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CHAPTER FOUR
superior to sacrifices performed with material things offered in Yajna. Then the question is what is true knowledge? Verses 34 to 39 provide the answer. Verse 34 advises us to obtain true knowledge by approaching an illumined soul and by asking questions to him with a view to gather knowledge with the recognozed system in India. The dialogue between Mahavira and his principal pupil Gautam, between Gautam Buddha and his pupil Ananda and also between Yama and Nachiketa as well as between King Janaka and Ashtavakra do supply sufficient evidence for this. The principal reason of acquiring knowledge by such a process is that the illumined soul has personal experience of the utility of true knowledge which is called “Darshan” i.e. the thing which he has actually “seen” (experienced). It is not a mere book knoledge which does not go beyond “information”; Questions are asked not with a view to enter into a debate: They are asked
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