In the Vedic tradition, there are four levels of intelligibility (Skt. nama) with corresponding levels of world or form (Skt. loka/rupa):
1. Vaikri- written or spoken level of gross intelligibility, corresponding to the gross world.
2. Madhyama- middle level or level of subtle intelligibility, corresponding to subtle world.
3. Pashyanti- celestial level or level of causal intelligibility, corresponding to causal world.
4. Para- transcendental level or level of pure intelligibility in which there is identity of name and form (Skt. nama-rupa), corresponding to Pure Knowledge which is Ultimate Reality (Skt.Veda/Brahman).
The Kabbalistic
equivalences of these are:
| Vedic hermeutic level | Vedic world | Kabbalistic hermeneutic level | Kabbalistic world |
| Para | Ultimate | sod | Atzilut |
| Pashyanti | Causal | Derash | Beriah |
| Madhyama | Subtle | Remez | Yetzirah |
| Vaikri | Gross | Peshat | Asiyah |
Tom
Hickey
Levels of Meaning in Holy Scripture: "PaRDeS" - Professor Bryan Griffith Dobbs
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