Atma swaroopa is described as sat-chit-ananda, that is, the atma is immortal and is the essence of jnana and ananda. But this truth is enveloped in layers of ignorance. It is hidden deep inside every aspect in creation, but the tendency is to seek it elsewhere in this wide universe, pointed out Sri B. Damodhara Dikshitar in a discourse. An oft-quoted story about how the people in a village are easily made to forget the well in their village which is a perennial source of water illustrates the truth of the atma’s inherent nature. The people are exposed to newer means of procuring water and they become dependent on these for their water requirements. They stop thinking of the well and soon it is overgrown with layers of dust, dirt and all kinds of vegetation.
A time comes when the new fangled water supplies start to fail. On the advice of the elderly village folk, the well is cleaned and the people realise that unlike an artificial water receptacle, when one needs to clean it and fill it up with water, in this case fresh water is already inside the well. Likewise the atma always exists and is the essence of jnana. Removal of ignorance reveals the atma as the effulgent jnana swaroopa. It is true that the Vedas are useful in pointing towards Brahman; but, at best, their descriptions only reveal a very minute fraction of Brahman like the tip of the iceberg. Or it is similar to pointing to the tip of the branch of a tree to show the moon when one is unable to perceive it on one’s own.
The first step to knowledge of Brahman is to 'hear' about it from Vedic texts. Listening to Vedanta or proficiency in Vedanta exposition cannot confer jnana. Experience of truth comes from real understanding. Understanding means experiencing the essence of atma swaroopa within oneself.