Mundaka Upanishad

The Mundaka Upanishad belongs to the Atharvaveda and is divided into three Mundakas each containing two sections It makes a crucial distinction between two types of knowledge Apara Vidya which includes all worldly sciences and Para Vidya which is the direct realization of the imperishable Brahman

Sanskrit Text

Dve vidye veditavye iti ha sma yad brahmavido vadanti para chaivapara cha

Translation

There are two kinds of knowledge to be acquired so say the knowers of Brahman the Higher and the Lower

Commentary

This verse revolutionizes our understanding of knowledge Even the sacred Vedas and all sciences are classified as lower knowledge because they deal with the changing perishable world