jñāna / ज्ञान

Jñāna: Knowledge

Definition

Jñāna in Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta is a conscious, self-luminous (svayaṃprakāśa) attribute (dharma) characterized by consciousness (caitanya). For Brahman (also called Īśvara or God), jñāna is both an attribute and its very essence – it constitutes the divine's inherent nature. For individual selves (jīvas), jñāna is both the essential nature of the individual as well as an intrinsic attribute (DharmaBhutaJnana) that can expand or contract based on karma and states of consciousness. This knowledge is real and substantive, forming the basis of all conscious experience.

Significance

Jñāna serves as the foundational means through which we comprehend reality at all levels – the world, ourselves, and ultimately Brahman. It establishes consciousness as inherently relational and demonstrates how all existence depends on Brahman. By understanding jñāna as a conscious attribute rather than an abstract principle, practitioners can develop a personal, meaningful relationship with Brahman. This framework accommodates the three aspects of knowledge: the knower, the known, and the act of knowing, all unified within Brahman's reality. When a soul achieves liberation, its jñāna expands fully, revealing its true nature as eternally dependent upon and blissfully related to Brahman.

Key Characteristics

• Jñāna is inherently conscious and self-illuminating, requiring no external validation or awareness to establish its existence
• For Brahman, it functions as both an essential attribute and the divine essence itself, infinite and eternal in nature
• For individual souls, it serves as a real attribute that can expand toward its full potential through divine grace
• It enables the recognition of distinctions while maintaining the underlying unity of reality in Brahman

Scriptural Support and Citations

• satyaṃ jñānam anantaṃ brahma (Truth, knowledge, infinity is Brahman) - Taittirīya Upaniṣad (तै.उ.आन.१.१)
• vijñānamānandaṃ brahma (Consciousness and bliss is Brahman) - Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (बृ.उ.५.९.२८)
• "yaḥ sarvajñaḥ sarvavit yasya jñānamayaṃ tapaḥ" (He who is all-knowing, all-cognizant, whose austerity is constituted by knowledge) - Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (मु.उ.१.१.९)
• "parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñānabalakriyā ca" (His supreme power is revealed in diverse ways, as inherent knowledge, strength, and action) - Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (श्वे.उ.६.८)
• jñānasvarūpamatyanta nirmalaṃ paramārthataḥ (Knowledge is by its very nature pure and immaculate) - Viṣṇu Purāṇa (वि.पु. १.२.६)
• tat guṇasāratvāttad vyapadeśaḥ prājñavat (Because of being characterized by that attribute, that designation [applies], like the wise one)- Brahma Sūtras (ब्र.सू. २.३.२९)

Philosophical Context

Jñāna holds distinct characteristics in Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta compared to other Indian philosophical systems. In Advaita Vedānta, jñāna is seen as a singular, attributeless principle that constitutes the sole reality. Buddhist philosophy views consciousness (vijñāna) as momentary and fleeting. Nyāya considers knowledge a property of the self (ātman) that requires other knowledge for cognition. Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta uniquely positions jñāna as both a real attribute and, in Brahman's case, the very substance of ultimate reality.

Further Discussion

The relationship between Brahman's jñāna and the individual soul's jñāna reflects their ontological connection. While Brahman's knowledge is infinite and eternal, the individual soul's knowledge can be limited by karma and avidyā (ignorance) during the state of bondage. However, through divine grace, the soul's jñāna can expand to its full potential in liberation. Rāmānuja, in his Bhagavad Gītā commentary, emphasizes that the knowledge through which one knows Brahman is itself a form of devotion and the path to liberation. This understanding establishes all knowledge as ultimately rooted in Brahman's consciousness.