[Chaturamnaya] Tattvabodha of Adi Sankaracharya - 14

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Continued from previous post)
 
 
http://svbf.org/wp-content/uploads/tattvabodha/4_Tattvabodha_AvastaTrayam-PanchaKosha.pdf
 
Tattva Bodha of Adi Sankaracharya  -
A Vedantic Primer: Part 2 (contd.)
 
(Lecture Notes compiled by Venkat Ganesan from the series of
SVBF Lectures given by Dr. S. YEGNASUBRAMANIAN)
 
2. Analysis of the Individual - jIva vicAraH
(continued)
 
In the discussion on the Analysis of the
Individual - jIva vichAraH, in the previous issue, the
Author defined all "bodies" and enumerated
that they are different from the Atman
(sthUlasUkShmakAraNasharIrAdvyatiriktaH), the Author
proceeds to show how the Atman is the witness
or illuminator of the three states of experience
(avasthAH) and is different from the five sheaths
(pancha koSAH) of the body.
 
2.4 The three states of experience - avasthA traya
avasthAtraya.n kim.h ?  What are the three states Of
experience ?
 
jAgratsvapnasuShuptyavasthAH . (they are) the wakeful
state, the dream state and the deep-sleep state.
 
2.4.1 The Wakeful State
 
jAgradavasthA kA? What is the wakeful state?
 
 shrotrAdij~nAnendriyaiH shabdAdiviShayaishcha j~nAyate
 iti yat sA jAgradavasthA .
 
Wakeful state is that state of expereience
where the sense objects (sound etc.) are
perceived by the sense organs (ears etc.). (In
this state),
 
sthUla sharIrAbhimAnI AtmA vishva ityuchyate .
 
The Self that associates with the gross body
is known as "ViSwa".
 
viShayaH : Object of experience;
shabdAdiH shabda - sound; sparsha - touch; rUpa - form; 
rasa - taste; and gandhaH - smell.
 
What are the instruments for this experience?
 
shrotrAdiH Five varieties of instruments - 
shrotram - ear; tvak - skin; : chakShuH - eye; rasanA - tongue, and
ghrANam - nose : by (five) insturments of
perception.
 
It should be noted that the shabdAdiviShayAH are
common for both the wakeful state and dream
state. In dream state also, we see, smell, hear
etc., but without the use of sense organs. In
the wakeful state, we associate / identify
ourselves with the gross body and so is
described as sthUlasharIrAbhimAnam. The instruments
denote achetanatattvam and the experiencer, the
chetanatattvam and the experiencer in this state -
the waker - is described as sthUlasharIrAbhimAnI. It
should be noted that the sthUlasharIram - the gross
body, is inert and the chaitanyam (functioning
through the gross body in the wakeful state) is
given the name vishvaH.
 
 
(Continued in next post)