”. Moreover, it has also been shown that all those different meanings of the term converge at one point.

However, the word has other [than etymological] meanings also. For example, the terms bhagaván and “Krśńa” are identical in meaning: they are equivalent terms. What then is the meaning of bhagaván?
Bha + Ga + Suffix

In Sanskrit there are certain words which we use in a short form but which have profound meanings. The word bhagaván has two primary meanings. One of them is bha, which means bheti bhásyate sarván lokán [“that which illumines all the strata”].
What does loka mean here? In Bengali, lok means a man, a person; when we say Ekjan lok yácche, it means “A mánuśa [person] is going.” (In Marathi also the word mánuśa occurs, while in Assamese it is mánuh.) But in Sanskrit, loka has a different connotation; it stands for “layer” or “stratum”. So the sapta [seven] loka means seven layers of manifestation. These seven layers cover the entire continuum from Brahmá to the crudest matter – Ábrahmastamba.

(Here the term “Brahma” does not stand for Brahma the Absolute, the Supreme Being. It is Brahmá which the term “Brahma” denotes here. “Brahmá” means “the Creator”. In the case of indeclinable words and adjectives the á is omitted, giving place to simple a. For example, we donʼt call a tree having many [bahu] branches [shákhá] a bahushákhá, but bahushákha. The á is dropped. Thus here the word “Brahma” is not Brahma the Absolute but Brahmá. We say Ábrahmastamba – “From Brahmá the Creator to a blade of grass,” everything is permeated by Brahma.)

Now, this Brahmá the Creator is not a separate entity. Brahma + a = “Brahmá”. A means “creator”. You are making a doll out of a lump of clay, you are creating something – the acoustic root of this very act of creation is a. When Brahma is engaged in the act of creation, the a is added to Brahma and we get “Brahmá”. In other words, when the Supreme Entity Brahma is creating anything, He is Brahmá. (Take for instance Rambabu. He is a school teacher. Rambabu and the teacher are not two different beings. When Rambabu is in school with a cane in his hand, people call him a teacher. The two are not separate beings.)

Every entity in creation, from the subtlest stage to the crudest stage, is alive. Everything is vibrant with life. But why is everything alive, what fills everything with life? It is the sheer joy of living. If there were no joy, no delight, in living, no one would have lived. They would have left this world, by one means or other. Why then are they here? Because they get joy in living here. Else they would not have stayed on. Bhásyate sarváń lokániti – “The seven lokas shine with His light,” reflect the brilliance of His effulgent being; and His glory makes everything sparkle with joy. Delighted with that luminosity, the hearts of all are dancing in joy. They want to live, to dance, to work, to see, to achieve, and to reach Parama Brahma in order to merge in Him with joy. To live like this – this very way of living – is ánanda [bliss]. The world has its being only because of this ánanda.

And if this ánanda had not been there, the world also would not have existed at all.
Na vá are patyuh kámáya patih priyo bhavati;
Átmanastu kámáya patih priyo bhavati.
Na vá are puttrasya kámáya puttrah priyo bhavati;
Átmanastu kámáy puttrah priyo bhavati.
Na vá are sarvasya kámáya sarvaḿ priyaḿ bhavati;
Átmanastu kámáya sarvaḿ priyaḿ bhavati.

“Why is my husband so dear? Because of the pleasure that he gives me. My husband is dear to me not because he is my husband as such. Why do I love my son? Because I get pleasure in loving him. My son is dear to me not because he is my son as such. And regarding the world, nothing in the world is loved for its own sake, but for the pleasure I derive from loving it.” Similarly, why do people want to live? Because they find pleasure in living, not because of any inherent attraction of the world. When they no longer find any joy in the world, then they no longer want to live. They want to leave the world. People often think, “Iʼd like to leave all this” – meaning that they are no longer finding in the world any joy in living. This is the psychology of human beings.

Thus the meaning of bha is bheti bhásyate lokán – “that which has infused the joy of living throughout the seven lokas, as a result of which everybodyʼs heart and mind has become illuminated”.

And ga means Gacchati yasmin, ágacchati yasmát [“One who comes also goes”]. Hence ga is used to denote that from which everything in the world comes, and into which everything in the world ultimately dissolves.
By conjoining bha and ga we get the word bhaga. Bhaga + the suffix matup in the first person singular form gives bhagaván.

Bhaga

Bhaga stands for six different attributes collected together – a synthesis of six attributes. One of these attributes is aeshvarya, which means “occult power”. (In Latin, if we wish to say “originating from cult”, the letter “o” is placed before “cult” as a prefix; and according to the rules of English grammar, “o” being a light vowel, the consonant coming immediately after gets doubled. In the word “requisition” we find “req”, but in the word “acquisition” we find that a “c” has been added after the “a”. In the same way, what a person gets in return for “cult”, the wealth he gets in return for cult and as a result of his devotion to ideals, is called “occult power”, which in Sanskrit is expressed by the term aeshvarya.) The presence of all the different kinds of aeshvarya in a person is indeed one of the attributes of bhaga.
The second attribute is pratápa (administration), that is, the person has shásana [capacity to rule]. Everyone obeys the person, either out of fear or out of love.

The scriptures say that everything in the universe obeys the Supreme Entity. But why do they obey? Well, there is no other way but to do so. It is out of fear of Him that the wind is blowing. If there were no such fear, the wind might think of taking a little rest. In Sanskrit, one of the names for the wind is anil. Nil means “fixed”, “static” – that which is stuck in a particular position without movement – and anil means just the opposite. The Supreme Entity has pratápa. Bhiiśáhasmád váyuh pavate – “Out of fear of Him does the wind blow” – with the feeling that its movements are constantly watched from behind by a pair of eyes. Bhiisodeti súryah – “Out of fear of Him does the sun rise on time.” Not even a slight deviation is allowed. There is no scope for thinking “Today is Sunday, let me get up a little late.” It must rise at the right time. Bhiisáhasmádagniscandrashca – “Out of fear of Him, Agni [fire-god], Indra [king of gods], Candra [moon-god], Varuńa [water-god], all are going on with their allotted duties.”

The fire-god is performing its duty of burning; else the Supreme Entity will be displeased.
The word indra has different meanings, one of which is “big”, “superior”. Another meaning is “the shál tree”. That is a kind of very tall tree. In Sanskrit the shál tree is also called indra. It grows in plenty in the district of Bankura, and there is a particular place named Indrapur or Indpur, which means “the land of big shál trees”. Similarly, big kúpas [wells] are called indrakúpa. In Prákrta, it is indra-u-a; and in old Bengali it is indar-u-a, which in modern Bengali has come to be indárá. The same word in the rural dialect of Bihar has taken the form of inárá. All these variations have come out of the orginal indrakúpa.

Another meaning of indra is “energy” – light energy, sound energy, electrical energy, etc. If we know the nature of these energies, we can put them to work. Even these energies follow a course of regularity in their duties. In fact, such regularity is obligatory or binding on them. They cannot do otherwise, because of fear of the Supreme Entity. Even death cannot go against the law. Mrtyur dhávati paiṋcamah – it must appear before one at the scheduled time. Each and everyone has to face death, as directed by the Supreme Entity Itself. That is why the Supreme Entity is called bhiisańa – “the terrible”.

Thus the first attribute of bhaga is aeshvarya, occult power, and the second is pratápa, commanding authority (in pure Bengali it is dápat and in Sanskrit pratápa).

Now we come to the third attribute – yasha. When the good qualities of a person are publicly acclaimed, that is yasha. (When those qualities are praised in rhythm, that is yashokiirtana, which should be sung not in a short and subdued way, but in a long and protracted tone, so that others may hear. Kiirtana is not something to be sung mentally.) Yasha, again, is of two types – positive and negative. If you are loud in speaking ill of others, that also is yasha, a negative yasha. So the third attribute of bhaga is this yasha, which, as we have seen, can be either positive or negative. It has been seen that whenever the Divine Entity has descended on the earth, one group of human beings has stood in its favour, while an opposite group has opposed it. Kansa was against Krśńa; Ravana was against Rama. (It is rather strange – either philosophically or politically – that the initial letter of each party is the same as the initial letter of the opposite party.)

There is a story in the Rámáyańa. Once Hanuman had managed to sneak into the private room of Ravana in the guise of a Brahmin. His plan was to steal Ravanaʼs death-dealing weapon, the mrtyuváńa. Seeing him, the ladies of Ravanaʼs family said, “O revered one, please tell us, who will win the battle being fought between Rama and Ravana?” In reply, Hanuman, while jumping to escape, said: “Well, the winnerʼs name starts with the syllable rá.” The ladies took that to mean Ravana. But the name of his opponent also began with rá. Similarly, yasha can mean either positive yasha or negative yasha. Whenever the world is at the threshold of a great ideal, such situations will occur. The entire intellectuality, the entire world opinion, will be polarized. When polarization does not take place, and all movements are centred round the equator, that should be looked at as something very common, not at all as anything of importance, but a mere cosmetic make-up. That is not gold, nor is it silver. It is simply a piece of tinsel coated with gold or silver. But when you see that polarization has become complete, you should know that something big is going to happen.

The fourth attribute is shrii. The word shrii is a combination of sha, ra and ii. Sha is the acoustic root of rajoguńa [the mutative principle]. Sha helps to make a person active, and helps the personʼs energy, intelligence and learning to become manifested. Whatever one does, one does with the help of sha, through the expression of rajoguńa. In the absence of rajoguńa, one cannot perform any action despite the potentiality one might be possessing. One will simply be an idiot of idiots – a burden on society. There are people who have intelligence, learning and energy, but who are like decrepit bulls, good for nothing. Again, there are people you will come across who are so lethargic and dilatory that they cannot accomplish even in days a piece of work that could normally be done in a few hours. They are practically worthless. They lack sha.

Next is ra, which is the acoustic root of energy. We have spoken earlier about energy. In Sanskrit, indra means energy – for example, light, sound, electricity. Where sha, that is, the rajoguńii vrtti [propensity], and ra, that is, energy, are both present, success is assured. Many may have a mind to do something, but do not have the requisite capability to do so. The desire is there, but no effective skill. Obviously, ra is absent here. Where both sha and ra are present we get shra, and adding the feminine uniiśa gives shrii. It is the legacy of India to prefix shrii to oneʼs name, because everybody wants it. Shrii means “charm” or “fascination”. You must have seen objects that instantly draw your attention. That means the particular object has an attractive force within it. There are some people who are not particularly learned or intelligent; nor are they adept at public speaking; but they are very good conversationalists. People gather round them eagerly to enjoy their pleasantries. That too is a kind of shrii. There are people who are not conversant with the intricacies of music, but they sing so melodiously that others rush to listen to them. That is the personʼs musical shrii. Hence that singer may be honoured with the title giitáshrii. One who possesses this quality of shrii, this charm, this fascinating faculty, is said to have the fourth quality of bhaga.

The fifth attribute is jiṋána. What is jiṋána? You read a book and retain in memory what is there in the book. That is not jiṋána. The real meaning of jiṋána is the subjectivization of objectivity. Today you read and tomorrow you forget. Those among you who have passed the MA examination, if asked to undergo the same examination right now, will not be successful, simply because you have forgotten everything, like food that has been digested without a trace. That indicates that that was not the real jiṋána. Real jiṋána – genuine knowledge – implies what has been learned in the past is retained even today and, when needed, can be reproduced as it was. But if there is distortion, if what was learned is not retained, that is not jiṋána. What remains permanently is the real jiṋána. Bookish knowledge, or knowledge obtained through hearsay, has no sound basis; it is constantly changing. That is not knowledge. But those elements of the information which are beneficial, and were acquired for the permanent welfare of people, are called vijiṋána [science]. Knowledge about the Supreme Entity is also called science, because that also is conducive to human well-being. That is why our scriptures have this to say about real knowledge:

Átmajiṋánaḿ vidurjiṋánaḿ jiṋánányanyáni yánitu;
Táni jiṋánávabhásáni sárasyanaeva bodhanát.
[Self-knowledge is the real knowledge – all other knowledge is a mere shadow of knowledge; and will not lead to realization of the truth.]

To know oneʼs own self, or self-knowledge, alone is true knowledge. Self-realization, that is, where the subjectivity and the objectivity coincide – there we say it is knowledge. There we have reached the pinnacle of knowledge. This is jiṋána.
The sixth attribute is vaerágya [renunciation]. Vi – rańj + ghaiṋ = virága. Rańj means “to colour”. Adding lyut́ to the root rańj we get raiṋjana [dyeing], and adding the suffix śak to rańj we get rajaka, that is, one who colours clothes with raiṋjak (rańj + ńak [dye]). Hence a rajak is one who dyes clothes. The root verb vi-rańj, on the other hand, means “to remove colour”. Thus virága is that which removes colour. And vaerágya is the abstract-noun form of virága.

Whatever things the people of this world are running after, whatever they think of or see, they focus on the colours. They see them, think of them. But what they perceive is the outer colouring of the objects. Say there is a black fruit hanging high up in the tree. Its very colour tells you it is a jám.(1) When we see the colour, we get attracted. But a being who lives in the world but is not attracted by anything of the world – whose mind is unaffected by the colours of the world – is a vaerágii; and that mental bháva [stance] is vaerágya.

Now, these six attributes combined are what is known as bhaga. And one who has this bhaga is bhagaván. Bhaga + matup = bhagaván. [This bhaga is the second of] the two meanings of bhaga, as I have explained to you.
Calcutta, 13 January 1980