SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE THAT DIFFERENTIATES

An animal is not able to ìknow itself.î It has only physical consciousness. It has no

self-consciousness. An animal feels the discomfort and pain. It is not able to analyse its own mental

states. A man not only ìknowsî, but he ìknows that he knows.î This is either mental consciousness

or self-consciousness. The man not only ìfeelsî or ìsensesî things, but he has words to express his

feelings and sensations. He can vividly describe his feelings. He may think of himself as

experiencing them. He can separate himself from the sensation of feeling. He is able to think, ìI

feel; I hear; I see; I smell; I taste; I desire; I act; I enjoy,î

ìI know this book.î ìI know also that I know this book.î This is self-consciousness peculiar

to human beings only.

In the Police Station, the Chaprasi (peon) strikes ten at the gate. The sound vibrates and

passes into the ears of men and animals. The animals also hear ten times the beating. But the man

counts them and knows through his Buddhi, ìNow it is ten oíclock.î He has got this Visesha Jnana

(special knowledge); whereas animals have got Samanya Jnana (ordinary knowledge). It is this

special knowledge that differentiates a man from an animal. Ahara (food), Nidra (sleep), Bhaya

(fear) and Maithuna (copulation) are common to both. Through this Visesha Jnana he knows right

from wrong, good from bad, what to do (Kartavya) and what not to do (Akartavya).