Bases of Vedanta by Swami Sivananda
Introduction The purpose of life is the realisation of one’s own essential nature. It is to know that you are the pure ever-free Atman. The Vedanta expounds the great truth that Atman alone is real, the phenomenal world is unreal. u nreal. Yo You are Atman, ut you forget your real !varupa due to identifi"ation with the ody. This is "alled #eha-Adhyasa. This is the greate greatest st osta" osta"le le to !elf!elf-$n $nowl owledg edge e or AtmaAtma-%na %nana. na. To get over over this this delusio delusion n of identifi"ation with ody the Vedanti" !eers have made a detailed analysis of the different different odies, gross and sutle, and systemati"ally systemati"ally proved that the %iva is not the ody ut is identi"al with the &aramatman. The study of the three odies, the five shea sheath thss and and the the thre three e stat states es of waki waking ng,, drea dream m and and deep deep slee sleep, p, helps helps man man to understand that he is different from all these diverse modifi"ations and that he is the un"hanging, un"hanging, "onstant, "onstant, witness of all these. This helps him to feel that he trans"ends trans"ends the three states, the three odies and the &an"hakoshas. 'onstant rememran"e of this and meditation on this knowledge will lead him to the realis realisati ation on of his AtmaAtma-sva svarupa rupa.. Theref Therefore, ore, the study study of the &an"h &an"hako akosha shass is a valuale aid in the pro"ess of disasso"iating yourself from the odies and the sheaths. It enales you to rise aove ody-"ons"iousness, to feel that you are the Atman and thus remain (uite unaffe"ted and unatta"hed amidst all distra"tions and triulations of life.
I. The Three Bodies & their Enumeratioon )The individual experien"er is a "ons"iousness-"entre enveloped y several layers of matter existing as the fa"tors "ausing o*e"tive awareness in it. The analysis of these layers or odies is ne"essary to as"ertain the nature of the true !elf.+ ari m. m !at-uru-&arama !at-uru-&aramatmane tmane /amah.
Disciple: ow many odies are there in an individual )%iva+0 Guru: There are three odies in every individual )%iva+. Disciple: &lease name them. Guru: The physi"al ody or the gross ody )!thula !arira+, the astral ody or the sutle ody )!ukshma !arira or 1ingadeha+ and the "ausal ody or the seed ody )$aranasarira+ are the three odies.
Disciple: &lease illustrate them. Guru: The shell of a tamarind "orresponds to the physi"al ody. The pulp represents the sutle ody. The seed "orresponds to the "ausal ody. I"e represents the physi"al ody. 2 represents the sutle ody. The Tanmatras or root-elements "orrespond to the "ausal ody. The Gross Body Disciple: 3hat are the "omponents of the physi"al ody0 Guru: The physi"al ody is "omposed of five elements, vi4., earth )&rithivi+, water )Apah+, fire )Te*as+, air )Vayu+ and spa"e )Akasa+. Disciple: 3hat are the seven primary essen"es )!apta-#hatus+ of the physi"al ody0 Guru: 'hyle )5asa+, lood )Asra+, flesh )6amsa+, fat )6edas+, one )Asthi+, marrow )6a**a+ and semen )!ukla+, are the seven primary essen"es of the physi"al ody. Disciple: 3hat are the !had-hava-vikaras )six modifi"ations of the ody+ 0 Guru: Asti )existen"e+, %ayate )irth+, Vardhate )growth+, Viparinamate )"hange+, Apaksheeyate )de"ay+, Vinashyate )death+, are the six modifi"ations or "hanges of the ody. Disciple: 3hat are the links with whi"h the ody is "onne"ted0 Guru: The ody )#eha+, a"tion )$arma+, love and hate )5aga-dvesha+, egoism )Ahamkara+, non-dis"rimination )Aviveka+ and ignoran"e )A*nana+ are the seven links of the "hain of !amsara )world-experien"e+. 7rom A*nana )ignoran"e+, Aviveka is orn. Aviveka is non-dis"rimination etween the real and the unreal. 7rom Aviveka is orn Ahamkara or egoism8 from egoism is orn 5aga-dvesha )like and dislike+8 from 5agadvesha $arma )a"tion+ arises8 from $arma the ody or the #eha is produ"ed. If you want to free yourself from the pain of irth and death, destroy ignoran"e )A*nana+, the root "ause of this !amsara )world-experien"e+, through the attainment of the $nowledge of 9rahman or the Asolute. 3hen ignoran"e is removed, all the other links will e roken y themselves. This physi"al ody of yours is the result of your past a"tions and is the seat of your en*oyment of pleasure and pain. Disciple: 3hy is the ody "alled !arira or #eha0 Guru: 9e"ause the ody de"ays )!heeryate+ on a""ount of old age, it is "alled !arira. 9e"ause it is "remated or urnt )#ahyate+ it is "alled #eha. The Subtle Body
Disciple: 3hat is the "omposition of the sutle ody0 Guru: The sutle ody is "omposed of nineteen prin"iples )Tattvas+, vi4., five %nana Indriyas or organs of knowledge, five $arma Indriyas or organs of a"tion, five &ranas or vital airs, 6anas or mind, 9uddhi or intelle"t, 'hitta or the su"ons"ious and Ahamkara or the ego. It is a means of en*oying pleasure and pain. Disciple: 3hen will this sutle ody get dissolved0 Guru: It gets dissolved in Videha 6ukti or disemodied 1ieration. The Causal Body Disciple: 3hat is the "ausal ody )$arana !arira+ 0 Guru: The eginningless ignoran"e that is indes"riale is "alled the "ausal ody. It is the "ause of the gross and the sutle odies. Disciple: ow "an I trans"end the three odies0 Guru: Identify yourself with the All-pervading, :ternal Atman. !tand as a witness )!akshi+ of all experien"es. $now that the Atman is always like a king - distin"t from the ody, organs, vital reaths, mind, intelle"t, ego and &rakriti - the 3itness of their attriutes. II. The Five Sheaths Disciple: 3hat is meant y a $osha0 Guru: $osha means a sheath. Disciple: $indly illustrate these sheaths. Guru: %ust as a pillow-"over is a "overing or a sheath for the pillow, *ust as a s"aard is a sheath for the sword or the dagger, so also this ody, &ranas, mind, intelle"t and the "ausal ody are sheaths that "over the Atman or the !oul. There is the singlet "lose to the ody8 over this there is the shirt8 over the shirt there is the waist-"oat8 over the waist-"oat there is the "oat8 over the "oat there is the over"oat. :ven so, the Atman is enveloped y these five sheaths.
Disciple: ow many sheaths are there in the ody0 Guru: There are five sheaths. Disciple: &lease name them.
Guru: Annamaya $osha, &ranamaya $osha, 6anomaya $osha, Vi*nanamaya $osha and Anandamaya $osha are the five $oshas or sheaths. Disciple: 3hat is Annamaya $osha0 Guru: Annamaya $osha is food-sheath. It is the gross ody made up of the five gross elements. Disciple: 3hy is it "alled Annamaya $osha0 Guru: It is "alled Annamaya $osha, e"ause it lives on a""ount of food, it is made up of the essen"e of food, and, finally, it returns to food )earth or matter+. Disciple: 3hat is &ranamaya $osha0 Guru: &ranamaya $osha is the vital sheath. Disciple: 3hat is the &ranamaya $osha made of0 Guru: It is made up of the &ranas or the vital airs and the five $armendriyas or organs of a"tion. Disciple: ow many &ranas are there0 Guru: There are ten &ranas five 6ukhya or "hief &ranas, vi4., &rana, Apana, Vyana, ;dana and !amana, and five ;papranas or su-&ranas vi4., /aga, $urma, $rikara, #evadatta and #hanan*aya. Disciple: 3hat is the fun"tion of &rana0 Guru: ;""hvasa and /ihshvasa )inhalation and exhalation+ are the fun"tions of the &rana. #is"iple< 3hat is the fun"tion of Apana0 uru< :x"retion of fae"es and urine is the fun"tion of the Apana. #is"iple< 3hat is the fun"tion of Vyana0 Guru: 'ir"ulation of lood is the fun"tion of Vyana. Disciple: 3hat is the fun"tion of ;dana0 Guru: ;dana helps deglutition or swallowing of food. It takes the %iva to rest in 9rahman during deep sleep. It separates the astral ody from the physi"al ody at the time of death. #is"iple< 3hat is the fun"tion of !amana0 Guru: #igestion of food is the fun"tion of !amana.
Disciple: 3hat is the fun"tion of /aga0 Guru: :ru"tation and hi""up are the fun"tions of /aga . Disciple: 3hat is the fun"tion of $urma0 Guru: 'losing and opening of eyelids are the fun"tions of $urma. Disciple: 3hat is the fun"tion of $rikara0 Guru: 'ausing of hunger is the fun"tion of $rikara. Disciple: 3hat is the fun"tion of #evadatta0 Guru: /ourishing the ody, de"omposition of the ody after death and e*e"tion of the "hild out of the wom in women are the fun"tions of #hanan*aya. Disciple: 3hat are the two divisions in &rana0 Guru: ross &rana and sutle &rana are the two divisions in &rana. Disciple: 3hat are the fun"tions of these &ranas0 Guru: The gross &rana does the fun"tions of reathing, digestion, ex"retion, "ir"ulation, et". The sutle &rana generates thought. Disciple: 3hat is 6anomaya $osha0 Guru: 6anomaya $osha is the mind-sheath. Disciple: 3hat does the mind-sheath "onsist of0 Guru: The mind-sheath "onsists of the mind )6anas+, the su"ons"ious )'hitta+ and the five %nanendriyas or the sense-organs of knowledge. Disciple: 3hat is Vi*nanamaya $osha0 Guru: It is the intelle"tual sheath. Disciple: 3hat does the intelle"tual sheath "onsist of0 Guru: It "onsists of the intelle"tual and the ego working with the help of the five %nanendriyas or the sense-organs of knowledge. Disciple: 3hat is Anandamaya $osha0
Guru: It is the liss-sheath. Disciple: 3hy is it "alled Anandamaya $osha0 Guru: 9e"ause through it the %iva or the individual soul experien"es liss during deep sleep and at the time of experien"ing the effe"t of a !attvi" deed. Disciple: 3hat does the liss-sheath "onsist of0 Guru: It is a modifi"ation of &rakriti and "onsists of the Vrittis "alled &riya, 6oda and &ramoda. Disciple: ow many $oshas are in the physi"al ody0 Guru: ne $osha - Annamaya $osha.. Disciple: ow many $oshas are in the 1inga-shareera or sutle ody )Astral ody+0 Guru: Three sheaths, vi4., &ranamaya, 6anomaya, Vi*nanamaya. Disciple: ow many sheaths are in the "ausal ody or $arana !arira0 Guru: ne sheath, vi4., Anandamaya $osha. Disciple: ow many sheaths operate during the waking state0 The five sheaths fun"tion during the Guru: #is"iple< ow many sheaths fun"tion during the dream state0
waking
state.
Guru: &ranamaya, 6anomaya, Vi*nanamaya and Anandamaya $osha fun"tion during dreaming state. Vi*nanamaya and Anandamaya $osha fun"tion partially. #is"iple< ow many sheaths fun"tion during deep sleep0 uru< nly one, vi4., Anandamaya $osha. III. Gunas Disciple: 3hat una is found in the physi"al ody0 Guru: Tamoguna. Disciple: 3hat una is found in the &ranamaya $osha0 Guru: 5a*oguna. Disciple: 3hat is the uru< !attva mixed with Tamas.
una
found
in
the
6anomaya
$osha0
Disciple: 3hat is the uru< !attva mixed with 5a*as.
una
found
in
the
Vi*nanamaya
$osha0
Disciple: 3hat is the una found in the Anandamaya $osha0 uru< !attva, te"hni"ally "alled the 6alina-!attva )mixed with 5a*as and Tamas+ in "ontrast with !uddha-!attva of whi"h 6aya is the emodiment. Disciple: 3here are the $armendriyas lo"ated0 Guru: In the &ranamaya $osha. Disciple: 3here are the %nanendriyas lo"ated0 Guru: In the 6anomaya $osha. Disciple: 3here does %nanasakti rest0 Guru: In the Vi*nanamaya $osha. Disciple: 3here does I""ha !akti rest0 Guru: In the 6anomaya $osha )mind+. Disciple: 3here does $riya !akti rest0 Guru: In the &ranamaya $osha. Disciple: &lease illustrate the fun"tion of %nana !akti, I""ha !akti and $riya !akti. Guru: You get knowledge of milk through intelle"t. You "ome to know that milk nourishes the ody. This is the work of the %nana !akti of the Vi*nanamaya $osha. Then a desire arises in the mind to possess milk. This is the work of the I""ha !akti or the 6anomaya $osha. Then you exert to otain milk. This is the work of the $riya !akti of the &ranamaya $osha. Disciple: 3hat are the uru< &riya, 6oda, &ramoda.
attriutes
of
the
Anandamaya
Disciple: 3hat is &riya0 Guru: The *oy you experien"e when you look at an o*e"t you like. Disciple: 3hat is 6oda0 Guru: The great *oy you feel when you possess the o*e"t you like.
$osha0
Disciple: 3hat is &ramoda0 Guru: The greatest *oy you experien"e after en*oyment of the o*e"t you like. Disciple: 3hat are the Vikaras )modifi"ations+ of the Annamaya $osha0 :xisten"e, irth, growth, Guru: #is"iple< 3hat are the #harmas uru< unger and thirst, heat and "old.
"hange, de"ay and of the &ranamaya
death. $osha0
Disciple: 3hat are the Vikaras of the 6anomaya $osha0 Guru: !ankalpa-Vikalpa )thinking and douting+, anger, lust, arsha )exhilaration+, !oka )depression+ and 6oha )delusion+, et". There are sixteen modifi"ations of the 6anomaya $osha. Disciple: 3hat are the fun"tions of the Vi*nanamaya $osha0 uru< #is"rimination and de"ision or determination )Viveka and Adhyavasaya or /is"haya+, $artritva and 9hoktritva )agen"y and en*oyership+. Disciple: 3hat is the uru< :xperien"e of happiness.
#harma
of
the
Anandamaya
$osha0
Disciple: &lease give the order of sutlety of the $oshas. Guru: The &ranamaya $osha is sutler than and pervades the Annamaya $osha. The 6anomaya $osha is sutler than and pervades the &ranamaya and Annamaya $oshas. The Vi*nanamaya $osha is sutler than and pervades the 6anomaya, the &ranamaya and the Annamaya $oshas. The Anandamaya $osha is sutler than all the other four $oshas and pervades all of them. I. !dhyaropa !pavada Disciple: 3hat is the relation etween the $osha and the Atman0 Guru: Anyonya-Adhyasa. Disciple: 3hat is Anyonya-Adhyasa0 Guru: Anyonya-Adhyasa is mutual superimposition. The attriutes of the five sheaths are superimposed on the Atman. The attriutes of the sheaths, e.g., "hange pain, et"., are falsely attriuted to the pure soul or the Atman. The attriutes of the &ure Atman su"h as :xisten"e, $nowledge, 9liss, &urity, 'ons"iousness are transferred to the five sheaths. Disciple: 3hat is Adhyaropa0
Guru: Adhyaropa is superimposition. %ust as the snake is superimposed on the rope, the five $oshas are superimposed on the Atman. Disciple: 3hat is Apavadayukti0 Guru: It is sulation or negation of the five sheaths through neti-neti do"trine. Disciple: 3hat are the !had ;rmis0 Guru: 9irth and death )for the physi"al ody+, hunger and thirst )for the &ranamaya $osha+, grief and delusion )!oka and 6oha+ for the 6anomaya $osha. Disciple: 3hy are they "alled ;rmis0 Guru: %ust as there are waves in the o"ean, these !had ;rmis are the waves in the o"ean of this !amsara. Disciple: ow to develop the Vi*nanamaya $osha0 Guru: Through Viveka )dis"rimination+, Vi"hara )en(uiry+, meditation on Atman, %apa of mkara, et". Disciple: 3hat will e the use of this purified and developed Vi*nanamaya $osha0 uru< It will serve as a fortress to prevent "oming in of sensual !amskaras from without and prevent the !amskaras of the Anandamaya $osha or $arana !arira from "oming outside. It will help you to enter into profound meditation and Atma Vi"hara.
. !vidya Disciple: 3hat is the uru< Avidya or ignoran"e. 3hat Disciple: uru< 9rahman.
is
the
"ause
Adhara
of
superimposition
or
Adhishthana
or
for
Adhyasa0
Avidya0
Disciple: ow "an Avidya remain in pure 9rahman. Guru: It is Anirva"haneeya. 7rom the viewpoint of the Asolute there is neither %iva nor Avidya nor the five sheaths. Avidya exists only for the %iva. Disciple: 3hat is the other name uru< Anandamaya $osha or $aranasarira of %iva or individual soul. Disciple: 3hat does Avidya "onsist of0
for
Avidya0
Guru: It "onsists of Vasanas and !amskaras. The impression of the whole !an"hita $arma of all your past irths are lodged there. I. Three !vasthas Disciple: 3hat are the three Avasthas0 Guru: %agrat Avastha )waking state+, !vapna Avastha )dreaming state+, !ushupti Avastha )deep sleep state+. Disciple: 3hat is meant y Avastha0 Guru: Avastha means a state. Disciple: 3hat is %agrat Avastha0 Guru: It is the state of waking "ons"iousness. That state in whi"h o*e"ts are known through the senses is known as %agrat. Disciple: 3hat is !vapna Avastha0 Guru: That state in whi"h o*e"ts are per"eived through the impressions produ"ed during waking state is "alled !vapna or dreaming state. The "ons"iousness of the sutle, inner, su*e"tive &rapan"ha or world, whi"h during the (uies"en"e of the sense-organs arises in the form of the per"ipient and o*e"t of per"eption y virtue of the latent impressions of what is seen and heard in %agrat is !vapna. Disciple: 3hat is !ushupti0 Guru: That state in whi"h there is total asen"e of knowledge of o*e"ts is deep sleep state. It is a rememran"e in %agrat state of the kind of experien"e, I en*oyed sound sleep. I knew nothing. II. "o#sha Disciple: 3hat is the nature of 6oksha0 Guru: !arvaduhkhanivritti )removal of all kinds of pain+, and &aramanandaprapti )attainment of !upreme, imperishale, eternal 9liss of 9rahman+. Disciple: 3hat does 9rahma*nana do0 Guru: It destroys Avidya and its effe"ts )$arya+, vi4., the odies and the whole !amsara. It frees you from the miseries of irth and death. It makes you asolutely fearless, free and independent. All your douts like whether I am ody or &rana or 9uddhi will vanish in toto. You will e"ome Anamaya, free from disease, old age and
death. You will have no fear of death or enemies. You will shine as the effulgent, resplendent &urusha !upreme.