Paravidya
परा विद्या
paravidyā
Highest spiritual knowledge which leads one to Brahman is Paravidya. It cannot be learned by mere mugging up of holy texts and performing religious services. The knowledge which leads one to a creative level which helps him/her achieve the Brahman is the Paravidya. It will be wrong to say that Upanishads are Paravidya and other religious texts are Aparavidya, since the idea is not on content but the way it islearned. The supreme knowledge(Paravidya) is in available in every religious text and even in moral stories in a subtle way.
The higher knowledge, the Paravidya (Brahmavidya) is the one by which the ultimate reality behind all the creation will be known. It is more like achieving the goal than sticking too much to religion since the real creative spiritual genius always went beyond the prevailing methods. For example, an artist after learning his subject forgets everything and takes refuge in his creativity to have his masterpiece; a creative spiritual genius does the same thing. A spiritual aspirant after learning religious and spiritual subject leave the society for a remote place, become a recluse and tread on his own path to reach the highest knowledge, which no text no teacher can taught. Though Rama, Vyasa, Krishna, Sankara, Vivekananda, Aurobindo, Ramana Maharshi and other Hindu spiritual luminaries are from same heritage, each of them are different and original in their own way because of this aspect.
One should acquire two forms of knowledge: The Apara(lower) knowledge and Para (Higher) knowledge. The lower knowledge ( Apravidya ) is for the worldly living, i.e., Maintain family, health and wealth etc. According to Mundaka Upanishad, leading life in forest and contemplating on Hiranyagarbha in the cave of the heart help one get freed from all impurities and cultivate Paravidya. Upanishads praises such persons: ”He is in the path of the sun; He only achieves the highest goal”.
Bhagavad Gita also talk about Paravidya and Aparavidya