Jñāna
knowledge, a concept in Indian religions
In Indian philosophy and religions, jñāna (Sanskrit: ज्ञानम्, [ˈdʑɲaːnɐ]) is "knowledge, wisdom, comprehension". It gives irrefutable knowledge or understanding of an object, especially the supreme Being or reality.
Etymology
In Sanskrit, Jñāna, also transliterated into English as jnana, jnan, gyana, gyan, or gyaan, is "knowledge, wisdom, comprehension". The root ज्ञा- jñā- is cognate to Slavic znati, English know, Greek γνώ- (as in γνῶσις gnosis), and Lithuanian žinoti.
Jñāna is a cognitive event which gives irrefutable knowledge or understanding of an object, especially the supreme Being or reality. Ajñāna (अज्ञान, "ignorance") is the antonym of jñāna.
Jainism
According to the Jain texts like Tattvārthsūtra (śloka 1.9) and Sarvārthasiddhi, knowledge is of five kinds:
Mati Jñāna (Sensory Knowledge)
Śruta Jñāna (Scriptural Knowledge)
Avadhi Jñāna (Clairvoyance)
Manaḥ prayāya Jñāna (Telepathy)
Kevalā Jñāna (Omniscience)
Buddhism
In Theravāda Buddhism there are various vipassana-ñānas or "insight knowledges" on the path of insight into the true nature of reality. As a person meditates these ñānas or "knowledges" will be experienced in order. The experience of each may be brief or may last for years and the subjective intensity of each is variable. Each ñāna could also be considered a jhāna although many are not stable and the mind has no way to remain embedded in the experience.
The public source identifies “Jñāna” as knowledge, a concept in Indian religions. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Jñāna, knowledge and concept.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Jñāna”, the useful work is to connect “knowledge, a concept in Indian religions” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1191096. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Jñāna”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Jñāna primary sources, Jñāna archive and Jñāna research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Jñāna”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Jñāna” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.