Viveka

Viveka is a Sanskrit term that means discernment or discrimination—the ability to distinguish the real from the unreal, the permanent from the transient, and the self from appearance. In Hindu philosophy, it denotes a specific faculty or inclination that supports spiritual insight and ethical decision-making. The word is often understood in the practical sense of distinguishing truth from illusion in daily life.

In Advaita Vedanta, viveka is central to spiritual practice. Practitioners cultivate the discernment between the eternal Self (atman) and the changing body and mind, and between what is real (sat) and what is unreal (asat). This discrimination is said to dissolve attachment to momentary phenomena and to prepare the mind for knowledge (jnana) that leads to liberation. The common framing uses nitya (eternal) versus anya (non-eternal) or sat versus asat as guiding categories for right understanding.

Textual and doctrinal significance: Viveka-chudamani, a foundational work attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, is devoted to elucidating discrimination as a primary means to moksha. In broader Hindu soteriology, viveka is listed among essential qualifications for spiritual progress, such as the sadhana chatush: viveka, vairagya (detachment), and the sixfold virtues (shatsampat), culminating in sincere longing for liberation (mumukshutva).

In contemporary usage, viveka extends to practical, ethical discernment—teaching individuals to recognize lasting values, make prudent choices, and align actions with dharma and higher truth.