Verse 18.18

Verse 18.18: “Knowledge, Object to be known, and the Knowing agent: thus three-wise (analysable) is the impulse to act. Instrument of action, the object of the action, and the agent (make up) the (corresponding) three-wise (analysable) composition of an action. (461)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

The triad viz., the knowing agent, knowledge and the object to be known, is the three-fold seed of the universe and is undoubtedly the impulse for action. Now, Oh Dhananjaya, do hear the individual description of each of these three. The rays in the form of the senses, of the Sun in the form of the soul, rush out and forcibly blow open the lotus in the form of sense-objects; or the King Soul riding the horses in the form of the body and armed with the spears in the form of the senses, plunders pleasures and pains in the region of the senseobjects. These similes apart: that which dwells in the sense-centres and imparts to the soul pleasures and pains pertaining to their objects, is knowledge and the thing wherein knowledge reposes in deep sleep is the knowing agent (jñātā), while that which is stated here as being experienced, is knowledge, Oh Son of Pandu. That knowledge gets itself distributed in three places immediately after it is born of Nescience, O Kiriti.

Knowledge then plants in front a (rolling) boulder in the form of the object of knowledge on the way it has to run along, while in the rear, it places an urger in the form of conceit of being the knowing agent. When in this way are formed the means (way) of communication between the knowing agent and the object of knowledge, there goes on a regular traffic over the way. On this, knowledge runs as far as the limit of the object of knowledge and stops there; and (here) it gives different names to different things viz. objects of knowledge which it encounters, and that knowledge is the “common knowledge” and there is no doubt about it. Now you hear the aspects, of the object of knowledge, sound, touch, colour, smell, and taste (śabda, sparśa, rūpa, gandha, rasa) which are the five-fold means through which the object of knowledge makes itself manifest. The mango fruit although one and the same establishes contacts with (meets) different senses such as taste, colour ), smell and touch i.e. reveals itself to the senses. In that way, the same object of knowledge assumes a fivefold aspect because its cognition takes place through the channels of (five) different senses.

The running of water-flows comes to an end with the flows entering the sea; or the growth of crops ceases with their getting ears of com. In that way that point, at which knowledge comes to a dead halt, while running along the channels of the senses, is, Oh Kiriti, the object of knowledge. Thus are explained to you in their entirety, Oh Dhananjaya, the knowing agent, knowledge, as also the object of knowledge, and that the three set afoot all actions. The five objects of senses, such as speech, etc. constitute the fivefold objects of knowledge; it (object of knowledge) is either agreeable and pleasing or disagreeable and hateful. The knowledge, although a small thing, no sooner it manifests to the knowing agent the object to be known, than the agent feels the impulse either to accept it or to reject it: (as in the following illustrations).

A heron (baka) is excited at the very sight of a fish, or a poor person becomes eager at the sight of a (hidden) treasure, or a passion-stricken person gets lustful at the sight of a woman, or water runs to low lands, or the black bee hastens to the fragrance of flowers, or a calf runs (to the mother-cow) as the time for milching in the evening approaches. Human beings hearing the report (of the marvellous beauty) of the heavenly songstress Urvashi, fix ladders in the form of sacrifices, to be able to ascend the sky (with a view to enjoy her company): or a blue pigeon, flying high up in the sky, swoops down, O Kiriti, at the very sight of a female pigeon: or a peacock flies into the sky on hearing peals of thunder. In such ways, the knowing agent rushes out at the sight of the objects to be known. Therefore, it is the triad of knowledge, the object to be known, and the knowing agent, that gives impulse to all actions, Oh Son of Pandu: And if such objects (to be known) be to the liking of the agent, he cannot then brook a single moment’s delay in their enjoyment. If on the contrary, such an object be against his liking, each moment of delay in abandoning it is then felt as lengthy as an aeon.

One getting surrounded by a serpent as well as a necklace of precious stones, simultaneously feels both afraid and joyous, similar becomes the state of the knowing agent should the object to be known turn out partly to his liking and partly against his liking: and then he sets about accepting what he likes and abandoning what he dislikes. Feeling thrilled at the sight of a rival athlete, a Commander-in-Chief abandons the chariot he is riding in, and getting down, steps forward on foot to meet him in a combat. In that way, one who was so far only the knowing agent, attains the state of a doer, in the way the one used to a ready meal should have to play the role of a cook; or a black bee should itself cultivate a (floral) garden, or a touchstone should itself become the tester, or God himself should be the builder of his own temple. In that way when the knowing agent running after the object to be known, employs a group of senses either in accepting it or rejecting it, he becomes, Oh Son of Pandu, the doer, and when the knowing agent thus becomes himself the doer, he converts the knowledge into an instrument of action, naturally making the object to be known, the action itself.

In this way, Oh Righteous One, is brought about the change, (in the status of the knowing agent) through the device of knowledge in the way the lustre of the eyes is changed (dimmed) at night, or in the way the glory of the rich is dissolved with adverse luck, or in the way the disc of the Moon wanes after the night of the full moon. In that way the knowing agent is wrapped up in the mantle of the doer when the senses get into motion. And now hear about his signs in such a state. 1) intellect, 2) mind, 3) attention (), and 4) egotism, are the four, internal organs; (similarly) 1) skin, 2) ears, 3) eyes, 4) tongue and 5) nose are the five external organs. By the means of the internal organs, the doer first builds up a forecast of an action if it promises to bring him happiness, he sets to work all the external organs and then such as eyes, etc. making the group of organs work for the successful fruition of the action. If, on the contrary, the action portends to be one leading to misery, he at once engages all the ten organs in the reverse direction and abandons that action. He makes the organs work day and night in removing all the traces of misery, in the way a King makes his servants work day and night for the levy of the taxes.

When in this way the organs are set to work either for the rejection or the acceptance of the actions, he should be called the doer, bear this well in mind. And since the doer engages all the organs, as if they were so many ploughs, we call them (the organs) the instruments (implements). The structure that the doer erects by making use of these instruments—the magnitude of such a structure—is the action here. The intellect of the goldsmith pervades the ornaments (prepared), or full growth pervades the creeping plant, or brilliance pervades the light or sweetness pervades the sugarcane juice, or the sky pervades the cavity; in all these ways what remains pervaded by the activism of the doer, Oh, Dhananjaya, is called the ‘action’, and nothing else undoubtedly. Thus have been explained to you, the aspects of all the three viz. the doer (agent), the action, and the instrument of action, Oh you the crown gem (amongst the wise). Here the knowing agent, knowledge, and the object to be known constitute the triple impulse to action; similarly the doer (agent), the instrument of the action and the action, make up the triple composition of action. S

moke is latent in fire, or a tree in the seed, or the desires in the mind: in that way the actions are vitally linked with the doer (agent), his activity, and the instruments of action, or in the way gold is stored up in the (gold) mine. Therefore, where there arises the ‘notion’, “This is the action and I am the doer (agent),” the soul, Oh Son of Pandu, stands quite aloof (far away) from actions. Therefore, I tell you again and again that the soul is entirely separate, Oh you the Best Talent, from action impulse, and you know this already. Enough, however, of this!