Mantra Nine
45
MANTRA NINE
अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽविद्यामुपासते । ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ विद्यायाः रताः ॥ ९ ॥
andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye'vidyām upāsate tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u vidyāyāṁ ratāḥ.
andham—gross ignorance; tamaḥ—darkness; praviśanti—enter into; ye—those; avidyām—nescience; upāsate—worship; tataḥ—further; bhūyaḥ—considered; iva—like; te—those; tamaḥ—darkness; ye—those; u—also; vidyāyām—in the culture of knowledge; ratāḥ—engaged in.
TRANSLATION
Those who are engaged in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of ignorance. Worse still are those engaged in the so-called culture of knowledge.
PURPORT
In this  mantra  there is a comparative study of  vidyā  and  avidyā .  Avidyā , or ignorance, is undoubtably dangerous, but  vidyā , or knowledge, when mistaken or misguided, is even more dangerous. In modern human civilization this explanation of  Śrī Īśopaniṣad  is more applicable than at any other time in the past. Modern civilization has advanced considerably in the matter of mass education, and yet the result is that people are more unhappy than before on account of too much stress on material advancement, without any taste for the most important aspect of life, the spiritual aspect.
As far as  vidyā  is concerned, the first  mantra  of  Śrī Īśopaniṣad  has explained very clearly that the Supreme Lord is the Proprietor of everything, and forgetfulness of this fact is