If the Vedas are accepted as the highest authority in regard to their expression of the ultimate truth, then what is the need for further discussions, debates, etc, on this, one may ask. Maybe it is owing to the partial understanding of the subtle and profound truths of one’s nature and existence; or the very fact that it is difficult to express the truths of spiritual experience in rational language. Adi Sankara’s mission has been to clarify many philosophical issues of Vedantic thought to establish their validity against the opposing viewpoints that tend to mislead, pointed out Sri V. Abhiramasundaram in a discourse. The first and important truth focuses on the ultimate goal for every jiva as release from samsara. It is shown that it is attainable only through the jnana that one is basically the atma and that the atma swaroopa is of the nature of sat-chit-ananda.
Some schools of thought see the body-mind-intellect component of every individual jiva as more real than the inner atma. Scriptures insist that this very perception is the basic cause of ignorance, known as ajnana in spiritual parlance. The atma swaroopa is already always present in all beings and no effort is needed to make or create it. , It is clear that the means to liberation is not through karma but only through the jnana about one’s atma and its swaroopa.
When ajnana is removed, one automatically experiences the truth as the only reality like the seer in the Svetasvatara Upanishad who visualises his experience of truth when he proclaims with conviction, confidence and courage thus: “I know the Supreme Person of sunlight colour beyond the darkness. By knowing Him one passes over death. There is no other path for overcoming death and attaining Him.”
