What the scriptures say about self-knowledge

1. Grief
2. the vast
3. Joy
4. action
5. Steadiness
6. Faith
7. understanding
8. understanding
9. truth
10. Self-knowledge

Narada knows every science and says that he knows the words, not the self, and he grieves. Sanatkumara leads him inward. One speaks truth when one understands. One understands when one reflects. One reflects when one has trust. One has trust when one is steadfast. One is steadfast when one acts. One acts when one finds joy. Joy is in the vast, not in the small.

• Narada

  सोऽहं भगवो मन्त्रविदेवास्मि नात्मविच्छ्रुतꣳ ह्येव मे भगवद्दृशेभ्यस्तरति शोकमात्मविदिति सोऽहं भगवः शोचामि तं मा भगवाञ्छोकस्य पारं तारयत्विति तꣳ होवाच यद्वै किंचैतदध्यगीष्ठा नामैवैतत् ॥

  so’haṃ bhagavo mantravidevāsmi nātmavicchrutaꣳ hyeva me bhagavaddṛśebhyastarati śokamātmaviditi so’haṃ bhagavaḥ śocāmi taṃ mā bhagavāñchokasya pāraṃ tārayatviti taꣳ hovāca yadvai kiṃcaitadadhyagīṣṭhā nāmaivaitat ||

  'Sir, I know only the texts; I do not know the self. I have heard from people like you that one who knows the self crosses beyond sorrow. I am in sorrow, sir. Please take me across.' He said to him: 'Whatever you have studied is only name.'

  Chhandogya Upanishad 7.1.3

• Sanatkumara

  यदा वै करोत्यथ निस्तिष्ठति नाकृत्वा निस्तिष्ठति कृत्वैव निस्तिष्ठति कृतिस्त्वेव विजिज्ञासितव्येति कृतिं भगवो विजिज्ञास इति ॥

  yadā vai karotyatha nistiṣṭhati nākṛtvā nistiṣṭhati kṛtvaiva nistiṣṭhati kṛtistveva vijijñāsitavyeti kṛtiṃ bhagavo vijijñāsa iti ||

  When one acts, one becomes steadfast. One does not become steadfast without acting; only by acting does one become steadfast. So action itself must be understood. 'Sir, I wish to understand action.'

  Chhandogya Upanishad 7.21.1

• Sanatkumara

  यदा वै सुखं लभतेऽथ करोति नासुखं लब्ध्वा करोति सुखमेव लब्ध्वा करोति सुखं त्वेव विजिज्ञासितव्यमिति सुखं भगवो विजिज्ञास इति ॥

  yadā vai sukhaṃ labhate’tha karoti nāsukhaṃ labdhvā karoti sukhameva labdhvā karoti sukhaṃ tveva vijijñāsitavyamiti sukhaṃ bhagavo vijijñāsa iti ||

  When one finds happiness, one acts. No one acts without finding happiness; only by finding happiness does one act. So happiness itself must be understood. 'Sir, I wish to understand happiness.'

  Chhandogya Upanishad 7.22.1

1. the senses
2. the mind
3. intellect
4. Self-knowledge

The senses are high, the mind higher, the intellect higher still, and beyond the intellect is the self. Knowing what is beyond the intellect, steady the self by the self and overcome desire.

• Krishna

  तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ । पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥

  tasmāttvamindriyāṇyādau niyamya bharatarṣabha | pāpmānaṃ prajahi hyenaṃ jñānavijñānanāśanam ||

  Therefore, best of the Bharatas, first control the senses, then cast off this wrongdoer that destroys knowledge and discernment.

  Bhagavad Gita 3.41

• Krishna

  इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः । मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ॥

  indriyāṇi parāṇyāhurindriyebhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ | manasastu parā buddhiryo buddheḥ paratastu saḥ ||

  The senses are said to be higher than the body; higher than the senses is the mind; higher than the mind is the intellect; and higher than the intellect is the self.

  Bhagavad Gita 3.42

• Krishna

  एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना । जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥

  evaṃ buddheḥ paraṃ buddhvā saṃstabhyātmānamātmanā | jahi śatruṃ mahābāho kāmarūpaṃ durāsadam ||

  Thus knowing that which is higher than the intellect, steadying the self by the self, slay, mighty-armed one, this enemy in the form of desire, so hard to overcome.

  Bhagavad Gita 3.43

1. Self-knowledge
2. oneness

A person sees all beings in the self and the self in all beings, so they do not recoil from anyone. A person who knows all beings as the self has no delusion and no grief, because they see oneness.

• Seer

  यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मन्येवानुपश्यति । सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते ॥

  yastu sarvāṇi bhūtānyātmanyevānupaśyati | sarvabhūteṣu cātmānaṃ tato na vijugupsate ||

  One who sees all beings in the self, and the self in all beings, no longer shrinks away from anyone.

  Isha Upanishad 6

• Seer

  यस्मिन्सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मैवाभूद्विजानतः । तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः ॥

  yasminsarvāṇi bhūtānyātmaivābhūdvijānataḥ | tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvamanupaśyataḥ ||

  For the one who knows, in whom all beings have become the self, what confusion, what sorrow can there be, seeing oneness everywhere?

  Isha Upanishad 7

1. Self-knowledge
2. intellect
3. the mind
4. the senses
5. A restless mind
6. world cycle
7. Discernment
8. control of the senses
9. supreme state

The self is the rider, the body is the chariot, the intellect is the driver, the mind is the reins, and the senses are the horses. Without understanding and with the mind unyoked, the senses run like bad horses and the goal is missed. With understanding and a yoked mind, the senses obey and the journey's end is reached.

• Yama

  आत्मानँ रथितं विद्धि शरीरँ रथमेव तु । बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥ इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयांस्तेषु गोचरान् । आत्मेन्द्रिय मनोयुक्त भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ॥

  ātmānaṁ rathitaṃ viddhi śarīraṁ rathameva tu | buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva ca || indriyāṇi hayānāhurviṣayāṃsteṣu gocarān | ātmendriya manoyukta bhoktetyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ ||

  Know the self as the rider, the body as the chariot, the intellect as the charioteer and the mind as the reins. The senses, they say, are the horses, and the things of the world are the roads they run on.

  Katha Upanishad 1.3.3-4

• Yama

  यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्ययुक्तेन मनसा सदा । तस्येन्द्रियाण्यवश्यानि दुष्टाश्वा इव सारथेः ॥ यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति युक्तेन मनसा सदा । तस्येन्द्रियाणि वश्यानि सदश्वा इव सारथेः ॥

  yastvavijñānavānbhavatyayuktena manasā sadā | tasyendriyāṇyavaśyāni duṣṭāśvā iva sāratheḥ || yastu vijñānavānbhavati yuktena manasā sadā | tasyendriyāṇi vaśyāni sadaśvā iva sāratheḥ ||

  For one who lacks understanding, whose mind is never held steady, the senses run out of control like a driver's wild horses. For one who has understanding, whose mind is always steady, the senses obey like good horses.

  Katha Upanishad 1.3.5-6