Knowing something is an interesting phenomenon & process.

It basically means that using a

valid means of knowledge, we have become conscious or aware of something; in other words it
means that a thought or vritti that object has been brought about in our mind. Suppose there is a
person who wants to know an object X, then he will have to take resort to the appropriate means of
knowledge, focus his attention on the object and know it. When the mind is focused on an object of
knowledge then the mind flows out to the place where the object is, it as though 'envelopes' it and
brings back the awareness of the object back to our mind, then a thought of the object is created in
our mind and then we say that we know it. Technically there are two processes which simultaneously
happen. One is called Vritti-Vyapti and the other is called as Phala-Vyapti. In the first stage is the
going of our awareness to the place of the object and the final presentation of the thought - this stage
removes the ignorance of that object. In the second stage of Phala-Vyapti, the knower illumines the
thought and then comes the experience of 'I know'. This is in short the process of knowing. Vrittigyana alone is real knowledge. We need to become conscious of the object then alone we have
known it. This is the process of knowing for all the objects of the world. All objects of the world are
basically inert, and thus need to be finally illumined, and even after being illumined by the conscious
knower are obviously seen as something extraneous to the conscious knower. Such a vritti is
Khandakar. Khanda means division. When it however comes to the knowledge of the very truth
of the knower, which is pure consciousness and also non-dual, then the process here is very
different. Here the vritti is Akhandakar. There is no division or fragmentation of knower or the
known. It is the same one truth which is seen to be the self of all.
In the case of Self-Knowledge, the very fact that we realize the existence of ignorance means that the
first stage of Vritti-Vyapti is certainly required here. This is done with the help of the valid means of
knowledge, which in this case is Sabda pramana. The study of Upanishads helps to bring about the
right awareness or the vritti. However, as the 'object' of knowledge here is the very consciousness
itself, therefore the second stage doesn't follow. It reveals by itself, and the nature of the Self is
such that no division or fragmentation remains. The knower is no more a knower, neither he is a
known. The very division of knower & known are transcended, and there is just one blissful selfeffulgent existence which remains and it is known as the very Self. This awareness of the Akhandata
(non-duality) of the Self is called Akhandakar Vritti. This vritti alone another name for direct realization
or Aparokshanubhuti