“Kingly science, kingly secret, the supreme purifier is this, realisable by direct intuitional knowledge, according to righteousness, very easy to perform, imperishable.”
– Bhagavad-Gita IX-2
Brahma-Vidya (science of God) is the Science of sciences. The knower of Brahma-Vidya or the Science of Brahman or the Science of the Absolute, knows everything. His knowledge is full. He has the whole experience through intuition or revelation.
All secular sciences have their own limitations. A scientist works on the physical plane with a finite mind and with instruments. He knows the physical laws. He has some knowledge of the elements, atoms and physical energy. His knowledge is fragmentary. He has no experience of the whole. He has no knowledge of transcendental or the super senses.
Science is only a partially unified knowledge. A scientist infers, investigates and draws exact conclusions from his observations. He studies and understands Nature but he knows nothing of the origin or destiny of Nature.
Who made the sun and gave power to its rays? Who combined four parts of nitrogen with one part of oxygen? Who gave power to the electrons? Who gave power to the atoms to combine into molecules? Who or what made and bestowed upon the ultimate particles of matter their marvellous power of varied interaction?
Science does not know this great mystery. On the contrary, Yoga is completely unified knowledge. A Yogi gets inner, divine realization. He clearly sees through his inner Yogic eye the subtle rudiments of matter. He identifies himself with the Supreme Being who is the Lord of Prakriti – matter. He gets control over the five elements. He clearly understands the whole mystery of creation through direct intuitional knowledge.
The rules of science has only experimental and evidence based knowledge.
In the matter of evidence in psychological questions, the sense perceptions with which science naturally deals are only second rate criteria. The closing of the external channels of sensation is usually the signal for the opening of the psychic and, from all evidence, it would seem that the psychic sense is more extensive, acute and more dependable than the physical.
The business of science is to generalize phenomena. It is the function of philosophy and Yoga to explain phenomena. Religion is the practical aspect of philosophy. Philosophy is the rational aspect of religion. The scientist tries to answer the “how” of the problem. The philosopher and the Yogi attempt to answer the “why” of it.
It is a mistake to say that such and such an event occurs because of certain Laws of Nature. The Laws of Nature do not give any real explanation of the phenomena. A Law of Nature is simply a statement, in terms as general as possible, of what happens under given circumstances of a natural phenomenon. Science is only concerned with the phenomena. Science shows a marvellous harmony of Nature. The goal of philosophy and Yoga is to solve the “why” of Nature’s harmony.
The unseen world is of far greater importance than the sense-universe which is visible to the naked eye. Scientists possess a partial knowledge of the Universe. They have not understood the whole code of Nature’s laws. They have no knowledge of the occult side of things. They have no knowledge of the astral, mental and higher planes such as Brahma-Loka – the world of Brahma.
A fully developed Yogi can function on all planes and so has full knowledge of the manifested and the un-manifested Nature. The senses, the tools get a knowledge of the external objects, are not fully developed. Therefore, the knowledge obtained is partial. The external senses are exact counterparts of the internal astral senses.
Life will become fuller and richer when one develops this inner eyesight by the practice of Yoga. Just as blood, when seen under the microscope, reveals many mysterious things, such as leucocytes, nuclei, pigment, germs and bacilli, so also the inner Yogic eye reveals many a mystery to the hidden side of things.
Does science have knowledge of the subtle rudiments of matter. Under the code of science the knowledge of the scientists is only fragmentary or partial, whereas the knowledge of the Yogis who have realized the Truth is full.
Who gave power to the electrons to revolve? What is at the bottom of these electrons? Who gave life to the cell or the protoplasm? Who gave intelligence to the cells to secrete milk or bile or gastric juice from the blood? What is the cause of the origin of an impulse? Who is the director of the mind? What is the cause of the origin of thought? Under the code of science, even if all the living scientists were to put their heads together to solve these questions, they cannot give definite and conclusive
answers.
Brahma-Vidya or the Science of the Self is not a subject that can be understood and realised by mere intellectual study, reasoning or ratiocination, or even by discussions and arguments. Mere scholarly erudition and vast study with a high degree of intelligence alone cannot help one in the practical realisation of the Truth inculcated in this science. It demands perfect discipline, a discipline that is not to be found in our modem universities and colleges. It demands solid Sadhana for the achievement of the goal that is indicated by this Para-Vidya or highest science.
This article is from the book “Kingly Science Kingly Secret” by Swami Sivananda