Shloka

ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मनः |
तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम् ||५-१६||

Transliteration

jñānena tu tadajñānaṃ yeṣāṃ nāśitamātmanaḥ .
teṣāmādityavajjñānaṃ prakāśayati tatparam ||5-16||

Translations

Dr.S.Sankaranarayan

5.16. In the case of those whose Illusion has been, however, destroyed by the Self-knowledge, then for them that knowledge illumines itself, like the sun.

Shri Purohit Swami

5.16 Surely wisdom is like the sun, revealing the supreme truth to those whose ignorance is dispelled by the wisdom of the Self.

Sri Abhinav Gupta

5.16 Jnanena etc. When however the Illusion is destroyed by knowledge, then the natural capacity of knowledge, in illuminating itself and other things starts to work automatically just as the sun does when the darkness is lost. Indeed when the doubt [of poison] is completely rooted out, the nectar does the work of the nectar just automatically. But this is possible for those who have their intellect and mind gone to This [Self] and have abandoned [all] other activities. To make this idea clear [the Lord] says -

Sri Ramanuja

5.16 While all these selves are thus deluded, in the case of enlightened souls, their delusive ignorance - which envelops knowledge and which is of the form of accumulated, beginningless and endless Karma - is destroyed by knowledge. As already described this knowledge is produced by the teachings of the scriptures about the real nature of the self, which are enriched by daily practice. The purity of this knowledge is unexcelled. And in the case of those selves who regain the knowledge that is natural to Them, it is found that it is unlimited and uncontracted and illumining everything like the sun.

Plurality of the selves in Their essence is expressly mentioned in the case of those whose ignorance is overcome, in the expression ‘for those’ in the text. What was stated at the commencement, ‘There never was a time when I did not exist’ (2.12) is expressed here with greater clarity. Moreover, this plurality is not due to limiting adjuncts imposed on a single universal self. For, as stated here, there cannot be any trace of such adjuncts for those whose ignorance is destroyed, and still They are described as a plurality. Hence knowledge is taught as an attribute inseparable from the essential nature of the self, because a difference between the self and its knowledge is made out in the statement, ‘Knowledge, in their case illuminates like the sun’. By the illustration of the sun, the relation of the knower to his knowledge is brought out to be similar to the luminous object and its luminosity. Therefore, it is appropriate to understand that knowledge contracts by Karma in the stage of Samsara and expands in the stage of Moksa (release). [In this system the Atman has two forms of Jnana or Knowledge - Dharmi-Jnana (self-awareness) and Dharma-bhuta-Jnana (awareness of objects other than itself). It is the latter that is contracted by ignorance and expands by knowledge. See Intrdocution.]

Sri Shankaracharya

5.16 Tu, but; yesam, in the case of those creatures; of whom tat ajnanam, that ignorance; atmanah, of theirs-being covered by which ignorance creatures get deluded-; nasitam, becomes destroyed; jnanena, by knowledge, by discriminating knowledge concerning the Self; tesam, their; jnanam, knowledge; adityavat, like the sun; prakasayati, reveals, in the same way as the sun reveals all forms whatever; tat-param, that supreme Reality, the Reality which is the highest Goal, the totality of whatever is to be known.

Swami Adidevananda

5.16 But for those in whom this ignorance is destroyed by the knowledge of the self, that knowledge, in their case, is supreme and shines like the sun.

Swami Gambirananda

5.16 But in the case of those of whom that ignorance of theirs becomes destroyed by the knowledge (of the Self), their Knowledge, like the sun, reveals that supreme Reality.

Swami Sivananda

5.16 But to those whose ignorance is destroyed by the knowledge of the Self, like the sun, knowledge reveals the Supreme (Brahman).

Commentaries

Swami Sivananda

5.16 ज्ञानेन by wisdom? तु but? तत् that? अज्ञानम् ignorance? येषाम् whose? नाशितम् is destroyed? आत्मनः of the Self? तेषाम् their? आदित्यवत् like the sun? ज्ञानम् knowledge? प्रकाशयति reveals? तत्परम् that Highest.Commentary When ignorance? the root cause of human sufferings? is annihilated by the knowledge of the Self? this knowledge illuminates the Supreme Brahman or that highest immortal Being? just as the sun illumines all the objects of this gross? physical universe.