Panchadasi Chapter 3 Panchakosaviveka
-The discrimination of the five sheaths The Taittiriya upanishad describes Brahman or the Self as "hidden in the
cave". The 'cave' is the five sheaths known as annamayakosa (physical
sheath), pranamayakosa (the sheath of the vital airs), manomayakosa (the mental
sheath), vijnanamayakosa (the sheath of the intellect) and anandamayakosa (the
sheath of bliss). The outermost is the physical sheath or the gross physical
body or sthula sarira. Within it are
the vital, mental and intellect sheaths, in that order. These three sheaths
together constitute the subtle body or the sukshma
sarira. The innermost sheath is the sheath of bliss. This is the causal body or
karana sarira. The physical body is produced from the seed and blood
of the parents, which are formed out of the food eaten by them. It grows by
food. It does not exist either before birth or after death. It comes into
existence as the result of past actions. It cannot therefore be the Self which
is eternal and has neither birth nor death. The vital sheath consists of the
five pranas, namely,
prana, apana, samana, udana and
vyana. These pervade the physical body and give the power to the sense organs to
function. This sheath cannot be the Self, since it is devoid of consciousness.
The mental sheath is what gives rise to the notions of 'I' and 'mine' with
regard to the body, relations and possessions. It too cannot be the Self because
it has desires, is subject to delusion and is always changing. The intellect, on
which there is the reflection of pure Consciousness, and which is dormant in the
state of deep sleep is the intellect sheath. It cannot be the Self because it
undergoes changes. The inner organ, though one, is treated as two, namely,
the intellect or buddhi and the mind or manas. The mind collects information
through the sense-organs and presents it to the intellect which judges and
decides. In deep sleep the inner organ becomes dormant and bliss is experienced.
This is the bliss sheath. This too cannot be the Self because it is impermanent.
The source of this bliss is the Self. The Self is always the subject and can
never be the object of experience. The Self is consciousness itself and imparts
consciousness to the mind and body, just as sugar is sweetness itself and
imparts sweetens to all dishes which taste sweet. The Self cannot be described
because it is not an object. It is self-revealing. This Self is Brahman. Being
all-pervasive, Brahman is not limited by space. Being eternal, it is not limited
by time. Being the substratum of the whole universe, it is not limited by any
object, just as the rope is not limited by the illusory snake. Thus Brahman is
infinite in all three respects. Brahman, who is Existence, Consciousness and Infinite
is the only Reality. Isvara and jiva are mere superimpositions on Brahman by Maya and avidya
respectively. Maya is the power of Isvara,
which controls the whole universe, but is itself under the control of Isvara. It appears to have consciousness because of the
reflection of Brahman in it. Brahman is pure Consciousness, while Isvara is omniscient because of His power, Maya.
Brahman is called jiva when It is looked upon as associated with the five
sheaths, just as a man is called a father and a grandfather in relation to his
son and grandson. When considered apart from Maya and the five sheaths
Brahman is neither Isvara nor jiva. He who realises that he is in essence Brahman (and not
the body-mind complex) is not born again, since Brahman has no birth and is
eternal. End of
chapter 3
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