five stages of knowledge

[Guest guest]

> Pratyaksa, paroksa, aparoksa, adhoksaja, and aprakrta are five stages of

> knowledge or understanding.

>

> Srila Prabhupada referrred to them several times in his lectures, for

> instance as below.

>

> "There are different stages of understanding: pratyaksa, paroksa,

> aparaksa, adhoksaja, aprakrta. The ordinary understanding, direct

> perception, is called pratyaksa. Now, higher than the pratyaksa

> understanding is paroksa, means to gather knowledge from the higher

> authorities. And above that, aparoksa, realization. And above that,

> adhoksaja. Adhoksaja means beyond the understanding of these material

> senses. And above that, there is aprakrta, completely transcendental."

>

> >>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968

>

>

> Where do these appear in sastra, or where do they first apear in the

> writings of acaryas? And what is the context in which they appear, and the

> original explanation of them?

 

In Suhotra Swami's book Substance and Shadow, chapter three, note 33,

appears a paragraph that links these five stages of knowledge to

Bhaktivinoda Thakura. (if you have the book, it's on page 178, last

paragraph). According to Suhotra Swami, Bhaktivinoda defined paroksa in his

book The Bhagavat. I have been unable to find this definition in The

Bhagavat, but perhaps you or some other reader will be more successful.

 

These five stages of knowledge have not been mentioned in Sukavak's book

Hindu Encounter with Modernity. Sukavak does mention five stages in the

cognitive process according to BVT, in a table on page 159 of his book.

These five stages, however, are completely different.

 

Suhotra Swami lists the five stages of knowledge in is book on page 164, but

he supports all of this exclusively with Srila Prabhupada's lectures. There

is no sastric reference and the reference to Bhaktivinoda's The Bhagavat is

vague.

 

In any case, if you or anybody else is enthusiastic to carefully read

through The Bhagavat with an aim to find the definition of paroksa, plus

what BVT said about adhoksaja and aprakrta, here is the relevant passage

from Suhotra Swami's book.

 

SS writes:

 

>>In The Bhagavat, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura presents pratyaksa and paroksa

as methods of the ascending (inductive) process of knowledge. He defines

paroksa as the "collective sense perception by many persons past and

present". In other words, the term refers to the acceptance of mundane

authority. Srila Prabhupada uses paroksa in that sense too, but also in

terms of the acceptance of parampara authority (see the Bombay lecture).

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says aparoksa is ascending if it merely negates

the previous two stages. Aparoksa is descending (deductive) knowledge when

it positively searches for transcendence. Only adhoksaja and aprakrta are

fully descending. The former is devotional service under rules and

regulations, says the Thakura, and the latter is realization of love of

Godhead.<<

 

Your servant

Ekanath dasa