DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ‘GYAAN’ & ‘VIDYA’

Aurangabad Study Circle:

Q) “Can you please explain the difference between ‘Gyaan’ and ‘Vidya’?”

Manish ji's reply:

[As understood by us]

A) Gyaan is the knowledge or theory. When the theory is well understood, assimilated and applied practically, it becomes Vidya. It is generally used to refer to the knowledge of objective sciences which one gains in the world, and his expertise in it is Vidya. For eg- Dhanurvidya etc.

Ironically, more often than not, a seeker comes to realise, that now when he must turn his attention inward toward the Subject, which is the One, Changeless, then the Vidya of the objective world acquired so far, all his life, alas, is not of much use!