13. AVASTHA TRAYA (The Three States)

After the discussion of the gross, subtle and the causal bodies, the three states of consciousness are described :

13.1 अवस्थात्रयं किम्। What are the three states of experience?

13.2 जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्त्यवस्थाः। They are: the waking, the dream and the deep-sleep states.

13.3 JAGRAT AVASTHA (Waking State)

13.3 जाग्रदवस्था का? What is the waking state?

13.4 श्रोत्रादिज्ञानेन्द्रियैः शब्दादिविषयैश्च ज्ञायते इति यत् सा जाग्रदवस्था ।

The state of experience in which the sense objects (sound, etc.) are perceived through the sense organs (ear, etc.) is the waking state. The Self identifying itself with the gross body is called ‘Viswa’.

13.5 स्थूल शरीराभिमानी आत्मा विश्व इत्युच्यते।

The Self-identified with the gross body is in the waking state. In this state man perceives the world of objects with the help of organs of perception and gains experiences of objects viz. sound, touch, form, taste and smell. During this state, all the faculties are operating and the individual is in a complete form, Viswa. The subtle and causal bodies are also available for experience during the Waking State.

13.6 SVAPNA AVASTHA (Dream State)

13.6 स्वप्नावस्था केति चेत्? जाग्रदवस्थायां यद् दृष्टं यद् श्रुतं तज्जनि तवासनया निद्रासमये यः प्रपञ्चः प्रतीयते सा स्वप्नावस्था।

For the question, what is Svapnavastha (the Dream state) the explanation is: the world that is projected while in sleep from the impressions born of what has been seen or heard in the waking state is called Dream.

13.7 सूक्ष्मशरीराभिमानी आत्मा तैजस इत्युच्यते ।

The Self identifying itself with the subtle body is called “Taijasa”.

The dream state is that in which the Self is identified with the mind (subtle body). During this state, the mind projects a whole new objective world based on the impressions (Vasanas) it has gained while hearing, seeing, etc. in the waking state.

The waker dies entirely in order that the dreamer is born. These two states cannot exist simultaneously. We cannot experience in the dream, what we have not seen, heard or thought of during the waking state. It is possible that several impressions may get mixed up to create objects or experiences during the dream-impressions that are unreal from the waker’s stand point.

The self, identified with the subtle body during the dream state, is called Taijasa. The whole world is luminous with thoughts alone; the objects experienced during dream do not have objective reality.

13.8 SUSHUPTI AVASTHA (Deep-sleep State)

13.8 अतः सुषुप्त्यवस्था का?

Then, what is the deep-sleep state?

13.9 अहं किमपि न जानामि सुखेन मया निद्राऽनुभूयत इति सुषुप्त्यवस्था ।

That state about which one says later “I did not know anything; I have well enjoyed a good sleep” is the deep sleep state.

13.10 कारणशरीराभिमानी आत्मा प्राज्ञ इत्युच्यते ।

The Self, identifying itself with the causal body (in the deep sleep state) is called ‘Prajna’. (Prayena ajna: i.e. almost ignorant).

A man gains particular experience during the waking and the dream states. In the deep-sleep state, however, there is no particular experience. The sleeper does not know anything during this state, that is to say, he is ignorant. But he is also free from the limitations of the gross and the subtle bodies and so he is in a state of bliss (Ananda). The self is ignorant of this bliss as the mind is absent. The consciousness or the aware-ness (Atman) is however, present in this state so that when the sleeper wakes up, he has the memory of a happy sleep and he also regains the past memories before he went to sleep. The Atman maintains a continuity of existence and memories.

During the deep-sleep state, the self is identified with the causal body. During this state it is only aware of the thought “I don’t know”. The self in this state is designated as Prajna, meaning the one who is nearly ignorant. Because the consciousness is present during this state, the self is not totally ignorant, but nearly ignorant.

The three states of consciousness have thus been described. From the description, it is evident that the Self is identified with one of the three “bodies” at any one time and so he is called differently during these states. However, the Self is the same and ever present in each state and is therefore called the witness or Sakshi.

The three states of consciousness have thus been described. From the description, it is evident that the Self is identified with one of the three “bodies” at any one time and so he is called differently during these states. However, the Self is the same and ever present in each state and is therefore called the witness or Sakshi.

14. PANCHA KOSAS

The Panch Kosa or the five sheaths are described next.

14.1 पञ्च कोशाः के ? अन्नमयः प्राणमयः मनोमयः विज्ञानमयः आनन्दमयश्चेति ।

14.1 What are the five Sheaths? The Food Sheath, the Vital Air Sheath, the Mental Sheath, the Intellectual Sheath, and the Bliss Sheath are the five sheaths.

A Kosa does not really indicate a covering because the all-pervading Atman cannot be “covered” by the limited gross matter. Kosa means the universal error due to identification resulting from Ignorance. It appears as if Atman is covered by a sheath.

14.2 ANNAMAYA KOSA (Food Sheath)

14.2 अन्नमयः कः? अन्नरसेनैव भूत्वा अन्नरसेनैव वृद्धि प्राप्य अन्नरूपपृथिव्यां यद्विलीयते तदन्नमयः कोशः स्थूलशरीरम् ।

14.2 What is the food sheath? That which is born of food, which grows by food, and goes back to earth which is of the nature of food, is called the Food Sheath – this is the gross body.

The Gross body is designated as Annamaya Kosa or the food sheath. It is so called, because the body is born out of the products of food eaten by the parents. It subsequently grows due to and is maintained by the modification of food and on death, disappears into the earth to eventually become food.

The identification of the Self with gross body creates the appearance of the food sheath. The suffix “maya” (in Anna-maya) means Vikara or modification. Thus Annamaya means that which is made of the modification of food. The same meaning of the suffix maya applies to the next three Kosas (Prana, Manah and Vijnana).

14.3 PRANAMAYA KOSA (Vital Air Sheath)

14.3 प्राणमयः कः ? प्राणाद्याः पञ्चवायवः वागादीन्द्रियपञ्चकं प्राणमयः कोशः ।

14.3 What is the Vital Air Sheath? The five physiological functions such as Prana etc. (Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana) together with the five organs of action namely speech etc., form the Pranamaya Kosa, the Vital Air Sheath.

The five physiological functions in the body, together with the five organs of action are known as the Pranamaya Kosa. The identification of the Self with the functions of the Prana (e.g. “I” am hungry, thirsty, etc.) has the effect of causing the Vital Air Sheath. The Self mistakes himself to be the Prana.

The five physiological functions of Prana are as follows:

Prana            :                Respiration

Apana          :                Evacuation or Rejection

Vyana           :                Circulation

Udana          :                Reaction, throwing out

Samana        :                Assimilation/Digestion

Udana stands for the reaction from within the body, e.g. vomiting, tears, etc. It becomes active at the time of death. The five organs of action are also included in the Pranamaya Kosa.

14.4 ΜΑΝΟΜAYA KOSA (Mental Sheath)

14.4 मनोमयः कोशः कः? मनश्च ज्ञानेन्द्रियपञ्चकं मिलित्वा यो भवति स मनोमयः कोशः।

14.4 What is the Mental Sheath? The mind and the five organs of perception together form the Mental Sheath.

Mind is the faculty which receives stimuli from the outer world through the organs of perception. It is also the seat of emotions and feelings. The mind together with the five organs of perception constitute the Manomaya Kosa. The identifica-tion of the Self with these functions creates the appearance of a “mental sheath” (e.g. I am happy, unhappy, angry, etc.)

14.5 VIGNANAMAYA KOSA (Intellectual Sheath)

14.5 विज्ञानमयः कः? बुद्धिज्ञानेन्द्रियपञ्चकं मिलित्वा यो भवति स विज्ञानमयः कोशः ।

14.5 What is the Intellectual Sheath? The intellect, along with the five organs of perception, together form the Intellectual Sheath.

The intellect is the deciding faculty as well as that which creates a sense of doership (Ahamkara). The mind and the intellect are really two aspects of the same thinking faculty. The same faculty when feeling emotions or vascillating, is called mind. It is called intellect when it determines or decides something. The nature of the intellect is “cognition” (as against “volition” of the mind).

The intellect, together with the five organs of perception forms the intellectual sheath (I am the knower, doer, etc.).

14.6 ANANDAMAYA KOSA (Bliss Sheath)

14.6 आनन्दमयः कः? एवमेव कारणशरीरभूताविद्यास्थमलिनसत्वं प्रियादिवृत्तिसहितं सत् आनन्दमयः कोशः ।।

14.6 What is the Bliss Sheath? Established in Avidya, which is of the form of the Causal Body, of impure nature united with the Vrittis (Modifica-tions) like Priya, Moda and Pramoda.

The ignorance and the bliss, experienced by a person during the deep sleep state, constitute the Anandamaya Kosa. The suffix “maya” is used here in the sense of satura-tion or preponderance, rather than modification as in other sheaths.

One is not aware of the gross and the subtle bodies during this state, but the existence is filled with Vrittis (thought modifications) like ‘Priya’, ‘Moda’ and ‘Pramoda’. Priya, Moda and Pramoda Vrittis indicate the intensity of joy expe-rienced by a person. ‘Priya Vritti’ is the joy felt at the thought of an object one likes. ‘Moda’ is the joy felt when the object is possessed. ‘Pramoda’ is the joy of experiencing the desired object. The Bliss Sheath is the same as the Causal Body.

14.7 एतत्कोशपञ्चकम्। These are the five Sheaths.

Thus each of the five sheaths apparently “covers” Atman which is not perceived in its true nature because of identifica-tion with the elements corresponding to the sheaths. It is not that the five sheaths are progressive, i.e. one is inside the other and so on. Each of the sheaths independently “covers” the Atman depending upon whether the “I” is identified with the body or the mind or the intellect, etc. at any given time.

The five sheaths designate the five common universal errors (not considering the errors that people commit because of identification with family, society, etc.).

15. PANCHAKOSHATITA

Atman is described as Panchakoshatita i.e. one who transcends all the five sheaths. It is not identified with any of them but is present in each one of them.

15. मदीयं शरीरं मदीयाः प्राणाः मदीयं मनश्च मदीया बुद्धिर्मदीयं ज्ञानमिति स्वेनैव ज्ञायते तद्यथा-मदीयत्वेन ज्ञातं कटककुण्डल गृहादिकं स्वस्माद्रिन्नंतथा पञ्चकोशादिकं स्वस्माद्रिन्नं मदीयत्वेन ज्ञातमात्मा न भवति ।।

Just as bangles, ear-rings, houses etc., known as “mine”, are all other than the knower – so too, the five sheaths known by the Self as “my body, pranas, my mind, my intellect and my knowledge” (should all be other than the knower, and so cannot be the Atman.)

The knower is always different from the known. Just as the personal belongings such as bangles, ear-rings, house, etc., are also known by me and are therefore different from me. It is only when I identify myself with these sheaths that I become limited by them. For example, if I identify myself with the house, my mobility is greatly restricted. When I identify with the body, the limitations of the body are mine. Similarly the emotions of the mind and the ignorance of the intellect.

16. ATMAN

16.1 आत्मा तर्हि कः? सच्चिदानन्दस्वरूपः।

16.1 Then, what is the Atman? It is of the nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda. (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss).

Until now, the teacher has described the Atman by nega-tions-what the Atman is not. It is not the five sheaths, nor the three bodies nor the three states. Thus the teacher has eliminated the various notions a student may have about Atman. Now he goes on to describe the positive aspects of Atman. If what Atman is not is clear, then what it is can be comprehended. If the positive attributes of Atman were stated first without the negations the student is likely to develop wrong notions and confuse Atman with something it is not.

16.2 सत्किम्?  कालत्रयेऽपि तिष्ठतीति सत्।

16.2 What is Sat? Sat is that which remains unchanged in the three periods of time.

‘Sat’ is that which remains unchanged in all the three periods of time, i.e. past, present and future. For example, the pot is made of clay. The Sat aspect of the pot is clay which existed before the pot was made, which is in the pot and which will remain after the pot is destroyed. Everything perishable has got to be made of a substance that is fundamental and permanent. Since the world (Jagat) is perishable, it must be made of a fundamental substance and that is Atman, that was, is and will remain whether or not Jagat exists. This timeless-ness of Atman is eternity or Sat.

16.3 चित्किम्? ज्ञानस्वरूपः।

16.3 What is Chit? It is of the nature of absolute knowledge.

‘Chit’ is the Awareness. It is present during all the states of experience and by knowing it one immediately achieves perfection. Chit also abides in all periods of time and there-fore is also of the nature of Sat.

16.4 आनन्दः कः? सुखस्वरूपः ।

What is Ananda? Of the nature of absolute happiness.

‘Ananda’ is the experience which one gains when one is with oneself. Thus when one is desirous of an object and if that desire is fulfilled, the momentary happiness is that of being with oneself. At that moment, the person is totally satisfied with himself and does not want to be something else. This is the state of Ananda.

Ananda is the fundamental nature of human beings. The objects, which appear to provide happiness for a short while, are only instruments. Objects by themselves do not possess happiness or sorrow because the same object has different appeal to different people or to the same person at different times. Objects are like the wind that clears the clouds from our vision of the sun. Wind appears to have produced the vision of the sun. But the sun was always there (in whose light we could see the clouds in the first place!). Similarly, happi-ness or Ananda is always there, being the basic nature of human beings. An object is like, the wind that momentarily clears the clouds of gloom or unhappiness. The happiness or Ananda experienced when one is with oneself is the same in all cases i.e. whether it be gained by acquiring desired objects or by other sensuous pleasures or from artor poetry. Only the duration and intensity may be different. Thus Atman is of the nature of absolute bliss or Ananda.

एवं सच्चिदानन्दस्वरूपं स्वात्मानं विजानीयात् ।

Thus one should know oneself to be of the nature of Absolute Existence-Knowledge-Bliss.

Thus Atman is Absolute Existence-Knowledge-Bliss. Because Atman (Aham) is “I”, my basic nature is also Absolute Existence-Knowledge-Bliss.