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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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