Veda says that by knowing one thing, all the other things are known. What is the meaning of this?

[sridatta]

Q. Veda says that by knowing one thing, all the other things are known (Ekena vijñātena sarvaṃ vijñātaṃ bhavati). What is the meaning of this?



Swāmi replied: The one substance from which all this world is made of is the inert energy. If you know this point, you will know that every item of this creation is just basically inert energy only. Even the non-inert awareness is also basically inert energy only because awareness is a specific work form of inert energy (produced from digested food) generated in the functioning nervous system. Transfer of external information to the brain is done by the vehicles called neurons, which are electrical pulses and this form of work is called awareness. By knowing that the basic material of this world is inert energy only, you will know that every item of this world is a form of inert energy only. Your knowledge will be this much only and not anything extra. By knowing that this world is basically inert energy, you will not know all the mechanisms of the interactions among various items of the creation, which are various branches of scientific knowledge. Inert energy has no such unimaginable power to make you omniscient. But, if you know that the ultimate cause of this creation is unimaginable God (Parabrahaman), you may become omniscient by the grace of the unimaginable God.