The Secret Doctrine of Goddess Lalita
(Sri LalitaAṣṭottara Rahasyārthamu)
5. śāstrasārā
She who is the essence of all scriptures.
This nāma explains how a Guru teaches and enlightens a disciple. The teaching must be based on valid evidence (pramāṇa). Bhagavad Gita declares the scripture (Upanishads) as the pramāṇa, a valid means of Knowledge. Without pramāṇa, the prameya (object of knowledge) cannot be grasped. The “object” in Advaita is the sarvātmābhAva, the intuitive knowledge that “I am the Self in All.” Such knowledge is attained only through the scripture, and not through direct perception or inference. Direct perception and inference work in anātmā (object world), and not in ātmā. Hence, scripture is the only means of Knowledge about ātmā.
How can ātmā become the object of knowledge for the scripture? Isn’t ātmā aprameya, that which cannot be known as an object (prameya) through any pramāṇa? Yes, it is true that ātmā is ever the subject that knows, and never the object that is known. Even the scripture does not treat ātmā as an object. The scripture (Upanishads) provides us with the knowledge of the Self by negating everything that appears as an object to It. This is the methodology adapted by the scripture. It takes a negative approach, not a positive approach, to prove the existence of ātmā. Therefore, even if we say ātmā is the object of knowledge for the scripture, there is no problem, since the scripture does not directly describe the ātmā, rather its methodology is to refute everything that is not ātmā. The knowledge of the Self is obtained only through the teacher-disciple tradition using scripture as the means. Scripture is like a bridge between the teacher and the student. A teacher is one who is knowledgeable and capable of teaching others. Scripture is the only medium through which the Knowledge of ātmā can be transmitted. For the teacher, Knowledge is in the form of experience (Self-realization). For the student, Knowledge is in the form of receiving (listening) and contemplating on the teaching.