aparoksha

Aparoksha, or aparokṣa, is a Sanskrit term used in Hindu philosophy to denote direct, immediate knowledge or perception that is not derived from external sense data, inference, or testimony. The word combines apara (other, secondary) and aksha (seeing), but in philosophical use it expresses knowledge that occurs within the experiencer without mediation.

In Advaita Vedanta and related non-dual traditions, aparokṣa jñāna refers to direct experiential realization of the true nature of the self (atman) and Brahman. This form of knowledge is considered non-discursive and non-dual, arising when the seeker transcends ordinary subject–object distinctions and recognizes that the self is not different from ultimate reality. Parokṣa jñāna, by contrast, is indirect knowledge obtained through scriptures, teacher transmission, or logical inference.

In other schools of Hindu thought, such as Kashmir Shaivism, aparoksha also denotes a direct, non-conceptual awareness of the divine presence in all phenomena. Here it is often described as a transformative realization that does not depend on external authority but is verified in inner experience.

Aparoksha is thus presented as an ultimate epistemic mode within these traditions: it is knowledge that is not provable by sensory perception or external testimony, yet is regarded as valid through inner certainty. The concept serves to distinguish genuine, lived realization from merely believed or learned information, and it frequently appears in discussions of self-realization, liberation, and the nature of truth.