Nothing remains to be known for a Self-realized one

Understanding self Atma Gyan particularly the inner faculty of human beings is great. It could not be compared to the knowledge of worldly affairs acquired through the books or the rituals. According to the Mundakopanishad, the realization or knowledge could be categorized as Para Vidya and Apara Vidya.

All the subjects and philosophical thoughts treasured in faith, religious books and rituals being practiced by human beings over centuries deal with worldly materialistic information. They do not shed light on the inner self of human beings – the Atman, which can neither be sensed through the sense organs nor through the texts created by humans. Self realization is something that people could realize themselves through intensive effort in exploring one’s inner self. The same, according to the Mundakopanishad, is Para Vidya or Atma Gyan. Once the Para Vidya is realized there remains nothing to learn. Everything will be clear to the person. But the same is very very difficult to achieve.

Mundakopanishad clarifies the point in the dialogue between two Vedic scholars Shaunak Muni and Angira. Shaunak seeks to find out the knowledge that is supreme and that is so comprehensive that the person having it does not have to make effort to know anything more. Their conversation explains incompleteness of one knowledge – Apaara – and all-completeness of the other – the para Vidya.

Modern scholars also understand the greatness of self realization. They find great asset in the Vedic description of the difference between the two types of the knowledge. Atma Gyan is understanding self and realizing self consciousness and being blended with what the Vedas call the cosmic consciousness. It is a clear reference to the very nature of the substratum -Sat Chit Ananda, absolute existence, pure consciousness, and bliss. The worldly knowledge accessible to religious scriptures and rituals is incomplete. Even if one knows most of them the person does not know actually.

By Shirish B. Pradhan

(See corporatenepal.com for Nepali version)