12.12
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते ।
ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥
śreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāj jñānād dhyānaṃ viśiṣyate
dhyānāt karmaphalatyāgas tyāgāc chāntir anantaram
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) continues. The ladder stops, and the same words are set in a rank.
The verse
Knowledge is better than practice; meditation stands above knowledge; the giving up of the fruit of action stands above meditation; and right after that giving up comes peace.
नेपालीमा
ज्ञान अभ्यासभन्दा उत्तम छ, ध्यान ज्ञानभन्दा माथि उभिन्छ, कर्मको फल त्याग्नु ध्यानभन्दा माथि उभिन्छ, र त्यस त्यागको लगत्तै शान्ति आउँछ।
Where it sits
12.9 to 12.11 stepped down for the person who cannot yet do the one above. This verse sets practice, knowledge, meditation, and the giving up of fruit in a rank of its own, and the rank ends where peace begins.
Split: श्रेयः + हि + ज्ञानम् + अभ्यासात् + ज्ञानात् + ध्यानम् + विशिष्यते + ध्यानात् + कर्म-फल-त्यागः + त्यागात् + शान्तिः + अनन्तरम्
śreyaḥ + hi + jñānam + abhyāsāt + jñānāt + dhyānam + viśiṣyate + dhyānāt + karma-phala-tyāgaḥ + tyāgāt + śāntiḥ + anantaram
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| श्रेयः | śreyaḥ | nominative neuter of śreyas (श्रेयस्) | better. A comparative. |
| हि | hi | indeclinable | indeed. For. |
| ज्ञानम् | jñānam | nominative neuter | knowledge. |
| अभ्यासात् | abhyāsāt | ablative | than practice. From the abhyāsa (अभ्यास) of 12.9. |
| ज्ञानात् | jñānāt | ablative | than knowledge. |
| ध्यानम् | dhyānam | nominative neuter | meditation. |
| विशिष्यते | viśiṣyate | present passive, 3rd singular | is distinguished, stands above. From vi-śiṣ (वि-शिष्). |
| ध्यानात् | dhyānāt | ablative | than meditation. |
| कर्म-फल-त्यागः | karma-phala-tyāgaḥ | nominative | the giving up of the fruit of action. |
| त्यागात् | tyāgāt | ablative | from that giving up. |
| शान्तिः | śāntiḥ | nominative | peace. |
| अनन्तरम् | anantaram | adverb | immediately after. With nothing between. |
The phrases
श्रेयः हि ज्ञानम् अभ्यासात् śreyaḥ hi jñānam abhyāsāt is the first rank. Knowledge is better than practice. śreyaḥ (श्रेयः) is neuter, so it belongs with jñānam (ज्ञानम्). śreyaḥ hi (श्रेयः हि) is recited śreyo hi (श्रेयो हि). ज्ञानम् अभ्यासात् ज्ञानात् jñānam abhyāsāt jñānāt is recited jñānam abhyāsāj jñānāt (ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानात्): t (त्) before j (ज्) becomes j (ज्).
ज्ञानात् ध्यानं विशिष्यते jñānād dhyānaṃ viśiṣyate is the second. Meditation stands above knowledge. The ablative is the thing surpassed. jñānāt dhyānam (ज्ञानात् ध्यानम्) is jñānād dhyānam (ज्ञानाद्ध्यानम्): t (त्) before dh (ध्) becomes d (द्), and the dh (ध्) stays, so the join is द्ध ddh.
dhyānāt karmaphalatyāgaḥ tyāgāt śāntiḥ anantaram (ध्यानात् कर्मफलत्यागः त्यागात् शान्तिः अनन्तरम्) finishes the rank and then changes the job of the ablative. The giving up of fruit stands above meditation. From that giving up, peace comes right after. tyāgaḥ tyāgāt (त्यागः त्यागात्) is tyāgas tyāgāt (त्यागस्त्यागात्). tyāgāt śāntiḥ (त्यागात् शान्तिः) is tyāgāc chāntiḥ (त्यागाच्छान्तिः): t (त्) before ś (श्) becomes c (च्), and ś (श्) becomes ch (छ्). śāntiḥ anantaram (शान्तिः अनन्तरम्) is śāntir anantaram (शान्तिरनन्तरम्).
Sanskrit in this line
The ablative is doing two jobs, and the verse tells you when it changes. abhyāsāt (अभ्यासात्), jñānāt (ज्ञानात्), and dhyānāt (ध्यानात्) are "than": jñānam (ज्ञानम्) is better than practice, dhyānam (ध्यानम्) stands above knowledge, and karma-phala-tyāgaḥ (कर्म-फल-त्यागः) stands above meditation, with viśiṣyate (विशिष्यते) understood again. tyāgāt (त्यागात्) with anantaram (अनन्तरम्) is not "better than the giving up." It is "right after the giving up." śāntiḥ (शान्तिः) is what follows, not what is surpassed.
Say it back
The rank, in the verse's order, and what comes right after the last one. If śāntiḥ (शान्तिः) is placed above tyāgaḥ (त्यागः) as one more comparison, the last ablative was misread.