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INTRODUCTION
1. Vidyā-avidyā, jñāna-kriyā
The rites and rituals of early Brāhmaṇism, specially the sacrificial cults. gradually lost their relevance and were replaced by different types of ceremonies that were conducive to social welfare. At this stage, the ancient rites and rituals and also the activities of social welfare came to be dubbed avidyā, whereas self-knowledge that was considered as leading to spiritual liberation was called vidyā. The following assertion of the Isopanışarl obviously represents such uses of the terms vidya and avidyä.
andham tamah pravisanti
ye’vidyām upāsate / tato bhūya iva te tamo
ya u vidyāyām ratāḥ// anyad evāhur vidyayā
anyad āhur avidyayā/ iti suśruma dhirāņām
ye nas tad vicacakṣire// vidyām cāvidyām ca
yas tad vedobhayam saha/ avidyayā mộtyum tirtvā
vidyayāmstamasnute//
Into blinding darkness enter those who worship avidyā (that is, who engage themselves in formal ritualism, being indifferent to the cultivation of vidyā or knowledge), while those who delight in knowledge (being indifferent to the social duties, daily or occasional) virtually enter into still greater darkness.
Distinct, indeed, they say, is the result of vidyā and distinct, they say, is the result of avidyā. Thus have we heard from the wise who have explained these to us.
He who knows the two, namely, vidyā and avidyā, together is bound to cross death by means of avidyā and attain the immortal through vidyā.
The above passage of the Isopanişad lays down the efficacy of vidyā (meaning self-knowledge, atmopāsanā) and avidyā (meaning the
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