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Kathopanisad

Adyaya 1 Valli 2 Mantra 4

Lecture

Mantra

dūra̍m ete vi̱parī̍te viṣūcī
avi̍dyā yā ca vi̱dyeti jñātā
vidyābhīpsinaṁ na̱cike̍tasam manye
na̱ tvā kā̱mā baha̍vo lolupanta

ete = these two; dūram = widely, by a great distance; viparīte = contradictory, mutually exclusive; viṣūcī = have divergent courses; yā ca = that which; jñātā = is fully ascertained, known by the learned; avidyā iti = ignorance (the pleasurable); yā ca = and that which is; vidyā iti = as knowledge (the preferable) manye = I consider; you had; naciketasam = Naciketas; vidyābhīpsinaṁ = as desirous of knowing; bahavaḥ = many; kāmā = enjoyable things, na lolupantaḥ = did not tempt; tvā = you;

Wide apart and leading to divergent ends are these; ignorance (avidya) and what is known as wisdom (vidya). I know you O Naciketas, to be eager for wisdom for (even) many desirable pleasures did not distract you.

Śaṅkara suggests that avidyā or ignorance is concerned with the pleasant and vidyā or wisdom with the good. Rāmānuja interprets avidyā to be concerned with desire and the fulfillment of desires whereas vidyā is associated with dispassion (vairāgya) and with the knowledge of the true essence of all things (tattva-jñāna-mayī).

In the Īśa Upaṇiṣad the term avidya is used in the sense of rituals (Karma-khāṇḍa) which are performed for the sake of gaining material objects and accomplishments and Vidya denotes the way of knowledge (Jñāna khāṇḍa).

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Kathopanisad

Adyaya 1 Valli 2 Mantra 5

Lecture

Mantra

avidyāyām a̱ntare va̱rtamānāḥ
sva̱yaṁ dhī̱rāḥ pa̱ṇḍitaṁ manyamānāḥ
dandramyamā̱ṇāḥ pa̱riyanti mūḍhāḥ
andhenaiva nī̱yamānā yathā’ndhāḥ

vartamānāḥ = living; avidyāyām antare = in the midst of ignorance, being entangled in hundreds of fetters, forged by craving for sons, cattle, etc.; manyamānāḥ = considering; svayam = we ourselves are; dhīrāḥ = intelligent; paṇḍitam = versed in the Scriptures; those; mūḍhāḥ = senseless, non- discriminating people; pariyanti = go round and round; dandramyamāṇāḥ = wise in their own esteem or by following closely the various crooked courses, being afflicted by old age, death, disease, etc.; just as many; andhāḥ = blind people; nīyamānāḥ = being led; andhena eva = by the blind indeed, on an uneven road, come to great calamity.

Abiding in the midst of ignorance, wise in their own esteem, thinking themselves to be learned, fools wander painfully about like the blind led by the blind.

Rāmānuja says that their ignorance is serenely ignorant of itself and so assumes the appearance of wisdom. And they wander around in the mire of acquisition and consumption with endless episodes of alternating suffering and happiness and become further entrenched in Samsāra.

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