The MundakOpanishath urges all truth seekers to know two vidyas - ParA and aparA.
aparA refers to Dharma, the source of which is the four Vedas along with their anga and upAngas, that helps to purify the sAdhaka. parA referes to Supreme unconditional Bhakti that helps to attain the Supreme imperishable Brahman.
aparA is generally interpreted as the lower and parA as the higher. But aparA can also mean 'that which is another or alter'. So it is another or alternate form of parA only. AparA and parA can also stand for the pravrutti and Nivrutti aspects of Dharma. AparA may stand for Shiva tattva and parA for Vishnu tattva.
The teaching that both needs to be known proves the importance of both and so they form one single whole.
aparA as dharma or parArtha karma is the front end of Bhakti or pure love. When there is pure love, there is selfless service and vice versa. When the whole universe is realized as the manifestation of the supreme Brahman, then whatever the yogi or sadhaka does, to serve the world or himself, ends up as a service to Brahman. Ultimately it results in a continuous dharmic / selfless activity.
When the parA bhakti reaches extreme it may result in sheer silence or inactivity. Probably this is the Advaitic / Naishkarmya - the state of non-doing! or endless doing? It is said that all doubts are cleared at that stage Or there are no doubts at all!
Unconditional Bhakti and experience of the Supreme Brahman is an endless act or an end in itself. The knower alone knows that ultimate state and that cannot be described in words.
Namaste
Suresh
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