Satya in Vedanta is that which exists independently and never changes. Only Brahman is satya; the world is mithyā, dependent on satya for its existence.

Mithya means dependent reality. It is that which changes, appears and disappears, or is made of parts. The world is mithya: experienced, functional, but not absolute. Only Brahman is satya — changeless, ever-present, and partless.

Ignorance is not the absence of knowledge—it’s the presence of misperception. In Vedanta, ignorance (avidyā) is what makes us mistake a rope for a snake, or the body for the Self. This essay explores the subtle but pervasive force that distorts reality, and how knowledge—not belief—dispels it.