[Chaturamnaya] Tattvabodha of Adi Sankaracharya - 13

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Continued from previous post)
 
 
Then what is Atman? Not even kAraNa
SarIram! Why? sthUla and sUkshma SarIras
are different from each other and are not
kAraNa SarIram (are only in the dormant /
potential form in kAraNa SarIram). If sthUla
and sUkshma SarIras are inert matter (as was
discussed earlier), kAraNa SarIram also should
be matter only - the subtlest plane of matter,
to the extent that we can never understand.
So all bodies are inert and are anAtmA and
different from Atman.
 
Table 1 gives a summary of the elements dis-
cussed in this discussion of three bodies to
enable the reader with a quick reference.
 
Having defined all "bodies" and enumerated
that they are different from Atman
(sthUlasUkShmakAraNasharIrAdvyatiriktaH), the author
proceeds to show how Atman is different from
the five sheaths (panca koSa) of the body and
the three states (avasthas), which will be dis-
cussed next.
 
 
TABLE 1. SarIra trayam
 
sthUla SarIram
 
* Physical  body  or  the  Gross  body  (including  the  physical
organs of  perception or Golakam);
* Composed of pancamahAbhutas (five basic elements) namely
space ,  air ,  fire ,  water  and  earth  after  pancIkaraNam
(grossification);
* gained by good deeds in the past;
* is a tenement  to experience pleasure and pain etc.
* subject to shad-vikara (undergoes six types of modifications
namely birth, existence, growth, aging,  decay and death)
 
sUkshma SarIram
 
* Subtle body or Astral body;
* controls all physiological functions and powers of the organs
of perception, action, mind and intellect;
* composed of pancamahAbhutas or five basic elements before
pancIkaraNam.
* Gained by good deeds in the past;
* is an instrument to experience pleasure and pain etc.;
* composed of seventeen components - jnAnendriyas (five
organs of perception), karmendriyas (five organs of action),
pancaprANas (five different airs), manas (mind) and buddhi
(intellect).
* Organs of perception or the powers behind them are called
jnAnendriyas. fhey are ears(hearing), skin(touch), eyes(sight
or experience of forms), tongue(cognition of taste) and nose
(cognition of smell).
* It is unique in our scripture and culture to associate a devata
(deity) for each one of the organs or the power behind.
Presiding deities are: for ear - Space; skin -Air; eyes - Sun;
tongue -Varuna; and nose -Aswini Kumaras.
* Organ of action are karmendriyas. fhe organs and presiding
deities are as follows - Speech (to speak) - Fire; Hands (to
catch or grasp) - Indra; Legs (locomotion) - Vishnu; Anus
(excretion) - Mrutyu; and Genital organs(procreation)
Prajapati.
* No discussion of the panca prANas, mind and intellect are
given at present, but the author discusses them later.
 
kAraNa SarIram
 
* Causal body; the cause for the other two bodies;
* It is not describable (anirvacanIya) ;
* it indicates a state of ignorance since mind and intellect
are absent and it is neither existing in all periods of
time(past, present and future) nor non-existent.
* Causal body influences the deep sleep state (which is
discussed later);
* Ignorance of the true nature of the Self results in
misconception and incorrect identification with gross and
subtle bodies.
 
 
References / Source of Material
1.	Tattvabodha of Sankaracharya, Central
Chinmaya Mission Trust, Bombay. 1995.
 
2.	Tattvabodha - Lectures by Swami
Paramarthananda, Madras.
 
 
(Continued in next post)