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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