Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya “Move from darkness to light.” This well-known saying from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad succinctly conveys the essential purpose of human existence. Drawing on the widespread metaphorical equalization of darkness with ignorance and light with knowledge, it urges us to cultivate knowledge. Which knowledge? The knowledge that will take us from the material domain of death to the spiritual domain of deathlessness, as indicated in the next part of the same Upanishadic section: mrtyur ma amrtam gamaya. 

How can we cultivate this knowledge? One opinion is that we need to engage in exhaustive intellectual analysis to differentiate between the eternal and the temporal. The Chatur-Shloki-Gita’s last verse assures us that cultivating knowledge needn’t be such a laborious task: Krishna will personally illuminate our hearts with that knowledge if we practice bhakti- yoga (10.11).

At first glance, this verse might seem to be a repetition of the previous verse (10.10), which declares that Krishna gives the devoted the knowledge necessary to come to him. What differentiates this verse is its stress on  Krishna’s mercy. The specific usage of mercy (anukampa) also conveys the idea of generosity, even disproportionate generosity: the knowledge lit in our hearts doesn’t depend on our intellectual capacities or our intellectual exertions; it is Krishna’s freely given benediction. 

Does this mean that we as practicing devotees shouldn’t care to cultivate knowledge? Not exactly; devotees desire to use everything in Krishna’s service. And as knowledge can be hugely useful in his service, we should try to cultivate it. But we needn’t fear that we won’t grow spiritually because we lack particular intellectual abilities; Krishna’s grace will more than compensate for any such lackings. 

One-sentence summary: 

Krishna illuminates the hearts of the devoted with the torchlight of knowledge, thus helping them advance from darkness to light . 

Think it over:

  • Progress from darkness to light: what does the Gita say about this Upanishadic saying?
  • What differentiates Gita 10.11 from 10.10?
  • Should a devotee care to cultivate knowledge?

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10.11: To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.

 

To know more about this verse, please click on the image