Isha Upanishad | Shloka 09 | English | What is Vidya? What is Avidya? | andhantamaḥ praviśanti

Laxmi: “Ashok Da! O Ashok Da! Are you at home?”

Ashok: “Yes, Laxmi. Come inside. What happened?”

Laxmi: “My son Gopal is vomiting incessantly. Is there any Doctor in the health center now?”

Ashok: “Oh! Laxmi, you know the situation at our health center. There are no doctors in our village as it is far from the town. But there is an MBBS Didi in our neighboring village. Dr. Vidya. She has just got her MBBS done. Did you go to her?”

Laxmi: “No, Ashok Da, she asks many questions and explains many things but never checks up on the patient and never recommends the right medicine. She confuses everyone with her explanations and all. You are better than her. You always check the patient and be with the patient until he does not get well. I have been seeing you for the last 20 years. You are tirelessly helping villagers. You are better than any MBBS doctor.”

Ashok: “Okay, okay. Stop praising me. I checked Gopal. We need to give Saline to him and then we will give some medicines. He will be fine in the next 2-3 days. Don’t worry.”

Laxmi: “Thank you, Ashok Da. You are like God to us.”

Ashok: “No, Laxmi, don’t say that. I am not a doctor, always remember that. I don’t know anything. I just treat all out of practical experience. I am always afraid of doing mistreatment.”

Laxmi: “Okay, Ashok Da, understood.”

Dear readers,

Welcome back to our blog. Today we will discuss ninth shloka of Isha Upanishad. The story I told in the beginning to create the base for this verse.

So, without any further delay, let's recite the Sloka.

अन्धन्तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽविद्यामुपासते ।
ततो भूय इव ते तमोय उ विद्यायां रताः ॥

“andhantamaḥ praviśanti ye'vidyāmupāsate |

tato bhūya iva te tamoya u vidyāyāṃ ratāḥ ||”

Translation in English:

Those who worship Avidya alone enter blinding darkness; and those who worship Vidya alone fall into even greater darkness.

Before we explain this Shloka, it is advisable to read previous Shlokas. Links to those blogs are given at the end.

In the story Ashok Da is symbol of Avidya. He did not study medicine but has practical experience of treating patients. He does not know any concept of physiology or anything about human organs. But he can give medicines, check blood pressure, can dress a wound, inject syringe in the body etc. But, because of lack of knowledge, he is not reliable always and any mistreatment can cause great harm to the patient.

In the same way Avidya is the actions or studies of religious rituals, sacrifices, chanting, worship, karma yoga, meditation, duties, or academic or professional or skill related studies which does not focus on revealing the true nature of the Self or Aatman or supreme reality, the Brahman. If someone is doing only that then he will be in ignorance always.

Dr. Vidya is symbolic to Vidya. She has theoretical and conceptual knowledge, but she does not hold experience in practical knowledge. She can deliver lectures and can clear your concept on human anatomy but can’t locate the organs in an actual living body. If she treats someone, certainly the patient will not get another chance of life.

Alike, Vidya is the actions or studies to reveal the true nature of the Self or Aatman and supreme reality or Brahman. For example, study of Upanishads. Someone can study Upanishads to get the knowledge but if the person is doing only that without anything else even without experiencing the Brahman then he will teach wrong lessons to others because of lack of actual experience and he is burden for the society.

In the story Laxmi chose Ashok Da over Dr. Vidya. Same way common public chose ignorance over knowledge. In simple words, rituals are chosen over the actual meaning of verses in any holy books.

Around the world we find many religions. Every religion is forcing people to do some rituals without understanding the concept behind them. We are asked to chant the Mantras or listen to the verses or mug up the Shlokas like a parrot without understanding them. On the other hand, Philosophers are debating on the existence of creator and unanswered questions of human beings. But they are neither ready to take the pain to experience that supreme reality nor ready to disclose that knowledge to any layman. Because of that gap the commoners are becoming the object of exploitation in the name of God by so called Godmen, Messihas, spiritual Gurus or false Babas. Young boys are joining terrorist gangs after mind wash in the name of God. IITians or top-class intelligent students are leaving their career and joining some of the religious organizations. Mothers and Sisters are doing fasting every other day to please some deities. People are believing in pseudoscience because of some popular Godmen promoting it without thinking how much damage he is doing to the nation. Someone is showing magic in the name of God and people are following him / her without thinking twice. Unfortunately, the organizations who have the knowledge are completely cut off from society. Some of the Swamis or Acharyas don’t talk to common people because of ego of knowledge. Some of the saints are living in high hills of the Himalaya. They are not bothered to do the duties to mankind. All these issues show the darkness of ignorance we are living in. Need a balance between Vidya and Avidya. Worshippers of Vidya should come to public and teach Vidya using Avidya where it demands. The followers of Avidya should start understanding the meaning of every action and find the purpose of life and recognize the true nature of Self. Human life needs both Vidya and Avidya for liberation. So, my dear devotee brothers and sisters, you love to perform rituals, continue doing that but at the same time, open the door for knowledge. You have got this one life for liberation. Don’t waste it. My dear scholar intellectual Gnynis, break the wall of ego of knowledge, come out of the cave of Himalaya and mix with everyone irrespective of the social status and spread the knowledge. Let’s Avidya create the path for Vidya and Knowledge wins over ignorance.

Dear readers, be with us in this journey of Universal Vedanta movement.

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