Any philosophical system is supposed to unravel the mystery of the problems of man, the world and God. Aiming for wisdom, philosphers fall back upon the mind and intellect as providers of solution. But they ought to have realised by now that the human mind and intellect are inadequate tools for the task at hand. How can mere thinking and arm-chair theorising solve the nagging problems of reality, streching from here to eternity? In fact, the whole process resembles the bare-body cycling to the north pole.

Luckily for mankind, the ancient indian philosophers specify a definitive approach, prompting the investigators to go beyond the intellect. The problems of philosophy, involving esoteric areas such as metaphysics, epistemology, ontology, cosmology, theology, psychology lie beyond the grasp of the mental equipment. The philosophical investigations should take one beyond language and logic. The truth, as yet uncomprehended, is infinitely more than what is known and talked about. One cannot fight a giant with a kitchen knife.

The philosophers in India, called tattvajnaanins, acquired enlightenment and wisdom through the practice of yogic meditation. They were identified as vedic Maharshis, meaning, the vedic philosophers. The vedas, classified into four books, are the compendium of spiritual perception, experienced directly by the practice of yoga. But in the yogic parlance, veda is never treated as mere books. In fact, Yogi Achyuta terms veda as self-actualization. Verily, Veda is realised through yoga only. Here yoga implies its practice, actual physical practice, and never verbal punditry.

By saadhanaa we mean a method, a technique, a means of accomplishing some objective. It is the way leading one to self-actualization and beyond.

When a tattvajnaanin routinely means a philospher, tattva-darshanaa means the system of philosophy. Here, mere speculation and theorising is replaced by direct experience of everything that is there to know. Truth and reality are actually perceived and experienced, through the vigorous practice of yoga.

There is yet another term to be understood in this context that is vidyaa. By vidyaa one should not mean education; it actually means self-actualisation. Thus, both Veda and vidyaa mean just self-actualisation. Vidyaa is affixed both to veda and yoga, to signify self-actualisation brought about by the saadhanaa of veda or yoga.

Darshanaa means vision, seeing; what is implied by the term is that truth and reality are directly perceived and experiened. He who has envisioned it is a true philospher. He is a darshaka. Such darshakas are called Maharishis. Yoga-vidyaa saadhanaa is the appropriate and powerful means of reaching the supreme state of realization.