Value of Values

The provided texts, authored by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, explore the psychological and spiritual necessity of assimilating universal ethical values (dharma) to prepare the mind for Self-knowledge (ātmajñānam). The author explains that for any knowledge to take place, an appropriate and prepared means of knowledge (pramāṇa) is required. In the case of spiritual learning, the mind itself must be prepared. A value becomes truly effective only when an individual personally assimilates its worth; otherwise, it remains an imposed rule that creates a “knower-doer” split and psychological guilt when compromised.

The core of the text focuses on an exposition of the 13th chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā, where Lord Kṛṣṇa outlines twenty mental qualities. Though termed jñānam (knowledge), these twenty values are not the ultimate knowledge of the Self itself, but rather the essential mental attitudes and preparations required to make a seeker’s mind a fit receptacle to gain that knowledge.

Click on each numbered value to get a detailed commentary of that value.

Here are the 20 values of jñānam:

  1. amānitvam (absence of self-worshipfulness): Not demanding respect from others based on an exaggerated sense of self-esteem or pride in one’s accomplishments.
  2. adambhitvam (absence of pretence): Not projecting a false, inflated image of oneself or claiming unearned abilities to impress others.
  3. ahiṃsā (non-injury): Not causing harm to any living creature by thought, word, or deed, grounded in the understanding that others seek to live harm-free just as one does (which includes adopting a vegetarian diet).
  4. kṣāntiḥ (accommodation): The cheerful and calm acceptance of people and situations exactly as they are, without demanding they change to suit one’s own expectations.
  5. ārjavam (straightness): The alignment of thought, word, and deed, ensuring one lives an integrated life free from hypocrisy and inner division.
  6. ācāryopāsanam (service to the teacher): An attitude of respect, devotion, and selfless surrender towards the teacher who imparts the knowledge of the Self.
  7. śaucam (cleanliness): Both external physical cleanliness and internal mental purity, the latter achieved by deliberately replacing negative thoughts with opposite positive ones (pratipakṣa bhāvanā).
  8. sthairyam (steadiness): Steadfastness, constancy, and perseverance in fulfilling one’s duties and in the pursuit of Self-knowledge.
  9. ātmavinigrahaḥ (mastery over the mind): Conscious, deliberate control over one’s ways of thinking, replacing impulsive or mechanical reactions with reflective choices.
  10. indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam (dispassion towards sense objects): An objective attitude toward worldly objects and pleasures, recognizing that they cannot provide absolute security or lasting fulfillment.
  11. anahaṅkāraḥ (absence of egoism): Freedom from the individualized “I-sense” and pride of authorship, recognizing that one’s abilities, body, and opportunities are largely given rather than self-created.
  12. janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (reflection on the evils of birth, death, old age, sickness and pain): Maintaining an objective awareness of the inherent defects and fleeting nature of life to inspire the conscious, alert use of one’s time.
  13. asaktiḥ (absence of sense of ownership): Recognizing that absolute ownership is an illusion and that one is merely a temporary possessor or managing trustee of things, including one’s own body.
  14. anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu (absence of fast attachment to son, wife, home etc.): Dispassionate caring for family and loved ones without excessive, clinging emotional entanglement.
  15. nityam samacittatvam iṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu (constant even-mindedness in the occurrence of the desirable and undesirable): Maintaining mental equilibrium and accepting facts exactly as they are without swinging between extreme elation and depression.
  16. mayi ca ananyayogena bhaktiravyabhicāriṇī (unswerving devotion to Me characterised by non-separateness from Me): Viewing the Lord as the infallible giver of all results and gracefully accepting whatever happens as His blessing (prasāda).
  17. vivikta deśa sevitvam (resorting to a quiet place): Cultivating a love for quietude and a contemplative mind that is completely happy being with itself, without constantly seeking escape.
  18. aratiḥ janasaṃsadi (absence of craving for the company of people): Not being dependent on socializing or crowds for one’s happiness, establishing a sensitive, non-reacting mind prepared for self-inquiry.
  19. adhyātmajñānanityatvam (constant application of the knowledge of the Self): Steadfast study and inquiry (śravaṇam, mananam, nididhyāsanam) into Vedānta scriptures until clear, doubt-free knowledge of the Truth is gained.
  20. tattvajñānārthadarśanam (keeping in view the purpose of knowledge of Truth): Never losing sight of the ultimate goal of life, which is absolute liberation (mokṣa) attained solely through the knowledge of oneself.