Wisdom is the precious ambrosia gathered from all sources of knowledge and all the arts of earning it. It is the sweet, sustaining butter churned and collected from the Sastras. Wisdom is not to be defined as the capacity to discriminate and declare, "This is flat" or "this is round" or "this is a hill", "this is a house", or "this is a thorn." That is the common belief. This is only knowledge. Next, we have, what may be called good knowledge (Sujnana), when man is able to distinguish between right and wrong or good and bad, when he can discover, "This activity is for my betterment and the betterment of others". Both Jnana and Sujnana are confined to the intellect of man. There is a higher stage called Vijnana, when the heart is transformed by loyalty to Truth, Non-Violence and Compassion. Such a person can understand himself, his kinship with the Cosmos, and with the Creator of the Cosmos. He lives in accordance with that understanding, without doubt or disharmony. Ajnana or Ignorance breeds sorrow; Vijnana confers joy. If one hesitates to call any experience Vijnana, let him examine whether it is material or spiritual, on the touchstone, "Does it give me unalloyed joy?", and then classify it as such. The yardstick for Vijnana is Dharma. The more Dharma is put into practice, the more one gets rooted in Vijnana.

Action through Vijnana is evidenced by the peace and prosperity of the nation. The decline of Dharma reveals the disappearance of Vijnana. Eras are differentiated on the basis of adherence or aversion to Dharma. When Dharma, Justice and Harmony prevail fully and fearlessly, it is said to walk securely over the land on four legs. The times when it is so observed are also referred to as Krtha Yuga, the Krtha Era. When Justice and Harmony prevail less and less, people feel that Dharma has to limp its way on three legs! The times suffering from this handicap are referred to as the Thretha Era, the Thretha Yuga. When Justice and Harmony prevail only a quarter as much as in the Krtha Yuga, Dharma has to struggle on two legs. That is the Dwapara Yuga. When they have no respect paid to them and when they are largely non-existent, Dharma stands on one leg, as it were. This is the Kali Yuga, we are told by the scriptures.