THE N ECESSIT Y OF A CCEP T I NG A G URU

Moreover, while study of the Vedas may yield intellectual

learning (jïäna), it will not impart true spiritual perception
(vijïäna). The former is merely the appearance of knowledge,
while the latter is transformative wisdom that alters the way
one sees the world and lives his life. The teachings of the Vedas
are layered, according to the qualification of the student. But
the scholar who studies the Vedas from a position of imagined
objectivity does not experience their transformative power, and
is thereby robbed of their actual essence. He does not obtain
the qualification to enter into the progressively higher stages
of learning, but remains always a distant observer, holding only
the empty shell of the Vedas. He may have grasped the material
words and letters, but the spiritual content has eluded him.
This is why the Muëòaka Upaniñad and Kaöha Upaniñad state:

näyam ätmä pravacanena labhyo

na medhayä na bahunä çrutena

The Supreme Self cannot be known by any amount of

discourse, intelligence or learning (hearing).23

As we have seen, the Mahäbhärata makes the same point.24

The Çrémad-Bhägavatam similarly states:

jïäne prayäsam udapäsya namanta eva

jévanti san-mukharitäà bhavadéya-värtäm
sthäne sthitäù çruti-gatäà tanu-väì-manobhir
ye präyaço ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyäm

Those who abandon the pursuit of knowledge entirely and

who instead offer homage with their body, mind and words
to topics of You spoken by pure devotees, dedicating their
lives to these narrations while remaining in whatever social

23 Muëòaka Upaniñad, 3.2.3, and Kaöha Upaniñad, 1.2.23.

24 Mahäbhärata, Vana-parva 313.117.