1

FAQ ON ADVAITA VEDANTA

What is the gist of teaching of Advaita Vedanta?
Advaita Vedanta gives three very important teachings;
1. All that is seen as creation with a wide spectrum of living beings and inert
substances are nothing but the manifestation of the only ultimate reality, the
Brahman which is satyam and which exists in all the three periods of time.
Brahman alone has real existence and everything exists in it. Everything that is
created borrows its very existence from Brahman. They borrow their very
existence from it. It is there as the all-pervading Consciousness, called the Atma or
chit in every living being. Atma is identical with Brahman. Brahman is one without
a second; that is why it is called Advaitam or adhvayam. Brahman is the Whole,
the purna vastu and hence is free of all attributes, parts or divisions of any kind,
free of all shortcomings and hence an entity which is the source of infinite
Ananda.
2. Since Brahman is the only ultimate Reality, it automatically implies that
everything else which is created like our body/mind and all objects of the world is
not satyam. What is not satyam as mithya. Created objects did not exist before
their creation and they get destroyed at some point of time in the future. That is
why it is called mithya. Mithya does not mean total non-existence, but existence
which has only a temporary and apparent reality. For example, a person in his
dream creates his own world with a variety of objects and people and has their
experience also. All these appear as very real as long as the person is in dream.
Once he wakes up, all that he dreamt disappears and nothing which he saw in the
dream is in his waking state. The existence of world also has to be understood in a
similar way. Likewise, the world, the life therein also is a long dream and
disappears once the person wakes up to his real inner nature which of pure Atma.
3. The essential nature of Jivatma is Consciousness; hence Jivatma is identical with
Brahman and is in no way different from it. The consciousness that pervades the
mind in the individual and makes the body/mind sentient is the same consciousness
principle, which is all-pervading and eternal. This principle of awareness that lends
its presence to the body/mind is known as sakshi chaitanyam and is all-pervading,
self shining, limitless, beyond time and space and beyond all dukkha. It is called
sakshi because it is merely a witness to all the thoughts and actions. It is the
awareness itself and so is quite different from the awarer who is an entity with

borrowed awareness and hence not an independent entity. It is thus clear that the
inherent nature of every living being is this awareness Consciousness alone. It is
there in every thought, every action that one does. It pervades the body/mind in all
the states of existence be it the waking state or dream state or deep sleep. The
component of consciousness in every individual is the very same all-pervading
consciousness, the Atma. It is this which makes him to say that he is. Thus, it can
never be different from Atma. This Atma component is never affected by what
happens to the mind it illumines and therefore is never affected by samsara. This is
how the identity of Jivatma with Brahman is established. All that is required is for
the individual to drop the notion that he is not the suffering body/mind. Knowing
this liberates a person from all samsara.
Please explain what is Brahman and Atma.
Brahman is a word used by the Sastras to indicate something which is in the nature
of Consciousness and so most subtle and hence formless, colourless, partless,
attributeless. It is all-pervading and eternal. It is the Whole with nothing lacking
in it and hence something which is of pure happiness and fulfillment. For these
reasons, it cannot be understood the way we generally understand an object in the
outside world. Since it is Consciousness, it has to be recognized within ones inner
being. Sastras say it should be recognized as daharakasa in ones heart. Though
Brahman cannot be defined as such and such, Sastras do give three lakshanas to
indicate what it is . They are Satyam, jnanam, anantham; and sat chit ananda. To
understand Brahman, we cannot use the usual pramanas the means of knowledge
like pratyaksha, anumana etc. One has to understand it as he himself in the form
of pure Consciousness which is all-pervading just like space, It is for these reasons
that they say getting Brahman knowledge is very very difficult.
Atma and Brahman represent the same Consciousness entity. It is called Brahman
when it is understood as the Existence principle in every object that exists. It is
Atma when it is understood as the Consciousness principle in every living entity.
Does Brahman create all the human beings and this world?
Brahman being nirguna free of all attributes and actions cannot and does not
create. But, he has a power called Maya saksthi with which he projects this
creation and all its contents. Such an entity is called Iswara or sa-guna Brahman.
There is therefore no actual creation of anything, but only its projection or
manifestation. They are seen and experienced. But, they do not have any real
existence. In other words, they only seem to exist. While its appearance and

experience is accepted, its origination and existence is not because the world is
not really created at all. This is why Vedanta calls the world as a mithya.
What is the nature of the all pervading Consciousness?
Consciousness is the self illumined aspect of Brahman. It is called the Atma, an
abstract all-pervading principle (like the space) which pervades the body/mind and
makes it a sentient living individual. It is an independent entity and not a part or
property or product of the body/mind, it is present even after the body/mind dies
and continues to remain in an unmanifested condition. It is a permanent entity and
illumines the entire creation all the time. Without Consciousness, there can be no
Jivatma i.e. the individual self or the observed world. Swami Dayananda Saraswati
defines Consciousness most succinctly thus: Consciousness is the vasthu because
of which form consciousness is, sound consciousness is or any other thought
consciousness is. There is no other way to describe it.
There are certain other important aspects with regard to consciousness which need
to be kept in mind. They are: Consciousness exists regardless of the presence or
absence of any object. It is there always as awareness. There is no distance
between the Consciousness and the object awared. We are aware of space; hence
space is within Consciousness. That is why Consciousness is beyond space.
Consciousness can have no form or boundaries since everything that is seen and
observed, everything known and unknown is in Consciousness. This is how it is
all-pervading.
Is the reflected consciousness different from the all-pervading consciousness?
Essentially, both are one and the same. It is just like the outer space which is there
inside a pot. The space within the pot is very much the same as the outer space. In
the same way, the reflected consciousness is the same as the all-pervading
consciousness.
By identifying himself with the consciousness in his mind, the individual
automatically identifies himself with the all-pervading, ever-shining, eternal
Consciousness. In one stroke, he understands he is and had always been this
Consciousness and so was and continues to be ever free, unaffected by samsara.
This knowledge is given out by the Upanishads in the form of various
Mahavakyas.

In what way is consciousness present in the body/mind?

The presence of consciousness in the body/mind can be understood in two ways:
It is like space pervading all objects in the creation, the world.
It is like reflection of a light on a mirror the all pervading consciousness which is
there in the mind as well gets reflected in the mind and makes body/mind sentient.
Both are always together. Even after the death of the physical body, the mind with
the reflected consciousness travels out of the mind and enters another body to take
the next janma.
It should be understood there are no two consciousnesses, the original one and the
reflected one. There is only one consciousness which is the Atma.
Consciousness is self luminous swayam prakasa and it is not revealed by anything.
Illumination is its very nature and is not an action on its part.
The self is not merely Consciousness but is also Existence. For anything to be
known, it has to exist first. Everything is existent because it is evident.
Is Jivatma actually born or does it exist only seemingly?
When the all-pervading Consciousness is reflected in the mind of jiva, this total
entity is called Jivatma. Though it is dominated by the rajo guna of the prakrit, its
essential nature is Consciousness. Hence there can be no birth for Jivatma. It is
just like creation of a pot space when a pot is created. Pot space seems to be there
in the pot, but really, it is not created. Similarly, when there is consciousness in a
body/mind, Jivatma seems to be created. In reality, there is no such creation. Only
the body/mind of the Jivatma is created. Also, the Jivatma being a non-created
entity can never be impure, since its nature is that of Consciousness which is ever
pure. All impurity can belong only to the body/mind. There can be many Jivas
with body/mind, but the Jivatma is only one in the form of Consciousness. There
can be no plurality for Jivatma since it is identical with Brahman.
Why is not consciousness equally manifest in all objects of the world?
The level of manifestation depends upon the type and quality of the reflecting
medium. The mind which is the reflecting medium in the body is made of very
fine matter and so, the quality of the reflection of the consciousness will depend
upon the quality of the mind. In a gross mind which is filled with all types of
emotions, the reflection will naturally be very dull. For the reflection to perfect,
the mind will have to be kept as pure as possible.is manifest in to a greater degree
in the mind.

In what way is the Consciousness different from the body/mind complex?

Both have exactly the opposite characteristics. Exactly like Brahman, Atma is
Eternal, imperishable, not subject to limitations of time and space, all-pervading,
self-effulgent, changeless, partless and is the only Sat that exists and not dependent
on anything else for its existence. On the other hand, the body/mind, the world,
and indeed all creation is anatma. They are temporary, perishable, subject to
time/space, limited in all respects, changing all the time, has identifiable parts and
dependent on Atma for its existence and sentience. But, both are there as two
components inside the body/mind very close to each other. Consciousness being an
all-pervading pure entity remains unaffected by the body/mind in any manner.
Is prana same as consciousness or different from it?
There are five pranas operating within the body. All of them, by themselves are
insentient. They can operate only in the presence of consciousness.
Vedanta says that Paramatma and Jivatma are identical. If so, why call them by
different names?
Maya is comprised of three qualities: sattva, rajas and tamas. In Paramatma or
Iswara, the sattva aspect of Maya is minimum and there is very little of rajas and
tamas. That is why Paramatma/Iswara has the three attributes of Omnipotence,
Omniscience and Omnipresence. Another important aspect is that Paramatma is not
affected by the avarana the veiling power which conceals the true identity of the
entity. That is why it is sarvajna all knowing. It is the vikshepa sakthi of Maya
which helps Paramatma to do the actions of srishti, stithi and laya. But, in the case
of Jivatma, rajas is highly predominant. This is the cause for all its limitations in
terms of karma, enjoyment of karma phala, birth/death cycle etc. However,
between Paramatma and Jivatma, there is a common factor which is
Consciousness. In this aspect, both are identical. Their identity is established
through Mahavakya vichara through which the attributes in terms of the three
qualities qualifying both Paramatma and Jivatma are dropped altogether. So, what
remains is pure Consciousness alone, which is Atma or Brahman. Doing this
exercise is called Mahavakya Vichara whereby the adjectives in both, viz. para
and jiva are dropped and Atma alone remains.

Can Brahman know Brahman?

No. This is not possible since Brahman is totally actionless. Knowing is an action.
Hence, there is no question of Brahman knowing itself or anything outside. But,
our mind can know itself. The ego, an idea of the mind knows the rest of the mind.
Brahman does not have such division within itself.
Why is it that everyone understands himself as the body/mind only and not as
Consciousness, which is the real I?
All living beings including all of us are born with a sentient body/mind. Thus,
automatically, we believe that Consciousness also is a part of the body/mind. This
is a wrong understanding of the self. Vedanta tells us a completely different fact.
It says the body/mind is merely a medium through which the Consciousness
principle manifests. Without this principle, there can be no life. Hence,
essentially, each the real nature of each of us is Consciousness only. But, an
ignorant person thinks that there is consciousness in his body/mind; whilst the truth
is that it is the body/mind which is in consciousness.
What is the effect of this wrong knowledge on the individual?
As pointed out above, everyone commits the mistake of taking the body/mind to be
the real self, the real I and not the consciousness. Consequently, he associates all
the happenings in his life to Atma, whereas they really belong to the body/mind
only. It is just like concluding that a colorless crystal is red when a red flower is
placed by its side. The crystal was never red. The red color is merely a
superimposition on the colorless crystal. This superimposition called adhyasa is
the main cause for all our misgivings.
Why is a person unaware of his real nature which is Atma?
This arises due to sheer ignorance about himself. This ignorance (called as moola
ajnanam) is caused by the power of Maya sakthi. Maya has two powers:
avarana sakthi which conceals the real nature of the person, the Atma (which is
generally referred to as real I) and thus makes him to be ignorant of his superior
status. It should be noted the ignorance of the individual is partial in the sense he
knows there is a consciousness principle within him, but does not know it is his
real nature. The moolavidya is there in everyone right from his birth and gets
wiped out only when the person gets Self knowledge through study of Vedanta.

What exactly is Maya tattva?

Maya tattva is a very important aspect in the Advaita sastra. It is through Maya
that the triad of Iswara, jiva and jagat are explained. It is the creative power given
to it by Brahman for the sake of manifestation of this creation. It is anadi in the
sense it has no beginning as such, just like Brahman. Even time and space are the
creation of Maya. But, it has an end when jnanam takes place. It is like darkness
disappearing when the light is switched on. So, it has an anta. One cannot say it
exists nor can one say it does not exist. As long as ignorance is there, it exists. It
disappears with the rise of knowledge in the mind. That is why it is called
inexplicable anirvachaniyam. Though the ten Upanishads do not refer to Maya
as such, there is a reference in Swetasvatara Upanishad which says Mayam to
prakritim viddhi, mayinam tu Maheswaram - understand Maya as the prakriti and
Iswara as its cause. Maya tattva, at the individual level is called ajnanam,
individual ignorance of the real Self.
Brahman in association with Maya is the Iswara who manifests the creation. The
three gunas in Maya, viz. sattva, rajas and tamas are there in various proportions in
the creation also.
How does the knowledge I am Brahman take place?
This knowledge has obviously to be in the nature of thought called swarupa jnana
vritti the knowledge of ones inherent nature. This knowledge is totally different
from the worldly knowledge, which is the knowledge of things, persons and
situations outside. This knowledge involves three constituents the knower
(pramata), the object known (prameya) and the means of knowledge which are the
sense organs (pramana), All three have to work in co-ordination with each other.
When the mind sees the object and the reflected consciousness pervades the object,
the object is perceived by the mind and its impression is created in the mind in the
form of a thought. In the case of knowing the self, there is no question of seeing
anything outside by using ones sense organs. It is merely a question of
understanding ones real nature by himself. This knowledge has to arise out of the
sravanam of the Mahavakyas which are taught to the student by his guru. So, the
Mahavakyas become the pramana for this knowledge. The student has to
assimilate the teachings of the guru through constant contemplation and removal of
all doubts about the teachings.

You say that ones higher nature remains unaffected by sukha or dukkha. If so,
where is the question of dukkha nivritti at all?
Your question is quite valid. It it a fact that Atma is free of all sukha or dukka. So
for a person who has understood and realized his higher nature, there cannot be a
question of dukkha nivritti at all. As Atma, how can he ever have any dukkha?
This is how the above statement has to be understood.
Is it that only vedantic knowledge can give this wisdom and make a person free of
samsara? Will not doing actions (karmas) leading to a contented dharmic pious life
give the same result?
Samsara arises because of ignorance ajnanam. Ignorance can be wiped out only
by knowledge and by no other means. Leading a dharmic life is no doubt very
important. But, it has its limitations. Actions are limited in their nature. Its results
will also be limited. Leading a pious life will no doubt generate punyam which
will give their beneficial results in course of time. But, that will also get
extinguished once their results are enjoyed by the performer of the actions. To get
a permanent and everlasting result, there is no other way except to learn the lessons
taught by the Upanishads and get jnanam. All the worldly texts deal with the
issues of the material world. It should be understood that the experience of samsara
is born out of a wrong understanding of ones real nature and only jnanam, the
right understanding can remove the wrong knowledge born out of ignorance. No
amount of karma can remove the wrong knowledge.
How can one make the thought that I am Brahman to arise in the mind?
The Upanishad gives several examples through which this thought can be made to
arise in the mind. It is very similar to a person in a dream waking up to the reality
of life. Here, it is a case of a higher level of awakening. Let us take the example of
the 10th man. In this example, there are 10 people crossing a rivulet. After
reaching the other side, one of them started to check whether all the ten have
reached the other side safely. He started to take a count of them and counted all
but forgot to count himself. He concluded that one person is missing and started
wailing and crying, hitting his head against a stone resulting in a bump in his head.
He did not know he is the tenth man till another person counted all the ten and
pointed out that the person who did the count himself is the tenth man.
Immediately, the tenth man realized the truth that the tenth man is he himself. The
10th man was always there and was never lost. This truth could be understood by
him only when an outsider pointed out the reality to him. In the same way, the

Guru, through his upadesa of Mahavakyas points out to his student that our real
inner nature is Atma and it was never lost. All that one has to do is to get this right
understanding and shed the wrong impression that he is a suffering Jiva.
Vedanta says Atma is beyond the access of the mind. If so, how is one to know it?
A simple answer would be: Atma is not an object which can be known through
the sense organs. It is Atma which enables us to know everything. In terms of
understanding, it should be understood as the Self the consciousness within. One
does not have to know it. He is already that tvam. So, what is required is the
conviction that he is that and nothing else. How to be that can perhaps be
explained by the example of a music lover who gets totally identified with the
music at some point of time during the concert. We have seen so many cases
where people who either sing or recite bhajans get lost in them and forget
themselves totally. In that state, they totally forget they are a person with a sarira
performing the recital. In a similar manner, one has to be totally absorbed in the
Atman thought completely within himself. This is how one has to understand
himself as Atma.
Atma is not something which can be categorized and pointed out as this since it is
an absolute entity. How can anyone explain what is absolute in relative terms?
This is precisely the reason why the Upanishads say Atma is beyond the
comprehension by the human intellect. Yet, it does give some indications by
declaring Atma is not this, this this etc (called nethi, nethi) and also by indicating
three lakshanas- viz. satyam, jnanam and anantham. Even these lakshanas belong
to the empirical world and so cannot reveal Atma directly. At best, they are only
indirect indicators.
You say Brahman is the adhistanam for all creation. Are you not creating a duality
here in terms of adhishtanam and the objects of creation?
Yes. Such a description is indeed a duality only. At the highest paramarthika
level, there can be no duality. Even the description of Brahman as adhishtanam is
only to indicate that it is Absolute.

Does mere knowning that I am Brahman give total knowledge?

There are two stages in the process of knowing:

10

Knowing that I am Brahman by the study of Sastras - this knowledge is called

paroksha jnanam indirect knowledge.
Being Brahman is the final knowledge, called aparoksha jnanam. Sastras say
that one has to be a Brahma nishsta a state where one understands with full
conviction that he never anything other than Brahman. All that is required is
giving up the sarira bhavana in the mind, since it can never be ones real nature.
This, of course, is not as easy as it looks. It calls for a sustained study of Sasstras
under a competent Guru, doing lot of sravanam, mananam and nidhidyasanam.
Is Existence principle (Sat) the same as Consciousness principle (Chit) or are they
different?
They are one and the same lakshanas by which Brahman is understood. For
anything to be known they have to exist first and their existence can be evident
only when there is a Consciousness principle which enables the jnanendriyas to
see and know things as well as the mind. So, Sat is Chit and Chit is Sat since the
characteristics of both (enumerated above) are the same for both. Both the world
and all the living beings including us depend on consciousness for their existence;
similarly, the consciousness being an abstract principle requires a medium in the
relative medium of the body/mind to manifest itself. Hence, there is mutual
dependence of both on each other. A relative world in terms of Sastas, Iswara/
saguna Brahman, sishya, teachings are all required for this knowledge. Without
these, no knowledge is possible. Use the relative world to know the truth and then
dismiss the relative world as inconsequential.
Is it righ to specify Sat, Chit and Ananda as the laksanas for an attributeless Atma?
As pointed out above, the three laksanas are given only from the vyavaharika
stand-point. At the paramarthika level, Atma can have no attributes whatever.
From the standpoint of this prapancha alone, it is existence, consciousness and
ananda. Ananda also is only in a vyavaharika level.
Do Upanishads prescribe any methodology to gain self-knowledge?
.
Vedanta prescribes various methods called prakriyas through which this
understanding can take place. The most important ones are: Atma/anathma viveka,
Nithya/anithya vastu viveka, pancha kosa viveka etc. Some of the important steps
are outlined below:

11

I am not my body, since my body is an object of my knowledge. I am different

from it.
I am not my energy, the capacity to do my work. Although it is invisible, I know
its presence and its functions. Being the object of my knowledge, it is different
from Me.
I am not my senses since I know their presence and their functions.
I am not the mind since I know its presence and the various thoughts that rise in
it. I am not the intellect, since it is also an object of my knowledge.
I am not the ego since I know it dwells in my mind and I know it and its
functions.
I am not the doer of actions since I am none of the above. Since I am not the
doer, I am not the enjoyer of my actions also.
The above steps will help to convince oneself that he is not the body/mind or ego.
The world also needs to be negated as inconsequential through a similar analysis.
It is common knowledge that the world is made up of matter which is inert. It is
always subject to change and subject to a beginning and an end. It has plurality.
Hence, the world also has to be mithya.
In addition to the above prakriyas, Upanishads also prescribe various Upasanas
which can be practiced by the vedantic student. Chandogya and Britaranyaka
Upanishads give a number of upasanas such as Panchagni vidya, Bhuma vidya,
Vaisvanara vidya, Madhu vidya etc. Practising these vidyas will help to reinforce
the thought that the self is nothing but Brahman. Katopanishad specifically
instructs the student to look within his mind for the angushta matra purusha that
is the Atma who resides as antaratma in everyones mind as the consciousness
principle. Upasanas become necessary since we are incapable of understanding
Brahman straightaway. In the beginning, we have to bring down the Nirguna
Brahman to the saguna level with its various attributes, worship them through
various upasanas, purify the mind and grasp the ultimate Truth and then shed the
sarira abhimana.
Why is it said that Atma is most difficult to grasp?
We have to remember we are in a state of total duality now and the mind is attuned
to understand only duality in terms of various objects, their attributes etc. We are
constantly exposed to the attractions of the world and we are firmly entrenched in
the affairs of the world. To mentally disassociate from all these all of a sudden is
very difficult. Sastras prescribe sadhana chathushtayya sampatthi to attain this.
The mind should constantly analyze the merits and demerits of the world and come

12

to the firm conclusion that it is totally independable, insecure and fragile. The
seeker of freedom from samsara should be ready to give up his samsaritva even
while carrying on with the world. This calls for lot of viveka and vairagya. All
these come through constant practice and effort. Bhagavat Gita gives a wonderful
example of how a person should deal with samsara. He should remain in it totally
untouched and unaffected by it just like a lotus leaf floats merrily on the surface of
a muddy water without an atom of water wetting it. This is how one should
conduct himself in samsara if he wants to be free from it.
Does self knowledge destroy all the miseries of the jnani individual?
All the worldly experiences will continue as before and there will be no change as
such. But, there is a complete transformation of the mind of the jnani in that he
fully realizes that the world is totally mithya and all the events of the world affect
his mithya body/mind only. For him, the body/mind is merely an object, an
instrument for transaction. All sufferings belong only to the body/mind. As Atma,
he remains totally unaffected in spite of being in the midst of all sufferings. The
example of lotus leaf floating lightly on the surface of muddy waters is given to
explain this point.
Many of us do undergo the vedantic study, yet we feel bound to samsara and do not
feel liberated. Why?
This situation may arise where the mind of the vedantic student is not fully
prepared for receiving the teachings or where the process of sravanam etc. are not
properly done. Upanishads themselves declare that this truth is very difficult to
grasp. So a fully devoted concentrated attention to sravanam is required. A casual
listening to Vedanta will not help. A mere theoretical study of Vedanta and
knowing the meaning of Mahavakyas will not be enough. It will only be academic
knowledge. Before resorting to vedantic study, one must ensure that his mind has
acquired sadhana chathustayya sampatthi and is made ready to hear and
understand the vedantic truth. A fully prepared mind can absorb this truth
instantly, the moment guru does the upadesa of Mahavakya to the student: Tat
tvam asi. How much of vedantic knowledge is absorbed will depend upon the
preparation and purity of the mind. Further, the listener should have total and
unwavering faith in the Guru, the vedantic teachings. Grace of the Lord also is
required for the success in his efforts.
What is the proof that Atma pervades the entire creation?

13

The very existence of the creation, its isness does not belong to the creation; it is
lent by Atma alone. Atma is therefore present in all insentient things as well. It is
the Atma which is there in all sentient beings also.
Can moolajnanam be removed, if so, how?
Moolajnanam means ignorance. Ignorance can be removed only by appropriate
knowledge. This knowledge about ones self is called Atma vidya. This is available
only in Sastras the Upanishads. Hence, these have to be studied under a
competent guru. This is called vedanta vichara which cover the following steps:
The student has to first develop a keen desire to know his real identity. This is
called jignasa, a burning desire to know about his real self. He then has to
prepare his mind suitably through various disciplines like sadhana chathustayya
sampatthi, go to a guru and seek to learn vedantic teachings through him. He has
to continuously reflect upon the teachings and try to imbibe the jnanam that his
real nature is none other than the Consciousness principle of the nature of Sat-ChitAnanda. Once he gets this jnanam, he will no longer suffer from samsara.

Does the consciousness principle also suffer effects of samsara?

Not at all. No doubt, both consciousness and body/mind coexist in the same locus.
The inherent nature of Consciousness is one of total purity; it is complete in all
respects and hence free from all wants, and one of complete ananda. It can never
be tainted by the sufferings of the body. Just as the rays of the sun which fall on all
types of objects and yet remains totally unaffected by them, Consciousness
illumines the mind, but remains unaffected by all that happens outside. Vedanta
wants the student to understand and make him to claim this Consciousness is his
higher nature.
By getting Atma jnana, will all the worldly problems disappear?
No. At the transactional level, all experiences continue by as they are. The only
difference is, in the case of the knower of Atma, he does not undergo the effects of
samsara, since he knows he is the pure Consciousness principle and it is body/mind
alone which undergoes the effects of samsara. All worldly problems may continue,
but he will remain unaffected. Every jnani knows he has to compulsorily go

14

through effects of samsara till his end; and yet he remains totally unaffected by
them.
Vedanta says Atma is all-pervading. It means that it is there even in the minds of
the worst criminals. Is such a co-existence possible?
Atma does pervade all the minds irrespective of the quality of the mind. It is the
sentiency principle which pervades the body/mind and is not affected in any
manner by the quality of the mind. The quality of the mind is dependent upon the
individual traits of the person in terms of the three qualities, satva, rajas and tamas.
Is liberation an event which takes place in ones life?
No. Liberation is not an event. Events take place only in the material world.
Here, liberation is only a shift in understanding of ones inner nature, that his real
identity is not the body/mind, but the Consciousness principle within him.
Consciousness principle ever exists and as that very principle, no-one is ever
bound. Vedanta clearly declares that every individual is ever a muktha, and was
never bound by anything nor will be bound in future. But the jiva samsari is
unaware of this truth. He thinks that he has to look for peace/security and
happiness from the outside world and people. Vedanta calls this as moola ajnana
basic ignorance. Because of past karmas, everyone is born with this ignorance.
But, Vedanta also provides an escape route for him in the form of Vedantic
knowledge which reveals to him his real higher inner nature. It tells him not to
search for it outside, but to look within himself and identify his own Atma swarupa
through Vedantic study and discover he was always free and will continue to be so.
What does immortality actually mean in Vedanta?
Immortality means freedom from birth/death cycle. Ones actions, both past and
current are responsible for the birth/death cycle. Self knowledge wipes out all the
past actions and prevents his future action. Thus, he is required to undergo only
his prarabda karma. Even the effect of prarabda karma does not affect him since it
is his body/mind alone which undergoes its effects. As Atma, he is not in any way
affected. Thus, Self knowledge automatically results in a person to claim that he is
a muktha.
What happens to a jnani at the time of his death?

15

At the time of his death, all the sukshma indriyas in the body/mind merge with
their cosmic entities and the reflected consciousness merges with the all pervading
consciousness. and thus there is nothing left. Thus, he is never reborn. In the case
of an ajnani, the sukshma sarira along with the reflected consciousness moves out
of the body and enters another body/mind according to the fructification of his
karmas at that time. There is a vidya called panchagni vidya which details the
route the sukshma sarira takes along five different stages before entering the next
physical body.
Is moksha imply that one should get away from all relationships and the world
totally and become a sanyasi?
No. Vedanta does not stipulate that everyone who desires moksha should become a
sanyasi, giving up all worldly life. Though sanyasa asrama is best suited for
pursuit of moksha, one can still attain this goal even while being in the worldly
life. All that is required is that he should get mental sanyasa and mentally detach
himself as much as he can from the worldly attractions without getting attached to
the relationships and the world. He has to develop a mental attitude to understand
the unreality of the body/mind and the world and not to get attracted by them. It is
a sort of mental renunciation, an internal sanyasa, an attitude whereby one
neighbourises all relationships and does not allow them to occupy his mind all the
time. Every student who undergoes through the vedantic studies called sravanam,
mananam and nidhidyasanam gradually develops this attitude internally. He will
gradually understand that he need no longer go in search of
peace/contentment/happiness from these. He understands that he himself is
purna, complete in all respects and is the repository of all peace and happiness.
He has nothing to seek from outside.
Some say that a person will get liberated if he surrenders himself to God totally. Is
this correct?
This is the view of the vishishtadvaitins. They say that one can attain swarga loka
only through rigorous Vishnu bhakti and totally surrendering to him. Here, Lord
Vishnu is identified as the very ultimate and all bhaktas are supposed to surrender
unto him totally. Dwaitins also hold the same view and they consider both Iswara
and Jiva to be real. According to Advaita, swarga is also another loka, where one
enjoys all the comforts of the higher world, which are granted to him because of
his past good deeds and bhakthi towards the Lord. Once this stock of punya is
exhausted, he has to revert back to the lower worlds, like bhuloka etc. This is

16

amply clarified in Bhagavat Gita also. Vedanta says any form of worship will be
saguna-Brahma upasana, a dwaita bhakthi where there is a God separate from the
worshipper. According to Advaita, there is no separate God other than Brahman,
which is the form of Sat-Chit-Ananda and this Brahman is nothing but the
worshipper himself, his own higher inner nature.
Does this mean that God does not exist at all?
According to Advaitam, a God exists both in form of Saguna Iswara, i.e., an Iswara
who is given a name and form like Maha Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesa etc. and
nirguna Iswara which is Brahman. Various names and forms are given to Saguna
Iswara so that a bhaktha can meditate on that Iswara and his glorious attributes as a
stepping stone to nirguna Iswara Upasana. It is looked upon as an object which is
dependent on the subject, the worshipper. Hence, a duality is created. That is why
a worshipped God is regarded as mithya and a step lower than Brahman. Brahman
is totally nirvikara and attributeless whereas Iswara is Maya-sahita, though all
powerful. Brahman associated with maya sakthi is necessary since no creation is
possible without it. Further, God becomes necessary as the karma-phala dhata.
Because a God with a name, form and attributes is mithya from the highest
standpoint of paramarthika satyam, it is does not mean that God becomes
irrelevant and its worship is unnecessary. In the initial stages of Vedantic study, it
is very relevant. Worship of God is very important, and without its grace, nothing
is possible. Worship is necessary for cleansing the mind also. But, this is only an
intermediary step. At a later stage, when the mind gets sufficiently purified of all
its blemishes, the worshipper automatically grasps his own higher nature when he
listens to Vedantic teachings and does Mahavakya vichara. Once he is able to claim
his higher nature, there will no longer be any need for him to resort to regular puja
and worship.
Many say that doing sincere nama-sankirtana, doing continuous japa, sitting in
meditation for long automatically leads to moksha. Is this view correct?
No, doubt all these are very useful steps in the spiritual advancement of a person.
But, they can only help to cleanse his mind and make it more satvik. Mere nama
sankirthana etc. cannot directly lead one to moksha. It is aham Brahmasmi
knowledge alone got through sravana, manana, nidhidyasana and Mahavakya
vichara done under the guidance of a Guru can lead him to moksha. Upanishads
clearly declare this through the words: jnanad eva tu kaivalyam.

17

Some think everything is decided by God only and one does not have the freewill.
Rather, he should simply surrender to God and pray for his blessings. Is this
correct ?
This is a view taken by those who are saranagathi-centric and do not accept the
existence of free-will. Free-will does exist for everyone which he is supposed to
employ to the best of his ability, while at the same time, reposing faith in God for
the success of his efforts. The verse in Bhagavat Gita uddareth athmanathmanam
emphasizes this point.
Vedanta says Iswara is all-pervading. So, he must be there in the deity one
worships. Why is it that such a deity worship does not give permanent results?
In such a kind o worship, the person worshipping sees himself as different from the
deity worshipped. Hence, duality dwaitam is created. Where there is dwaitam
there cannot be lasting peace and happiness. For lasting peace and happiness, the
worshipper has to completely identity himself with the deity and conduct all
worship as nishkama worship. If this is done, the duality is removed and the
worshipper will get relieved from samsara.
In practical life, we see those who do utterly wrong and adharmic actions thrive
very well and those who lead a very dharmic life suffer. Why this disparity?
The type of life one is blessed with depends purely upon his past karmas which
have fructified at the time of his birth. If some of the past bad actions in his
previous lives fructify in this life, the result of such bad actions will affect his type
of life in his present birth. It should however be noted that the present good
karmas which he does will not go waste and will bear fruit in his future birth.
Similarly, a person who does bad karmas will have to pay for it sometime or the
other. He cannot escape it. The karmas get extinguished only when the results of
the karmas are gone through. So, their results cannot be avoided. But, if a person
does lot of punya karmas, they will certainly help him to develop a very balanced
mind, thus reducing the impact of any of his past papa karmas. God does not
determine the life of an individual. He is only a karma-phala data. He just ensures
that everyone gets reward as per the quality of his own actions. He shows no
discrimination, as is generally thought of.
At present, the mind of the student is loaded with all types of emotions and vasanas
many of which are negative in nature. With such a mind, will the study of Vedanta
give the desired results?

18

This is a question which is often raised by those who come to Vedantic study
without any formal gurukula-vasa. They undertake the study in the form of
hearing vedantic lectures and studying the Upanishadic Bhashyams for some time.
They do so even before preparing their minds for a regular Vedantic study. A
certain level of purity of the mind is very much required for assimilation of the
Vedantic teaching and claiming aham Brahmasmi.Vedanta prescribes several
techniques by which the average mind can be cleansed. For instance, before
undertaking the study, the student can take positive steps to enhance the quality of
his mind though various steps like doing karma and upasana yogas, leading a
dharmic and moderate life style, shed his egoism, refrain from thoughts and actions
which will cause him harm and tend to disturb his mind, such as anger, jealousy,
hatred, aversion, strong like and dislikes, constant craving for pleasures and
replace them with unconditional love towards all, selfless service to the society,
generosity, forgiveness, sense of tolerance etc. All these noble qualities are
described in detail in Bhagavat Gita. These steps help immensely to cleanse the
impure mind, called removal of kashayam. He can watch all his thoughts
frequently so that he can exercise control over his mind, so that bad and evil
thoughts are gradually reduced to nil. These steps help even a non-vedantic person
to remain peaceful and calm. For a Vedantic student, Sastras have also provided
several methods in the form of prakriyas such as nithya-anithya vastu viveka, sarira
thraya viveka, pancha kosa viveka, drik/drisya viveka, Athma/anathma viveka and
so on for the purpose of cleansing the mind and preparing it for Vedantic study. He
should reason out within himself and understand his/body mind and the world are
impermanent entities and they can never give him lasting joy and peace.
Developing such a sense of discrimination is viveka.
Does this mean that a student can take up vedantic study only after his mind is
fully cleansed of all its impurities?
No. Since the student has to claim his real inner nature which is totally pure and
most subtle, only a mind which is rid of its vasanas and impurities and made very
subtle can assimilate this truth quickly. It should be clearly understood, that
whatever be the state of the mind, pure or impure, the inner nature of the individual
has always been Brahman only at all times, since that is his intrinsic nature. With a
relatively pure mind, it is easier to grasp the teaching and claim the Brahman
status.
How can one lighten the mind?

19

Understand that the world of objects and people are there in the mind in the form
of thoughts called vritti. Presently, the entire set of vrittis is born out of the I
thought, that I am doing this, that; I am satisfied or dissatisfied, etc. This is what
is known as ahankara, the feeling of I with an emphasized self-importance.
Ahankara is the cause of all problems relating to the time. No doubt, ahankara is
required to transact in this world. This is positive ahankara. It should not be
allowed to become negative and dominate him. Vedanta tells the student to use the
same vritti to reduce the impact of the negative ahankara and substitute it with the
knowledge about his real higher nature, which is one of Atma swarupa, free of all
miseries at all times. Essentially, everyone starts with a relatively pure mind except
for the continuance of some of the vasanas acquired during his previous births. It
is during his journey in this world that he saddles it with all types of add-ons like
unsatiated desires, anger, greed, jealousy etc. These are called upadhis. One should
endeavour to reduce the intensity of these upadhis one by one and finally get rid of
them one by one to the maximum extent possible. Delete the past bad acquisitions
and put a stop to its present additions.
Does Vedanta instruct the student to make the mind silent and still?
Vedantas teaching is clear. It wants cleansing of the minds kashaya and replace it
with Brahma jnana. If the mind were to be made stony or still, how can he ever
hear Vedantic teachings and absorb the knowledge?
How does one understand the real I?
This question has already been answered earlier in this write-up.
The
consciousness principle which pervades the body/mind of all living beings is the
real I which you are referring to. This consciousness principle (which we call
Atma) is there in every living being and it is this which makes the body/mind
sentient. Body/mind by itself is inert in nature and cannot act without the help of
consciousness principle. Whenever anyone says I, I, it is this inner I which
prompts him to say he is. It is there as consciousness within him and is
proclaiming its presence all the time in the form of ones existence, his thoughts,
his actions, etc. If this real I was not there, he would be as good as dead.
Everything else can be negated, but no one will negate himself.
One has to claim aham Brahmasmi using his anathma mind only. Is there not a
contradiction here?

20

To claim aham Brahmasmi, mind is very much required. Without it, how there
be any thought at all? It should be noted that neither the Consciousness Atma or the
mind can function on their own. They are mutually dependent. Hence, there is no
contradiction.
What is the difference between Samadhi as per yoga philosophy and Samadhi as
per Advaitam?
Samadhi as per Advaitam is called nirvikalpaka Samadhi. The word nirvikalpaka
is a name of the divisionless Brahman and Samadhi is undistrated nidhidyasanam.
Here, no importance is given to the physical posture, closing of eyes etc. The Yoga
philosopher says that divisionlessness state (which he refers to as Samadhi) is one
in which subject/object/instrument triputi is absent and the effort is to reach a
thoughtless, mindless state. Even though a person may reach the thoughtless state
through Samadhi, he cannot remain in that state all the time and he has to come out
of it sometime and revert to the activities of the world. This means that Samadhi is
can only be a temporary phenomenon and the peace and tranquility enjoyed is
there only for a short time. Totally dismissing the mind is not possible. Mind is
very much required to do the meditation, whether yogic or vedantic. In the
Samadhi which is prescribed by Advaitam, mind is not dismissed at all. There is
no state of thoughtlessness. On the other hand, the effort is to fill the mind with
one thought: I am Brahman. Once this thought is permanently embedded in the
inner mind of the person through Mahavakya vichara, he continues to be in that
state for all time. It is permanent since it is the result of a change in the vision of
the person about his real identity. Once a person knows his real identity, there is no
scope for losing this identity at a late date. So, Brahman thought remains
permanently all the time. That is why he is called a muktha.
Will going into deep Samadhi result in moksha?
Any person going into Samadhi cannot be in that state for ever; he has to come out
of it at some point of time. This itself is the proof that Samadhi is a state relating
to the anatma body/mind. So, going into Samadhi, by itself cannot lead to
Moksha. Sastras repeatedly stress the fact that moksha is possible only though self
knowledge got by the study of scriptures, listening to gurus teachings and to
comtemplate on the teachings and claim aham Brahmasmi. However, going into
Samadhi will help the person to enhance his sadhana chathustayya sampatti.
What happens to a person who does not undergo any vedantic study at all and leads
only a material life and feels it is o.k. for him?

21

Such a person will continue to undergo the birth/death cycle depending upon the
quality of his karmas. This will go on endlessly. Naturally, a person will be what
he wants to be.
Many vedantic students complain that even after doing vedantic study and doing
sravanam for a considerable time, they are are unable to categorically assert and
claim aham Brahmasmi?
This is indeed a problem faced by many students. They fail to understand that
Brahma jnanam and abhimana for the body/mind/ world can never go together. In
spite of considerable sravanam and mananam, they are unable to remain detached
from the worldly events and hence cannot assert aham Brahmasmi. The main
reason for this situation is that they have not fully given up ahankara in the form of
aham/mama vasanas. Ahankara and Brahma jnanam cannot coexist. Unless
negative ahankara is neutralised, any amount of vedantic study will not give the
result the peace/security and happiness which they expect. The solution is do more
of sravanam, mananam and nidhidyasanam, Even while carrying on in the world,
they should think that they are not the real doers of the actions, but mere agents
performing their roles which they have assumed and whatever is taking place is
part of the role which they have put on in this janma. In the deep recess of the
mind, the thought aham Brahmasmi should run concurrently and should become
part of his inner self. This is the only way by which this problem can be overcome.
Just as with the rise of the sun, the brightness of the stars fade out, with the rise of
self knowledge within the person, all the effects of prarabda will become
insignificant.
Please explain more about nidhidyasanam.
The purpose of nidhidyasanam is to overcome ones jiva bhava, the ahankara and
the mama kara which is deep rooted in the mind and substitute it with Brahma
bhava that the real identity of the individual is Brahman only in the form of
Consciousness, which remain unaffected at all times of the ups and downs in ones
life and which is nithya ananda. This is a continuous Vedantic meditation that one
should undertake. Presently, the mind is loaded with a strong sense of
ahankara/mamakara the attachment to oneself, his family, his possessions,
position etc. Using the mind, the person has to overcome these vasanas in the
mind and substitute it with the thought that he is none other than the Atma the
aham Brahmasmi thought. This can be achieved only when the person is totally
committed to the thought of liberation from samsara called sraddha and resorts to

22

Vedantic sravanam and mananam under the guidance of his Guru. His wrong
conclusion about himself needs to be corrected. There has to be a shift in identity
from the anathma body/mind and the world to his own higher nature which is Atma
swarupa. All that is required is only a shift in the thinking. This is a drastic shift
which is not easily attained. One has to do sufficient nidhidyasanam to achieve
this goal. One should dwell on his Brahma bhava all the time in replacement of the
jiva bhava which he is having at present. The purpose of nidhidyasanam is to
remove the experience-based wrong conclusion about oneself. The understanding
should be that there is nothing else other than Me, there is no second thing at all
and everything that I experience is merely name and form of that Brahman alone.
Names and forms are as unreal as the shadow of a person. Other than Me, the
Brahman, nothing else exists. This world, the entire creation that is experienced by
us does not have an independent existence of its own. Brahman is its material as
well as its intelligent cause. Everything that is seen and experienced rests on
Brahman alone. This is what Advaitam means. If one understands this, he will no
longer look for any God outside or inside, he will realize that Brahman alone
exists; and that he is that Brahman in the form of the consciousness principle
which operates within him. One has to meditate on this aspect during
nidhidyasanam.
The benefit of nidhidyasanam is that the meditator no longer feels he is a helpless,
miserable, suffering jiva, but Brahman itself. The goal is to root out jiva bhava in
the mind and replace it by Brahma bhava. This is the final stage in the cleasing of
the mind and enable it to claim aham Brahmasmi.
Is nidhidyasanam a sort of imagining that one is Brahman?
No. It is a positive thought (that you are Brahman) which replaces your jiva bhava.
It is not just imagining that you are Brahman. It is claiming that you are Brahman.
Constant dwelling on ones Brahma bhava will automatically transform the mind
into that bhava. As you think, so you become. Invoke Brahman repeatedly in
your mind to reinforce the Brahma bhava thought in the mind. It is eka nishta
single pointed meditation. It is needless to mention that a gross mind cannot do
this exercise. The mind has to be made extremely subtle through various upasanas
already mentioned.
How can one meditate on a formless Brahman?
Yes. It is very difficult to visualize something which has no form. Brahman is
Consciousness which is all pervading like the space. We feel space and understand

23

it very well. We know it is there even though we cannot see it. We also know
everything is in it. While akasa is inert, Brahman is sentient. One can try to
understand Brahman just as he understands akasa. Like space, Brahman is all
pervading and yet not affected by anything which is in it. Sensitise your mind
sufficiently to do this upasana. Understand that all that you see is within you only
and drop the idea that you are there in a world as a physical entity. Brahman is the
same as the Consciousness principle within every living being. It is there as Atma,
the sakshi to all ones actions and is evidenced in every thought/action of the
person. So, all one has to do is to look inwards and identify himself with his Atma
swarupam.
Some say liberation is a sudden event and is something like a mystical experience
which transforms ones thinking and attitudes. Is this correct?
No. This is a totally wrong impression. No mystic event takes place nor is it a
sudden event. Nor is there a formation of a halo of luster etc as claimed by some.
The outward appearance of a jnani will just the same as he was before he became a
jnani. However, there will be a remarkable difference in his state of mind and in
his actions, in the sense that they will reflect total calmness, serenity, love towards
all, peaceful attitude etc.
Where an uttama adhikari who has sufficiently refined his mind and made it pure
listens to the Mahavakyas, he gets the Atma jnana straightaway. Such cases are
very very rare. In most of the cases, the adhikaris are either madhyama or adhama
adhikaris. They will require a prolonged sravana, manana and nidhidyasana for
removing the ahankara and mamakara from their minds. If, in spite of listening to
the Gurus teachings in the form of Mahavakyas, he still feels the impact of
samsara, it only means that he has to continue to do more sravanam, mananam and
nidhidyasanam. It should be understood that sravanam alone gives knowledge,
mananam helps to remove possible doubts that may rise in the mind.
Nidhidyasanam does not give any new knowledge but helps to remove his basic
misconception that he is a suffering jiva in his body/mind complex. Removing this
misconception alone will make the knowledge to be effective and enable him to
claim aham Brahmasmi.
Vedanta says the world is mithya, unreal. But, the mind refuses to accept this
statement since one has a concrete experience of the world and their objects all the
time
Vedanta does not dismiss the experience part of the world. It only says: Dont
believe that whatever is experienced is totally true. Everyone experiences a dream,

24

but no one says dreams are real. Everyone experiences a blue sky, but he knows
there is really no sky at all. Similarly, the rising and setting of the sun. Sun never
rises or sets. The experienced world also comes under the same category.
Therefore, it cannot be said that it exists or does not exist. It comes under sat/asat
category. From the transactional level, it very much exists but from the highest
standpoint, it does not have an independent existence. This apparent contradiction
will be there initially, but gets removed with a proper understanding of the vedantic
teachings.
Even when one experiences the world with all its variety and divisions, a wise man
will know that what is experienced as the world has no reality of its own, and its
entire reality is given to it by he himself as the Atma, the Consciousness. When he
sees a pot and handles it as well, he will see it as clay only, the real substance
behind the pot. Pot is only a word to a particular shape of clay. There is no
independent substance called pot. The pot-experience is not dismissed, its
reality is.
Understand that world is also a mere name and form and Brahman
alone is the substance behind it. Similarly, all the creation. A wise person will
therefore see the world and all its contents as a mere name and form of Brahman. It
is Brahman which is lending existence to the world and its contents. Where there
is an all-pervading entity, how can anything else exist? If it does, it only appears to
be so and cannot be real.
When Vedanta talks of both Brahman the Satyam and the mithya world/body/mind,
does it not mean there is duality?
No. The question itself contains the answer also. When everything other than
Brahman is mithya, where is the question of any duality?
What is the significance of the negation of the world?
The negation of the world is an important part of Vedantic teaching. It is true that
Upanishads declare Brahman to be jagat-karanam. This implies that Brahman is
the karanam the cause and jagat is karyam, the effect. What is experienced
cannot be real. Brahman alone appears as the creation, just as a waker takes the
role of a dreamer, when he is in a dream. There is no dreamer separate from the
waker. Similarly, there is no world or jiva separate from Paramatma. What is
existent cannot be negated since it already exists as Sat and what is non-existent
asat need not be negated. What is negatable has therefore to be different from
both. Applying this rule, the world can neither be said to be sat or asat, that is,

25

seemingly existent. Dream appears real in dream but disappears in toto on waking
up. Mandukya Karika calls it vaithatyam - derived from the word vithathya
which means false. It says that I the Consciousness principle alone exists and
everything that is seen and observed is mithya falling under the seemingly
existent category. The world that all of us see comes under this category and so
does not have absolute Reality like the Consciousness, but only empirical reality
like the various characters in a dream.
Yet, the world is physically experienced by all and is so tangible besides being
useful. Upanishads say neither their usefulness nor their tangibility can be the
basis for claiming them to be real. All the dream objects are very much useful and
tangible in a dream, but all this disappears on waking up. From the standpoint of
dream alone, they are real. If this standpoint is shifted, their so-called reality is
gone. Similarly, the world. From the standpoint of the world, it is apparently real.
But from the standpoint of Consciousness with which the world is observed, it
becomes relatively real, called vyavaharika satyam. Consciousness alone is the
Ultimate Reality, paramarthika satyam.
Since we constantly interact with the world, the people and objects in them, we
tend to firmly believe that the whole thing is real. The purpose of Vedanta is to
dispel this wrong impression by proving that what is seen and perceived is unreal
and the perceiver which is the Consciousness I alone is real, the Sat. There are
very many statements in various Upanishads which say that the world is mithya
only statements such as nanyath kinchana mishat; vacharambhanam vikaro
namadheyam
mrithikethyeva
satyam;
athonyadhartham
na
thu
thatdwiteeyamasthi; naathra kaachanabhidhasthi; neiva thathra kaachana
bhidasthi; sarvam vikara jatham maya maathram; sarvathra nahyasthi
dwaithasiddhi; nasthi dwaitham kutho marthyam; prapancho yadi vidyetha
nivarthetha
na
samsayah;
maya
mathramidham
dwaitmadwaitham
paramarthathah etc.
Understanding the mithyatvam of the world is therefore
very important for Self realization. What applies to the world applies to the jiva
also. See the world and jivas as manifestation of Brahman. This is the viswarupa
darsana referred to in Bhagawat Gita.
Modern science is so advanced that scientists now claim they have found out the
God particle. Cannot scientific knowledge reveal the Vedantic truth?
Not at all. Science can deal only with material objects in the material world. It
cannot access the spiritual world which deals with the knowledge of the self. Even

26

the scientific findings are always subject to change. What is held to be the final
say on one subject is disproved and replaced by another theory by another scientist
All knowledge revealed by science is worldly knowledge only and it has nothing to
do with Atma vidya. Vedantic truths can be known only from Vedantic texts and
not by any other means.