पञ्चदशी
Part 12 - pa~nchadashI Series
तद्विवेकाद्विविक्ताः स्युः कोशाः प्राणमनोधियः
ते हि तत्र गुणावस्थाभेदमात्रात् पृथक्कृताः ।४०।
tadvivekAdviviktAH syuH koShAH prANamanodhiyaH
te hi tatra guNAvasthAbhedamAtrAt pRRithakkRRitAH |40|
By separating the Self from it (the subtle body) the koShA-s called prANamaya, manomaya and vij~nAnamaya are also separated from the Self as they are present in the subtle body and are thought to be different from each other only on account of difference in the state of the guNA-s.
tad the subtle body vivekAd by sub-dividing into prANamanodhiyaH prANamaya, manomaya and vij~nAnamaya koShAH the koShA-s syuH happens viviktAH separated - The subtle body is discriminated into its three sub divisions of praNA, mano and vij~nAna.
On what grounds is this division done?
Swami Vidyaranya answers in the second line te hi tatra pRRithakkRRitAH - tatra in the subtle body te pRRithakkRRitAH these three koShA-s are sub-divided guNAvasthAbhedamAtrAt because of the difference in the guNA-s and the difference in their condition. For example, prANa is predominantly rajoguNa where as mano and vij~nAna are predominantly sattva guNa. But in the case of mano and vij~nAna, both of them are predominantly sattva. How, then, do we separate? The answer lies in avasthA bhedA – the difference in their condition, manomaya is a state of confusion where as vij~nAna is a state of certitude.
Thus far two bodies and four koShA-s have been discriminated, that is, the gross and subtle bodies and annamaya, prANamaya, manomaya and vij~nAnamaya. The Anandamaya koSha (and the causal body) remains, which is taken up next.
सुषुप्त्यभाने भानं तु समाधावात्मनोऽन्वयः
व्यतिरेकस्त्वात्मभाने सुषुप्त्यनवभासनम् ।४१।
suShuptyabhAne bhAnaM tu samAdhAvAtmano.anvayaH
vyatirekastvAtmabhAne suShuptyanavabhAsanam |41|
There is the shining of the Self in the state of samAdhi (trance) when deep sleep does not shine. This is anvaya. Deep sleep does not shine when the Self does shine in the state of trance. This is vyatirekah.
The state of knowledge (j~nAna avasthA) is taken here as indicated by the word samAdhi or trance. In this state ignorance is clearly absent and knowledge of the Self shines blazingly clear. Therefore Acharya says samAdhau in samAdhi AtmanaH bhAnaM the Atman shines clearly and suShuptyabhAne ignorance is absent. This presence of the Atman is the anvaya.
In that same state of knowledge, while the Atman is clearly evident, the suShupti avasthA is also clearly absent. Hence the second line says AtmabhAne while the Atman shines suShuptyanavabhAsanam there is non awareness of suShupti avasthA. Note: Here (in the term suShuptyanavabhAsanam the word suShupti refers to ignorance which in turn is nothing but the causal body. The causal body is nothing but the Anandamaya koSha. Therefore by separating the causal body from the Self, the Anandamaya koSha also has been separated.
To recap the last few verses, the aim of the revered author was to separate the Self from the five sheaths that cover it (as it were). The fives koSha-s were shown to be the three bodies (gross, subtle and causal). Therefore by separating the three bodies from the Self the author actually separated the five sheaths from the Self. The aim of this separation was to identify what is intrinsic and what is incidental. In other words, when we refer to the word 'I', the Self, what is included in its meaning? When we say 'I am 6” feet tall' – we take the 6 foot body as the 'I'. When we say, 'I am sad' or 'I am happy' – we take the mind to be ourselves because happiness and sadness are mere states of our mind. Being thus wrongly identified with the five koSha-s we get thrown about.
The author undertakes this exercise, through the method of reasoning called anvaya and vyatireka, to separate the incidental from the intrinsic - what is incidental to the 'I' and what is intrinsic to the 'I'. When we separated the gross body (see verse 38) from the Self, we saw that the gross body is only incidental. Because what comes and goes cannot be intrinsic. When we separated the Self from the subtle body (comprising the prANa, the mind and the intellect), in verse 39, we saw that these are are merely incidental and don't form an intrinsic and permanent part of the Self. And likewise with the Anandamaya koSha or causal body as well in verse 41. It, too, is only an incidental aspect and not intrinsic to the Self. Thus what has been obtained through this method of reasoning is a pure 'I' bereft of the body, mind, intellect etc. all of which had been assumed to be the 'I' earlier.
Therefore the author says,
यथा मुञ्जादिषीकैवं आत्मा युक्त्या समुद्धृतः
शरीरत्रितयात् धीरैः परं ब्रह्मैव जायते ।४२।
yathA mu~njAdiShIkaivaM AtmA yuktyA samuddhRRitaH
sharIratritayAt dhIraiH paraM brahmaiva jAyate |42|
Just like the pith is separated from the mu~njA grass, the Self, separated from the three bodies with the help of reasoning by the courageous people, becomes even the Supreme brahman.
evam in this way (by using anvaya and vyatireka to separate the Self from the five koSha-s) AtmA the Self samuddhRRitaH has been discriminated yuktyA through proper reasoning (mentioned above) sharIratritayAt from the three bodies (or five koSha-s) dhIraiH by seekers with sharp intellects. The author exemplifies this. There is a type of grass called mu~njA grass. This is used in certain religious functions like the sacred thread ceremonies of young brahmachAri-s. They wear this mu~njA grass at that time. This mu~njA grass has very fine and sharp edge that can easily cut the skin of the person handling it. It also has a stalk or pith inside. A great deal of care has to be exercised in removing the tender pith from the sharp covering.
Therefore the author says yathA just like mu~njAt from the mu~njA grass iShIkA the tender pith (is removed carefully) the tender and blissful Atman, the Self, is separated carefully from the five abrasive and constantly cutting sheaths! What is the result of this? paraM brahmaiva jAyate – the individual Self 'becomes' the Supreme brahman. It must be noted that 'becomes' does not mean that it wasn't so earlier and now has transformed into the Supreme brahman. 'Becomes' refers to understanding already available identity.
परापरात्मनोरेवं युक्त्या संभावितैकथा
तत्वमस्यादिवाक्यैः सा भागत्यागेन लक्ष्यते ।४३।
parAparAtmanorevaM yuktyA saMbhAvitaikathA
tatvamasyAdivAkyaiH sA bhAgatyAgena lakShyate |43|
Thus the logical possibility of the identity of the Supreme Self and individual Self has been shown by reasoning. This identity is shown by scriptural statements like 'That thou art' and others, by giving up a portion.
evam in this manner para apara AtmanoH between the Supreme and lower Self (that is, Ishwara and jIva) ekatA oneness or identity yuktyA through proper logical reasoning saMbhAvita is established. That is, the logical possibility of the oneness between the Supreme Self (God) and individual Self (jIva) has been conclusively shown, sA this identity or oneness is established tat tvam asi Adi vakyaih through scriptural statements like 'You are That' and others bhAgatyAgena through the process of removing or rejecting portions that don't belong to the Atman lakShyate is indicated or established
Part 1, Part 11, Part 13 Coming Soon...