Isha Upanishad: The Practical Guide for Divine Life : ( Part 9)

You may like to read Part 8 here.

Verse 9:

andhantamaḥ praviśanti ye’vidyāmupāsate | 

tato bhūya iva te tamoya u vidyāyāṃ ratāḥ || 9 ||

Literal Meaning:

They who worship Avidya alone fall into blind darkness, and they who worship Vidya alone fall into even greater darkness.

My Personal Understanding:

Before explaining this verse in detail, I would first like all of you to pause for a moment, close your eyes and try to imagine a formless divine for a minute and then open your eyes.

 What did you imagine? Chances are that you would have either imagined a vast space, a bright light, or cosmic energy. The point is form or formless, both are conceptions and ideas to conceive the Absolute Reality. With this understanding, let’s try to understand what this verse conveys to us.

The two terms “ Avidya” and “Vidya” needs to be understood properly. Avidya means the principle of multiplicity due to ignorance about the true nature of reality. The text at the very outset declared that there is one pure consciousness that pervades everything. Not knowing this truth is Ignorance. 

The Vedas worship 33 divine beings as the controller of various cosmic functions. Seeing these divine beings as separate conscious beings is ‘Avidya’. Avidya also means the duality that exists in the world. Seeing the duality in the world and not recognizing the oneness inherent within them is also ‘Avidya’.This is like living in darkness and falling into darkness. Darkness is symbolic of the cycle of birth and death. This cycle continues for them until eternity. 

Vidya, on the other hand, means knowledge. Knowledge of oneness. Ekam Brahm, Dvitiyo Nasti. This is ‘Vidya’. But why the text says that those who worship ‘Vidya alone’ will fall into the greater darkness. This is to bring forth the point that although the Supreme is one without a second and true nature of the Divine can not be described in its fullness. Yet, he alone has manifested within all divine beings as lord of various cosmic functions. Recognizing the Supreme as One reality alone and not recognizing his presence as multiplicity will lead you to greater darkness. Vidya(Oneness) alone, devoid of Avidya(multiplicity) is more like a conception of the void, and mysterious power of One Supreme Lord to manifest this multiplicity that brings forth his glory, fullness, and Light. 

In other words, Avidya is required for us to form any idea, or conception, to see any form, to represent the multiplicity of names and forms. Vidya, however, allows us to see the oneness of pure consciousness. Supreme is both Vidya and Avidya. One Supreme alone has become many. 

To be Continued…

🌼🌼🌼All Glories to Swamiji Alone🌼🌼🌼