nāhaṁ manye suvedeti no na vedeti veda ca | yo nas tad veda tad veda no na vedeti veda ca ||
"I do not think "I know It well," nor do I think "I do not know It." Among us, he who knows It, knows It; he knows neither "I know" nor "I know not.""
What This Means:
The student has understood: you can't claim to know Brahman (it's beyond concepts), but you also can't claim not to know it (you ARE it). True knowing transcends both claiming and denying. The one who "knows" doesn't frame it as knowledge.
Going Deeper:
This paradoxical statement points to non-dual awareness. Brahman is not something external to know or not know — it is the knower itself. The division into "knower" and "known" dissolves in direct recognition.
How To Apply This:
Next time someone asks "Do you know God?" or "Have you found enlightenment?" — notice how any answer traps you. The question assumes a duality that true understanding transcends. Rest in the space before the answer.
Key Sanskrit Terms: