According to Advaita Vedanta, the Brahman shines through the individual as the witness of self, actions, cognitions, and the states of the mind. It is called the “Witness consciousness” (sakshi Chaitanya). This witness consciousness delimited by the psycho-physical adjuncts is the Jiva.

The Witness consciousness is continuous with Brahman and non-different from it. Jiva in its identification as a separate entity distinct from Brahman is a mere appearance, like a dream. It is essentially one with Brahman.

Shankara calls Absolute Reality as Para-Brahman, and the manifested Cosmic Intelligence which radiates from the former as Iswara or lower Brahman. The Iswara is the same as Parabrahman in its essential character but associating with Maya produces the world of appearance. But Iswara is not overpowered by Maya like the Jiva. Iswara is never in bondage.

Smriti Texts

In Sanskrit tradition scriptures are categorised under two heads: Sruti (Revealed knowledge), and Smriti (what is remembered). The four Vedas and the 108 Upanishads come under the Sruti category. Bhagavadgita, eighteen Puranas, Sastras, Tantras, Agama, Brahma Surtras, the Epics, and many others come under Smriti category. Smriti literally means recollection of memory. It is secondary authority. It derives its authority from Sruti, and its object is the expand and exemplify the principles of Sruti or the Vedas and the Upanishads. Sastras are codes of law governing spiritual, moral and secular lives of people. Agamas and Tantras are manuals of worship. In case of conflicting views, Sruti view will prevail. While Sruti, being ultimate revealed knowledge, is changeless; whereas Smitis admits of changes according to changing conditions and needs of people in their religious life in different epochs.

Puranas

There are 18 Maha Puranas and 18 Upa-Puranas (minor Puranas) with over 400.000 verses which, according the scholars, were compiled between 300 to 1000 CE.

Puranas are more than a myth. Each of the Puranas deal with five distinct subjects: Cosmic and anthropic creation; secondary creation (also dissolution and renovation of worlds); great periods of evolution of the earth and humanity; genealogy of celestial beings (gods), genealogy of sages, heroes and great kings.

Knowledge Puranas contain is encyclopaedic covering as they do such range of subjects as folk tales, pilgrimage, temples, medicine, astronomy, astrology, theology, philosophy, geology etc.

Western scholars point out that Puranas are inconsistent as there are contradictory statements on a subject in different puranas. While this is true so far as the reading of the outer textual content is concerned, the Occultists teach that these contradictions are purposely introduced in the Puranic texts by the Rishis who complied them in order to conceal the secret meaning which is revealed only those who are found worthy and initiated into sacred Mysteries.

It must be mentioned en passant, that like the mythologies of ancient peoples, such as the Egyptians, Persians, Chinese, pre-Christian Scandinavian countries, ancestors of Aztecs, Mayas, Greek myths, etc., are repository of sacred occult knowledge. They are recorded in symbols, emblems, fables and allegories. Puranas contain a comprehensive knowledge pertaining to cosmic and anthropic origins, principles, powers and forces of Macro – and Microcosmos, ancient evolutionary history and so on. On the very less known subject of universal language of symbolism with which Puranas and other ancient scriptures are compliled, a passage from the Bok II of The Secret Doctrine, (fac simile of original edition) by Madam H.P. Blavatsky is quoted below:

The great archaic system known from prehistoric ages as the sacred Wisdom Science, one that is contained and can be traced in every old as well as in every new religion, had, and still has, its universal language – suspected by the Mason Ragon – the language of the Hierophants, which has seven ‘dialects,’ so to speak, each referring, and being specially appropriated, to one of the seven mysteries of Nature. Each had its own symbolism. Nature could thus be either read in its fulness, or viewed from one of its special aspects. (Vol. 1, page 310)

This is the reason why Orientalists, Egytologists find extreme difficulty in interpreting the allegorical writings of the Aryans and the hieratic records of old Egypt.

Ancient mythologies, Puranas, Vedas, Zend Avesta, the Old and the New Testaments, Hebrew scriptures are all records of a great body of sacred and secret knowledge, well known to Initiates of sacred Mysteries.