Question:
Dear Sir, in Ishavasya Upanishad, it is said:
vidyāṃ cāvidyāṃ ca yastadvedobhya saha |
avidyayā mṛtyuṃ tīrtvā’mṛtamaśnute ||
(He who simultaneously knows Vidya and Avidya, he gets over death by Avidya and attains immortality by Vidya)
What is Vidya and Avidya in this context please? Can someone kindly explain?
Sri Prabhuji:
Avidya is ignorance, Vidya is wisdom. Even though I am pure conciousness – infinite SELF atma, I identify with the limited body mind and intellect due to avidya – ignorance. This causes suffering. On the other hand Vidya – wisdom of SELF is recognizing my true nature and freedom from suffering. One has to know both Avidya and Vidya to be free. Problem of avidya has to be understood clearly and also wisdom of SELF (vidya) has to be understood to become free.
Mrityu – death in the context of above shloka is immense suffering in life (samsara) due to identification with the body due to avidya. Amritatva – immortality means liberation (mukti).
Above shloka can be understood in following stages.
a). For ajnani (ignorant) – Due to avidya he identifies with the body and suffers. This is mrityu or death. He does not know amrita (liberation). He struggles in life for happiness and survival. Education given to him for living is called apara vidya hence avidya means apara vidya education for living.
b). For seeker of Truth – He still has ignorance. But he performs all action as Karma yoga for purification. Hence avidya means karma yoga here. He will perform all his duties as offering – service to Lord. Because of karma yoga (avidya), his mind gets purfied (chitta shuddi) and he becomes free from death (mrityu) – freedom from mental agitation and suffering. He/she develops shat sampatti – shama, dama… etc. this is called freedom from mrityu (death).
He also performs meditation (upasana). He/she lives a surrendered life to the Ishta devata (deity). Due to the blessing of Ishta devata, he attains krama mukti (progressive liberation) and attains the world (loka) of devata (brahma loka). There he gets atma jnana and gets final liberation. This is called amritatva (immortality) – krama mukti first and videha mukti in Brahma loka.
Hence Karma yoga is called avidya and upasana is called vidya in the case of ignorant person.
c). For a jnani – these terminologies mean different things. Avidya has to be understood means viveka has to be developed. Atma,anatma, nitya anitya has to be discriminated and by a process of negation – neti, neti. This is the meaning of avidya to be known. This is called freedom from mrityu (death) – freedom from ignorance (ajnana). Vidya means realizing I am Brahman. Vidya is for immortality (jivan mukti).
Thus vidya and avidya have different meanings from different stand point.