By: Swami Chidananda
Gain and loss, success and failure, health and sickness etc. – a million things like them – happen in our life. After all that, we die one day. What can bring true fulfillment to us? What makes our life really meaningful?
It is Self-knowledge (ātma-jnāna), the Upanishads say uncompromisingly.
There is true fulfillment if we know the Self in this life.
Great is the loss if we do not gain this liberating insight in this life.
iha ched-avedeet, atha satyam-asti
na ched-ihāvedeet, mahatee vinasthih
Kena Upanishad, 2.5
(Khanda 2, mantra 5)
[The mantra highlights the urgency of Self-knowledge.]