Knowledge

Within the boundaries of some variation in pronunciation and spelling, in a number of Indian languages, the word for alphabets or letters is akshara.

But this word has another meaning. In Sanskrit the word akshara also means imperishable. Take for example this fragment from a verse in the Bhagavad Gita - Tvam aksharam paramam veditavyam (11.18) - You are the Imperishable, the supreme Being, the One thing to be known.

So the word akshara not only means alphabet, it also means something that is imperishable.

Men took the first step towards civilisation when he developed language. For language allowed him to communicate knowledge. A dog can learn how to switch on the TV by pressing the remote with its paw. But no matter how well it can perform this trick, it can in no way teach its fellow dogs. They have to learn it by themselves, for the first dog has no language with which it can communicate its knowledge to other dogs. For a human being, however this is a small matter. Through language he can easily communicate and teach his own knowledge to others. So, with language, knowledge gets passed on between people.

The second step was taken by man when he developed writing. Whereas language that is spoken could be used to communicate knowledge only among people in close proximity, language that is written could help carry knowledge across any distance and across any length of time. Knowledge could now be made available from distant lands and distant periods of time. Knowledge could now survive the death of individuals. Knowledge had now become imperishable.

Developments of alphabets made writing possible. Writing made knowledge imperishable.

Akshara. Think about that.