Vivekachudamani – 14

 

Select verses 68 to 73

Verse 68

sadbrahmakaryam sakalam sadaiva, sanmatrametanna tato’nyadasti |

astiti yo vakti na tasya mohah, vinirgato nidritavat prajalpaḥ ||230||

So too, the entire universe, being the effect of the Real Brahman, is Brahman itself and nothing else. It is of the essence of That and it cannot exist apart from That.  Anyone who says it does, is still under delusion like one talking in intense sleep.

Verse 69

brahmaivedam visvamityeva vani, srauti brutetharvanistha varistha |

tasmadetad brahmamatram hi visvam, nadhisthanadbhinnataropitasya||231II

Truly, this entire universe is Brahman—this is the declaration of the Atharva Veda. Therefore, this universe is Brahman alone, for a superimposition has no existence apart from its substratum.

    Brahman is the cause and universe is the effect.  This means that universe has no independent existence apart from Brahman and Brahman as the cause pervades the effect, universe. So for a man of realisation, the talk of universe as a separate entity apart from Brahman, appears as a meaningless prattle like talking in sleep.  Mundakopanishad (2.2.11), which forms part of Atharva Veda, says:

“brahmaivedamamrtam purastad brahma pascad brahma daksinatascottarenaI 

adhascordhvaṃ ca prasrtam brahmaivedam visvamidaṃ varistham II

That immortal Brahman alone is before, that Brahman is behind, that Brahman is to the right and left. Brahman alone pervades everything above and below; this universe is that Supreme Brahman alone.”

    Brahman being the cause forms substratum for the effect, the universe. Being a superimposition, universe does not have the same degree of Reality as the substratum though it may have experienceability, utility and transactability as dream-world also has experienceability, utility and transactability for a dreamer in dream and yet seen as unreal on waking up. Same way waking-world, the universe is seen as unreal on realisation after acquisition of Athma Vidya.  Universe has no independent Real existence apart from the adhishtanam, Brahman, which is one only without second.

Verse 70

satyam yadi syajjagadetadatmanah, anantatvahaninigamapramanata |

asatyavaditvamapisituh syad, naitat trayam sadhu hitam mahatmanam||232II

If the universe, as it is, is Real, the Self (Athma) would not be Infinite, the scriptures would be false, the Lord himself would be guilty of having spoken an untruth. None of these three is considered either desirable or beneficial by the Great Ones.

Verse 71

isvaro vastutattvajnah, na cahamm tesvavasthitah|

na ca matsthani bhutani, ityevameva vyaciklpat ||233||

The Lord, the knower of the Reality of all things, has expressly declared: "I do not abide in them, and nor do beings abide in Me."

    If one says that the universe is Real, there would be following contradictions:

1)    Destruction of limitlessness of Brahman – Brahman is All-pervading and Infinite as per Upanishads. If universe is Real, then it would condition Brahman rendering it limited.

2)    Falsification of scriptures – The scriptures declare that Brahman only is Real and the universe is unreal. If world is also Real, it will amount to falsifying the scriptures.

3)    The Lord becomes a liar – The Lord is the revealer of the truth of Upanishads. If the Upanishadic declarations are false, it would amount to dubbing the Lord who revealed them as liar.

Great rishis who are Brahma Jnanis will not accept the conclusions and so the world is not Real. Further Lord Krishna, who is an avatar of Iswara, declares in Bhagavad Gita (9-4,5);

mayaa tatamidam sarvam jagadavyaktamoortinaa;I

matsthaani sarvabhootaani na chaaham teshvavasthitah.II9-4II

All this world is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest aspect; all beings exist in Me, but I do not dwell in them

na cha matsthaani bhootaani--- (9-5); Nor do beings exist in me (in reality)---.

    That means universe is not independent of the Lord, but Lord is independent of the universe.  Lord establishes the mithyatva of the universe and satyatva of Brahman through this declaration, “I am not in them; They are not in me in reality”.  Universe is only apparently Real as superimposed on Brahman and as a superimposed entity is not Real in itself.  So,only Brahman is the only Reality.

Verse 72

yadi satyam bhavedvisvam, susuptavupalabhyatam |

yannopalabhyate kincid, ato’satsvapnavanmrsa ||234||

If the universe were real, it would have been perceived even in the deep-sleep state. Since it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal like a dream.

Verse 73

atah prthannasti jagatparatmanah, prthakpratitistu mrsa gunahivat|

aropitasyasti kimarthavatta, adhisthanamabhati tatha bhramena ||235||

Therefore, the world has no existence apart from the Supreme Self and the appearance of its separateness is false like the appearance of a snake in a rope. Can a superimposition have any real existence apart from its own substratum? Through delusion, it is the substratum itself which appears like that.

    The world is perceptible to one during the waking stage only.  The pluralistic world is no more perceived during dream state and deep sleep state. Satyam (Reality) is that which remains unchanged in all the three periods of “Time”, i.e. waking, dream and deep sleep. The pluralistic world ends in dream and deep sleep state and manifests again in the waking state.  Even in the waking state, where it is available for cognition, it is not constant but undergoes change. So the world is as real to a waker as the dream-world is to the dreamer in dream state. That means the waking world is also unreal and is a projection of one’s mind. The world does not have an independent existence apart from Brahman and is only a superimposition on Brahman.  Being a superimposition, world has no separate existence from Brahman, the substratum. Acharya gives the example of rope-snake to illustrate the point.  In dim light where a rope is mistaken for a snake, fear lasts until a bright light reveals the truth of rope.  Same way the mistaken delusion of world being real lasts until the guru with the help of sastra pramanam reveals to the sishya the nature of the world as superimposition on Brahman, the adhishtanam.  The world having dependant existence is mithya only in relation to Brahman, that is Real, without a second.

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Vivekachudamani – 13

 

Select verses 62 to 67

Verse 62

sishyah uvacha

mithyatvena nisiddhesu, kosesvetesu panchasu |

sarvabhavam vina kincid, na pasyamyatra he guro |

vijneyam kimu vastvasti, svatmana’tmavipascita ||212||

Sishya asked, “Oh Guru, after negating these five sheaths as unreal, I find nothing but an absence of everything.  Is there indeed any vasthu to be known as oneself by the one who is adept in the deliberation upon the self?”.

            The Buddhist ideology of sunyavada i.e. “emptiness is Reality”, is being taken up here in the form of a question from the disciple.  The disciple asks, “When I negate the five sheaths as not Real, I find only an empty void, total absence of everything.  What is there a wise man can find?”.  Nihilists argue on this basis that pure non-existence is the ultimate Truth.  Guru, happy that the disciple is listening and asking a relevant question proceeds to answer him, rebutting the sunyavada argument.

Verse 63

sriguruh uvacha

satyamuktam tvaya vidvan, nipuno’si vicharane |

ahamadivikaraste, tadabhavo’yamapyanu ||213||

Verse 64

sarve yenanubhuyante, yah svayam nanubhuyate |

atamatmanam veditaram, viddhi buddhya susuksmaya ||215||

 Guru said - Rightly you have spoken, O learned one. You are indeed clever in your ability to discriminate. Through an extremely subtle intellect may you know the one by whom the modifications of the ego as well as its absence, are experienced but who himself is not experienced, as the Self, the ultimate knower.” 

    Guru replies encouragingly complimenting the disciple on his intelligent and reasonable doubt.  Beginning with ego, the various modifications form the kosas.  The ego itself is the modification of vritti in the form of kartha-bhoktha.  Athma is the one by whom all the modifications are illumined and objectified but Itself is neither illumined nor objectified by anything.  It is Athma that illumines their absence as well in deep sleep. Guru is telling the disciple in this verse “That which you had never experienced but because of which you had all your experiences that is in fact your Self, the Athma who knew them all as witness.  It is the “principle of knowledge” in whose presence all knowledge is rendered possible. It can be known only through the intellect made very subtle”

Verse 65

jagratsvapnasusuptisu sphutataram, yo’sau samujjrmbhate

pratyagrupataya sadhamahamiti, antah sphurannekadha |

nanakaravikarabhagina iman, pasyannahamdhimukhan

nityanandachidatmana sphurati tam, viddhi svametam hrdi ||217||

That which clearly manifests itself in the waking, dream and deep-sleep states; that which shines inside uniformly and continuously as “I” - ”I”; witnesses the ego, the intellect etc., which are of different forms and modifications, which shines in the form of Ananda and Consciousness that is not subject to Time.

            The Athma is explained further in this verse.  Athma reveals itself in one’s buddhi as aham aham, “I”, “I” and not as an object of the word “this”.  Again, it reveals itself always in one form which means it is not the ahamkara, which undergoes change all the time and is not present during deep sleep.  Athma reveals itself by illumining the ego etc. and It is present in all the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep as the innermost Self, the witness, without undergoing any change.  The day-to-day modifications and forms are experienced by the Jiva, the false self, which is identified with the various sheaths. Due to its identification with the sheaths, it is impossible for Jiva to be their witness.  Athma is “I” thought only, free from anything else and shines in the buddhi as Ananda and Consciousness, that is limitless and not subject to any modifications, - “nithyanandachitadmana”. 

Verse 66

brahmabhinnatvavijnanam, bhavamoksasyakaranam |

yenadvitiyamanandam, brahma sampadyate budhaih ||223||

The cause for liberation from transmigration (samsara) is the realisation of identity of one’s Self with Brahman. By means of this, the wise attain Brahman, the one-without-a-second, the Bliss-Absolute.

Verse 67

satyam jnanamanantam brahma, visuddham param svatah siddham |

nityanandaikarasam pratyag-abhinnam nirantaram jayati ||225|

Brahman is Existence-Knowledge-Limitless, extremely pure, Supreme (beyond Maya), Self-evident, Eternal, Indivisible-Bliss, absolutely without parts and is always available as not different from one’s inmost Self. 

    Theoretical book-knowledge is called Jnanam and a full subjective experience is called direct knowledge, Vijjnanam.  The realisation of one’s identity with Brahman, the universal Self, is the cause for Liberation, Moksha, that liberates one from the cycle of birth and death.  Brahman is one without second, Bliss absolute. Taittreya Upanishad (2.1.1) says “Satyam, Jnanam, Anantham Brahma i.e. Brahman is Existence, Knowledge Infinite”.  These words are to be understood as the svarupa lakshana of Brahman.  Brahman is visuddha, always pure. Everything else is superimposed on it and what is superimposed does not taint It. Again it is para, Supreme, that which is beyond Maya.  From the standpoint of Brahman there is no Maya. Further Brahman is not dependent on anything for its existence or evidence.  It is “nityanandaikarasam”, Bliss limitless that is not subject to Time, not subject to comparison i.e. eternal, incomparable, unalloyed, Bliss.  It is not separate from one’s Self and as Kenopanishad (2.4) points out it is available as an integral part of every experience of oneself.

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Vivekachudamani – 12

 

Select verses 57 to 61

Verse 57

anandapratibimbacumbitatanuh, vrittistamojrmbhita

syadanandamayah priyadigunakah, svesṭarthalabhodayah |

punyasyanubhave vibhati krtinam, anandarupah svayaṃ

bhutva nandati yatra sadhu tanubhrd-matrah prayatnam vina || 207 II

The Anandamaya-kosa (bliss-sheath), is that modification born of avidya; pervaded by the reflection of the Self, which is Bliss Absolute.  Pleasure etc. are its attributes and it springs into view at the time of experiencing punya. At that time everyone who has a body rejoices well without effort, becoming that very Ananda itself.

Verse 58

anandamayakosasya, susuptau sphurttirutkata |

svapnajagarayorisad, istasandarsanadina ||208||

The anandamaya kosa is fully manifest in the deep-sleep state. While in the dream and waking states it is only partially manifest depending upon the sight of desired objects etc.

The above two verses give the definition and function of anandamaya kosa.  In Tattva Bodha, anandamaya kosa is described as established in avidya, which is the form of karana sareera.  Anandamayakosa consists of 3 types of vrittis or conditions or states, known as priya, moda and pramoda. These are three degrees of intensity of the happiness. Priya is the least intense and is experienced when the object is merely seen; Moda is a little more intense and is experienced when the object is possessed; and Pramoda is the most intense, experienced when the object is actually in contact or being enjoyed.  Anandamaya shines for people who have done punya karmas.  When punya arises because of the punya karma done in this life or earlier lives, there is happiness and anandamaya shines.  At that time, the Jiva having become the very Ananda itself rejoices well without any ahamkara. There is no effort or will in this state.  Will or effort is needed to reach that state only.  The anandamaya is a kosa, as though, for it covers the nature of Athma which is one of permanent bliss.  The anandamaya kosa is fully manifest in deep sleep - as ahamkara is resolved in deep sleep; as there is no identification with the body etc. and so free from problems related to body etc.; and as Ananda is unaffected by any other vritti.  All Ananda, including the one in deep sleep is svarupananda only.  In waking and dream states, there are other vrittis as well that curtail the quality and duration of Ananda.  Ananda takes place in the waking and dream state whenever one is in an environment which is conducive to one’s vasanas, when the mental agitations are temporarily quietened. 

Verse 59

naivayamanandamayah paratma, sopadhikatvat Prakrtervikarat |

karyatvahetoh sukrtakriyayah, vikarasamghatasamahitatvat ||209||

The anandamaya-kosa cannot be the Supreme Self because it has attributes which are ever-changing. It is a modification of Prakriti, is an effect of good actions of the past, and it lies embedded in the other sheaths which are themselves all modifications.

            The anandamaya kosa cannot be the Athma because:

1)    Anandamaya has a upadhi.  A particular vritti of the mind is the upadhi of anandamaya.  Athma does not depend on any upadhi for its existence

2)    The mind itself is born of Maya. In the mind Ananda reflects itself in a particular type of vritti which is called anandamaya.  So it is Prakriti-vikara, a modification of Prakriti. But Prakriti itself is dependent on Athma.

3)    Anandamaya manifests as a result of good and meritorious actions of the past. So it belongs to the realm of the effect, not of the cause. As an effect it cannot be the Athma that is cause only.

4)    Depending upon conducive situation, anandamaya is born of the senses and mind that are an assemblage of modifications.  Being born of various forms of modification, the anandamaya cannot be the Athma.

Verse 60

panchanamapi kosanam, nisedhe yuktitah sruteh |

tannisedhavadhih sakshi, bodharupo’vasisyate ||210||

When the five sheaths have been negated through reasoning based upon Sruthi, then at the culmination of the process what remains as substratum, is the Sakshi in the form of knowledge, the Self.

Verse 61

yo’yamathma svayamjyotih, panchakosavilaksanah |

avasthatrayasakshi san, nirvikaro niranjanah |

sadanandah sa vijneyah, svatmatvena vipaschita ||211||

This Athma is Self-effulgent and distinct from the five-sheaths. It is the witness of the three states, is Real, is without modifications, is unsullied and bliss everlasting. The wise one should realize It as one‘s own true self.

            When all the five sheaths viz. annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya, vijnanamaya and anandamaya, are negated as anathma through Sruthi based Viveka, what remains is the Sakshi, Athma, as something other than the five kosas which constitute sareera triam.  Athma is the changeless substratum for all the changes in the body-mind complex, pervading all the five sheaths. Athma has no form as It is in the form of knowledge and remains as Sakshi when all the five sheaths are negated as anathma through scripture based logic.  Athma is of the nature of the light of Consciousness, Self-effulgent.  Athma is present in all the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep as the witness.  It is always pure, not tainted by any association. It is always of the nature of unalloyed Ananda and a wise one with Athma Jnanam will realise It as one’s true Self.

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Vivekachudamani – 11

 

Select verses 50 to 56

Verse 50

jnanendriyani ca manasca manomayah syat,

koso mamahamiti vastuvikalpahetuh |

samjnadibhedakalanakalito baliyan,

tatpurvakosamabhipurya vijrmbhate yah ||167||

The organs of perception along with the mind form the manomaya kosa which is the sole cause of the “I” and “mine” sense and of the diversity of things. It is powerful and is endowed with the essential faculty of creating differences of names etc. It pervades the pranamaya, the kosa preceding it.

            The mind together with the five Jnanendriyas viz. eyes, ear, nose, tongue (sense of taste) and skin, constitute the manomaya kosa, the mental sheath.  It is subtler than pranamaya and annamaya and pervades them both.  The various objects of the world are divided by manomaya into ‘mine’ and ‘not mine’.   Therefore, there is mamakara and ahamkara with respect to the physical body.  The mind identifies with one body alone and in the manomaya there is ‘aham buddhi’.  Except for the involuntary functions, the voluntary functions performed by pranamaya kosa and annamaya kosa are controlled by the manomaya kosa.  Manomaya is that powerful force which creates all the apparent differences in the world of pluralistic experiences.  Manomaya includes all forms of emotions as well, as every emotion is a mental modification, vritti, and manomaya is also a cause for all adhyasa.

Verse 51

manomayo napi bhavet paratma,

hyadyantavatvat parinamibhavat |

duhkhatmakatvad visayatvahetoh,

drasta hi dṛsyatmataya na drstah ||183||

The mental-sheath cannot be the Supreme Self either, for it has a beginning and an end. It is subject to modifications; pain and suffering characterize it and it is an “object” of cognition. The “subject” can never be the “object” of knowledge. [Or the seer (subject) can never become the seen (object)].

            Acharya gives five reasons to prove that manomaya cannot be the Athma, the Self. They are:

1)    The mind has a beginning and an end.  When one wakes up from the sleep, the mind begins to function.  When in deep sleep it ceases to function. Athma has neither beginning nor end.  It is eternal and infinite.  So the ephemeral, finite mind cannot be Athma.

2)    Even while it exists, the mind is fickle, ever-changing.  At one moment sorrowful, at another it becomes joyful, now peaceful, now agitated. So the changing mind cannot be changeless Athma, whose nature is eternal bliss.

3)    The very fabric of the mind is joy and sorrow, while Athma’s nature is one of eternal, infinite Bliss.

4)    Manomaya is an object of cognition. Whatever happens to one's mind is known to the one, is seen by the one. So it is only drisya, seen, while Athma is ever drik, seer, and cannot be objectified at all.

5)    The mind is identified with the objects.  Through the world of objects mind looks at itself.  Athma being the knowing principle does not identify with objects.

Verse 52

buddhirbuddhindriyaih sardham, savrttih kartrlaksanah |

vijnanamayakosah syat, pumsah samsarakaranam ||184||

The buddhi, intellect, with its thought modifications and the organs of perception together form the intellectual-sheath (vijnanamaya-kosa). It has the characteristics of the doer and is the cause of samsara for the person.

            The intellect, buddhi, together with the five Jnanendriyas viz. eyes, ear, nose, tongue (sense of taste) and skin, constitute the vijnanamaya kosa, the intellectual sheath.  The Aham vritti, “I am”, is produced in the intellect.  This “I-thought” becomes a component of every other thought that passes through the mind.  Vijnanamaya being the locus of “I” thought, becomes the subject - knower and doer. Everything else is idam-vritti or object.  Again vijnanamaya is kartha and manomaya is karana and so vijnanamaya is interior to manomaya, not physically, but with reference to a situation.  Being the kartha, it becomes the cause for samsara for the person.  It is the cause for both the perpetuation as well as the elimination of samsara, which is rooted in Self-ignorance.

Verse 53

anuvrajaccitpratibimbasaktih,

vijnanasamjnah prakrtervikarah |

jnanakriyavan ahamityajasram,

dehendriyadisvabhimanyate bhrsam ||185||

Accompanied by a reflection of the light of consciousness, the vijnanamaya kosa is a modified form of Prakriti having the function of knowledge and action and is always completely identified with the body, sense-organs, etc., as “I”

Verse 54

anadikalo’yamahaṃsvabhavah,

jivassamastavyavahravodha |

karoti karmanyapi purvavasanah,

punyanyapunyani ca tatphalani ||186||

It is without beginning, is of the nature of the ego (I-sense), and is called the Jiva, embodied self, which carries out the entire range of activities on the relative plane. It performs good and evil actions according to its previous latent tendencies, and experiences their results.

Verse 55

bhunkte vicitrasvapiyonisu vrajan,

ayati niryatyadha urdhvamesah |

asyaiva vijnanamayasya jagratsvapnadyavasthah

sukhaduhkhabhogah ||187||

It comes and goes, up and down, taking birth in various bodies. The waking, dream and other states, and the experiences of joy and sorrow, belong to this vijnanamaya kosa

Pure Consciousness is everywhere as the substratum of everything that exists. Vijnanamaya has the capacity to reflect the Consciousness and the vijnanamaya with reflected Consciousness becomes sentient and is conscious of everything.  So it becomes a knower-doer, acting through the body and sense-organs.  When the vijnanamaya uses the word ‘I’, it is not confined to the buddhi alone. But it extends to the manomaya, which is its instrument and with which it identifies. It identifies with pranamaya and annamaya also, which are also its instruments only. The vijnanamaya alone identifies with other kosas and the identification is total and complete, resulting in it being mistaken for Athma until one gains the Athma jnanam.  And, vijnanamaya is a product of the samashti satvaguna of the 5 subtle elements, which themselves are products of Prakriti.   It is beginningless like the Prakrithi, that is Maya, of which it is a product.  As the essential Jiva – the “I-sense” – is produced in the intellect, from where it spreads to all the other kosas, vijnanamaya kosa itself is spoken of as being Jiva itself, who is undergoing the entire human experience, birth after birth from beginningless time.  The vijnanamaya does various karmas and experiences the results in the form of sukha and dukkha and also carries the baggage of karma from janma to janma as vasanas that influence fresh karmas.  The vijnanamaya undergoes the waking experience, dream experience and deep sleep experience as well that makes one say on getting up “I slept well”.  It is vijnanamaya that owns up these states of experiences.

Verse 56

ato nayaṃ paratma syat, vijnanamayasabdathah |

vikaritvajjadatvacca, paricchinnatvahetutah |

dṛsyatvad vyabhicharitvad, nanityo nitya isyate ||206||

The intellectual sheath, vijnanamaya kosa, cannot be supreme Self, because It is subject to change, it is inert and insentient, it is limited, it is an object of perception and it is not constant. The non-eternal, indeed, cannot be considered to be the eternal.

            Vijnanamaya kosa cannot be the Athma for the following reasons:

1)    Vinanamaya kosa is subject to change (vikaritvat).  Its roles keep changing from seer to hearer, thinker, doer, enjoyer etc.  Athma is changeless and ever the same

2)    Vijnanamaya kosa is insentient, inert (jada).  It becomes sentient only with borrowed sentiency. Athma is sentient and self-effulgent

3)    Vijnanamaya kosa is limited (paricchinna), in the sense that it is not all-pervasive, being limited to one body. Athma is all-pervasive and is not limited in terms of time, space and object.

4)    Vijnanamaya kosa is drsya, seen, being the object of the sakshi. Athma is the sakshi that illumines the intellect and is the subject.

5)    Vijnanamaya kosa is not constantly present (vyabichari). In deep sleep intellect is not available and also in conditions like swooning or under chloroform. Athma is always present.

6)    Vijnanamaya kosa, even though anadhi, is anithya.  Athma is eternal.

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Vivekachudamani – 10

Select verses 45 to 49

Verse 45

munjadisikamiva drsyavargat, pratyancamatmanamasangamakriyam |

vivicya tatra pravilapya sarvam, tadatmana tisthati yah sa muktah ||153II

The person who separates all sense-objects, perceived, felt and thought of, from the subjective, unattached, actionless Self—like the enveloping sheaths separated from the tender core of the munja grass— is free, for having resolved everything with the Self, through knowledge, that person remains ever established in the Self (Athma)

            In answer to the seventh question, “How is the discriminative analysis between Athma and anathma to be done?”; Acharya starts discussion on the process of Self-enquiry, from this verse. So this verse is an introduction to the whole Athma-anathma-viveka.  Jivathma is a mixture of Athma and anathma.  Athma is the true Self i.e. Consciousness and anathma is the pancha kosas, annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya, vijnanamaya and anandamaya kosas that is the equivalent of sareera triam. The process of differentiating the Athma from the pancha kosas is called pancha kosa Viveka.  There is no physical segregation involved but only an intellectual exercise of separating the Athma from the pancha kosas with whom It is closely involved, is to be done. The care to be exercised is compared to taking the stalk out of the Munja grass without breaking it. Munja is the name of a long grass that has very fine and sharp edges. If one carelessly handles it, it will cut one’s fingers. So one cannot just pluck it casually, but do it very carefully.  This comparison is also given in Kathopanishad (2-3-16):” ----One should separate Him (Athma) from one’s body like a stalk from the Munja grass---.”  The process of separation, pancha kosa Viveka, will be explained in succeeding verses. Once he separates the actionless, unattached eternal Athma from the anathma and identifies one’s Self with the Athma and internalises this knowledge then one will be established in the knowledge as “Aham Brahmasmi” and be a liberated person.

Verse 46

deho’yamannabhavano’nnamayastu kosah,

cannena jivati vinasyati tadvihinah |

tvakcarmamamsarudhirasthipurisarasih,

nayaṃ svayam bhavitumarhati nityasuddhah ||154||

The body is a product of food. It constitutes the annamaya kosa. It exists because of food and dies without it. It is a bundle of skin, flesh, blood, bones, and filth. Never can it be the self-existing, eternally pure Self.

From this verse starts pancha kosa anathma – Athma Viveka, shortly pancha kosa Viveka. Here the enquiry that the kosa is not the Athma is done at every level starting from annamaya kosa, the gross body.   The body is called annamaya kosa because it has come into being from the assimilated food of the parents and it is nourished by the food it consumes.  Further the body is not a single entity.  It is an assemblage of skin, flesh, blood, bones and the filth of excretions.  Athma is pure and eternal while the body is mortal and impure needing regular cleaning of its parts. So the anitya asuddha body cannot be the nitya suddha Athma.  Therefore, annamaya kosa is anathma only and not the Athma.

Verse 47

purvam janerapi mrteratha nayamasti,

jataksanaksanaguno’niyatasvabhavah |

naiko jadasca ghatavat paridrsyamanah,

svathma katham bhavati bhavavikaravetta ||155||

Before its birth it does not exist, nor does it continue to be after its death. It lasts only for a short period. Its qualities are fleeting and by nature subject to change. It is diverse and inert and a sense-object, seen like a jar. How then can it be the Self—the Witness of all changes in all things?

            The vast distinction between the unchanging Athma, the Self, and the ever-changing body, the annamaya kosa is made more clear in this verse. This body did not exist before the birth and even after birth keeps on changing every moment, even as it breathes in and out.  Athma as sakshi, the witness, is the knower of all the modifications of the body i.e. asthi, exists; jayate, is born; vardhate, grows; viparninamate, undergoes changes; apakshiyate, declines; and vinasyati, perishes; but by Itself does not undergo any modification or change.  Again the body is insentient, while Athma is sentient. The body is drisya, seen, like a pot.  Being drisya it is vikaravat, subject to changes.  Athma is one aware of all the changes as sakshi and is not subject to change.  In short, body, the annamaya kosa, is anathma and not Athma, the Self because

1)    Body is insentient; Athma is sentient.

2)    Body continuously changes; Athma is changeless.

3)    Body consists of several parts; Athma is part-less.

4)    Body is mortal; Athma is eternal.

5)    Body is impure; Athma is always pure.

Verse 48

karmendriyaih pancabhirancito’yam, prano bhavet pranamayastu kosah|

yenatmavanannamayo’nupurnah, pravartate’sau sakalakriyasu ||165||

The prana along with the five organs-of-action, constitutes the pranamaya kosa, pervaded by which the annamaya kosa (physical body), becomes alive and performs all the activities of the physical body.

            This verse describes the pranamaya kosa.  Pranamaya kosa consists of pancha pranas viz.prana, apana,vyana, udana and samana, and the five karmendriyas viz. speech, hands, legs, anus and genitals. Prana keeps the body alive and in its absence the body becomes dead. It pervades the body and is present in every cell of the body.  So the pranamaya pervades the annamaya and makes the activities of body possible supplying energy to all its activities whether the activity is physical or mental.  But the pranamya also is not Athma, which will be explained in the next verse. 

Verse 49

naivatmayam pranamayo vayuvikarah,

gantaganta vayuvadantarbahiresah |

yasmatkincit kvapi na vettistamanistam,

svam vanyam va kincana nityam paratantrah ||166||

The pranamaya cannot be the Self (Athma) because it is a modification of the air (vayu).  Like air it enters the body and goes out of it, never knowing its joys or sorrows or those of others. It is ever dependent upon the Self (Athma).

            Pranamaya is anathma only and not Athma, the Self, for the following reasons:

1)    Prana is a modification of air, air representing pancha sukshma bhutani. whereas Athma is free of any modifications.

2)    Prana comes in and goes out during breathing and so it keeps moving and has movement.  Athma is all pervading and is free of movements

3)    Prana is inert, it has no sentiency.  It cannot think; thus it cannot know anything of the joys and sorrows which drive the Jiva to utilize Prana for its own purposes.  Athma is sentient

4)    Although subtler and therefore in control of the physical body, the Pranic sheath has subtler sheaths that control it and it is not independant.  Athma is independent and self-illuminating.

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