Jvara and Anujvara

 

            Jvara and Anujvara are two Sanskrit words used by Swami Vidyaranya in the seventh chapter of his work “Panchadasi”.  Of these two, the word ‘Jvara’ is popular in regional languages also.  This word literally means fever and by extension it means all forms of illnesses i.e. all forms of diseases that can affect a human-being. Scriptures say that human body consists of three layers called sthula sareeram, sukshma sareeram and karana sareeram i.e. physical, subtle and causal bodies. Sthula sareeram, physical body is visible to oneself as well as to others. Sukshma sareeram, subtle body, is not visible to oneself but one is conscious of it and it is known to him but it is neither visible nor known to others. Karana sarreram is not known or visible either to oneself or to others. All these three bodies are subject to Jvara, illnesses.

            In the ayurvedic system the illnesses that afflict the physical body are classified into three groups as vada, pitta and kapam with their combinations, deficiencies and increase, causing countless diseases.  They come under sthula sareera jvarah.  All the emotional problems affecting the mind come under sukshma sareera jvara.  They are kama, krodha, lobha, moha, madha, matsarya, depression, worry, fear, anxiety, restlessness etc.  Still deeper, within sukshma sareeram is karana sareeram. And karana sareeram is afflicted with the effects of Sanchita karmas which are also jvaras.   Sanchitha karmas are the accumulated punya, papa karmas of this and all the previous janmas that yield results, good and bad, in their own time and not subject to one’s control.

             Thus one has got jvara at all the three levels; sthula, sukṣhma, karaṇa sareeram.  Swami Vidyaranya says here (7-227) “ete jvaraḥ sarireshu trishu svabhavika mataḥ.( These afflictions are said to be natural to the three bodies)”   This means that the bodies have got the three jvaras naturally and intrinsically and  one can never totally eliminate them. In fact, he warns in the second line (7-227) “viyoge tu jvaraistani sariranyeva nasate (When the bodies become free from them, they cease to function).” He gives an example also; if one removes the thread, just as cloth will not be there, if one removes clay just as pot will not be there; similarly without these jvaras totally, body will not be there.  So jvara-nivritti is not possible.  But though jvara nivritti is not possible, jvara samanam is possible i.e. dilution, reduction, and bringing down to manageable and tolerable level, is possible. This can be achieved by leading a religious way of life as per Vedic teaching.

                Religious way of life as per Vedic teaching is leading a life following the guidelines of karma yoga, bhakthi yoga and upasana yoga, which occur in the Veda-purva-bhaga.  The religious way of life prepares one for a spiritual way of life consisting of Jnana yoga, which comes under Veda-anta-bhagha.  The religious way of life consisting of karma yoga, bhakthi yoga and upasana yoga, is designed in such a way that it prepares a person for spiritual-way of life.  And spiritual-way of life is designed in such a manner that it will give fulfilment in a person’s life. And this spiritual-life alone can give compete-fulfilment in life, which is called moksha.

            The religious way of life enables one to adopt jvara samanam through the equanimity that one develops in this way of life which gives an attitude of tolerance and endurance which Lord Krishna advises Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita (2-14)

Maatrasparshastu kaunteya sitoshnasukhaduhkhadah;

Aagamapayino’nityaas tamstitikshasva bharata. (2-14)

The contacts of the senses with the objects, O son of Kunti, which cause heat and cold and pleasure and pain, have a beginning and an end; they are impermanent; endure them bravely, O Arjuna!

Jvara samanam can also be called the process of FIR reduction; where ‘F’ stands for frequency of emotional disturbances and health disturbances; ‘I’ stands for intensity of disturbances and ‘R’ stands for recovery-period from disturbances.  Reduction in the frequency of mental and/or physical disturbances, reduction in the intensity as well as the recovery period as and when they happen are facilitated by the disciplines of religious life and the mental attitude it fosters.

            

            All the three bodies, sthula, sukshma and karana are like the three costumes one wears for interacting with the outside world.  Singly or severally they are not one’s Real Self. One’s Real Self is Athma, which is not an object of experience and the three bodies are called anathma.  Athma is essentially the all-pervading, all-powerful Brahman which none of the jvaras that afflict the anathma can affect.  Ignorance of this fact makes one suffer samsara and imagine that he is affected by all the jvaras that affect anathma.  This Self-ignorance is rooted in karana sareeram and is called Anujvara as, like the jvaras, it also causes emotional and physical disturbances at the level of the bodies because of wrong identification of one’s Real Self with anathma. But it is an intellectual problem caused by Self-mis–perception and correct knowledge of the nature of Self can help one to get rid of it.

            

                Through the spiritual life prescribed in the Vedic teaching consisting of Jnana yoga one attains Athma Jnanam and understands one's Real nature as Athma and frees oneself of identification with the anathma sareera-triam.  This brings about a change in one’s outlook which can be summarized in the following five capsule statements:

1)    My real nature is Athma, the eternal all-pervading Consciousness

2)    Being Athma, I am the only source of permanent peace, security and happiness for myself.

3)    I experience the anatma sareera-triam as a witness by my mere presence and through the anathma sareera-triam experience the world.

4)     As Athma, I am nitya-muktha and free from all jvaras as jvaras happen only in anathma sareera-triam.

5)    By forgetting my real nature, I convert life into a burden and by remembering my real nature I convert life into a blessing.

Defining and differentiating jvara and anujvara and pointing out that jvara-nivṛtti is not possible, only jvara samanam is possible and that is achieved through efficient karma, bhakthi and upasana yogas and anujvara-nivṛtti is possible through jnana yoga, is thus an important teaching of Swami Vidyaranya in the seventh chapter of Panchadasi.

(adapted from the talk of Swami Paramarthananda)