Athma and the body

(Athma Bodha 5)

Verse 15

Panchakosaadi Yogena Tat Tanmaya Iva Sthitah I

Suddhaatma Neelavastraadi Yogena Sphatiko Yathaa. II

Because of its identificaion with the five-sheaths the pure Athma appears to have borrowed their qualities upon Itself; as in the case of a crystal which appears to be endowed with blue colour when in contact with a blue cloth.

In the previous blog “The Upadhis or Conditioners”, we saw that this body is divided into gross, subtle and causal bodies and these three bodies are only upadhis for Athma that is beyond these three bodies, The same three bodies are divided into five layers called kosas, based on another functional angle.  Kosa means a sheath and it is as if they were the sheaths encasing the Athma.  The kosas are  Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya and Anandamaya in the increasing order of subtlety (For details refer to Blog no.80, Kosa Panchakam (Tattva Bodha-3)).  As Athma is beyond the three bodies, it is beyond the five kosas as well. But because of its association with the five kosas, It appears to have borrowed their functions upon itself. This is explained with a simile. A colourless, pure crystal appears to have the colour of the article it is associated with for the period of association.  For example when covered by a blue cloth, a pure colourless crystal looks like a blue crystal.   In the same way activities of Pancha kosas are mistakenly attributed to Athma.

Verse 16

Vapus Tushadibhih Kosaih Yuktam Yuktya Avaghaatatah I

Atmanam Antaram Suddham Vivichyaat Tandulam Yatha. II

Through discrimination and logical thinking, one should separate the Pure Self within from the sheaths as one separates the rice from the covering husk.

In this verse Athma is compared to the rice grain and the anathma of pancha kosas to the husk covering the rice grain.  Just as rice is obtained by pounding paddy and separating the husk and rice, we should through enquiry based on Athma anathma viveka intellectualiy separate the Pure Athma from the encircling anathma of five kosas.  This process of intellectual pounding is possible only through Athma Jnanam attained by the process of Sravanam, Mananam and Nitidyasanam.  So as per the verse, for one with a sharp and pure intellect who analyses with relentless precision based on sastraic declaration of one’s true identity with Brahman, the Self is seen independent of the five kosas that appear to cover It.

Verse 17

Sada Sarvagato Apyatmaa Na Sarvatra Avabhaasate I

Buddhaaveva Avabhaaseta Swaccheshu Pratibimbavat II

Though all-pervading Athma does not shine in everything; It is manifest only in the intellect tBuddhi), just as the reflection in a clean mirror (a reflecting medium).

Athma, the consciousness, is sarvagatah, i.e. it pervades everywhere.  But the manifestation of Athma is not everywhere.  It requires a medium for manifestation and Buddhi is the medium in which it manifests. This manifestation is called Chithabhasa or Chit prathibimba and this is the life principle.  Pratibimbaṁ means reflection. Just as a clear reflection is seen in a clean mirror, only in the pure Satvic intellect is Athma clearly seen to be “reflected”.

Verse18

Dehendriya Mano Buddhi Prakrutibhyo Vilakshanam I

Tadvrutti Sakshinam Vidya Atmaanam Raajavat Sada II

One should understand that the Atman is distinct from the body, senses, mind and intellect, all of which constitute the matter (Prakrti) and is the witness of their functions like the king (in a performance in the court).

A king is not a participant in the dance and drama in his court but only the witness. Like him Athma that we have seen as distinct and different from the three bodies, that constitute the matter, is only a witness of the activities of five kosas that is the drama of life.

Verse 19

Vyapruteshu Indriyeshu Atmaa Vyaapaareeva Avivekinaam I

Drusyate Abhreshu Dhavatsu Dhavanniva Yathaa Sasee.II

 As the moon appears to be running when the clouds move in the sky, to the non-discriminating person Athma appears to be active when really the sense-organs are active.

Athma is sakshi only, not a kartha nor a bhoktha. But due to its proximity to upadhis, an aviveki, a non-discriminating person, transfers doership from upadhis to Athma and to him it appears Athma is active and doing whereas It is independent of upadhis as well as of their actions.  This is compared to a child’s action.  In its innocence the child imagines moon as moving in the sky when it is really the clouds that are moving.

Verse 20

Atma Chaitanyam aasritya Dehendriya Manodhiyah I

Swakriyardheshu Vartante Suryaalokam Yatha Janaah. II

The body, senses, mind and intellect engage themselves in their respective activities depending upon (energized by the presence of) Consciousness, just as men work activated by the light of the sun.

Athma is a silent but energizing witness who by its very presence kindles Life in body, mind, senses and intellect which are matter only and makes it look as though they are sentient.  When the sun shines, peple are galvanised to engage in varied activities both good and bad in sunlight, but the sun is in no way responsible for their actions other than giving the light that motivates them to act.  Similarly in the presence of self-shining Athma, body, senses, mind and intellect carry out their respective activities with sentiency infused into them and for these actions of body, organs, mind and intellect, Athma is not responsible.

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Law of Karma and Videha Mukthi

Tattva Bodha - 8

Law of Karma states that every deliberate action one does, produces two types of results; one that  flows from the visible action called dhrishta phala, visible result and another that flows from the invisible motive behind the action called  adrishta phala. invisible result. The positive invisible result is called Punyam, with a pleasurable impact and the negative invisible result is called Papam with a painful impact. While the dhrishta phala fructifies soon after the action, the adrishta phala takes its time to fructify, maybe now or later in this janma or in next or in one of the subsequent janmas.  This uncertainty of the gestation period gives rise to three categories called, Agami Karma, Sanchitha Karma, and  Prarabhdha Karma. 

The actions wilfully performed by a Jeeva in human form with a sense of doership result in Punyas and Papas which come under Agami karma. Living beings other than humans have no sense of doership and no judgemental capacity to discriminate actions as good and bad and so they all have no Agami Karma.  Some of the Agami Karma may fructify during jeeva’s current lifetime.  The unfructified Agami Karma at death gets added to the unexhausted, accumulated stockpile of Karma called Sanchitha Karma. Sanchitha Karma is the unexhausted accumulated punyas and papas over the countless births in the past.   Cycle of birth and death continues until Sanchitha Karma is reduced to nil balance with no unfructified Agami Karma to add at the time of the death of Jeeva. 

Prarabhdha karma is that portion of Sanchitha Karma that comes to fruition at the time of Jeeva’s birth.  Prarabhdha Karma determines जातिः आयुः भोगाः (Jathihi, aayuh,bhoghah),  as per sutra 13 of Sadhana pada of Patanjali Yoga Sutra.   जातिः stands for environments of birth like birth in a particular country, society, family and other characteristics at birth like sex, defects or peculiarities. आयुः  stands for the life span. When Prarabhdha is totally exhausted death of the body occurs.  भोगाः stands for experiences of life pleasant, painful and mixed. Prarabhdha is commonly called fate or destiny.

So in a nutshell,  Agami Karma is the freshly acquired punya, papa in the current janma;  Sanchitha Karma the stockpile of unexhausted  Agami Karma  accumulated  over countless births and  Prarabhdha Karma  the portion of Sanchita Karma that matures at  jeeva’s birth to be exhausted in jeeva’s  lifetime.

Law of karma is not fatalism. Rightly understood it can be an antidote for fatalism.  From the study of Prarabhdha Karma we understand that past "I" as kartha is responsible for the present  "I".  Extending this logic we can say future "I" can be shaped by the present "I" as kartha by managing the circumstances intelligently in this janma.  So the responsibility for our future lies in our hands only and  that is why Sri Krishna says in Gita(6-5) “उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं (uddhareth athmanaathmanam)”- one should lift oneself by one’s own efforts. 

Every experience we undergo in our life is because of Prarabhdha Karma and Agami Karma i.e. our own actions in the present and past janmas.  So we cannot blame the world or any other beings for our experiences. When we understand this we will stop blaming the world or others for our sufferings; and accepting responsibility as a past or present karta, will improve our mental health.  So right understanding of the law will help us to stop blaming others or the world including God for our ills and sufferings.

We are experiencing in the present janma not only the Agami phalam (action done as current kartha) but also the Prarabhdha Phalam (action done as previous kartha).   That is the reason why some good people appear to suffer and some not so good people appear to prosper.  If the reason is rightly understood that it may be the effect of past karma, this understanding will help us retain our faith in the Lord and not turn cynical. 

Swami Paramatmananda talks of the availability of Prayaschitha Karma to mitigate the effects of Prarabhdha in his talk on Law of Karma.  Prarabhdham is adrishtam, not visible.  So this cannot be dealt with normally. Planetary positions as revealed in the horoscope give an indication of the Prarabhdha in store, but they themselves do not cause joy or sufferings.  Through the clock we see the time of sunrise and sunset but clock itself does not cause sunrise or sunset. By knowing what is in store for us, we can create an Agami, to counter or mitigate the Prarabhdha effects to come. This is called Prayaschitha Karma which like medicine can cure the disease or help to manage the disease or only be just a temporary palliative. In the case of weak Prarabhdha it can relieve the suffering, in intermediate case it can help to manage the suffering and in a strong case give the mental strength to accept it.  When the Prayaschitha is general it is called prayer, when it is specific, it is called parihara.

Before going into Videha mukthi let us see what happens to the bodies at the time of death. The gross body of ajnani as well as Jnani  disintegrates to merge with the Pancha bhuthas at death.  The subtle body and causal body of the ajnani along with the reflection of Chaithanyam in Sukshma Sareera, Chidabasa, leave the gross body to take up a new body according to the fructified portion of Sanchitha Karma, Prarabhdha Karma; and continues in the new body accumulating Agami Karma until the Prarabhdha Karma is exhausted when again it continues the journey in another new body with fresh Prarabhdha Karma.  Liberation from this cycle of journey from body to body is called Mukthi. What happens in Mukthi we can see from the life of Jnani.

A Jnani is one who is  firmly established in Athma Jnanam.  Whatever Sanchitha Karma was to his credit along with the unexhausted  Agami Karma in his account , they all get totally destroyed  on the date of his firm realization that he is neither the doer nor the enjoyer but only the witness Consciousness. This Sri Krishna points out in Bhagavat Gita (4-37) 

“यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन।(yathaidhamsi samiddhognih bhasmasath kuruthe Arjuna)

ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा ॥ (Jnangnih sarvakarmani bhasmasath kuruthe tatha)

As a blazing fire reduces all fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of Self-knowledge reduces all karma to ashes.

But this applies only to Sanchitha and Agami Karma.  Prarabhdha Karma has to be exhausted by living it through.  That is why we have seen Jnanis like Ramakrisna Paramahamsa and Ramana Maharishi suffering from body afflictions before death.  Their illness only brought grief to others but they remained indifferent to it with the firm conviction that it is only the body that is affected and they are not the affected body. Because of this Jnanam the Jnani lives as Muktha Purusha until death and is called Jeevanmuktha and his state is called Jeevanmukthi, liberation while living.  Agami karma does not accrue to him after he attains Jeevanmukthi as he has no sense of doership.  At death Jeevanmuktha’s  subtle body merges with the subtle bhuthas and the casual body gets liquidated as there is no residual karma to give rise to gross body or to sustain subtle body. Since the subtle body is dissolved,  Chithabasa, the reflected Consciousness, also gets dissolved  and the witness consciousness becomes one with the total Consciousness like pot space becoming one with the total space when pot is broken.  This is called Videha Mukthi, liberation at death.

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Athma - One's Real Self

Tattva Bodha - 5

The sthula sareera of an individual is matter only as the Pancha Bhuthas, of whose gross matter it is made of, are matter only.  The sukshma sareera is also matter only as it is made of subtle matter of these material Pancha Bhuthas.  The karana sareera is also matter only as it is nothing but the seed of these two bodies.  So all the three bodies of an individual are matter only, and do not contain a sentient substance. But the human body is sentient, conscious of itself and the environs and is capable of intelligently reacting to the environs and not inert like a table or chair which are matter only and not sentient.  From this we infer that there must be an independent inner sentient entity, Consciousness principle, lending sentience to sukshma, stula sareeras. That invisible inner entity, the Consciousness principle, is called Athma. Tattva Bhodha introduces Athma with these words:

स्थूलसूक्ष्मकारणशरीराद्व्यतिरिक्तः पञ्चकोशातीतः सन् अवस्थात्रयशाक्षी सच्चिदानन्दस्वरूपः सन् यस्तिष्ठति स आत्मा।(sthula sukshma karana sareerad vyathiriktaha panchakosatheethaha san avasthathraya sakshi sachidananda svarupaha san yas thishtathi sa Athma)

That which is other than the Sthula, Sukshma, Karana sareeras, beyond the five Kosas, the witness of the three Avasthas and of the nature of Sat, Chit and Anandha (Existence, Knowledge, Bliss) is Athma.

We had seen earlier that sentient Athma is different from three sareeras. Since five kosas are only the three sareeras seen from another angle Athma is beyond the five kosas as well. Avasthas relate to the sareeras, and Athma which is different from sareeras, exists only as a witness to the avasthas. These descriptions tell what Athma is not.  What is not Athma is referred to as anathma. So Sareera Thriam, Kosa Panchakam and Avastha Thriam all come under anathma. After describing Athma negatively by telling what it is not through the listing of the anathmas, the text proceeds to describe positively Athma as Sat, Chit, Anandha. They are not three separate attributes but the nature of this Consciousness principle, Athma, described in three different ways. 

Swami Paramatmananda lists the properties of Consciousness as follows:
1)    Consciousness is not a part, product or property of the body. It is not a part like hair, nails etc.; it is not a property like birth, growth etc., and it is not a product like enzymes, cells etc.
2)    Consciousness is an invisible, independent entity that pervades the body and makes it alive.  Kena Upanishad describes in Mantra 2 thus:

श्रोत्रस्यश्रोत्रं मनसो मनो यद् वाचोहवाचं स उ प्राणस्यप्राणः। (strosya strotram manaso mano yad vachohavacham sa u pranasya pranaha)

चक्षुषश्चक्षुः (chakshushas chakshuhu)

Ear of the ear, mind of the mind, speech of speech, prana of prana and eye of eye.  

That  means Consciousness is the power behind all the faculties of the body that makes them carry out their respective functions.
3)    This Consciousness is not limited by the boundaries of the body. It is boundless or infinite.  When associated with the upadhi of body it is called Athma; when associated with the whole Universe it is called Brahman.   This concept of Athma as Brahman is something unique to Advaita Vedanta and from this flows property 4.
4)    Consciousness will continue to survive the body medium even after the body perishes.
5)    The surviving Consciousness is not recognisable by us because the medium through which it was recognised is absent.  Through its reflection in the anthakaranam, Chithabasa, Consciousness lends sentiency to the human body. At the time of death, as sukshma sareera with Chithabasa leaves the body, the medium that reflected Consciousness is not available and so the surviving Consciousness is not recognisable.

This can be illustrated with the analogy of electricity.   Electricity passing through filament of the bulb makes it glow, which in turns makes the bulb shine with light and illumine the environs. Electricity is one and it makes aglow bulbs of all sizes and shapes and powers. So we can say:
1)    Electricity is not part, product, property of the bulb.
2)    It is an invisible entity that pervades the filament and make the bulb shine.
3)    It is not limited to the boundaries of the bulb.  It is infinite.
4)  It will continue to survive the bulb medium even after the bulb is fused out.
5)    The surviving electricity is not recognisable as the medium for recognition is not there.

The text defines Sat, Chit and Ananda as the inherent nature of Athma.  “Sat” stands for Existence i.e. pure existence.  This existence principle is not bound by time and is valid for all the three periods of time, past, present and future. So it is eternal.  Athma being eternal and unchanged in the three periods of time is indicated by ‘Sat’.  “Chit” stands for Knowledge, not knowledge about anything but Absolute Knowledge that illuminates for one  the objects of experience in the outer and inner world.  The Consciousness principle illuminates all it comes across without any preference and irrespective of their nature and quality.  The Consciousness being boundless or infinite is complete, पू्र्णः purnaha.  Purnatvam is total bliss as nothing is lacking and no shortness or deficiency is felt.  This is the “குறையொன்றுமில்லை” state that Sri Andal attributes to Lord Govinda in Thiruppavai verse 28.

This Athma is our real self.  It makes the Anthakaranam  sentient through its manifestation in the Anthakaranam as its reflection, called Chithabasa. The sentient Anthakaranam in turn makes the whole body sentient. One mistakes the ego as the real self, not knowing about the invisible inner self that has lent sentiency to the ego itself  due to which the ego identifies with actions, pleasures sorrows, emotions etc. and claims doership and enjoyership.  We can say that Athma is the ego’s Ego on the analogy of Kenopanishad Mantra we saw earlier.  The ego is only the imposter “I” and the Real “I”, is Athma, that cannot be known directly as it is invisible and is not available for perception by the senses or for conceptualisation by intellect.  The goal of Self enquiry is to discover the Real “I”, Athma, rejecting  all anathmas and claim identification with it as one’s Self, disowning the imposter, ego, and through it  disclaim the body-mind  complex as “me” 

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Silence – the Real Self

Silence can be of body, speech or mind.  As physical silence is called stillness, we generally associate silence with speech or mind.  Of these the popular association is with speech. Silence of speech is practised more as a vrata, mouna vrata.  In mouna vrata also, one keeps the mouth shut but does not stay still and the mind also keeps its chattering and wandering. The silence, I am referring to is the silence of the mind, the inner stillness, which is also referred to as mano-nasa, the destruction of the mind.  Here the mind is not destroyed but only quietened with the thought process of the mind arrested. This state can be achieved only when there is total silence, silence of body, mind and speech.

Our mind being a product of the satva component of the pancha bhuthas i.e. space, air, fire, earth and water, which by themselves are insentient, is also insentient by itself.  It is made sentient by the pure Consciousness, called Chaitanyam that the mind manifests through its reflection in the mind, called Chidabasa. So in every thought experience called Vritti, Chaitanyam is associated.  One Chaitanyam associated with numerous thoughts is symbolically represented as Rasa Krida.  Krida stands for the coming and going of thoughts and Rasa stands for Anandha, that is Chaitanyam, which is Sat, Chit, Anandha. Rasa Krida is the figurative interplay of thoughts with Chaitanyam, which is one and changeless.  Normally we are experiencing Chaitanyam with Vritti in all our thought experiences. When the mind is silent, it is thought free and we are experiencing the Chaitanyam only and so the peace and happiness experienced in the moment of inner stillness is the peace and happiness associated with Chaitanyam. 

In Kenopanishad this is explained beautifully by the fit student first and later the guru explains it to the mediocre student. In the second verse of chapter 2, the student states as a reply to guru’s question, “I do not think, ’I know It well’, Not that I do not know; I know too.”  The student cannot know it well because Chaitanyam cannot be known as an object or as a concept.  But at the same time he cannot also say he does not know because it is part of his thought experiences. Thereafter the teacher explains this to the mediocre student in Mantra 4, with the oft-quoted statement. “प्रतिबोधविदितं मतम्”.

Here the teacher again explains to the mediocre student that Chaitanyam is associated with every thought modification of the mind.  Every experience we have has a variable component, thought and a non-variable component, Chaitanyam, the pure consciousness principle. One registers only the thought and not the Chaitanyam. To see an object one not only needs good eyes but also a source of light to illumine the object.  For even if one has good vision, one cannot see the object if there is no light and it is totally dark. But when we see an object, our mind registers the object only and not the light pervading it which makes it possible for us to see the object.  This you can experiment, while walking in the daytime.  The mind registers the objects only and not the sunlight that makes it possible for us to see the objects.  Even if there is nothing to notice, the emptiness also is revealed by the light only. In the same way not only the thought but also absence of thought is revealed by Chaitanyam. So in the moment of inner stillness, when thought is absent we have the experience of the revealing Chaitanyam and this explains the deep peace and serene happiness enjoyed at the time of inner stillness.

When mind is silent there is total silence i.e. silence of body and speech as well. And the inner stillness experienced then is the experience of Chaitanyam, which is our Real Self. This is conveyed by Mandukya Upanishad as well  through Mantras 7 and 12. Mantra 7 describes Turiyam, which is Athma and Mantra 12 describes Amatra, the state of silence, and both have identical descriptions. For as we have seen earlier, it is Chaitanyam that illuminates the chatter of mind as well as the silence of mind.  So this inner stillness is Athma that is Brahman, the Cosmic Supreme.   So if you meditate on ‘Om Namasivaya’ or on ‘Om Namo Narayana” or some similar Mantra, slowly spelling out the words mentally, concentrating on the silence in between words and lengthening the period of silence as meditation progresses, then you are  meditating  on Silence, your inner Real Self. 

This is the concept Wayne Dyer employs in his Gap Meditation, through which he says one can have conscious contact with God.  This inner stillness, Eckhart Tolle equates with ‘Now’, the container; the events that take place at any time being only the contents. So in his book “Stillness Speaks”, Eckhart Tolle states “When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself ----- This is the I Am that is deeper than name and form.  Stillness is your essential nature” and goes on to equate the stillness with Awareness which is Chaitanyam. From this we can see that what Lord Dakshinamurthy does, is not teaching in silence but teaching ‘Silence’, that is one’s Real Self.

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Jeevanmuktha

Before study of Vedanta, ‘I’ means for one, the ahamkara ‘I’, i.e.ego ‘I’  associated with the three bodies, gross, subtle and causal , together referred to as sareera triam, along with the consciousness manifested in the mind i.e. chidabasa.  While studying Vedanta, one comes to know of the second ‘I’, the witness ‘I’ or the sakshi ‘I’. One also learns that this sakshi ‘I’ is the real ‘I’ and the ahamkara ‘I’ is only the transactional ‘I’, which is useful for distinguishing oneself in one’s transactions with the world. One further learns that this sakshi ‘I’ is pure Consciousness, one without attributes, not subject to modifications, beyond time and space and has no birth or death and that this is the ‘I’ that is referred to in the mahavakhya, “Aham Brahmasmi”, I am Brahman. 

When one in ignorance considers ahamkara ‘I’ as the real ‘I’, then that one considers the limitations of the body and mind as his limitations and is subject to the emotional ups and downs caused by the raga and dwesha, likes and dislikes of the mind, and the  physical struggles to make oneself  complete and fulfilled.  This struggle and turmoil is called samsara.  This samsara is the result of Self-confusion, mistaking the ahamkara ‘I’ as real Self, and the consequent activity to overcome the resultant feeling of limitations and this samsara causes the sense of bondage. Since the sense of bondage is caused by mistaken notion, freedom from this sense of bondage can come only from correcting the wrong notion and getting established in the knowledge that one’s real self is the Sakshi ‘I’. 

The person who has acquired this right knowledge through sravanam, then made it doubt-free through mananam, and got established in this knowledge unshakably by removing habitual dehatma buddhi through nitidhyasanam, is called Jeevanmuktha. Jeevanmuktha is one who has become a mukthapurusha, a liberated person, while living and his state is called Jeevanmukthi.  The final liberation from the cycle of birth and death which is attained when the body, which continues until exhaustion of prarabhdha karma, is shed at death is called videha mukthi.   Jeevanmukthi  is a concept unique to Advaita Vedanta.  Jeevanmuktha realizes that he has never been bound and the notion of bondage was one born out of his ignorance, Ajnanam.  Both bondage and liberation are only concepts and one’s true Self, the sakshi ‘I’ which is Athma, is always free of all concepts. Being established in this right knowledge is only called liberation.  As he is firmly established in this knowledge he is also referred to as Sthithaprajna.  Lord Sri Krishna refers to such a person as Gunatheetha (Gita-ch.14)  as well besides Sthithaprajna (Gita-Ch.2).  Athma is free of all attributes, and as one who has identified himself with Athma, he has transcended the three gunas and so is called Gunatheetha.  As Jeevan muktha is one who has realized the jeeva-Brahma-aikyam and is established unwaveringly in that, he is also called Para-Bhaktha, a supreme Bhaktha . He is also referred to as Brahmavid, knower of Brahman, since he has realized his real Self as Brahman.

Since we normally identify ourselves with the ahamkara ‘I’, we have sense of incompletion and non-fulfillment.  To complete ourselves and feel fulfilled, we go after wealth, possessions, positions, relationships, status etc. and this leads to activity aimed at self-aggrandizement and material enrichment.  Such activities in self-interest lead to karma and karmaphala, which may be beneficial or adverse.   Unfructified karmas of present birth are called agami karmas, the accumulated karmas over previous births is called sanchitha karma and that part of the sanchitha karma that determines the present birth with its environments, equipment and length of lifetime  is called prarabhdha karma.   For a Jeevanmuktha, agami karma is annihilated, sanchitha karma is liquidated and only the prarabdha karma, remains.  Prarabdha karma is like the arrow that has left the bow shot at a target.  It cannot be got back or arrested in its movement but has to exhaust by itself, by reaching the target.  But the balance of prarabdha karma does not affect Jeevanmuktha  mentally, as he does not identify himself with his body/mind.  But prarabdha’s influence can be seen in his interaction with the external world.  This accounts for different types of Jeevanmukthas.  Some retiring to a forest or a lonely place to spend their days in silence;  some being active in society, teaching, running ashrams and working for the physical and spiritual welfare of the people; some staying in Samadhi mostly, coming out of it only to satisfy essential biological needs etc. 

  

Swami Sridharananda, while explaining the term ब्रमविदां वरिष्ठः,Brahmavidham varishtaha, in Mundakopanishad (3-1-4), used to classify Brahmavids thus. ( As Jeevanmuktha  is synonymous with Brahmavid, I am using that term only.)  Jeevanmuktha superlative is one who goes out to people to help them spiritually and in other ways.  Jeevanmuktha comparative is one who does not shun society but keeps himself aloof in society and helps those people who come seeking him, in all ways possible. Jeevanmuktha positive is one who keeps away from people and society and pursues his spiritual practice in a secluded place like forest or cave.  A Jeevanmuktha engaging in pravritti, activity or nivritti, withdrawl, is due to the influence of residual prarabhdha.  But either way he is working for loka sangraha, universal welfare, only, through seva or through silence or through both.

When Lord Sri Krishna speaks about Jeevanmuktha, Arjuna’s curiousity is aroused and he wants to know how Jeevanmuktha speaks, how he sits, how he walks, in short how he behaves and conducts himself (Gita 2-54).  This curiousity is understandable as Jeevanmuktha having evolved into unity consciousness, sees everything in himself and himself in everything.  Further as he has awakened to the state of Thuriyam, the waking world is also another dream to him, only this dream is long, continuous, useful and shareable. I will not go into Lord Sri Krishna’s reply now but only state this much. Though a Jeevanmuktha is fully conscious of his identity as the sakshi ‘I’, he makes use of ahamkara ‘I’ in his interactions with the external world.  In his case, ahamkara is a non-binding one and like a roasted seed it cannot germinate fresh karma, as his desires are non-binding and actions are selfless ones arising out of a sense of fulfillment and a sense of love and compassion for all, with no sense of doership, karthrutvabhava.

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