तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया |
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ||४-३४||
tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā . upadekṣyanti te jñānaṃ jñāninastattvadarśinaḥ ||4-34||
4.34 Know That by long prostration, by estion and by service; the wise who have realised the Truth will instruct thee in (that) knowledge.
4.34 तत् That? विद्धि know? प्रणिपातेन by long prostration? परिप्रश्नेन by estion? सेवया by service? उपदेक्ष्यन्ति will instruct? ते to thee? ज्ञानम् knowledge? ज्ञानिनः the wise? तत्त्वदर्शिनः those who have realised the Truth.Commentary Go to the teachers (those who are well versed in the scriptures dealing with Brahman or Brahmasrotris? and who are established in Brahman or Brahmanishthas). Prostrate yourself before them with profound humility and perfect devotion. Ask them estions? O venerab
Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.
4.34 Viddhi, know; tat, that, the process by which It is acired; by approaching teachers pranipatena, through prostration, by lying fully streched on the ground with face downward, with prolonged salutation; pariprasnena, through iniry, as to how bondage and Liberation come, and what are Knowledge and ignorance; and sevaya, through the service of the guru. (Know it) through these and other (disciplines) [Other disciplines such as control of the mind, body, etc. Sankaracarya's own words in the Commentary are evamadina, after which Ast. puts a full stop, and agreeing with this, A.G. says that the word viddhi (know) is to be connected with evamadina. Hence this translation. Alternatively, those words have to be taken with prasrayena. Then the meaning will be, 'Being pleased with such and other forms of humility৷৷.'-Tr.]. Being pleased with humility, jnaninah, the wise ones, the teachers; tattva-darsinah, who have realized the Truth; upadeksyanti, will impart, will tell; te, you; jnanam, the Knowledge as described above. Although people may be wise, some of them are apt to know Truth just as it is, while others may not be so. Hence the alification, 'who have realized the Truth'. The considered view of the Lord is that Knowledge imparted by those who have full enlightenment becomes effective, not any other. That being so, the next verse also becomes appropriate:
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4.34 Know that through prostration, iniry and service. The wise ones who have realized the Truth will impart the Knowledge to you.
This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
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