Verse 18.20

Verse 18.20: “Amidst all the beings, that whereby one is enabled to discern one Immutable Essence—itself (one and) undivided amidst these that are (many and) diversified—that knowledge, understand, is Sattva-dominated. (529)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

That, Oh Arjuna, is the pure and Sattva-dominated knowledge, with the rise of which, the object of knowledge along with the knowing agent disappears (lit. is drowned). The darkness cannot see the Sun, or the ocean knows not the rivers; or one cannot grasp for an embrace one’s own shadow. In that way this knowledge discerns no distinctions between being and being from God Shiva down to the very straw. (One would find nothing) were one to try to feel a picture with his hands, or to wash salt with water, or to experience a dream while awake. In that way that knowledge is Sattvic in the light of which, there remains nothing to be seen of knowledge or the object to be known or the knowing agent in the way one cannot have ornaments of choice merely by melting one’s gold or one cannot separate ripples from water merely by straining it through.

Similarly that is Sattvic knowledge, know ye, which is unable to grasp the distinction between diversified appearance of things—a natural phenomenon to the worldly mortal. One even casually looking into the mirror only sees his own reflection in it,-in that way (with the coming of) that knowledge, the object to be known retreats and vanishes, the object transfiguring the knowing agent and that knowledge is also a temple of Goddess Lakshmi in the form of liberation,—that knowledge is Sattvic knowledge, I repeat. But that apart: now hear about the signs of Rajas (knowledge).