[Advaita-l] jnAna-vidyA

[M. S. Ravisankar]

Please BG bhaashhya 6-8 for the distinction between jnAna and vijnAna.

jnAnam shaastrokta padaarthaanam parijnAnam -- jnana is thorough knowledge
of things presented by the scriptures,

vijnAnam tu shAstrato jnAtAnAm tathaiva svAnubhavakaraNam -- vijnana is
making those things known from the scriptures a subject of one's own
realization just as they have been presented;

(translation by gambhirananda, taken from gitasupersite.org)

Hence, vijnAna is svAnubhavayukta jnAna.

vidyaa - vidyaa has many  meanings. One of them is mantra (according to
trishatii bhaashhya). For instance, kAdi vidyA, refers to the reading of
panchadashaaxari by kandpara (manmatha). Here, vidyaa simply means mantra. I
write this just to show how the meanings could be quite context sensitive
and take on a special derivation.


ajnAna  can also be taken as absence of jnAna rather than opposite of jnAna.
To give an example, darkness is absence of light. There is no such thing as
darkness by itself.

My 2c.

Ravi


Sri Gadkari wrote:----------------------

Namaste,

 It is a common observation that the following
 terms are generally interpreted to mean knowledge:
 1. jnAna, 2. vidyA, 3. vijnAna.

 As per my understanding:
 jnAna - fundamental basic knowledge.
 vijnAna - specific knowledge, derived from jnAna.

 vidyA - involves both jnAna and vijnAna and is
 generally concerned with how to deal with different
 aspects of prakRti. Number of vidyA-s is infinite.
 However some vidyA-s are very comprehensive and
 general. These are given the status of brahma
vidyA-s.

 avidyA - that which is opposite of vidyA.
 ajnAna - that which is opposite of jnAna.

 Best regards,
 Shrinivas
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