The Veda- 'vid' or 'to know'

The term 'Knowledge' is of two  types; one is the materialistic knowledge that includes the Veda and the Upanishads that deal with normal worldly life. "traigunya vishaya veda... nistraigunyo bhavaarjunaa", says the Gita. One has to transcend the three gunas- rajas, tamas and the sattva. Sattva guna is also a guna, and as such, that too has to be transcended. Thus all the knowledge concerning the world is considered 'apara vidya', lower knowledge. Only the knowledge concerning the Absolute, the highest, the param padam, is true knowledge. This is para vidya, higher knowledge. 'Brahma vidya' concerns the the true nature of this universe. It is also known as the 'Knowledge of the Self', 'Atma Vidya'. However, it is difficult to explain what this true knowledge is since it is all about 'That', 'tat' or something which cannot be known,put in words, or can be understood. If there is anything that is 'apart from one's self' it can be known as 'an other' and studied or learn about it. What is to be done where it is 'one only', and there is 'no other'? Brahman is one only and that only manifests as everything! This is the problem. Even the one who knows, the knower, is one and there is nothing besides it 'to know' as an other! Thus, the entire problem of higher knowledge is that it concerns the Absolute, abstract, ekam or 'One' only. Whoever attains to this state of 'universal consciousness, or 'unity consciousness' also become one merged in totality- of abstract, oneness. This is not possible as long as one lives in duality such as here and there, now and here, this and that, you and I, day and night. All dualities are caused by ignorance, avidya, knowledge covered by attachment, ego, selfishness, etc. Once the jiva gets rid of all these pollutants such as the acquired qualities (triguna), and develops attachment, ego, anger, pride, jealous, selfishness, etc the pure state of its sat chit ananda nature is destroyed! Hence, all the great sages advise us to get rid of this avidya and attain to true nature of The Self, get the true knowledge of the Self, atmasakshatkara.  

   The true nature of Brahmn is Absolute Silence, mahattanta shanta. There is no vibration (nada) or sound (shabda) here. There is only a state of equilibrium and everything is still. This is called the state of  absolue stillness (atyantaabhava);this gives rise to some slight movement (spanda) called anyonyaabhava. From this state onward start the vibration, waves, sound or nada taranga and shabda. These states are called pradhvamshaabhava and pragabhava. The material world begins here. First, there is formation of ideas (ideation) and images are formed (imagination) giving rise to desires and resolves and action, and thereby giving rise to the material, phenomenal objective world begins in all its varied hues and colors.

   Man learns to speak from the breath and the sound of breath is very important in creation. The alphabets a to am and aH, as well as the consonants from ka to ma start here; with the vowels and consonants come the creative power and these very syllables and letters become the seed of creation. All these are explained in a separate text called "Shreevidhya' where the Deity Sharadamba  or The Goddess of Knowledge Saraswati speaks breathing unto others without Her Self breathing! The humans thus started talking!