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BOOK I: THE PRINCIPLE OF KNOWLEDGE
247
Now he gives in addition a sub-definition of indirect and immediate knowledge:
58. Knowledge of objects from another (agency, i.e. the senses) is called indirect; but, if knowledge is acquired by the soul alone (kevala-jiva), then it is indeed direct.
If discrimination of a thing which has become an object-ofknowledge to us is brought about by something other, which functions as a means, whether inner sensorium, a sense-organ, information by another person, a positive-probans (upalabdhi), latent-physicalimpression (samskara), or light, etc., then this knowledge, arising from another, is indicated as indirect.
But discrimination which, disregarding every exterior substance, whether internal-organ, organ-of-sense, information by another person, positive-probans, latent-physical-impression, or light, and whatever else of that kind, and taking its own nature as sole cause, in its rise embraces simultaneously all the modifications of all substances, this discrimination is indicated as direct knowledge, since it arises from the self alone. Here accordingly this, being means to natural (sahaja) pleasure, is approved as the Great-Direct-Knowledge.
puts forward this immediate knowledge as supremely real
Now he happiness:
59. Knowledge, self-born, complete, extended over an infinite number of objects, stainless, devoid of stages such as avagraha (apprehension of an object or sensation), is called exclusive joy.
Since it is self-born, complete, extented over an infinite number of objects, without stain, devoid of stages such as avagraha, this immediate knowledge is ascertained to be exclusive joy. For the one definition of happiness is absence of perturbation.
Indirect knowledge, in fact, is excessively perturbed by dependence on something else; since it arises from something else; closure of the other doors of knowledge; since it is incomplete; wish to know other objects; since it is connected with [only] a certain number of objects; imperfect awareness (a-samyag-avabodha); since it is stained; fatigue of successively taking up the objects; since it is bound to stages such as avagraha.
Hence it is not ultimately real (paramarthatah) happiness. But this knowledge is unperturbed by reason ofself-dependence, since, being born from itself, it stands of itself
