Parā-vidyā and aparā-vidyā: The secret of the Vedas is revealed
When we miss the real purpose of the Vedas and use the Vedas to improve our position in this material world, we deal with inferior knowledge. Superior knowledge is connected with devotional service.
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Parā-vidyā and aparā-vidyā: The secret of the Vedas is revealed
Although all Vedic knowledge is valuable, not all have the same value. The Vedas offer different processes of spiritual development aimed at different classes of people. Just as there are people of different mentalities, there are also different grades of knowledge described in the Vedas, starting with descriptions of material sciences and fruitive activities, and culminating with transcendental knowledge.
Everything that directly describes the Lord and devotional service to Him is defined as parā-vidyā (superior knowledge) and everything else, dealing with material subjects is classified as aparā-vidyā (inferior knowledge). Srila Madhvācārya explains that knowledge is considered inferior when employed in a ritualistic sense, and superior when directly expressing Lord Vishnu and service to Him.
In other words, when we miss the real purpose of the Vedas and instead use the Vedas to just try to improve our position in this material world, we deal with inferior knowledge. The distinction between aparā-vidyā and parā-vidyā is thus also related to the mentality and understanding of the student.
Text 1.1.4
tasmai sa hovāca dve vidye veditavyo
iti ha sma yad brahma-vido vadanti—parā caivāparā ca
Angirasa, the great teacher answered: There are two kinds of educational systems. One deals with transcendental knowledge (parā-vidyā) and the other with material knowledge (aparā-vidyā)
Commentary: Srila Prabhupada comments on verses four and five on his purport to CC Madhya 19.17, repeating the words of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. The translations for these two verses are taken from there. His purport is connected with Sanatana Goswami discussing the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (bhāgavata vicāra) with learned brāhmaṇa scholars, prior to his abandonment of the governmental service and his meeting with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
"Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gives the following commentary on the words bhāgavata vicāra. As confirmed in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.4-5), there are two kinds of educational systems: dve vidye veditavya iti, ha sma yad brahma-vido vadanti — parā caivāparā ca. tatrāparā ṛg-vedo yajur-vedaḥ sāma-vedo ’tharva-vedaḥ śikṣā kalpo vyākaraṇam niruktam chando jyotiṣam iti. atha parā yayā tad akṣaram adhigamyate.
“There are two kinds of educational systems. One deals with transcendental knowledge [parā vidyā] and the other with material knowledge [aparā vidyā]. All the Vedas — the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda and Atharva Veda, along with their corollaries, known as śikṣā, kalpa, vyākaraṇa, nirukta, chanda and jyotiṣa — belong to the inferior system of material knowledge [aparā vidyā]. By parā vidyā one can understand the akṣara — Brahman or the Absolute Truth.”
As far as the Vedic literature is concerned, the Vedānta-sūtra is accepted as the parā vidyā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is an explanation of that parā vidyā. Those who aspire for liberation (mukti or mokṣa) and introduce themselves as vaidāntika are also equal to those groups aspiring to improve religion (dharma), economic development (artha) and sense gratification (kāma). Dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa are called catur-varga. They are all within the system of inferior, material knowledge. Any literature giving information about the spiritual world, spiritual life, spiritual identity and the spirit soul is called parā vidyā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam does not have anything to do with the materialistic way of life; it gives transcendental information to educate people in the superior system of parā vidyā. Sanātana Gosvāmī was engaged in discussing the bhāgavata-vidyā, which means he discussed transcendental superior knowledge. Those who are karmīs, jñānīs or yogīs are not actually fit to discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Only Vaiṣṇavas, or pure devotees, are fit to discuss that literature. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam itself (12.13.18):
śrīmad-bhāgavatam purāṇam amalam yad vaiṣṇavānām priyam
yasmin pāramahamsyam ekam amalam jñānam param gīyate
yatra jñāna-virāga-bhakti-sahitam naiṣkarmyam āviṣkṛtam
tac chṛṇvan supaṭhan vicāraṇa-paro bhaktyā vimucyen naraḥ
Although Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is counted among the Purāṇas, it is called the spotless Purāṇa. Because it does not discuss anything material, it is liked by transcendental Vaiṣṇava devotees. The subject matter found in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for paramahamsas. As it is said, paramo nirmatsarāṇām satām vedyam. A paramahamsa is one who does not live in the material world and who does not envy others. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, devotional service is discussed to arouse the living entity to the transcendental position of jñāna (knowledge) and vairāgya (renunciation). As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.12):
tac chraddadhānāḥ munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
paśyanty ātmani cātmānam bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā
“The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedānta-śruti.”
This is not sentiment. Knowledge and renunciation can be obtained through devotional service (bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā), that is, by arousing one’s dormant devotional consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When Kṛṣṇa consciousness is aroused, it relieves one from fruitive activity, activity for economic improvement and material enjoyment. This relief is technically called naiṣkarmya, and when one is relieved, he is no longer interested in working hard for sense gratification. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is Śrīla Vyāsadeva’s last, mature contribution, and one should read and hear it in an assembly of realized souls while engaging in devotional service. At such a time one can be liberated from all material bondage. This was the course taken by Sanātana Gosvāmī, who retired from government service to study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with learned scholars."
The purpose of the scriptures is to gradually elevate all kinds of people to the platform of pure devotional service to the Lord. Just as there are different classes of people, there are different gradations of knowledge inside of the Vedic scriptures. All Vedic knowledge is valuable, but not all have the same value.
The stairway of the Vedas starts with the Upavedas, supplementary texts that describe material sciences, including the Ayurveda (medicine), Dhanurveda (martial science), Gandharva Veda (music and arts), and Sthapatya Veda (architecture, including Vastu). Then there are the Vedangas (disciplines that support the study of the Vedas), including Siksha (the study of phonetics), Vyakarana (grammar), Chandas (study of the metrical structure of Sanskrit verses), Nirukta (etymology), Jyotisha (astrology) and Kalpa (instructions on the practice of rituals), followed by the Dharma Sastras, such as Manu-smriti (which provide guidelines on moral conduct, social duties, etc.) the four Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajur, Atharva), the Tantras (instructions on rituals and worship), the Upanisads (which include passages of the original Vedas that bring knowledge about the soul), the Vedanta-sutra (which brings the conclusions of the Upanisads), the Puranas as well as the Itihasas (Ramayana and Mahabharata), where the Vedic knowledge is explained in the form of stories with deep spiritual significance. Both the Vedanta-sutra and the Bhagavad-gita bring the ultimate conclusions of the Vedas, culminating in the process of devotional service to the Lord, which is explained in detail in the Srimad Bhagavatam, the spotless Purana.
All this vast literature can be divided into two groups: the scriptures that deal with temporary, material subjects (aparā), helping one to live in this world and fulfill his material desires, and the scriptures dealing with spiritual subjects (parā), destined for souls who started the process of inquiring about their eternal nature. The parā scriptures culminate with the Srimad Bhagavatam, which explains the final goal and conclusions of all the Vedas and the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who embodied the practice of these conclusions.
These different levels of knowledge apply to different people in different circumstances, and therefore it is essential to receive this knowledge inside of the parampara, through the process of inquiring from the spiritual master. Only self-realized souls can perfectly identify what is applicable to a particular student and guide him in a way that there may be no obstacles on his path. This brings us to the books of Srila Prabhupada, which are better understood when studied under the guidance of one of his faithful disciples and followers. Once Srila Prabhupada explained that his books are like a pharmacy that contains the cure for all diseases. However, one needs to know which medicines to take.
Text 1.1.5
tatrāparā ṛg vedo yajur vedaḥ
sāma-vedo ’tharva-vedaḥ, śikṣā kalpo vyākaraṇam
niruktam chando jyotiṣam iti
atha parā—yayā tad akṣaram adhigamyate
All the Vedas, including the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda, and Atharva Veda, along with their corollaries, known as śikṣā, kalpa, vyākaraṇa, nirukta, chanda and jyotiṣa belong to the inferior system of material knowledge (aparā-vidyā). By parā-vidyā one can understand the akṣara: Brahman or the Absolute Truth.
Commentary: This verse defines different vidyās, branches of knowledge inside the Vedas as aparā. The word aparā literally means "lower" or "inferior". In his commentary, Srila Madhvācārya explains that these branches are considered inferior, or aparā when they do not designate Vishnu but are employed in a ritualistic sense. However, they become parā-vidyā, when they directly express Lord Vishnu and service to Him.
The whole Vedic literature exists with the sole purpose of glorifying the Lord and bringing one to the platform of devotional service to Him, as Krsna Himself explains in the Bhagavad-gita: "By all the Vedas, I am to be known." When one misses this purpose and instead focuses on material knowledge included in the Vedas, using it to improve his position in this material world, he deals with the inferior knowledge mentioned in this verse. Thus, the distinction between aparā-vidyā and parā-vidyā is also related to the mentality and understanding of the student.
Madhvācārya also explains that in Satya-Yuga, the Vedas were one. This single and undivided Veda revealed a single ultimate truth: Lord Vishnu as the Supreme Lord, without a second. During this era, all names we now associate with demigods (Indra, Brahmā, Rudra, etc.) applied solely to Vishnu, who was understood as the only deity. This higher understanding of the meaning of the Vedas is revealed by Vyasadeva in the Vedanta-sutra (1.4.28) by the words: etena sarve vyākhyātā vyākhyātāḥ, "The Supreme Lord is the original cause of everything. All words of the scriptures should be interpreted according to this explanation."
Inhabitants of Satya-yuga respected the demigods, but not as separate deities. They were seen as guardians, transmissors of Vedic knowledge, and representatives of the Lord. Because at the time there was no worship apart from the worship of the Lord, there was no concept of higher and lower Vedic knowledge. All Vedic knowledge was understood as a direct expression of the absolute truth, with each verse directly describing the Lord.
The division between parā-vidyā and aparā-vidyā started in Treta-yuga, when intelligence declined and people manifested the desire for fruitive activities. The Vedas were then divided into three: Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma, and people began to worship through these divisions by performing Vedic ceremonies. The Pañcarātra system of worship was also introduced. Due to the decline in spiritual focus, the worship of demigods was introduced and thus the division of superior and inferior knowledge inside the Vedas became manifested due to people not being able to understand the deeper meaning of the verses. Everything that deals directly with devotional service and worship of the Lord started then being classified as parā-vidyā and knowledge connected with the worship of demigods and material activities was defined as aparā-vidyā.
Krsna describes this division in the Bhagavad-gita:
"Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures." (Bg 7.20)
"Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet." (Bg 7.23)
In Dvāpara-yuga, the capacity of the general population to understand the Vedas decayed further, and the Vedas were parted into five divisions, including also the Atharva-Veda and the fifth Veda in the form of the Puranas, Mahabharata, etc. making the knowledge of the Vedas more accessible. Still, most of the population was not able to directly understand the Vedas, and thus they were advised to worship the Lord following the pañcarātra. It's thus said that the dharma for Dvāpara-yuga is temple worship following the regulations of the pañcarātric system.
In Kali-yuga, the knowledge of the Vedas practically disappears. We have access to just a small percentage of the original verses of the four Vedas compiled by Vyasadeva (the rest being lost), and even this part that is still left, we can't properly understand. We are also not capable of rigidly following the pañcarātric system of temple worship, therefore the only hope for us is the direct chant of the holy names of the Lord, and to directly study the conclusions of the scripture through the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam.
In this way, we should avoid the other dharmas followed by less intelligent people in Treta-yuga and Dvāpara-yuga, and instead focus on the highest dharma, the process of devotional service to the Lord, the way it was executed by people in Satya-yuga. That's what Krsna urges us to do when He says "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me."
In any case, apart from this higher discussion, material knowledge inside the Vedas also has its function as an entrance point. Thanks to branches such as astrology, medicine, or Vastu, general people who are not prepared to directly adopt the process of devotional service can get in contact with the Vedas to obtain solutions for their material problems, and from there acquire some faith in the scriptures, which may lead them to later enquire about spiritual knowledge. It has just to be seen in context, as just expedient knowledge that has the goal of helping one to navigate the material world and gradually come to the real goal of the Vedas, which is knowledge about the absolute truth.