Shraddha, a handle to the supreme Knowledge

Shraddha, What do we mean? 

Humans are equipped with INTELLECT , an instrument that analyses, cognizes, logically deduces and brings knowledge. Knowledge, known as “VIDHYA” can be looked at from two angles , the knowledge of the outer or the matter, APARA VIDHYA and the other one as knowledge of the inner or the supreme sprirt, PARA VIDHYA.

Intellect that gives Apara Vidhya just analyses, understands and thinks logically. This can also be termed as the gross intellect.

Intellect that gives Para Vidhya also analyses, cognises to understand the Supreme reality. This intellect can also be termed as a subtle intellect. 

 Subtle intellect helps in one acquiring the Para Vidhya in the background fabric of an emotional dimension. Before we get into this emotional dimension, let us understand the true emotions that every life comes with.

 

















Love, ISHA is one true emotion that is part and parcel of any life and this emotion is beyond the intellect. Whenever we see life expressing to the fullest, Love flows.

      Love flowing among friends is seen as Sneha

Love towards some life suffering is seen as karuna or compassion.

Love towards a higher ideal is seen as Shraddha . Here the knowledge that the higher ideal comes with is experiential and truly realised.

Coming back to the dimension of the intellect that takes us to the world of unknown, and gives Para Vidhya , that intellect can be known as Subtle intellect.

Para Vidhya opens up to the learner, only when the dimension of Shraddha flows in the background.

So, we realise  that SHRADDHA leads one to Para Vidhya, “Shraddhavaan Labhate Jnanam”.

Samyatendriya… The one who has conquered his senses.

What do we mean by conquering senses. Is it that we don’t give input to senses and deprive them? Not at all. Samyatendriya or Jitendriya is seen as transcending the senses. The first step towards transcending the senses is to first accept that the purpose of senses is to experience the outer world. The likes and dislikes are the preferences we create in our mind through our own experiences. For example, eyes are present for us to see the world and know more about it . Our preference to see a beautiful greenery and aversion to not see  a polluted urban place is developed by the mind.

When one uses the senses as his tool to connect to the outer world and goes beyond the likes/ dislikes created by his own mind, such a person is referred as ‘Samyatendriya or Jitendriya”.

An example from Swami Vivekananda’s life is apt to be quoted here.

Once when Swami was travelling in a train, he felt hungry. His co traveller had food with him and was not ready to share with Swami. This co traveller started teasing Swami,  saying that he would get food only by asking biksha. Swami was unperturbed. Swami later shared that he was aware that he was hungry as his body needed food. However, even by looking at the co traveller eating , his salivary glands did not salivate. This comes out as a beautiful example for the one who has transcended his senses.

When such a knowledge is realised, there is no disturbance in the realised mind. In this state of all acceptance, ultimate peace is experience.

Jnanam at that state leads one to Param Shanthim.

Jnanam Labdhva Param Shanthim …….

To summarise the above verse, Bhagvan Krishna says that when one treads the path of supreme knowledge with Shraddha, he slowly transcends his own senses and acquired true knowledge. Such a true knowledge results in ultimate peaceful state that Bhagvan refers as Param Shanthim.

 By, 

      N V Raghuram