Vivekachudamani – 6

 

Select verses 26 to 30

Verse 26

yadboddhavyam tavedanim, atmanatmavivechanam |

taduchyate maya samyak, srutvatmanyavadharaya ||71||

Now I am going to describe the discrimination between the Self and the not-Self most elaborately---it is what you ought to know. Listen to it properly and then decide about it well in your mind.

            In the previous verse the sishya has raised seven questions. The seventh question was “How is the discriminative analysis between Athma and anathma to be done?”.  In this verse Guru says that he will answer that question in detail and asks the student to listen carefully, understand it doubt-free and imbibe it.  The answer starts in the next verse.

Verse 27

pancikṛtebhyo bhutebhyah, sthulebhyah purvakarmana |

samutpannamidam sthulam, bhogayatanamatmanah |

avastha jagarastasya, sthularthanubhavo yatah ||88॥

The gross body is born, as a result of the karma of previous lives, from the gross elements which have undergone the process of grossification and is the place for the experience of jiva.  The state in which it experiences the objects of the physical world is its waking state.

            Guru starts his teaching with the two-fold causes for the gross body, sthula sareera. The samanya karanam, the general cause, is the five gross elements; akasa, space; vayu, air; agni, fire; apa, water and prithvi, earth.  The five elements are in a subtle form as tanmatras and become manifest as gross elements after a process of grossification, known as Panchikarana.  In Panchikarana, tamas aspect of each subtle element first gets divided into two halves. While one half is intact the other half gets divided into four and is equally shared by the other four elements.  For example, sthula akasa, gross space consists of ½ akasa +1/8 vayu +1/8 agni +1/8 apa +1/8 prithvi.  Similarly, each gross element consists of ½ of the element and 1/8 each of other four elements.  These five gross elements are put together intelligently to constitute the gross body.  That the gross body is made up of five gross elements is evident.  It occupies space.  There is oxygen in blood cells. There is heat in the form of temperature.  The shape of the body is due to water.  Further there are tangible minerals like calcium.  Visesha karana, special cause, is the prarabhdha karma of each individual which determines the type of body and accounts for the difference in body between individuals. Since the objects of the physical world are experienced by the gross body in the waking state it is called bhogayatanam, the place of experiences of Jiva. 

Verse 28

vagadi pancha sravanadi pancha, pranadhi panchabhramukhani pancha |

buddhyadyavidyapi cha kamakarmani, puryastakam suksmasariramahuh ||96II

The five organs of action such as speech, the five organs-of-perception such as the ear, the five pranas, the five elements starting with space, the four-fold inner instrument like buddhi etc., and also ignorance, desire, and action—these eight ‘cities‘ together constitute the subtle body.

            The subtle body, called sukshma sareera, is the second layer of the body which is subtler than the gross body and hence invisible but tangible.  While the gross body perishes at physical death, subtle body continues in another physical body.  All the different parts of the subtle body are grouped into 8 cities in this verse.  They are: -  1) five organs of action, karmendriyas, like speech; 2) five organs of perception, jnanendriyas, like ears; 3) five pranas; 4) five subtle elements beginning with space; 5) four-fold inner instrument, anthakaranam, like buddhi; 6) ignorance, avidya; 7) desire, kama; and 8) action, karma.  Describing them as cities conveys the message that each one is a role player in the functioning of the body. Avidya, ignorance, in this context means adhyasa or superimposition. Kama can be taken as the desire to do action.  Manas, mind; buddhi, intellect; chitham, memory; and ahamkaram, ego; constitute anthakaranam.  Karmendriyas are; speech, hands, legs, anus and the genitals.  Jnanendriyas are ear, eyes, tongue, nose, and skin. These are not the visible hardware but the invisible software, subtle organs, generated by satva, rajas aspect of the subtle elements called tanmatras. 

Verse 29

idam sariram srnu suksmasamjnitam,

lingam tvapanchikrtabhutasambhavam|

savasanam karmaphalanubhavakam,

svajnanato’nadirupadhiratmanah ||97॥

svapno bhavatyasya vibhaktyavastha,

svamatrasesena vibhati yatra ||98॥

Know that this subtle body is also called the linga Sareera.  It is produced from the subtle elements and is possessed of the latent impressions (vasanas), and it causes an individual to experience the fruits of one‘s past actions i.e. punya and papa. It is the beginningless upadhi for the Jivathma brought about by its own ’ignorance‘.  Dream is the state when this (subtle body) is distinctly in expression, where it expresses all by itself, without the physical body.

            The subtle body is also known as linga sareera.  Since it helps in knowing the Athma,the subtle body is called lingaṃ.  Lingam means that which reveals. Further only if subtle body is present, a person is alive and if it is not there the person is dead.  So this sareera becomes an indication, to know Jiva’s presence in the body and so is called lingam. The subtle body is born of subtle elements, tanmatras i.e. ungrossified elements. It has got the impressions of previous experiences called vasanas that influence one as a kartha to do the same action.  Vasanas are the seeds or the subconscious tendencies which the mind has inherent in it. The subtle body also experiences the karma-phala which is in the form of punya and papa. The Athma in association with the subtle body gains the status of Jiva – doer, enjoyer, knower and so on.  Therefore the subtle body is called the upadhi of Athma.  An upadhi is that which throws its attributes on another thing which is in proximity.  The subtle body is beginningless.   It remains in unmanifest form at the time of dissolution and comes to manifest at the time of creation.  With the subtle body alone (without identification with the physical body) one experiences the dream which is distinct from the waking state.

Verse 30

sarvavyaprtikaranam lingam, idam syacchidatmanah pumsah |

vasyadikamiva taksnah, tenaivatma bhavatyasango’yam ||100॥

As the tools of a carpenter are his instruments, so this subtle body is an instrument for all activities of the Self (Athma), which is of the nature of Consciousness. The Self, Athma, therefore, is perfectly unattached.

            The subtle body is compared to the tools of a carpenter.  The carpenter needs tools like chisel to carry out his job. But the tools themselves, without carpenter, cannot perform any action.  Similarly, the subtle body becomes a tool for the person for doing various activities. But the subtle body by itself without the presence of Consciousness cannot perform any action.  So the doership is falsely attributed to Athma, the Consciousness.  Athma is not a doer, but without Athma, there is no doer.  Athma only appears to be a karta-bhokta when associated with sukshma sareera, but it is really unattached, asanga, only.

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