Tattva bdha

Transcription of Pravacanas (talks)

of

Swami Paramarthananda Saraswati

Transcribed by Raghu Ganapathy

ii Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Tattva Bdha iii

Contents
Key to transliteration and pronunciation of Sanskrit letters ....................................................... vii
Preface.................................................................................................................................................................. ix

A Note on Hindu Religious Systems ....................................................................................................... xiii

Why learn Tattva Bdha ? - Self knowledge and its benefits ....................................................... 1
Scheme of the strs ................................................................................................................................... 19

Invocation - Prayer ........................................................................................................................................ 25

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications ..............................................35

Introduction to the four-fold qualifications.........................................................................................36
Qualification 1: Vivka - Discrimination ..................................................................................... 48

Qualification 2: Virga - Dispassion ............................................................................................. 52

Qualification 3: amdi aka sampatti - The six disciplines..............................................54

Discipline 1: ama- Mind Control ................................................................................................ 55

Discipline 2: Dama- Sense Control .............................................................................................. 58

Discipline 3: Uparama - Withdrawal or quietude ................................................................. 60

Discipline 4: Titik Endurance or forbearance ................................................................... 65

Discipline 5: raddh Faith or trust ........................................................................................... 70

Discipline 6: Samdhna Concentration or focusing power ........................................73

Qualification 4: Mumukutva - Intense desire ........................................................................ 75

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm ................................................................ 83

Tattvavivka - Inquiry into Truth....................................................................................................84

tm and antm - Real and unreal ........................................................................................... 85

Sthlaarra - The Gross body - its elements and functions.................................................95

Skmaarra and saptadaa kalbhi - The subtle body and its instruments ........ 104

iv Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Paca jnndriyi Five organs of knowledge .......................................................... 112

Paca karmndriyi Five organs of action ................................................................... 117

Paca pra - Five physiological systems ....................................................................... 122

Antakaraa - Four inner equipments ........................................................................... 124

Kraaarra - Causal body ............................................................................................................. 128

Avasthtraya - The three states of existence........................................................................... 140

Jgradavasth The waking state ........................................................................................ 140

Svapnvasth The dream state ........................................................................................... 144

Suuptyavasth The deep sleep state .............................................................................. 148

Paca k - The five sheaths or covers ..................................................................................... 152

Annamaya - The food sheath ................................................................................................ 154

Pramaya - The vital air sheath ........................................................................................ 157

Manmaya - The mental sheath .......................................................................................... 158

Vijnamaya - The intellectual sheath ............................................................................. 159

nandamaya- The bliss sheath ............................................................................................ 161

tm Atma.............................................................................................................................................. 165
Cit Consciousness ..................................................................................................................... 170
Sat - Existence ............................................................................................................................... 177

nanda - Limitless happiness or bliss .............................................................................. 178

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm .................................. 181

Caturviati tattvtpatti prakra -The process of evolution of 24 elements and
elementals .................................................................................................................................................. 182

[Link] my trigu - Brahman, Maya and the three cosmic qualities or

aspects .................................................................................................................................................... 183

b. Paca bhta si - Evolution of five fundamental elements ................................. 190

c. Sttvik gua- Evolution of the Sattvik aspect .................................................................. 196

d. Rjasik gua- Evolution of Rajasik aspect ........................................................................ 202

e. Tmasik gua- Evolution of Tamasik aspect ................................................................... 204

f. Packta pacatattva - Evolution of five Grossified elements................................ 205

Tattva Bdha v

Fig. 1 Caturviati Tattvtpatti Prakra (with Sanskrit terms) .................................... 209

Fig. 2 Caturviati Tattvtpatti Prakra (with English terms) ...................................... 210
Fig. 3 Packta pacatattva - Evolution of the five Grossified elements ................... 211

Aikya vicra- Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm ...................................................... 213

Jva vara The individual and the total ................................................................................... 215

Fig.4 Jva-Ishwara Aikya .................................................................................................................. 222

Mah Vkya - The Great equation ................................................................................................ 229

Aikya Jna phala- Benefits of the knowledge of oneness ........................................... 245

Jvanmukt - Liberated individual................................................................................................. 246

Law of Karma............................................................................................................................................ 262

Law of Karma for Jnis ....................................................................................................................... 272
Important aspects of Law of Karma 277

Pram - scriptural proofs ............................................................................................................. 291

Key to transliteration and pronunciation of Sanskrit letters

vii

Sanskrit is a highly phonetic language and therefore accuracy in the

pronunciation of the letters is very important. A change in the pronunciation
could change the meaning of the word itself. For those who are not familiar with
the Dvangar script, the International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a
guide to the correct pronunciation of the Sanskrit letters.

fun

feet
full

marine

aisle

**

blockhead*1

ai
o

au

a
ka

kha
ga

gha
a

father

it

pool

revelry

go

***

get 1

rhythm

play

cow

Seek 1

log-hut * 1

sing 1

ca

chunk 2

jha

hedgehog *2

cha
ja

tra

ha
a

match *2
jump 2

three 2

ant-hill *3
duck *3

ha

godhead *3

tha

(close to) pathetic *4

numb *4

a
ta

da

dha
na
pa

pha
ba

bha
ma

thunder *3

(close to) that*4

(close to) think *4

(close to) breathe *4

purse 5

sapphire *5
but 5

ya

loyal

va

virtue

ra
la

a
a
sa

ha

ka
ja

red

luck

sure

shun
sir

hum

worksheet
*

(close to) world *

''

'

unpronounced

(a)

unpronounced
()

abhor 5

mother 5

* No English equivalent ** Nasalisation of preceding vowel *** Aspiration of preceding vowel.

1. Guttural

Pronounced from throat

2. Palatal
Pronounced from palate
3. Lingual
Pronounced from cerebrum
4. Dental
Pronounced from teeth
5. Labial Pronounced from lips.
th
The 5 letter of each of the above class called nasals is also pronounced nasally.

Preface

Preface ix

A few words about this text.

This text is based on the series of 22 talks the word pravacana
would probably be more appropriate - on the subject of Tattva

Bdha rendered by Svami Paramrthnand Sarasvat (Svami Ji), a

disciple of Svami Daynanda Sarasvat of Ara Vidhy Gurukulam

headquatered at Coimbatore in India.

While listening and understanding Svami Jis Pravacanas, I took

extensive notes, almost verbatim. I feel that it was the Gurus
blessings and Gods will that the thought to use my notes to

produce this text book occurred to me. I feel that this text could
help a lot of earnest students like me to get introduced to this
subject of Advaita (non-dual) philosophy of Santana Dharma
which is popularly known as Hinduism.

This text is in no way meant to be a substitute for Svami Ji s

pravacanas. I would strongly urge any serious seeker to first

listen to the pravacanas of Svami Ji in a systematic and regular

manner as one would do in a class room in a school or a college.

This text should help such students to revise their learning after
listening to Svami Jis pravacanas. In these pravacanas Svami Ji
provides, in addition to the subject matter under discussion i.e

Tattva Bdha, a significant insight into the the various aspects of

our Dharma str, the dos and donts for leading a spiritual life

and answers to many questions that we may have concerning the

religion, spirituality etc. which may only be indirectly related to

x Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

the topic under discussion. Listening to his pravacanas is thus, a

highly enriching and totally fulfilling experience.

While, I have tried to faithfully reproduce Svami Ji s words in this

text for the most part, I have taken the liberty to suitably edit the
narrative to conform to the print and reading medium. For
example, Svami Ji, like all effective teachers, uses repetition as a

tool to drive home a point or make it easy for listeners to follow

the line of thought. In this text, I have tried to avoid such
repetitions, as much as possible.
Secondly, Svami Ji, like all traditional and proficient teachers, starts
every class with a brief summary of what was taught in the

previous class. I have excluded these summaries and the points

therein wherever I found them repetitive.

Tattva Bdha is written in Sanskrit language. So it will be a great

advantange to one who has a good knowledge of this language,

the script, the grammar, the interpretation rules etc., to study and
understand the original text. In the absence of such knowledge one
can of course fall back upon the available commentaries in English
or a couple of other languages. However, in my view a basic
knowledge of Sanskrit and the Dvangar script will make this

journey of learning much more enjoyable. Svami Ji, in his

pravacanas, takes great pains to explain each and every word in

the original Tattva Bdha text. So I have reproduced the words in

the text in Dvangar script. I admit that I have only a very

preliminary knowledge of the Sankrit language (middle school

level) and hence I cannot rule out errors in the reproduction of the

Preface xi

words in Dvangar script. I humbly request the readers to give

me feedback on such errors ([Link]@[Link]), so that they

can be rectified. I have adopted the scheme of International

Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) for Romanization of
the Dvangar script. Of course the meaning of each word is
elaborated by Svami Ji himself. The transliteration and

pronounciation guide is given at the beginning of this text.

Svami Ji often emphasises in his pravacanas on other vdntik

texts - especially the Bhagavad Gt that, it is not sufficient to

merely acquire self-knowledge at the intellectual level. All this

knowledge should be fully assimilated, actualized and converted
into inner strength. Only then can we hope to escape from this
whirlpool of sasr and attain true liberation. I am reminded of
an anecdote relating to Svmi Cinmayanand which Svami Ji

recounts in one of his pravacanas. A person once proudly

boasted to Svmi Cinmayanand, that he had gone through many

Upaniads and also the Bhagavad Gt. Svmi Cinmayanand with

his characteristic wit responded - I am glad that you have gone

through many Upaniads and also the Bhagavad Gt. I know that it
is not an easy task. But tell me, how many Upaniads have gone
through you?

I, therefore, appeal to all those who want to pursue this study not
to treat this merely as learning at the intellectual level but put the
knowledge to practice on a day to day basis. This will most
certainly change your attitude and your approach to life. I am only
echoing the guarantee given by the scriptures.

xii Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

I am indebted to scores of people who have helped me, directly

and indirectly, in compiling this text. However, I would like to
make a special mention of the contributions of my daughter Shruti
and my son Shreyas and my good friend M. Janardan for the
successful completion of this project.

I offer my humble pranams and prostrations at the lotus feet of

Svami Paramrthnand Ji and seek his blessings for the successful

completion of this maiden endeavor of mine.

Harih O Tat Sat

Raghu Ganapathy

A Note on Hindu Religious Systems xiii

A Note on Hindu Religious Systems

Santana Dharma popularly known as Hindusim is one of the

oldest religions of the World. Santana means unending, perpetual,

ever lasting, primeval etc. The word Dharma has several

meanings. In this context, one could take the meaning as that

customary observance or prescribed conduct which relates to
justice, virtue or morality. More than a religion it is a way of life to
be practiced by one and all. That is what Santana Dharma is all

about.

The original scriptures of Hindus are called Vds. They were so

vast the mass of writings that the largest library in the World
today would be found to be insufficient to store all the texts in a
printed form. Sadly, most of this literature has been lost forever. A
large portion of the Vds has disappeared and what we have
today is, perhaps, only a miniscule of the original volume.

The Vds which form part of the Mms School which deals

with religious and spiritual thoughts, are divided into two parts -

the Karma Ka which relates to action or work part. This

consists of rituals and ceremonies, some of which are very

elaborate, to be performed by the people and various hymns

addressed to various Gods. The other part [Link] Jna Ka

consists of the Upaniads imparting the knowledge of the nondual limitless reality.

xiv Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

This chart provides a brief overview of the traditional Hindu

religious systems.
Traditional Hindu Religious Systems

Unorthodox
(Nstik)
(Non-Vedic)

Orthodox
(stik)
(Vedic)

Crvka

Skhya
Yga

Jainism

Nyya
Buddhism

Vaiika
Mms

Prva Mms
Vdik rituals and
hymns

Advaita

Viidvaita

Uttara Mms
Vdntik knowledge

Dvaitaa

Dvaitadvaita
(Bhdbda)

uddavaita

As can be seen from the Chart, the Vdntik School, a part of the

stik stream, has six branches. Of this, three branches viz. Advaita
(Non-dualsim), Viidvaita (Qualified dualism) and Dvaita

Acintya
bhdbhda

A Note on Hindu Religious Systems xv

(Dualism) are very popular having been extensively commented

upon by medieval philosophers and modern teachers of the
philosophy.

Tattva Bdha is an introductory text which expounds the

philosophy of the Advaita branch i.e the non-dualistic philosophy

contained in the Upaniads.

The contents of this text are broadly divided into 5 Sections.

The first section is called Sdhana catuaya. This section deals

with the four fold qualifications required for a spiritual seeker to

undertake the Vdntik study.

The second section is Vyai vicra - the analysis of the

individual. Vyai means the individual the microcosm; Vicra

means analysis.

The third section is Samai vicra - the analysis of the total.

Samai means the total, the universal, the cosmos, or the

macrocosm.

The fourth section is called Aikya vicra the analysis of the

essential oneness of the individual i.e Vyai and Samai the total;

Aikya means essential oneness.

And the fifth and final section is Jna phala the benefit that will
accrue to any one who gains this knowledge i.e. the Aikya jna

phala. Within each section, the topics which have been discussed
are arranged in the form of Chapters.

xvi Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Now over to Svami Jis pravacanas.

Why learn Tattva Bdha ? Self-knowledge and its benefits 1

Why learn Tattva Bdha ? - Self knowledge and its

benefits

Tattva Bdha is an introductory text generally prescribed at the

initial stages of Vdnt study by a student who is keen to learn the

scriptures like the Bhagavad Gt or the Upaniads or even the

rmad Bhgavata. All scriptural text books can be studied and

understood well, if one goes through the Tattva Bdha in the

beginning. As the very title of this books shows, it deals with the

knowledge of Tattva. :(Bdha) means knowledge and

(Tattva) in this context means the reality or true nature. So

Tattva Bdha means the knowledge of the reality or true nature.

Now a question may arise - True nature of what? The answer is the
true nature of oneself, the true self, the real self. So we can
understand that the meaning of the word Tattva here connotes the
real nature of oneself. In short, Tattva Bdha is self-knowledge;

that is, knowledge about ourselves.

Why should we gain this self-knowledge? Do we get any benefit

from this self-knowledge? Is it not a fact that no one will undertake
anything unless there is some benefit? These are natural questions
which may arise in ones mind.
Every human being is benefit oriented. There is an old Sanskrit
saying:

2 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Prayjanamanudhdhiya na mand'pi pravartat

No thinking human being or even a dull witted person will

undertake any activity unless he/she gets some benefit out of that.
So the question is What does one gain out of self-knowledge?
There are numerous benefits that we can get out of this
knowledge. But here are the five most significant benefits.
a) (Jijs nivtti) Satisfaction of natural
curiosity

Every human being, because of his advanced intellect as compared

to other living things, has a natural curiosity to know about things
which are around him. This natural curiosity expresses itself in the
form of ones exploring tendency. Wherever we go, we tend to
look around. What are the things here? Who are all present here?
What is this place? Even as a baby we have done that exploration.
In fact a mother gets tired of answering the childs questions that
sometimes she may even get wild with the number and type of
questions the child asks. It is this tendency to explore; it is this
curiosity, which is responsible for the constant increase in human
knowledge. The entire humanity has all the time explored. The
lands have been explored, continents have been discovered and
explored, oceans and deep sea bed have been explored to discover
the flora and fauna present there. We are not only exploring the
land and the ocean but we are also exploring deep into the sky,
space, planets, other galaxies, distant stars etc. We even have
dedicated TV channels which show the lives of animals and plants.

Why learn Tattva Bdha ? Self-knowledge and its benefits 3

One cannot imagine the amount of exploration that is going on

even to know the habits of a lobster! Such exploration prompts
certain fundamental questions raised by our intellect.
What is this creation? How did this creation start? Is there
somebody as the creator of the Universe? Is there a God? If there is
God, where is he? Why did he create this world? Why did he
create me and dumped me in this world? When did life start? Did
I have a past life or birth? What will happen to me after my death?
Where do I go? Do I survive at all? Such questions can be endless.
When these fundamental questions are answered, there is total
intellectual satisfaction.
Wherever there is a developed intellect, curiosity to know three
things abounds - to know about the World, to know about God
and ultimately to know about oneself expressed in Sanskrit,
these are ( Jagat)- the World , : (vara)- God and :

(Jva) - Self. This natural curiosity is known as (Jijs) in

Sanskrit.

Amongst the three, the maximum curiosity is to know more and

more about oneself. Am I a free individual or is my life governed
by other forces which I cannot control at all? How come certain
things happen in my life even though I cannot find any reason for
such experiences? There are infinite questions about ourselves
which we cannot avoid. We dont get answers from our parents.
Parents generally evade these questions because they themselves
do not know the answer. And as we grow up and become adults,

4 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

we get busy in setting up our life, our family etc. and consequently
we are unable to find the answers in our pre-occupation with
worldly affairs. So while these questions are always kept aside and
never answered, the curiosity never wanes.
For example, let us suppose that in a class room, the teacher places
a big box in the middle which is covered with a cloth. All the
students will be unable to focus on the lecture because they will
constantly be thinking about the box, guessing what it could
contain and speculating why it was placed there etc. This
highlights the basic human tendency of the inability to withstand
ignorance. Ignorance always drives us to explore. Ignorance makes
us restless. Man cannot stand any ignorance especially ignorance
of the self. And this self-knowledge, once gained brings a big relief
to us. Thus the first benefit of this study is removing or quenching
the curiosity expressed in questions like Who am I? Why am I
here? What is my destination? Am I in the right direction or
not? which is (Jijs nivtti).

The second benefit of this knowledge is the experience of a great

sense of fulfillment on attaining this [Link] is called
(Vidynanda prpti) Gaining knowledge driven
happiness.

It is a happiness or joy born out of the discovery of our real

nature; gaining the knowledge of the self, which is so wonderful,
so unique that we would not have ever imagined. Vidynand is

nand or happiness born out of vidy Knowledge. In this

Why learn Tattva Bdha ? Self-knowledge and its benefits 5

context vidy means self-knowledge. And since this knowledge is

permanent and is never lost, this nand or happiness also

continues perennially. All other things are exhausted in time or

exhausted because we spend them, just as the body is exhausted in
time and money is exhausted when we spend. Whereas,
knowledge never gets exhausted, even after we share it with
others. There is a famous adage in Sanskrit.

Na crahrya na ca rjahrya na bhrtbhjya na ca

bhrakr .

Vyay kt vardhat va nitya vidydhana sarvadhant

pradhnam.

Knowledge cannot be stolen by a thief. Knowledge cannot be

taken away by the King or the Government and attached.
Knowledge cannot be taken away by our relatives and
knowledge cannot be a burden also. When we share the
knowledge with others vyay kt vardhat va nitya i.e. the
more we teach or spend the knowledge, it only keeps

growing perennially. So knowledge is the highest form of

wealth.
Any knowledge or any discovery gives us happiness. Here it is a
subtler form of happiness because it is an intellectual pleasure and
not a sensory pleasure. When we eat something tasty, there is
happiness but it is a gross form of happiness gross sensory

6 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

pleasure. When we read poetry or appreciate some art work we

get a happiness which is a bit more refined. But when we get
knowledge especially the knowledge of the self, we get a still more
refined happiness which is very subtle. This is called vidynand.
We all can recall how Archimedes behaved as a result of the

happiness he experienced when he made his discovery in a bath

tub. Is he not known to have taken to the streets naked crying
Eureka!, so excited by his discovery that he had even forgotten
to dress!!!
The knowledge about oneself is much more fulfilling as compared
to any other knowledge because it is the knowledge about the
most intimate thing i.e. oneself . This is the ultimate knowledge.
There is no knowledge beyond the knowledge of the self. And this
happiness is most wonderful because when the scriptures give us
this self-knowledge, they tell us that we are not ordinary defective
persons that we think we are and take ourselves to be. The
scriptures point out that we are the most wonderful beings in this
creation. And when we learn about our real nature, which is such
a unique and wonderful thing our self-image gets a huge boost.
At present our self-image is in a miserable state. That is why all the
time we are working to improve our image. Right from changing
the hair style, dying the hair, changing the eyebrow, changing the
tip of the nose, changing the alignment of the teeth, doing plastic
surgery to facial parts etc., we are constantly trying to improve our
self image. We feel that we have an awful and miserable selfimage and we indulge in these cosmetic improvements so as to

Why learn Tattva Bdha ? Self-knowledge and its benefits 7

present a better self-image to the society, an image which we know

we dont naturally have. The irony is that all the while we are fully
aware that it is all a false faade or front. We do this because we
are not happy with what we are. And that is why, perhaps, most of
us do not want anyone to visit us without advance notice!!! We
dont want to be caught unawares with our natural image!!!
So most of our struggles in our life are to constantly improve our
miserable self-image with which we are never satisfied. The
scriptures talk about our image which is far different from and far
superior to what we think.
The scriptures affirm that:
(twamasi) - You are - (nitya) Eternal;
(udhdha)
Pure;
(budhdha) Enlightened;
(mukta) Liberated;

(asaga) Unattached; (sarvagatha) All pervading

- (svarpa) Self.

So contrary to what we think, our nature is eternal, pure,

enlightened, liberated, unattached and all pervading. It sounds is
unbelievable, but it is true.
So when we gain this self-knowledge, it gives us the greatest joy.
Thus the second benefit is vidynanda prpti, the knowledge that

I have the best image in the world. What a nice thing to know!!!
Even if it is false (which it is not), it is worth rejoicing!!!

The third benefit is (krpaya nivtti) Freedom

from desperation. It is also known as

8 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

(prtantriya nivtti) or

(prvaya nivtti) both meaning freedom from

dependence.

The vidynand that we get by self-knowledge is such a unique

happiness that it is available to us all the time, unlike any other

happiness in the world which is bound by time and space. If we
think about it, all other forms of happiness are all bound by time.
The happiness that we derive from listening to music will last as
long as the music is playing. It has a beginning and it has an end.
Further the happiness depends upon so many collateral
conditions, like a noise free environment, good sound equipments,
good rendering by the musician and the like. There is a
dependence on so many conditions including the proper
functioning of our sense faculties. For example, a person hard of
hearing cannot get the same happiness from hearing music which
another one with excellent hearing faculty can get. Take any type
of pleasure we can imagine, it will have a beginning and an end
and also often the conditions will be unpredictable. All worldly
pleasures are wonderful but they have certain associated negative
points. Firstly, they are all finite. Secondly, they are unpredictable.
In Sanskrit the worldly pleasures are called
(viaynand) - experiential pleasures. They are time
bound, conditional, unpredictable pleasures. Wherever there is
unpredictability, the resultant experience will be one of stress,

Why learn Tattva Bdha ? Self-knowledge and its benefits 9

strain and anxiety. So in such circumstances, vidynand can serve

as a wonderful standby.

For example, in worldly affairs, if we have unpredictability about

our income, we will want some other source of income to fall back
upon as a standby. An intelligent person will never rely upon an
unpredictable thing. The scriptures point out that vidynand is a
standby for viaynand. And once there is a standby, we will be

totally relaxed. There is no desperation. Are we not relaxed when

we have a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) device in our house
as a standby for power cuts!!! Once we have vidynand, the

advantage we enjoy is that with regard to worldly pleasures, we

are not desperate. We have a standby.
Thus we dont become a slave of worldly pleasures because
whether worldly pleasures come or not, we already have a
permanent source of joy. Just as we have some bank balance for
emergency or a borewell as a standby for water supply, when we
have a perennial source for joy, our dependence on the
unpredictable and unreliable worldly pleasures gets reduced. If
worldly pleasures come, it is wonderful. If not, we have got some
other source to tap from.
Thus the 3rd benefit is the reduction of the desperate dependence
upon the joy given by worldly people, relatives, possession or
even the Government. In short, it is the freedom from desperation
or freedom from helplessness. There is no stress or strain. This is
very important because in modern times, everyone keeps talking
about stress and strain. Seminars are organized on the subject of

10 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

stress and strain and ways and means to manage them. And the
irony is that more often than not, the organizers themselves are
fully stressed in their anxiety about the successful conduct of the
programme in the light of various uncertainties!!!
This freedom from desperation is krpaya nivtti, the third

benefit.

The fourth benefit is (ghta nivtti) Freedom

from shock, trauma.

We all know from our experience that our life is not always a bed
of roses. It is not always smooth sailing. Of course a number of
things do go according to our plans. But in spite of our best efforts,
planning, knowledge, etc. things can go beyond our control and
they can lead to painful experiences. There can be no disagreement
that life is a mixture of pleasurable and painful experiences.
Wherever we would like to change the painful experiences, we
would certainly work for that. So if electric power supply fails, we
will buy a generator. If the atmospheric temperature goes too high,
we will try to get an air-conditioner. If the local transport system
infrastructure is awful in the City, we may think of buying a car.
Thus we may have solutions to many problems.
However, we all know that there are many situations for which we
have no remedy at all. Even doctors sometimes say that one has to
live with a certain physical condition. Medical science, no doubt, is
very advanced and there are cures for many diseases. Even then,
there are diseases for which medical science doesnt have any cure.

Why learn Tattva Bdha ? Self-knowledge and its benefits 11

Leave aside the cure, they dont even know the cause of these

diseases e.g. idiopathic diseases. Have we not come across such

cases? All the parameters in the pathological tests could be clear
but we may have continuous stomach problem. Even the
advanced tests may fail to diagnose the cause of illness. This is just
an example, but there are so many such situations over which we
have no control including the behavior of our family members, be
it husband, wife, in-laws, teenage children etc.!!!
Self-knowledge serves as a wonderful shock absorber. When we
are facing adverse and challenging situations in life, this
knowledge serves as a cushion, just like a shock absorber in a car.
The shock absorbers are not needed when the roads are fine and
smooth but when the roads are rough and bumpy with lot of
potholes, they become useful. So we need to have them in the car
always. They help us to withstand the shock when the roads are
terrible. They help us in the prevention of ailments like
spondylitis. Similarly self-knowledge helps us to avoid
psychological spondylitis which is depression, anxiety, fear etc.
We can change some situations but there are many which we
cannot change. Lord Ka calls them in the Gt

(aparihryrtha) - choiceless situations, which we cannot escape

and will have to live with. Some people try to commit suicide by
taking some poisonous medicine but even those dont work
properly at times and they survive!!!

12 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

(prihrya) means remediable. (artha ) means

situations. So aparihryrtha means non-remediable or remedy-

less situations choice less situations. The scriptures point out that
we cannot find a remedy for choice-less situations. Why? Because
they are choice-less!!! The scriptures also point out that, even
though we may not be able to change the situation; we can modify
or reduce and in some cases totally avoid their impact on us or
how it affects us psychologically. So while the situations cannot be
changed, their impact can be altered. And that is why we often
observe even within one family itself, when a tragedy strikes,
different people are affected by different degrees. Event is one but
the reactions are different.
When a toy falls down and breaks, it is the greatest tragedy for the
child. But the mother or father does not react in the same manner
as the child does. They console the child. The situation is the same
but the reaction is different. So the situations may not change but
their impact can be controlled by us. There is a beautiful example
to understand this.
Imagine there are three cups of water placed in a row. The cup on
the left side has hot water and the one on the right has cold water.
The one in the middle has luke-warm water- medium
temperature. You dip your fingers on the extreme cups, say for
half a minute. And then you take the two fingers and dip them in
the cup in the middle. The temperature in the cup is the same for
both fingers. But the two fingers will experience it differently. To
the finger which was earlier dipped in hot water, the water in the

Why learn Tattva Bdha ? Self-knowledge and its benefits 13

middle cup will appear cold. Similarly, to the finger which was

earlier dipped in cold water, the water in the middle cup will
appear hot. This shows that the situations remaining the same,
what we experience could be different and what we experience
could be altered. And the contention of the scriptures is that we
cannot change many situations, peoples, events etc. in the world
but we can alter their impact on us, reduce the impact and
sometimes even totally wipe out the impact. And this is what is
termed as ghta nivtti.

In Sanskrit, the word ghta means impact, blow, shock, trauma,

deep and permanent injury etc. caused by certain experiences.

Certain acts of our family members, certain acts of our close
friends may sometimes cause a deep injury and scar and some
people never come out of that experience. They call it trauma.
And our scriptures assert that self-knowledge or tm jna is a

very powerful medicine which can reduce the ghta of all

painful experiences in life. It is the greatest shock absorber. It can

reduce the impact of any worst tragedy in life so that a person

does not suffer any permanent scar. The person is able to wipe out
the pain within a few days and start living again. This resilience of
the mind, this immunity of the mind, this self re-generation
capacity of the mind can be obtained through self-knowledge, so
that we can avoid going to psychiatrists or even think of suicide!!!
This strength we get from self-knowledge. A wise person never
has a shock, irrespective of the experience the life gives.

14 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

The 5th benefit is (dakat prpti) Gaining

efficiency.

When our mind is well balanced because we have got a shock

absorber, the mind does not go through turbulent conditions at all.
A poised mind is an effective mind. An emotionally disturbed
mind is a handicapped mind. And even if we have high learning
and we are highly educated, if we dont have emotional balance,
our education becomes useless because in a disturbed mind, we
cannot tap the knowledge. And that is why nowadays
Psychologists say that Emotional Quotient (EQ) is more important
that Intelligence Quotient (IQ). IQ represents high intellect, high
knowledge, sharpness of mind etc. EQ represents the capacity to
remain balanced when things go haywire. And they say a person
with a high IQ cannot perform better if he has a low EQ. On the
contrary, if a person has a high EQ, he can fully tap whatever
knowledge he has, because emotionally balanced mind means
intellectually available. In fact, emotional disturbance is like
VIRUS for the brain computer Vital Information Resources under
Siege, which means that the information stored in our brain is not
available for our tapping. The intelligence has been hijacked by the
terrorists and militants called emotional problem. And selfknowledge is an effective protection against this VIRUS. And once
this VIRUS is handled, the IQ becomes fully available for our
present performance and naturally a poised person is able to
perform better. Thus even from a worldly angle, a person of selfknowledge can accomplish better than other people.

Why learn Tattva Bdha ? Self-knowledge and its benefits 15

When we transact with the world on a day to day basis, there are

two personalities of us, which are functioning all the time. The first
is Receiver-Reactor personality and the second the Doer
personality.
The Receiver-Reactor personality is that which receives the
experiences of life the Receiver by way of the inputs which keep
coming continuously from the world things, people,
relationships and experiences etc. Even as we receive them we
react to those inputs, as happy, unhappy, satisfied, joyous,
miserable, terrible, elated etc. This is the Reactor side of the
Receiver-Reactor personality. In the scriptures this is called
(bhkt) the one who receives the experiences and goes
through emotional reactions like (rga) - attachment,

(dva) - hatred, (kma) - pleasure, (krdha) anger,

(mha) - delusion, (lbha) greed, (mada) conceit or
pride and (mtsarya) envy or jealousy; they all belong to
the bhkt .

And there is a second personality which is constantly working

that is I want to do a lot of things in my life. I have several goals,
plans. I have got an agenda for the entire life and am continuously
adding fresh ones, etc. The one who is working in life to fulfill the
agenda is called the (kart) the doer.

16 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

These two personalities i.e. bhkt and kart, are closely

interconnected i.e. the receiver of experiences and the performer of

actions. They are like the two sides of the same coin. Since they

are so intimately connected, the efficiency of the kart is heavily

dependent on the condition of the bhkt. Even in sports, the

performance of a sports person is heavily affected when he or she

has some problem in the personal life, family life etc. We have
numerous examples of this. If early in the morning we have some
sour experience because of which our mind is disturbed, it will
have a negative impact on all our actions during that day. So if the

bhkt is disturbed, it will affect the efficiency of the kart. So it

follows that, if bhkt can be improved, the efficiency of the kart
can be improved.

We have already seen that the 4th benefit is ghta nivtti, which is
a shock absorber. So as a bhkt, if we have a shock absorber, as a

kart, we will perform better. So ghta nivtti leads to a better

performance in life. We will be able to set aside those disturbing

experiences because the bhkt is not traumatized. Thus the 5th

benefit is the improvement the efficiency of whatever we choose to

do in life. This is because as a bhkt, we have the shock absorber

which will keep our mind calm and poised and which will help us
to significantly improve our efficiency in all our actions. Many
times children have this problem. The child would have studied
very well for the examination and would be confident of scoring
full marks. But when he or she gets the question paper in the
examination hall, the child may not know the answer to the first

Why learn Tattva Bdha ? Self-knowledge and its benefits 17

question. He or she is bound to get flustered and nervous. Even

though there may be many alternate choices in the question paper,
the poise and mental faculty is bound to get disturbed. But if the
child can maintain the balance and forget the first question, read
the other questions carefully and answer them properly, the

bhkt child will not be affected by the kart child. But some
children become panicky. Even though such children may know
the answer to the second question, because of the panic, they are
likely to forget the answer to the second question. And when this
happens the panic multiplies and this leads to confusion and
forgetfulness of the answers to all other questions.
Therefore, this capacity to shelve the bhkt, not to get

traumatized, have the emotional balance and be efficient in

whatever we are doing, is called dakat prpti. Dakat means

efficiency. Thus improving our efficiency in every field is the 5th

benefit.

Thus all these 5 benefits will be achieved through acquiring selfknowledge.

Scheme of the strs 19

Scheme of the strs

Once we have understood the benefits of self-knowledge, an

obvious question is - Where can we find this knowledge? What are
the sources of this self-knowledge?
People may be academically well qualified with degrees that
literally run from A to Z - and are professionally well
accomplished. But they often tend to break down when faced with
life as a householder or even some competitive situations in their
workplace. These issues could range from a simple difference of
opinion with the

spouse, disagreement with children, a

misunderstanding with a close friend or differences with superiors

and colleagues in office etc. When faced with such situations, all
academic

degrees

and

professional

achievements,

all

the

knowledge from these sources, do not come to the rescue, because

all this knowledge and professional achievements do not provide
any guidance . They do not deal with the moot question Whom
am I who is facing this world? In what capacity am I dealing with
this world?
And, therefore, when all the worldly knowledge fails, it follows
that one should go in search of some other source for gaining the
knowledge required to face the world. This is where our
traditional scriptural literature plays a very very important role. In
this vast ocean of literature, we have four layers of scriptures that
concentrate on self-knowledge.

20 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

The first and original source is called the (Vda) or (ruti),

which is said to be discovered by the is or sages. It is said that

the Vds were directly revealed to the is by the Lord or the

Creator himself when they were in deep meditation. The sages

were the seers of the Vds. They did not compose them. They

received the Vds directly when their minds were attuned to the

frequency in which these were transmitted by the Lord. Its just

like television or radio where one can watch or listen to a
particular program only by tuning into a specific transmission
centre and a specific frequency channel.
Similarly the sages received these revelations called Vds, which
are the source of knowledge. Vda means true knowledge. This is
the first layer - which we will call ruti.

The second layer of knowledge is called (Smti). Smti is a

body of literature written by the is the sages elaborating the

contents of the ruti. So unlike the rutis, the is are the authors of
the Smtis.

The third layer of literature is called

(Brahma stri)
or the str literature, which is also written by is. The most
important str is the Brahma str. This literature is unique

because it gives a logical support to the teachings in the ruti and

Smti. It reinforces the teachings, satisfying our reasoning and

scientific intellect. Our intellect understands the language of

reason only. And therefore the str literature reinforces the

Scheme of the strs 21

knowledge contained in ruti and Smti with (tarka)

reasoning and (nyya) logical inference. This is the third

layer of literature and these three layers are considered to be the

most important sources for self knowledge. These are the
foundations or pillars of our traditional wisdom. These three are
called (prasthna traya). Prasthna means the

method of gaining knowledge or the path of knowing and traya

means three; the fundamental three; the original source of selfknowledge.

Upaniads come under the Vds or the original source. All the

Upaniads are called ruti prasthna. The Bhagavad Gt comes

under Smti because it has been written by Sage Vyscrya, a great

i as a part of the great epic Mahbhrata.

The Bhagavad Gt is called Smti prasthna. Brahma str is

called Nyya prasthna.

And then we have a fourth layer which is called

(prakaraa) which is authored by the various

(crys) - teachers or the gurus in our (parampar)

or tradition. The original wisdom has been carried forward
generation after generation by the - (guru-iya)

parampar. Several works have been written by traditional

teachers like di akarcrya and his disciples like Survarcrya

and Vidyraya Svmi who was a great cry of gr pham.

22 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Even today, great crys are continuously adding to these

teachings. Therefore, unlike the first three which are the works of
sages or is, the prakaraa are works of the crys. These are

the four sources of self-knowledge.

We have innumerable prakaraas written by innumerable

crys. And generally a systematic Vdntik study starts with

prakaraas rather than delving straight into the prasthna traya

the original souces. The reason we choose the prakaraas is
that they are written by later crys who can understand the

minds of the modern generation. They have the ability to present

the teachings in a language and with modern examples that can be
better understood by the present generation. The original works
cannot give modern examples. Moreover, these works are in
Sanskrit, a language which many people in the modern times do
not follow. As the later crys can render the teaching in a

language understood by the modern students, it is easier to start

with the prakaraas.

One of the simplest prakaraa is known as Tattva bdha, a text

we have selected for our current study. Tattva bdha is based on

on the teachings contained in the prasthna [Link] is written

using a simple form and in a simple language. It is comprehensive
and the thoughts are presented systematically. The author has
adopted a prose style in this text. It is generally believed that the

Tattva bdha was originally written by di akarcrya.

However, opinions differ on this. Another school of thought

claims that this was actually written by a disciple of an cry

Scheme of the strs 23

called Vsudvndra Sarasvat because, as we shall see later, the

text starts with prayers offered to Vsudvndra who is stated to be

the guru of the author. It is the tradition of all crys to start their
works with a prayer offered to their gurus and God. The authors

name does not appear anywhere in the text.

It can therefore be surmised that the Tattva bdha was written by

an un-named author who was a disciple of a cry called

Vsudvndra Sarasvat. Generally, this name is given to crys

belonging to the Kc pha tradition. Indra Sarasvat is the suffix

that all crys of the Kc tradition use. For example, we all
know of Candraskharndra Sarasvat, Jayndra Sarasvat, ankara

Vijayndra Sarasvat all crys belonging to the Kc pha

parampar. And, therefore, the author could have been a cry

connected with the Kc pha. However, these are mere

conjectures as no more details are available. Having said that, it
does not really matter who the author of the text is? It is enough to
understand that the author is a cry who had complete
knowledge of the scriptures and being of the modern times, has

presented this knowledge is a simple and easy to understand

format.
The studying of the Tattva bdha has twin objectives. The first is
to systematically acquire self-knowledge, which is the primary

aim. We have already seen in the previous chapter that selfknowledge has a five-fold benefit. Therefore, gathering selfknowledge in a systematic manner is the first objective.

24 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

The second objective is, as even the author gives or imparts this
knowledge; the author is systematically introducing us to the
technical terms used in the scriptures. We call it the jargons of a
particular science. Like a lawyer uses legal jargons, a doctor uses
medical jargons, etc., every subject has got its own technical terms
which are almost impossible to translate in any other language. An
effective way to study any subject is to learn and understand the
technical terms and start using them in learning that subject.
The author, through Tattva bdha introduces us to these technical

terms found in our scriptures. In Sanskrit these technical terms are

called (paribh). The word (bh) means normal
terms and paribh means technical terms used only in that

particular str or scripture. For example, there are different

strs or scriptures like (tarka stra),

(vykaraa stra), (mms stra), (Yga

stra), (vdnta stra), (nya stra) etc.
and in every str there are paribh (abd) words or
terms and we start our learning with these technical terms. Once
we are equipped with this tool, it becomes a lot easier later on to
read and understand the the prasthna trayam. With this
background we now enter the text proper.

The entire text of Tattva bdha is in a prose form, except for the

first and last portions, which are in the form of verses.

Invocation - Prayer

Invocation- Prayer 25

S I I

Vsudvndraygndra natv jnaprada guru

Mumuk hitrthya tattvabdh'bhidhyat

In the Indian tradition, before starting any project, undertaking or

endeavour - be it a worldly or a religious activity - it is customary
to start with a prayer offering. A prayerful attitude is the
uniqueness of the Indian culture. In this culture, prayer is not
confined to a particular place and time but it is believed that our
whole life should be conducted with a prayerful attitude. We
believe that we have to convert every activity into a worship of the
Lord. Work is worship for us. That is why at the end of the 9 days
of navartri (nine nights) pj, we celebrate the yudha

(Instruments) pj, which has nothing to do with the religious

festival of navartri. On this day, the instruments that a person

uses to earn his living like a carpenters tools, the tools of a

goldsmith or an ironsmith, musical instruments and the like are

worshipped. Another example of this reverential attitude is that a
bus driver, when he takes out his bus in the morning, first offers a
prayer. Also most drivers will not go in reverse while driving the
bus for the first time in a day. They will go forward a little bit and
then only go in the reverse. These are examples of attitude. The
philosophy is that in life one should always go forward.

26 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

According to the philosophy, success always depends on two

factors. The first factor is our own sincere effort, which we call
(prayatna) self effort. Without this self effort nothing can
take place and nothing can be achieved. The second factor is

(vara anugraha) the Grace of the Lord, which

pertains to all the unseen, unpredictable factors. It is equally

important that these factors are favourable to us for the success of

our endeavour.
For example, as a farmer we can sow the seeds for a good crop, but
rains must come on time. This is not in our control. We can set out
on a journey or a trip, but we wouldnt know if we will get caught
in the traffic or will have to reroute due to a road diversion. We
may plan a grand party to entertain friends at home but we cannot
know if the fun will be spoiled by a sudden power cut. There are a
number of such factors that are beyond our control.
All these external uncontrollable factors are called (Daiva) in
the [Link] is equal to unpredictable, uncontrollable

factors. Therefore before we start any endeavour, we pray that this

Daiva must be favourable to us. Some may choose to call it luck

or good luck. But the scriptures dont call it luck. It is called vara

anugraha.

Thus both self-effort and Grace of the Lord are equally important
for success. Effort is something we can take care of. It is under our
control. But the question is how to handle Daiva? This is

Invocation- Prayer 27

accomplished by offering prayers. The scriptures proclaim that

prayers have the capacity to alter extraneous factors.

One can, therefore, fully understand the anxiety of the author of

Tattva bdha. He may start writing the book but he does not

know if he will be able to complete it. He knows that there are

factors beyond his control which will determine the success or
otherwise of this endeavour. And therefore, the author invokes the
grace of the Lord in the very first verse.
And for the students for whom this text is meant, their anxiety
would be that the study, which they have commenced, should
conclude successfully. Even for this, they require the grace of the
Lord; to overcome obstacles that may come in the way of their
pursuit. The first verse is, therefore, called the invocatory verse or
in Sanskrit (prrthan lk).

Another uniqueness of the Hindu tradition is that the teachers or

gurus are looked upon as manifestations of the Lord himself. They

are the blessings given by the Lord himself. That the guru or

teacher is held in the highest esteem is demonstrated in the

following verse.
:

I I

Gururbrahm gururviu gururdv mahvara

Gururva para brahma tasmai rgurav nama.

28 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

(Brahm), (Viu) and (Mahvara) are the

Hindu trinity Gods. So this verse means the teacher i.e. guru is

Brahm, the guru is Viu, the Guru is Mahvara. The guru is

verily the para Brahma the Supreme Brahman;
Salutations to that guru.

As stated earlier, since guru and God are one and the same, often a
prayer to the Lord is replaced by a prayer to the guru.

(vara prrthan) is replaced by

(guru prrthan). And,
therefore, this author also is offering his salutations to his guru

Vsudvndra ygndra.

Now lets consider the meaning of the verse.

(natv) means I offer; my (namaskra) i.e
salutations. (And alongwith the author we also offer our

prostrations); to
(Vsudvndra ygndra) the

guru whose name is Vsudvndra and who is : (ygndra)

a great ygi. In Sanskrit, the word : (indra) means great,

when it occurs as a suffix at the end of a word. For example,

(simhndra) means the Great Lion,

(manuyndra) means Great man etc.

The word yga has several meanings. The most popular one refers
to the yga sans, which are physical exercises or postures.

Invocation- Prayer 29

But in this context, the word yga means self-knowledge.

Therefore, ygi means the one who has self-knowledge a wise

person a jni. So ygndra means jnndra that is a Great

jni .

And interestingly Vsudva is also one of the names of Lord Ka

who is also considered as a great guru as he gave the teachings

contained in the Bhagavad Gt to the world. Thus the author

indirectly salutes Lord Ka also. Lord Ka is referred to as a

Jagadguru teacher to the world, in the following oft quoted verse.

Vasudvasuta dva kasacramardanam

Dvakparamnanda ka vand jagadgurum

Thus indirectly the namaskra or salutations go to Jagadguru

Ka also.

And why is the author offering salutations to Vsudvndra? He

gives the reason. The author says that Vsudvndra is

(guru) that is, my guru, my crya, my guide, my master, my

teacher. The word guru means the one who shines the light to

remove the darkness or ignorance. In Sanskrit, ru means light and

gu means darkness. So guru means the light which removes

darkness. The derivation of this word is explained in the following

verse.

30 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Gukrastvandhakr vai rukrastannivartaka

Andhakranivartitvt gururityabhidhyat

The meaning of this verse is that the local light will remove the
external darkness whereas knowledge will remove the internal
darkness. And the person who removes the internal darkness
called ignorance through knowledge is called a guru.

And what has the guru given? (jna prada)-

(jna) means knowledge. (prada) means grant or

bestow.

The author says that his guru has given him knowledge; he has

blessed him with knowledge. And we need to understand in this

context that the knowledge he is referring to is (tma

jna) i.e knowledge of the self.

And through this verse the author is hinting at another important

idea also. He implies that he did not beget this self-knowledge by

self-study. He did not attain self-knowledge by his own sdhan
efforts. He took the help of a guru. Just as every person pursuing

his Doctoral degree should have a guide, in the spiritual field also
having a guide is compulsory. Without that, one is liable to be
misguided, and confused. And therefore, the author says by

Invocation- Prayer 31

implication, that like him, every student should get this self
knowledge only through a guru.

Thus the underlying message is that, one should obtain this

knowledge from someone who is competent to teach this subject.
One must not rely on translations. If sports like cricket, football,
tennis etc. require a guide or a coach, what to talk of this highest
pursuit in life of acquiring self-knowledge?
Having offered his salutations and also glorified his guru, the
author next states the purpose of his endeavour.

(Tattva bdha abhidhyat). Abhidhyat

means teaching or imparting. He says that he is going to teach or

impart; bdha the knowledge of; the Tattva i.e the real self, the
real nature, the higher nature, the superior nature.

And here is another important message from the author. What we

see, what we perceive with the help of our senses need not be the
real nature of any thing or any object. Let us take the case of
scientific progress. When the scientists initially entered into the
enquiry of the creation, they found that the creation has some
other truth than what they could perceive. This led to the
discovery of many elements. Their first conclusion was that the
combination of the elements was the creation. Thereafter, after
further research, their views changed. They then thought that the
elements were not the true nature but that they were made up
various molecules, and so the molecules were the true nature of

32 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

the creation. Thereafter, more research followed and they

discovered that the molecules were made up of atoms. Now they
surmised that it was not the molecules but the atoms which
formed the fundamentals of the nature or creation. This theory
also got negated when they discovered the sub-atomic particles
and said that the creation was made up of sub-atomic particles.
And now the current thinking is that creation is nothing but
energy in motion.
So according to modern Science, the true nature of the solid
tangible wall that we see with our eyes and feel with our hands is
in fact, the non-tangible energy! Does this sound believable?
Energy cannot be seen but we can see the wall. Energy cannot be
touched, but the wall we can touch. This untouchable,
imperceptible energy is the true nature of this tangible and
perceptible wall. This means what the eyes see is not the true
nature of anything. What the sense organs perceive is not the true
nature of anything in the creation. So we can conclude that sense
organs do not report the real nature.
Similarly, the author seems to be implying here that When I am
seeing your self, it is not the real you that I see. It is something
different. I cannot trust my sense organs to see the real self in you.
And that is why I am going to impart the knowledge of the real
nature of the self.
And all this is for whose benefit?

Invocation- Prayer 33

(mumuk hitrthya). Hitrthya means for

the benefit of; mumuk refers to those persons who are

serious seekers of (mka) - the five fold benefits discussed

in the previous chapter, which collectively is called mka.

This is : (mangala lka) - auspicious verse or prrthan

lka prayer verse. In English, we call it the benedictory verse.

In the Vds such a verse is called : (nti pha). This
opening prayer is in verse form.

Hereafter we enter the text which is in prose form.

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 35

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold

qualifications

36 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Introduction to the four-fold qualifications

The author commences his teaching by outlining the qualifications

required for a serious seeker to pursue this knowledge. He briefly
states that in the following sentence.

Sdhanacatuaya sampanndhikri mkasdhnabhta

tattvavivkaprakram vakyma

The author introduces the text in a very beautiful and systematic

manner. He expresses three points in this opening sentence.
1. What I am going to teach? What is the subject to be taught?
2. What is the purpose of this study? What benefit is to be
derived from teaching? and
3. For whom is this teaching meant? What is the target group,
if one were to borrow a term from the modern business
management parlance?
The opening sentence, therefore, addresses what, for what and for
whom?
First let us consider the question What is being taught?
The author says (tattvavivkaprakram). Tattva in
this context means oneself i.e. real nature of oneself which is

popularly called as tm in the strs. (vivka) means

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 37

analysis or enquiry. So tattva vivka means self-analysis, selfenquiry or finding out whom really am I?

(prakra) means the method, the procedures. So joining the

three words Tattva vivka prakra means the method of selfenquiry, the method of self-analysis.

Self-enquiry will lead to self-knowledge. We know that an enquiry

into any subject will lead to the knowledge of that subject. And,
therefore, the author says that he is going to deal with the topic of
self knowledge through self enquiry so that you will know
yourself better.
Now if you say, I already know about myself, the response of
the scriptures is you think you know. But really speaking, you
dont know who you are? And even if you dont know, it doesnt
matter because ignorance, it is said, is bliss. The problem is that
not only you dont know who you are but you have got all kinds
of misconceptions about yourself which makes the life worse.
Ignorance, by itself, will not create that much of a problem, but
erroneous conclusions will lead to worse problems. Self-ignorance
and self-error or misconception, are two problems that are causing
havoc in your life. Therefore, better remove the ignorance and
misconception and know who you really are. This is the answer
to the first question What is the subject to be taught?
The second question one may ask is What is the benefit or
purpose for which I have to gain this knowledge? I have
successfully managed so many years. I have got married, I have

38 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

got children, I have got grand-children. If I have managed

successfully for so many years, can I not manage a few more years
without Tattva bdha? Why are you interfering in my life.

To this, the author responds Do you really believe that all along
you have led a quality life, a life free of strife and misery, life full
of happiness and liberation? You have to be honest to yourself.
Other than a jni, a realized soul, no one can honestly answer this

question in the affirmative. So, the author continues why cant

you have a quality life for atleast the remaining few years of your
life?
And this knowledge is the only means to have that quality life
which is
(mka sdhna bhta). Bhta means
in the form of; sdhna means an intrument or a cause; mka
means the five fold benefits described in the first Chapter. So,

mka sdhna bhta means that which happens to be the means

of attaining mka.

The author says I shall teach you this knowledge. This

knowledge will give mka which would be a welcome benefit for
every human being. This will transform the quality of ones life.

The advantage will be, when the quality of ones life increases, it
benefits other members of the family also. So atleast for the benefit
of other members of the family, for the peace of mind of other
members of the family, shouldnt one improve?
The next question is For whom, is this teaching meant for? What
is the target audience? Every institution, be it educational

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 39

institution, or a commercial organization or a scientific research

institution etc., has to address this question right in the beginning

of undertaking any venture. That is who is eligible to use the

product?
For example, a student who has to seek admission in any
institution has to have several qualifications or eligibility etc. If he
has to study any professional course, he needs to go through an
Aptitude Test. If he has to seek admission in a US University for a
Masters level programme, he has to first qualify through the
GMAT or GRE examinations. Even in sports one has to go through
qualifying rounds.
In this case, the author calls the target audience for this knowledge
as (adhikri). (adhikr) means the eligible
students, fit students, prepared students. So the author says that I
am teaching this self-knowledge for those students who are fit,
ready and prepared to receive this knowledge.
The eligible students are those who possess
(sdhana catuaya sampatti). (sampanna ) means
the one who has or is endowed with virtue and this virtue is

(sdhana catuaya). Catuaya means the four fold

virtues, the four fold disciplines or the four fold

[Link] possess these are called the adhikrs.

So to sum up, the author says that he is imparting self-knowledge

to the qualified students for attainment of mka.

40 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

(vakyma). The author completes the sentence stating I am

communicating, I am transferring this knowledge.

Obviously, the next question would be what are these virtues or

qualifications?, so that one can find out if one is eligible or not for
receiving this self-knowledge.
It is worth pointing out here that the author presents the entire
teaching in the form of a dialogue. This is one of the methods of
teaching used by crys especially philosophers. Even some

Western philosophers use the format of dialogue for presenting

their thoughts. Some of the philosophical books themselves are

called Dialogues. The advantage of this method is that there is an

imaginary student and an imaginary teacher. The student raises
the questions and the teacher answers. And the questions raised
by the students are generally the ones commonly asked by the
people. In the modern parlance they are called FAQs Frequently
Asked Questions. So the author uses the FAQ method to
communicate this teaching.
Now in a dialogue format, it is necessary to know what words are
spoken by the student and what words are spoken by the teacher.
Mostly, the context itself would supply this detail. However, if it is
absent, like in this text, we have to supply the same.
So wherever a question is raised in this text, we have to assume
that the student is raising the question. In scriptural parlance this
would be stated as : (iya uvca) the student asks or

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 41

states. Similarly for the answers we have to supply

:
(guru uvca) or (cry uvca).

With this background let us look at this set of Q & A.

?
I
I
I

I

Sdhana catuaya ki?

Nitynityavastu vivka. Ihmutrrthaphalabhga virga.

amdi aka sampatti. Mumukutvam cti.
The student asks:

Sdhana catuaya ki? What is the four fold requirement for

self-knowledge, so that I can acquire them (if I do not have them)?

The teacher enumerates.

1) (nitynityavastu vivka).

The first one is vivka which means discriminative knowledge or

clarity in thinking. The most important virtue in life is freedom

from muddled or confused thinking. Even in the worst crisis the

one that can keep his cool and enjoy clarity in thinking, can win.

di akarcrya has written a very famous work called

(Vivka cmai) which consists of 580+ verses.

Cmai means the Crest Jewel. The cry says that

42 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

discrimination or clear thinking alone is the primary ornament of a

human being. The gold ornaments and jewels are the not the real
ornaments.
Of course, in the contemporary times, the word discrimination is
used in the media and newspapers in a negative sense. For
example, caste discrimination, gender discrimination, nationality
discrimination etc. In these contexts, the word discrimination has
the connotation of partiality. But in Vdnt the word used is

vivka which, in the absence of a better equivalent in English, is

translated as discrimination in a positive sense which connotes
clear thinking; insight; discernment. So the first qualification is

vivka or discrimination.

Before going into the details, let us briefly understand what is

meant by nitya anitya vastuvivka. Nitya vastu means a

permanent one; a permanent thing or a permanent entity.

Whatever is permanent is called nitya. Anitya Vastu means that

which is impermanent. And vivka, as we have seen means

discrimination. So the author says that the first qualification is to

have a clear awareness of the fact of what is permanent and what
is impermanent.

What is the purpose of knowing that? The purpose is that if one

knows what is impermanent, he will never have wrong
expectations. He will not expect permanence in an impermanent
thing. For example, permanent happiness cannot come from an
impermanent thing. This is a very simple fact. But we always
expect otherwise. Permanent security cannot come from an

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 43

impermanent thing. So if one is expecting permanent happiness

and permanent security from impermanent sources, then that

becomes a foolish and unintelligent expectation. And every
unintelligent expectation will lead to sorrows in life.
In fact most of our sorrows in life are not caused by the world or
other people. If we examine carefully, we will find that our own
wrong expectations are the causes for our sorrow. Every grief
which comes into our life is caused by wrong expectations. In our
younger days we might have liked something. And as we grew
up, the likes changed. They would have been replaced by new
likes and dislikes. It is, therefore, clear that no like is permanent
and no dislike is permanent. And this is not only with regard to
things but with regard to people also. And, therefore, the people
who once upon a time said I love you may not all the time say I
love you. Why? - Because mind changes; values change; ideas
change; perceptions change. So we have to understand that our
body changes, our mind changes and none of them can remain the
same all the time. If we expect them to remain the same all the
time, whose mistake is it? It is not the mistake of the changing
world but it is the mistake of our unintelligent expectation. And if
we want anything permanent, i.e. permanent happiness or
permanent security, we should seek them from a permanent
source. An intelligent person will seek permanent happiness from
permanent source, temporary happiness from a temporary source.
There is no harm in seeking temporary happiness or temporary
security knowing fully well that it is temporary, because we know

44 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

that it will end, sooner or later. So there is no damage. There is no

false expectation. We should, therefore, have clarity in thinking of
what we should seek where?
For example, if we go an Apparel shop for Deepavali or Christmas
shopping... What will we get there? Only clothes and dresses. If
we want shoes we have to go a shoe shop. So we must be very
clear what we will get where. This clarity of thinking regarding
what is permanent and what is impermanent is called vivka. .

As regards the second qualification i.e. dispassion the author states

(ihmutrrtha phala bhga virga) in short

we can say, virga. This means dispassion; freedom from all types

of addiction; freedom from all types of sensory slavery; freedom

from all types of emotional hooks. Freedom here connotes
mastery.
Any type of addiction or slavery creates a stress in the mind. A
slave can never think clearly and therefore, an important
qualification for any learning is emotional relaxation. So virga
means freedom from slavery or addictions.

One should be very careful in understanding this qualification.

There is a general misconception that dispassion means controlling
the mind or suppressing the [Link] never advocates such

an approach as it is dangerous and could lead to a lot of

unpleasant consequences. What is meant by dispassion is gaining

mastery over the mind and sense organs so that their activities can
be carefully regulated. What Vdnt scorns at is addiction or

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 45

slavery to sensory pleasures. It does not advocate complete

avoidance. Any addiction is bad and unhealthy and once a person

is addicted to sensory pleasures, he will have no time for other
useful pursuits, what to talk of learning Vdnt!

Thus the author is not against sense pleasures but he is against

addiction to sense pleasures. And sense pleasures are again
divided into two. (iha artha) and
(amutra artha).

Iha artha means sense pleasures available at present or in current

times. Amutra artha means the sense pleasures which would

become available in future, in a different time and a different

place.
We know that human beings are obsessed with both; not only with
the present but we are also obsessed with the future. Building
castles in the air is a favourite past time for most us!
What will happen after my child completes his or her education?
He/She will get a wonderful job, get enough money, get settled,
get married, have children and take me for a world tour etc. Such
dreams are not uncommon. The irony is that the child being talked
about will be only 2 years old now and this parent is imagining a
world tour being sponsored by the child!!! This is called fantasy or
fantasising. Our mind is trapped permanently in these two types
of pleasures. Sometimes we are so obsessed and preoccupied with
the future that we tend to ignore the present.

46 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

The author, therefore, talks about the (phala) - the result of

ones efforts, in both iha and amutra arths i.e. present and future
sensory pleasures. These are (karma phala).

(bhga) means enjoyment. So with regard to the sensory

enjoyment of the present and future, the qualification required is

virga i.e freedom from addiction, obsession, craving, madness

etc.

The third qualification is (amdi aka

sampatti). aka sampatti means the six fold self-discipline.

Sampatti in general means wealth but in this context, this refers to

the wealth of discipline. The scriptures consider discipline as the

greatest inner wealth of a human being. One may possess or not

possess external wealth. It does not matter. The scriptures consider
inner wealth as crucial. And that inner wealth is self-discipline.
This self discipline; self organization; self-integration; selffocussing is categorized into six components. They are collectively
called aka sampatti.

The six fold discipline which begins with (am). (di )

means and the like or etc. So the author quotes the first discipline
which is am and says etc. am means mind discipline; mental
discipline; thought discipline. The author later explains what are
all included in etc.

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 47

The fourth qualification is

(mumukutva). We have
seen the word mumuk while discussing the prayer verse. So

mumukutva means desire for mka, which is the five fold

benefits discussed in the first Chapter.

In any transaction of giving and receiving, one can give something,

only if there was someone willing to receive it. Giving requires
two people. A giver cannot give if the other person is not willing
to receive. So the author may say that he is ready to give selfknowledge. He may say that he is ready ready to give mka, but

he can not move a step unless the person at the other end also
wants that. This desire for mka and that too an intense desire is
called mumukutva.

And last but not the least, (cti) is not another qualification. It

is a conjuction used in Sanskrit language which roughly means

and. In Sanskrit, unlike English language the conjunction and

can be placed either in between the two independent clauses or at
the end of the sentence. Cti has to be split as C and Iti.

Thus simply put, the four requirements are Discrimination,

Dispassion, Discipline and Desire the 4 Ds it would be easy
to remember.
Having listened to the above teaching, a mumuk a student

with an intense desire to obtain this knowledge will naturally raise

several questions, to get more details and complete clarity of the

48 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

concepts. He will be keen to know how these qualifications apply

in the context of self-knowledge. So the next set of Q & A is:

Qualification 1: Vivka - Discrimination

?

Nitynityavastu vivka ka?

I
I

Nityavastvka Brahma tadvyatirikta sarvamanitya.

Ayamva nitynityavastuvivka.

The student asks (ka vivka). What do you mean by

discrimination between nitya vastu and anitya vastu, the

impermanent thing?

The thought behind this question is In fact I wonder if there is

indeed a permanent thing at all. Because in life, what we have
been seeing is that, whatever we come across is impermanent. One
may live longer but that also will end at some time. The earth also
has a very long period of life but the scientists and astronomers tell
us that the earth also will not exist permanently. The Sun may live
for millions of years, but one day the Sun will also collapse. The
astronomers have studied how the stars explode Nova, Super
Nova etc. so even the stars are impermanent. Thus the Solar
system itself is impermanent. And, therefore, the question is Is
there such thing which is a permanent at all?

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 49

The author says fortunately, there is something which is

permanent. He says (nityavastu ka Brahma).

There is one permanent thing. kam One; Impermanent things

are many but there is one permanent thing kam nitya vastu and

the name of that permanent things is Brahma. The word Brahma or

Brahman means the infinite principle. It means infinitely big or a

limitless entity. This word is derived from the root words

(bh)
and
(bhat) which mean big. So Brahman means the biggest
thing; superlatively big; infinitely big; infinite or limitless means

freedom from finitude or freedom from limitations. It is free from

the two fold limitations which characterises every thing, every
object in this world space-wise limitation and time-wise
limitation. That is spatial limitation and temporal limitation.
If we take the example of our own body, the space-wise limitation
is that, at any given time, each one of us can be only at one place. If
we are at place A, we cannot be at place B or anywhere else. We
cannot be here and elsewhere simultaneously. This is spatial
limitation.
Similarly time-wise limitation is that we are existent only during a
particular period of time. Each one of us has a date of birth and we
will also have a date of death in future. We did not exist before we
were born and after our date of death we will cease to exist. This is
called time-wise or temporal limitation.

50 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

When we say Brahman is limitless, it means that it doesnt have

spatial limitation. It is here, there and everywhere at the same

time. It is all pervading. That is why we say in our Hindu religion

that God is all pervading. He is to be found everwhere, in every
pillar and in every rust particle. This sentiment is expressed in the

mantrs that are chanted in the pjs. (sarva

vypin nama) or (anantya nama). Nama -

salutations to; sarva means all; vypin means pervading and

anant means endless; boundless; eternal. If we are asked whether

God is present in the heaven or a temple or in our heart, our

answer should be God is present in heaven, temple and in our

heart also, because he is present everywhere.
And when we say it doesnt have time-wise limitation, it means
that it was always there in the past, it is there at present, and it will
always be there in future. It means that Brahmans existence is
eternal. Even during (pralaya) - the dissolution of the

whole world; even when the whole universe resolves, Brahman

will continue to exist.

So Brahman means eternal, all-pervading entity. That, the author

says, is the only permanent thing - nitya vastu ka brahma. It is

everywhere. Only we have to discern what it is. Only we have to

discover that Brahman. In the context of the religious scriptures,

Brahman is popularly known as God but in philosophical

literature, the name Brahman is used. So God or Brahman alone is

permanent.

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 51

According to our scriptures, a real thing alone can give us real and

permanent happiness. Ananta the permanent one alone can

give nanda happiness. And therefore, Brahman alone can be

the real source of happiness. That Brahman alone is the real source
of security also, because an impermanent entity cannot give us

security. An impermanent thing itself is insecure. So how can one

insecure thing give security to another insecure thing? How can
one beggar give alms to another beggar? If he does, the giver will
no longer be called a beggar!!! So, security and happiness can come
only from a permanent source and that is Brahman alone. This
knowledge is called vivka.

The author further goes on to say (tat

vyatirikta

sarva

anitya).

Sarva

means

everything;

vyatirikta means other than; tat refers to Brahman. So, the

meaning is - other than Brahman everything else is anitya

impermanent.

ayameva means this i.e this understanding is nitynitya vastu

vivka. So, understanding very clearly and assimilitating this fact

that other than Brahman, everything else that one can think of is,
impermanent,

situations

are

impermanent,

people

are

impermanent and objects are impermanent, is called vivka. This

is the definition of discrimination.

52 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Qualification 2: Virga - Dispassion
Now for the next set of Q & A.
? [Virga ka?]

Iha svargabhgu icchrhitya

The question is What is meant by virga or dispassion?

The author says that dispassion refers to icchrhitya. rhitya

means absence of or freedom from and icch means desire,

passion, addiction, slavery, total dependence etc. So absence of or

freedom from addiction or total slavery is called virga or

dispassion.

And this dispassion is with reference to (bhgu) sense

pleasures. So the full answer is freedom from addiction or slavery

to sensory pleasures.
The sensory pleasures are divided into two types.
(1) (adhrmik) or immoral sensory pleasures. These are
: (dharma virudhddha bhga) those pleasures
which are not supported by the dharma or righteous living.
These are unethical, immoral sensory pleasures.

(2) The second category is ethical and moral sensory pleasures

which are called (dhrmika kma) or bhga.

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 53

The scriptures say that one has to be totally free from adhrmika

kma. Such pleasures should be totally rejected, totally avoided

and that is dispassion. And with regard to dhrmika kma,
dispassion is indulgence in moderation.

These sense pleasures are further divided into two types. One is
(iha loka bhga) and (para Loka

bhga). Iha loka means this world or this life; para loka means
after life or (svarga) means heaven. That is the present

pleasures and the future pleasures. The author advocates, icch

rhityam or dispassion from the point of view of both and that is

virga.

This is the second qualification required for self-knowledge. The

rationale behind insisting upon this qualification is very simple. A
person who is addicted to sense pleasures will end up spending
his whole life in the indulgence of such pleasures only. Where will
he find time the time for Vdnt? An addict will not get time for

any worthwhile pursuit in life. And that is why one should not be
addicted to anything.
The scriptures say that in the final analysis one should not be
addicted to even good things. That is the ultimate freedom. Lord

Ka tells at the end of the Gt, even addiction to dharm is a

form of addiction.

54 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Sarva dharmn parityajya mmka araa vraja

Aham tv sarva ppbhy mkiym m uca.

Lord Ka says this towards the end of Gt teaching because,

otherwise, people may take advantage of this statement and start

following this advice from now itself by giving up all dhrmik
actions!!!

So the right course is to first give up addiction to adharma by

developing addiction to dharma. First develop good addiction to

get rid of bad addiction - just as removing one thorn with the help
of another thorn. And later, we need to transcend the good
addiction also through wisdom. Jna or self-knowledge helps
us in transcending. That state is the state of absolute freedom.
The student now proceeds with his next question.
?

amdi sdhana sampatti k?

And the teacher replies:

am dama uparatistitik raddh samdhna ca iti

Qualification 3: amdi aka sampatti- The six disciplines

The third qualification is referred to as (sampatti). In

Sanskrit, sampatti means wealth but what is referred to here is

the inner wealth. This is the wealth of discipline which is an

internal wealth consisting of six types of discipline or six fold

discipline referred to as (amdi sdhana). The

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 55

student wants to know about the six disciplines of inner wealth

starting from am.

The teacher enumerates them here. Later he will explain each one
in detail.
1. (ama) - Mind control

2. (dama) - Sense control or control of sensory faculties.

3. (uparama or uparati) - Withdrawal or Quitetude
4. (titk) - Endurance, patience, forbearance etc.
5. (raddh) - Faith or trust

6. (samdhna) - Concentration, focussing power

7. (ca Iti) just a conjunction meaning and.

Next is the detailed definition of each of these six disciplines. We

will discuss each Q & A in relation to these.
Discipline 1: ama- Mind Control
? - I

ama ka? Man-nigraha

The first discipline is ama or mind control. The word ama

literally means nti peace, which also means samatwa equanimity. So, ama means peace of mind; poise of the mind;

tranquillity of the mind. To use the modern terminology, it means

a mind which is free from stress and strain. Stress is a very big

problem that everybody faces today. ama means freedom from

mental stress.

56 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

But, why do we say peace of mind is important?

When the mind is stressed or tense or anxious, the mind becomes a

(bhra) or burden for us. It is said that

(antyasya man bhra). For a person who does not have peace
of mind, the mind itself becomes a burden. Life itself becomes a
dragging life. That is why when we ask someone How is life?
We can hear hardly anyone saying that it is wonderful. In every
language we have some word or the other to connote pulling on,
dragging on, surviving, chalta hai etc., because the very
journey of life becomes a burden and life becomes a drudgery.
Whereas, when the mind enjoys peace and freedom from stress,
the mind is a light mind. In such a state, the journey of life itself
becomes enjoyable. Only a light mind can be used as an
instrument for accomplishing our goal. If we study the human life,
the uniqueness of a human being is that we have an extraordinary
mind. The difference between other animals and a human being is
that we alone are endowed with a superior mind which is a
wonderful instrument for accomplishing any type of goal whether
it is material goal or spiritual goal. Therefore, the shastras call the
mind (antakaraa) anta means inner and karaa
means instrument.

Only a light mind can be carried by us and only a light mind can
be used as an instrument by us. Even in the case of weapons, we
can use them effectively only if they are light enough to be lifted

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 57

and carried by us. If the weapon is heavy and one cannot even lift
it, how can one think of using it!!!
So (mananti) peace of mind is required first for our
very survival itself, what to talk of achieving the goals?

This mananti is required for maintaining physical health also. A

person who has stress consistently for a long time is bound to have

varieties of physical problems. Therefore, physical health also

requires a stress free mind. Not only that, even our intelligence can
be utilized effectively only when the mind is calm. When the mind
is disturbed, however educated one may be, however rational one
may be, all the knowledge that we have will not be available for
us. Like the VIRUS infected computer where, even though a lot of
information stored in the computer, it becomes inaccessible.
Similarly all our knowledge, all our studies, all our IQ etc., will all
be useless when the mind is disturbed. And that is why the
management gurus these days are focussing on EQ Emotional
Quotient to tap the IQ - Intelligence Quotient. A balanced mind is
a must to use our knowledge effectively. Thus, peace of mind is
required for maintaining physical health, for the upkeep of the
intellectual health and for the spiritual journey. ama is, therefore,

one of the most important qualifications. Lord Ka tells in the

Gt, that nti alone can give us happiness. No happiness is

possible when there is no mana nti.

So the first discipline is stress management. We should learn to

enjoy a poised mind. However, the author while advocating stress
management or mind management does not talk about the method

58 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

or process to do that. He seems to say I dont care how you do

that but if you want to come to Vdnt, you should have a

balanced mind!!! Tattva bdha does not teach us how to get

ama. For that we have to refer to the Bhagavad Gt, where Lord
Ka himself details the method of stress management.

Discipline 2: Dama- Sense Control

The next discipline is dama.

? I

Dama ka? Cakurdi bhyndriya nigraha.

Dama means (indriya nigraha). Nigraha means

mastery or control. Indriya means sense organs. Bhya indriya

means external sense organs. We have already seen that mind is
the internal sense organ. The exernal sense organs are five in
number and they are the eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue.
(cakurdi). Caku means eyes and di as we have already
seen means etc.

Now what is meant by control or management of the sense

organs? As already discussed earlier and at the cost of repetition
which is worthwhile, we need to understand this discipline very
carefully. Control does not mean suppression. Our scriptures
never believe in suppression. Any form of suppression is
dangerous because it has the potential to explode later. So by
control we mean, intelligently directing them or intelligently
channelizing them. We shouldnt allow the sense organs to go

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 59

where they want. We should direct them to go where we want or

decide. It is like damming a river. If the dams are not constructed,

the water resources will go to the ocean and will be a waste. By
constructing a dam, we will be saving the water resources so that
the same water can be channelized to areas and purposes that we
want. Similarly here also nigraha means not allowing the sensory
energy to go where they want but deciding to send them in the
direction that we want.
For example, when a student comes to the class, his ears should be
directed towards what is being taught. But if his sense organs are
not co-operative, he will be here but will not hear! If he is here and
can hear, he has indriya nigraha.

Now why do we insist upon proper direction of sense organs?

Why do we say sensory control is required? There are several
reasons. One reason is that our mental condition is dependent on
our sense organs because sense organs alone are the gates, the
doors for the external world to enter our mind. They decide which
part of the world and which sound must enter us, which form
must enter us, which smell must enter us. What enters our mind is
determined by the sense organs. And if these organs are not
properly managed, anything and everything will enter our mind
and there will be a security problem. Whenever there is a security
problem, militant problem or terrorist problem, what do the
officials do? They employ metal detectors and every one is frisked
at the Gate to determine if he is a threat to peace or not. Similarly
the all worldly things can enter our mind and cause a lot of
disturbances. We, therefore, have to have a check and control.

60 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Whatever can disturb our mind, whatever can cause internal law
and order problem for such things there should be a strict No
admission policy.

And this is called dama. This is very

important for mental health which is ama and which is required

for the pursuit of knowledge. All these Lord Ka elaborately

discusses in the Bhagavad Gt.

Discipline 3: Uparama - Withdrawal or quietude

Going on to the third discipline the dialogue is
? I

Uparama ka? Svadharmnuhna va.

This word uparama has several meanings. One meaning is

maintaining the peace of mind which has been acquired through

ama. This means preventing the disturbance. So the difference

between ama and uparama is that ama means calming the

disturbed mind and uparama means maintaining the calmness.

So the remedy for disturbance is ama and the prevention of

disturbance or maintainance of the peace of mind is uparama.

One is a treatment and the other is prevention. This is one

meaning.

The second meaning is (sanysa rama) a

monastic life or monasticism itself is called uparama.

But here, the author gives yet another meaning and that is
(svadharma anuhnam). This is the third
meaning.

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 61

Now let us see what is meant by svadharma anuhnam. The

scriptures give a technical meaning to this term. In the scriptures

our actions are divided into several types. Five types of activities
are talked about in the scriptures. These are
1. (nitya karma) karms or rituals which have to be
performed on a daily basis.

2. (naimittika karma) karms or rituals which

have to be performed occasionally.

3. (kmya karma) karms or rituals performed for

the purpose of attaining some desired results e.g. going to
heaven after death or for begetting children etc.
4. (pryacitta karma) karms or rituals
performed for expiation of sins or making amends for sins.

5. (niiddha karma) karms or rituals performed for

causing some harm to someone. These are forbidden karms.

Of these five types of karms, the scriptures say that we should

eliminate the last three to the extent possible and retain the first

two. That is nitya and naimittika karms should be performed

without fail and kmya, pryacitta and niiddha karms should be

reduced significantly.

The reason for this injuction is that the first two i.e. nitya and

naimittika are supposed to be conducive for spiritual growth. They

62 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

can be called Vdnt friendly karms. Just as we have a

gymnasium where we can do certain types of exercises for the sake

of our physical health or growth, we require a gymnasium for
our mental health and spiritual growth. According to the
scriptures, the nitya and naimittika karms act like that
gymnasium. We can, therefore, term these two karms as

spiritual growth oriented activities or spiritual activities. The other

three i.e. kmya, pryacitta and niiddha karms are supposed to

be Vdnt unfriendly karms.

Kmya karms are meant for the material growth of the individual

or external growth of the individual for prosperity, name, fame

etc. We can simply call them materialistic activities.

Pryacitta karms are those activities which are meant to

neutralize or nullify our own past negative actions or activities.

They are like medicinal karms. If we have eaten something which
is not suitable to our system, we are bound to end up with a
stomach upset. So there has been a wrong action on our part
which is - eating the wrong food. We take certain medicines to
treat this condition. This medicine consumption is an activity not
meant for spiritual growth, not meant for material growth. But it is
meant for neutralising the previous negative activities. They are
called pryacitta karms or parihra karms.

The fifth type of Karm is known as niiddha karms. They

represents all those actions which may be beneficial to us but

which are harmful to the other people. One should not, therefore,
engage in those actions.

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 63

For example, let us take the case of a person wanting to smoke. It

may give him some pleasure. But as long as it is damaging to other
people, through passive smoking, he should not do that action, if
he is sensible and considerate. It is a different matter that
irrespective of giving him some pleasure, smoking is bad for his
own health also. We can imagine any number of such activities.
The scriptures ban such karms`. So niiddha karms mean

prohibited actions. The scriptures contain a huge a list of such

actions. We need to study them not for following but for avoiding.
Like in diet we have got what to eat and what to avoid. Similarly
we have a huge list of such prohibited actions in the scriptures for
diligently avoiding them.

Uparama, therefore, is the gradual increase of the first two types

of activities which are meant for spiritual growth and the gradual
reduction of the other three activities. Thus we need to tilt the
balance of activities in our life.
And here the use of the word svadharma by the author refers to the

nitya and naimittika karms. (anuhnam) means

performance. And (eva) means only i.e. confining to those

activities only.

One should, therefore, confine oneself only to the two Vdnt

friendly activities and avoid or reduce the other three types of

karms.

64 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 65

Discipline 4: Titik Endurance or forbearance

? : I

Titik k? ta sukhadudi sahiutva

The fourth discipline which is part of the third qualification is

called Titik. This is considered to be a very important and useful

discipline not only for spiritual seekers but also for all others who

may not be spiritually oriented. This is based on the idea that we,
human beings will have to often face painful experiences in life.
No human beings life is a uniform path of roses. Everyone will
have to face painful experiences. And that is why we are advised
to read the scriptures and the mythological stories i.e Purns

regularly because when we read them we find that all people,

irrespective of whether they were good or bad, dhrmik or

adhrmik - everyone confronts misery and pain.

And that is why Bhagavn Rm himself incarnated as a human

being, and suffered painful experiences. Lord Ka was born in a

jail. So from his birth itself he faced challenges. Dharmaputra

Yudhistir considered as an embodiment of dharm and a paragon

of virtue had to live in the forests for fourteen long years. Then we
have the story of Nala and Damayanti. We have got stories after

stories from which we learn that life has got lot of pleasurable
moments but whether we like it or not, life involves various
painful experiences also with various gradations.
Some of these are in the form of physical pain and some of them
are in the form of mental anguish. Physical pain is called

66 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

(vydhi) in Sanskrit. Mental pain is called (dhi). So it is

said that (dhivydhi sahita janma)

Physical pain and mental anguish are constant companions in life.

The unfortunate fact is that when we go through pain, be it
physical or mental, it invariably results in the mind becoming
burdensome. As we have seen earlier a burdened mind is good for
nothing. Conducting life itself becomes very difficult. One cannot
engage in any constructive activity what to talk of spiritual
studies! So it follows that every human being has to find a method
of handling pain. When faced with such situation, we all first try
some of the conventional methods.
The first method we generally try is finding out a solution or a
remedy for the pain by bringing about the appropriate changes in
the conditions. This is the remedial method and sometimes this
method works also. But often the remedial measures may prove to
be very expensive - physically, mentally, timewise, energy wise,
tension wise, stress wise etc. And worse still, often we may find
that with the remedy the present pain may go away but it may
soon get replaced with another type of pain. Bhgawatha gives

an example of a person carrying a load on his right shoulder.

When he switches the load from the right shoulder to the left
shoulder, he gets immense relief for a short while but soon enough
the pain starts in his left shoulder. Nevertheless, we do tend to
take this approach which we may call the solution approach.

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 67

Then there is a second method. We go on tolerating the pain

because either there is no remedy, or the remedy is very expensive
or we know that the remedy would lead to some other pain.
Whatever be the reason, we go on experiencing the pain because of
which pressure mounts up in our mind and body. A time comes

when we are no longer able to handle the pain. And then the only
solution we find is to convert the pain into anger and explode. It is
called blowing the top, letting out the steam on any helpless victim
who comes in the vicinity. This is the explosion approach.
But there may situation when we cannot explode because the all
the people around are elderly or seniors etc. and therefore, we may
opt to suppress the pain and suffer it silently for years and years.
And in such suppression, there will not be an explosion but an
implosion. We will end up victimising ourselves resulting in a lot
of psychological damage. One may feel that one has become a
worthless, useless person, psychologically, because of deep
trauma. Therefore suppression is also not a proper solution
because that will cause immense self-damage.
We are aware of only these three methods to solve our problem.
But our scriptures talk about a fourth method which we do not
know or think about much.

Bhagavn or the Lord has given all of us a capacity to tolerate pain

or withstand pain. This is called endurance or tolerance which is

called titik. Everyone has got this tolerance, but the only

difference is that this tolerance threshold varies from individual to

individual. Therefore, we talk about a short-tempered person. The

68 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

situation remaining the same, one person explodes immediately,

another person after a few days and another person after a few
more days. So all of us have titik but the threshold varies.

When the pain is within the threshold limits or tolerance levels, we

do not experience it as pain at all. Pain is not pain within our
threshold. A pain is a pain only when it goes beyond the
threshold. And so suppose if we find out a method by which the
threshold levels or titik is gradually increased by appropriate

understanding and sdhan or practice? If we can thus increase

the threshold, what is pain to others will not be one for us because
feeling of pain is highly subjective. When the pain falls within the
threshold, the mind calls it a situation. When it goes beyond the
threshold, we call it pain.
So titik means increasing the level of endurance or patience or
immunity or resistance power both physically and mentally. Like
a healthy body is immune to diseases that are around, a healthy
mind also has a high resistance or tolerance power.
The author, therefore, says that the fourth method is the elevation
of the threshold level of our endurance or capacity. This capacity
he refers to as (sahiutvam) which means endurance

or forbearance. At the physical level it is called endurance and at

the mental level it is called forbearance or patience. These two
together is called titik.

The author illustrates this qualification both at the physical and

mental level. At the physical level, he refers to sahiutvam with

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 69

regard to (ta) i.e. cold and (ua) i.e. heat. So one aspect
of sahiutvam is the physical capacity to withstand the ups and

downs in the physical conditions like summer winter, rain etc. For
example, in hot summer season, one may use an airconditioner at
home but airconditioners may not be available everywhere where
one goes. If the physical body cannot tolerate the conditions in a
non-airconditioned place like a class room, the student will not be
able to concentrate in the class. It is, therefore, very important to
develop physical toughness. This is referred to by the author as

ta sahiutvam.

The author also talks about developing this endurance at the

mental level and refers to it as
(sukha) pleasure and

(dukha) mental agony. It is with regard to emotional pain

we suffer, due to the actions of people around including our own

family members. We usually have got high expectations. How our
spouses should treat us, how our children should treat us or the
daughter-in-law should treat us, how the grand children should
treat us, how the taxi driver should treat us, how the vendor
should treat us, how a beggar should treat us etc. We have
expectations and any expectation not fulfilled comes as mental
pain. It can be caused by their behaviour or it can be caused by
their language. Suppose we are talking to a person and that person
looks elsewhere. This will cause us pain. The more sensitive we
are, the greater the pain we will suffer. So the greater the
sensitivity, the greater should be the tolerance level. Otherwise the

70 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

life will be miserable. And even if we want to share the pain with
someone, nobody will be available. Therefore, in all unfavourable
situations - we should have the capacity to bring all of them within
our tolerance limits. That means that we should make our
tolerance limit higher and higher so that all situations which cause
pain can come with those limits.
We need to understand one aspect carefully. Suppose after
increasing our tolerance limits, we find that our child misbehaves
or throws tantrums. What should we do? Do we say that because
of the highly increased tolerance levels, we have now the capacity
to tolerate the misbehaviour? That would be foolish. We will need
to correct the child. Now we may correct the child for two reasons
one, because of our intolerence and the second because such a
behaviour is not good for the childs growth. Therefore, it does not
mean that a man or woman of titik should go on endlessly

tolerating such misbehaviour. They have also a responsibility to

work to improve the situation, not because of intolerance but
because the situation needs to be improved for the sake of the
childs future. This is titik, the fourth discipline.

The fifth discipline is raddh.

Discipline 5: raddh Faith or trust

? I

raddh kd? Guru vdntavkydiu vivsa raddh

Guru means teacher or the scriptural preceptor. Literally, it means

the one who dispels the internal darkness which is ignorance.

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 71

All emotional problems, which are called (samsr), are

caused only due to ignorance. And according to Vdnt, the

samsr disease is caused by the bacteria called self-ignorance.

And if we want to cure this (roga) disease, this samsr roga

or bhava roga as it also called, we have to approach that doctor

who can destroy the bacteria called ignorance. . For the normal
biological bacteria the antidote is anti-biotics. But for this
ignorance bacteria, jna or knowledge tablet is the only

medicine which can remove the bacteria. And therefore, we have

to undergo a treatment, a therapy to cure this bhava roga.

The shstrs say that, whenever we undergo a medical treatment,

it is very important that we have faith in the doctor and also the

course of treatment that he prescribes. Even the modern medical

system accepts that. If the patient does not have faith in the doctor,
even the best of the medicines will not work.
The researchers have found another factor also. If the patient has
full faith in the doctor, even a dummy medicine or pure water
injection i.e what is called a placebo, also will work wonders. So it
is an accepted fact that faith plays a very very important role in
any therapy and spiritual sdhan is also a form of treatment that
we undergo to get out of samsr roga or bhava roga. So the first

requirement is to have faith in the doctor and also in the system.

We have so many pathys - Allopathy, Homeopathy, Naturopathy
etc. The interesting aspect is that each one says the other system is
useless. If we go to a Homeopathy doctor, he will advice us to stop

72 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

all Allopathic medicines because, he will say that if we continue to

take Allopathic medicines, Homeopathy wont work!!! And within
one pathy itself, two doctors will not agree on a course of
treatment. There is an interesting anecdote. Once a person went to
a doctor and told him that till then he was taking the treatment
from another neighbourhood doctor. So this doctor asked him
What foolish advice did the other doctor give? To which the
patient replied He advised me to come to you!!!
One doctor will insist that we have to undergo chemotherapy.
Another doctor will say, No, we have to undergo surgery. Yet
another doctor will say that we will have to take radiation. And an

Ayurvda doctor will say that he will give some paste and the

ailment will vanish in thin air. It is humoursly said about Ayurvda

medicine that:

Yasya kasya tarrmla yna kna prapayt.

Yasmai kasmai pradtavya yadv tadv bhaviyati.

It means, just pick up some root, any root and make a paste with

something like milk, honey or butter milk etc. And administer the
paste to whichever victim comes to you. What will happen? It says
something or the other is sure to happen!!!
So given this state of affairs, it will not be surprising if we will be
utterly confused especially in case of very serious diseases There

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 73

will be a terrible conflict in our minds. So what can we do? It is

here that we need to have faith in a particular doctor and

surrender to Lord Vaidyanth - the Lord of all medicines and go

ahead. If this is true for physical diseases, this truth holds good for
the spiritual disease also. So, whomsoever you have chosen for a

Guru, pray that he is not a quack. This guru may practice a

particular system called Advaita Vdnt. Here also there could be

a conflict. There are other systems called Dvaita, Vishistdvaita etc.

This guru may claim that he is teaching Advaita Vdnt. As we

know nothing about any of these systems, we should hope and

pray that this teaching will be useful to us. If that faith, that

raddh is not there, it will not work.

So the student asks raddh kd? What is that raddh that one

should have? And the author says vivsa faith; Guru Vdnta

vkyu - in the words of the guru and Vdnt i.e. scriptures.

Reverting to the example of doctor and medicine cited earlier, guru

is the doctor and Vdnt is the system of medicine we need to

have faith in both.

Discipline 6: Samdhna Concentration or focusing power

Now the sixth and final discipline relating to the third

qualification which it would be useful to remember is

(aka sampatti) the six fold discipline. The Q & A is:
? I

74 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Samdhna ki? Cittaikgrat.

Citta kgrat is the focusing capacity of mind. Concentration or

attention span is called samdhna.

In life we should be first clear about our goal. What do we want in

life? For many of us, even this would not be clear. They would
have lived their whole life of 70+ years without knowing what
they wanted. They just follow others like sheep. It is a mechanical
flow without any clear idea about the goal.
We, therefore, need to fix the goals, both short term and long term
goals. We should be clear about our immediate goal and our long
term goal. It should be thoughtfully decided and once we have
decided them, we should carry them in our mind all the time. Is
the ultimate goal of our life merely earning money, securing food,
clothing and shelter and producing some children? Is that the lifes
goal? If that is the goal, animals are better than humans because
some of them do these tasks much more efficiently than humans!
On the contrary, if our goals are something more exalted, we
should take them very seriously and have a clear idea about our
priorities.
Once these short and long term goals are fixed, we should always
remember these two goals. This capacity to keep the goals in the
mind all the time is called kgrat. Thus citta kgrat is

samdhna which includes our capacity to focus on the teachings

given by the Guru. This is required not only for Vdnt but for

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 75

any achievement in life, be it sports or any other discipline.

Success in any field requires concentration.
So this completes the six fold inner discipline as also the third
qualification.
The next i.e. the fourth qualification that the author talks about is

mumukutvam.

Qualification 4: Mumukutva - Intense desire

?
I

Mumukutva ki? Mk m bhyd iti icch.

The student now raises the question What is the fourth

qualification called desire? And the teacher answers iti it is;

icch an intense yearning, an intense desire, teevra icch for

mk m bhyd for me to attain liberation; let me attain
mka.

As we have seen earlier, this desire for mka is called

mumukutva. The desire is called mumuksha the person who

has the desire is called mumukshu. If a person has got desire for

mka, he should work to acquire self-knowledge because selfknowledge is the only means for attaining mka.

This involves three stages. If one has a desire for mka, one

should get self-knowledge. And for acquiring self-knowledge, one

should have the necessary qualifications. So qualifcations to

knowledge to liberation is the journey. But one may say that he is
not interested in getting mka. He or she may not, perhaps, be

76 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

interested only because of lack of knowledge of what the glory of

mka is! That is why, in the beginning itself, it was pointed out

that mka consists of five fold benefits. No rational person can

say that he was not interested in those benefits.

Freedom from slavery to immunity from problems to efficiency in

our undertakings do we want these or not? That is the moot
question. Will anyone say no? So if we want all these, they are
collectively called mka. And this mka we can get only
through self-knowledge. For self-knowledge, we first need to get
the qualifications.
Having this enumerated the four fold qualification, the author
concludes
I
I

tat sdhanacatuaya.

Tatastattva vivkasydhikri bhavanti.

tat means these i.e. the four fold qualifications enumerated above

which are discrimination, dispassion, discipline and desire. These

four qualifications are technically known as sdhana catuaya.

So in our scriptural vocabulary we have to include this word so

that while learning the Bhagavad Gt whenever we come across

this phrase, we should not look bewildered or perplexed. These

qualifications comprising of 4 Ds should immediately spring in the
mind.

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 77

The author continues (tata) therefore or due to that which

means (sdhana catuaya

sampanna prpti anantaram) that is, after acquiring these

qualifications; (adhikria bhavanti) that

person becomes a (adhikr). In Vdnt an adhikr is any

person who has managed to acquire the 4 Ds. And he becomes
eligible for self-knowledge. So the author says
(Tattva vivkasya). Tattva viveka means Tattva bdha
which we have seen right in the beginning which means self

knowledge. Thus a person becomes eligible for self-knowledge.

Now one question that may naturally arise is that while the author
has enumerated the four qualifications as conditions for selfknowledge, what should one do to acquire these qualifications? If
one enjoys these qualifications right now, he should consider
himself a very lucky person and he can straight away enter into
the studies to acquire self-knowledge. But what if one doesnt have
these qualifications? What is he to do? Unfortunately, the author is
silent on this issue. He does not talk about how and where to get
this training. Perhaps the author assumes that everyone who is
taking up the study of Tattva bdha is already eligible. But the

question remains - how to become eligible, if we are not already

eligible? What is the method of getting sdhana catuaya?

Even though the author is silent in this text, Lord Ka gives an

elaborate answer to this question in the Bhagavad Gt which we

78 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

will be studying later But in this context, we can understand the

the essence of the answer given by Lord Ka .

Ka says that there is only method to acquire sdhana catuaya

and that method he calls as (karma yoga). Ka points
out that karma yoga is not any particular action but it is a

particular way of life which a person has to follow for a length of

time. It is not a crash programme. It is a not something like an
instant coffee etc. But it is a particular way of life which has to be
followed for, not a few days; not a few weeks; not a few months;
but for a number of years. And Ka calls that karma yoga way of
life. In a simple language we can say, a religious life style.

Karma yoga or a religious life style is the only method which will

give a person this degree SCS- Sdhana Catuaya Sampanna. Even

to acquire degrees like [Link], MSc etc. we spend 20+ years of study.
Thus even for secular knowledge we have to spend such a long
time. Then how can we expect to gain self-knowledge in a half-an
hour crash programme? Whatever we achieve in a crash
programme is bound to crash! Such a religious way of life has to
be cultivated and nourished.
Then the next question would be what is that religious way of life
conceived as karma yoga?

To put it in a simple language, karma yoga or religious life

involves three aspects. Briefly stated, those three factors are

(sat karmi),

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 79

(sat gu) and
(sat bhvan).

Sat karmi means good actions or noble actions. A good action is

defined as that in which the number of beneficiaries or the number

of people who will benefit from the action is large. Higher the
number of beneficiaries, superior is the action. Lesser the number
of beneficiaries, the inferior the karm is. So the most inferior

karm would be an action in which there is only one beneficiary

i.e. oneself.

Therefore, Sat karmi, otherwise called

(paropakra karmi) benevolent actions is the first factor.

It should be clarified that in an action where the number of

beneficiaries is large, one can include oneself also as a beneficiary.

There is no need to exclude the self.
The second part of karma yoga is sat gu. This connotes healthy

virtues, healthy values like truthfulness, compassion, humility,

consideration for others etc. These healthy virtues, healthy values,
healthy morals are called sat gu.

The third part is sat bhvan. This refers to a healthy attitude

towards everything in the creation. This would include attitude

towards the family members, the neighbours, fellow human

beings, animals, plants, nature etc. One general attitude that our
scriptures emphasize is a reverential attitude towards everything.

80 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

The scriptures beseech us not to look upon the creation as an

enemy to be conquered but look upon it as a friend with which
one has to co-exist, work and grow. And that is why in our Hindu

culture, we treat everything reverentially. Earth is sacred for us,

water is sacred, air is sacred, sun is sacred, moon is sacred, and
food is sacred. Anything and everything is sacred. Money is
sacred. Goddess Lakm Dv symbolises wealth. This reverential
attitude towards everything is a very important bhvan. In

addition to that there are several other similar bhvans also.

Collectively we call them sat bhvan.

One such sentiment talks about sitting down on the floor while

learning from a guru. One may wonder why one should do that.

After all, one may sit anywhere, where he or she is comfortable.

Why should the guru be in a higher pedestal and the students in a

lower pedestal? In fact, in modern times, some people feel that the

guru should be in a lower pedestal and the students should be in a

higher pedestal, like in a gallery, so that the guru can look up to

the students. And the students look down upon the guru! So why
do we insist upon even such simple things?

This is because vidy or any knowledge is considered to be sacred

symbolised by Goddess Sarasvat Dv and guru is not looked upon

as a person there, but guru is looked upon as a teacher who is

equivalent to God. So the principle is that one should receive the

knowledge with all humility. So if one were sitting in a higher
pedestal than the preceptor, there is a risk of compromising with

Sdhana Catuaya Sampatti- The Four-fold qualifications 81

the humility. Thus everything we do in our traditional culture is

with a reverential attitude. And this is called sat bhvan.

So sat karmi plus sat gu plus sat bhvan is called karma

yoga, a religious life. This we have to practise for a number of

years. In fact a considerable part of our early stages of life should

be spent in practicing this karma yoga. If we examine the entire

Vd literature, the earlier or the first part of the Vds concentrate

on the religious way of life or karma yoga which will give us the

the necessary qualifications of sdhana catuaya. Once we have

acquired them, the second or later part of the Vds called Vdnt
takes over, like a relay race. This Vdnt part is meant for
imparting self- knowledge.

Thus the first part gives (jna ygyat) the eligibility

for receiving the knowledge of the self. And the second part

imparts (tma jnam) self knowledge. Thus the

equation is Vd+ Vdnt = Mka. This is how our Vdik
culture is defined.

In this text the author is dealing with only the second part. He
takes for granted that we have all gone through the first part and
that is why he assumes that we are all eligible for receiving this
self knowledge. Thus the author concludes the first part of his
teaching stating that the one, who has acquired the necessary
qualifications as outlined above, becomes the adhikr for
receiving tattva viveka.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 83

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm

84 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Tattvavivka - Inquiry into Truth

Having learnt the benefits of self knowledge and the qualifications

required for seeking this knowledge, the student wants to go into
further details now. He has heard the word Tattva viveka in the

earlier section. His curiosity to know what this means leads to the
following question and answer.
?
I

Tattvavivka ka?

tm satya tadanyat sarva mithyti

In his question, the student implies that he has already undergone

karma yoga and that he has already acquired sdhana catuaya

sampatti. That is why he pursues with the question. Otherwise,

the teaching would have stopped here!

So the student is now ready for Tattva bdha i.e self-knowledge.

He refers to Tattva bdha as Tattva vivka and hence raises the

question what is Tattva vivka? He wants to know what type of

knowledge it is.

The teacher first defines self-knowledge in a short statement which

he will elaborate later. This is the method of communication
mostly adopted in the scriptures. The entire teaching of a
particular text is first presented in a nutshell. This is called
(sangraha vkyam) or

(stra vkyam) or

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 85

(sankpa vkyam). In English it could be called synopsis,

summary or abstract. This statement contains in a nutshell or gist

of what is going to be talked about. And thereafter, the topic will
be magnified or expanded. We can see this method being practiced
in the newscasts in radio and television media. First the headlines
are read. This would give us an opportunity to decide whether to
continue to hear or watch the news or not. And thereafter the
news reader will be heard to say And now the news in detail.
So here too the author employs a stra vkyam to give a synopsis

of the teaching of self knowledge. His reply is tm satya

tadanyat sarva mithy . This means that the only reality is tm.

Other than that everything else is false or an illusion.

It is to be noted that the author uses three technical words tm

satya and mithy. All of them are significant words; unique

words. It is almost impossible to translate them in English. So

while each of them would be explained we should retain the

Sanskrit words only, because the translation will spoil their

connotation and lead to misinterpretation. Now let us look at these
three words.
tm and antm - Real and unreal
What is tm?

According to Vdnt scriptures, every mortal, perishable

individual has got an inner essence, an inner core which is

immortal and imperishable. And this immortal inner essence is not

visible to our ordinary eyes.

86 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Our ordinary eyes cannot see many things. Many people require
spectacles to see even ordinary things! And this immortal essence
is invisible and this invisible, immortal, inner essence of every
mortal being is called tm. So hereafter whenever the word tm
is spoken, we should understand it as the invisible and immortal
inner essence of every individual entity in this universe.
The next words are satya and mithy. These two are interconnected words. They come as a pair. Therefore, we need to

understand them together. First let us consider an example to

understand these words.
Suppose there is a desk in the room where we are sitting, which
we all can see. All of us can clearly experience the desk. It is a
solid, tangible desk having a specified weight of its own. And that
is why it is able to hold or support books, other materials etc. So it
is our direct experience that there is a tangible, weighty, visible
and supportive desk in front of us. Vdnt says that if we enquire

into the truth of this desk, we will have a surprising discovery.

And that discovery is that there is no substance called desk at all!
Desk is not a substantial entity. Desk is not a weighty entity. Desk
is not a tangible entity. Desk is not a supporting the book.
Are we surprised? Then what is it that is in front of us. Vdnt
simply says that what is in front of us is not a desk. It is nothing

but a piece of wood alone. Wood alone is the substance. Wood is

tangible. It is wood alone we are touching. And the weight we talk
about belongs to the wood alone. And wood alone supports the
book. Other than the wood, there is no substance called desk at all.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 87

And when there is no substance called desk at all, where is the

question of the weight of the desk. All these are myths; all these
are misconceptions which are continuing because we refuse to
think. We have successfully continued not to think. Vdnt avers

that if a question is raised as to what is a desk, we need to

understand that a desk is only a new name given to the wood
itself. There is no substance called desk. All along there is only a
substance called wood. Desk being a new name given to wood has
only a nominal existence.
Then the question may arise as to why do we give a new name to
the wood? Why cant we retain the word wood itself? Why do we
give a name called desk? Because when we give a new name, it is
confusing. We commit a mistake that there is a substance called
desk. So why do we invent such new names?
In response, Vdnt says that we give a new name because the
wood is designed and given a particular form or shape by the

carpenter. When the wood has got a particular form or shape we

give a new name for that particular shape alone. The name does
not belong to the substance wood. It is given only to the new shape
given by the carpenter. Before the carpenter gave the new shape or
form, the word desk was not used. It is only after giving the new
form that the new name desk was used. And therefore, desk is
nothing but a name given to a form. So name desk is a name-form
principle. In Vdnt it is called (nma rpam). Desk is
only nma rpam. It is not a substance. The substance is wood.
Similarly, Almirah is only nma rpam. Chair is only a nma

88 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

rpam. Non-substantial nma rpams are many. Substance is only

one - wood. This is a very important principle we should know
and remember in these studies.
And the next important principle is that this non-substantial nma

rpams can never exist separate from wood. Desk, Chair, Dias etc.

are all nma rpams. They cannot exist independent or separate

from the substance wood and therefore, all non substantial nma

rpams have got only a dependent existence. They borrow their

existence from the substance called wood, whereas, the substance

wood does not depend upon the nma rpams for its existence.

Even if the name and form of a desk is destroyed, wood will

continue to exist. Therefore, only the substance has got

independent existence. The non-substantial nma rpams have got

only dependent existence.

Other similar examples which we can use for our better

understanding are Gold and ornaments; clay and pots; water and
waves etc., where Gold, Clay and Water all have independent
existence and ornaments, pots and waves have only a dependent
existence.
Now, Vdnt wants to do a (nma karaam) that is
give a specific common name to the objects which have a

dependent existence. According to Vdnt all non-substantial

nma rpams which have only dependent existence are called

mithy. In Sanskrit, it is called (paratantra satt).

Paratantra means dependent and satt means existence. This is

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 89

called mithy. Thus all the ornaments are like, bangles; necklace,
chain etc. are are all non-substantial nma rpams. They have

dependent existence on the substance gold or silver or platinum

depending upon what the ornaments are made of.
So the substance is satya. Nma rpams are mithy. Substance is
one. Nma rpams are many. Satya is one, mithys are many.

Vdnt declares that if we know this as a fact, all the problems of

life will be solved. Even though it sounds incredible; unbelievable,

that is the truth. Lord Ka states this truth in one pithy verse in
the 2nd Chapter of the Gt.

: |
s: ||

Nsat vidhyat bhv nbhv vidhyat sata.

Ubhayrapi dntastvanaystatva daribhi.

The literal meaning of this verse is that the unreal has no being or
existence; there is no non-being i.e non-existence of the Real; the
truth about both these has been seen by the knower of the Truth
(or the seers of the Essence).
What Lord Ka wants to convey to Arjuna is that the whole

creation consists of one (and only) satya or reality and

innumerable mithys. And what a foolish person does is, he holds

on to mithy and loses the sight of satya. This is root cause of the
problems of life.

tm satya tadanyat sarva mithyti

90 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

The author, therefore, says that tm satya which means the

invisible, immortal, inner essence is the only substance existing

independently. Tadanyat sarva , everything else other than the

tm, which we can call as antm or Non- tm, is all mithy. Thus

everything other than the tm in the creation is non-substantial

nma-rpams having no independent existence. And that is why

they are called mithy.

So to summarise, self-knowledge is to understand and assimilate

the fact that tm satya, antm mithy.

Now the student has heard for the first time a new word tm. So

his curiosity is further aroused and he gets into the next logical
question.
? (tm kah)

The teacher gives a detailed explanation.

Sthlaskmakraa arrd vyatirikta pacaktta san

Avasthtraya sk saccidnandasvarpa san yastiati sa tm.

The student askes What is this tm which is the invisible,

immortal, inner essence? And hidden behind this question is

another question also, which is What is antm, the external

shell.

The author elaborates. He takes up the second part i.e. Antm

first. In his answer, he divides antm into several portions or

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 91

several layers for the convenience of understanding, just as the

modern biological scientists who for the convenience of study of
the bodys organs and structures, divide our body into various
parts.
They talk about dermatology. The skin is a very important
component of the body. It is the first defence system. And
thereafter they go down to epidermis, dermis, bone, bone marrow

etc. And then the heart, lung, liver, intestines, brain etc. The
Psychologists study mind, thoughts, thought patterns etc. One
body is divided into so many components so that we can have a
focussed, threadbare study. The same method is used by our
scriptures also and based on that, the antm part of the individual

is divided into three groups. And each group is later further subdivided.

The first group of antm is (arra traya) the three

fold division of the body. The second group is (ka

pacaka) the five fold layers or strata of the human personality.

The third group is called (avasth traya) the three

fold awasthas or states of experience.

So arra traya, ka pacaka, avasth traya ( 3+5+3=11), these

eleven components or parts together comprise the antm. The

author enumerates all these eleven ingredients and also later

points out that the tm is different from all the eleven items

92 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

comprising the antm. This is the essence of this section of

teaching.

So, in response to the students question the author explains, that

tm is (vyatirikta) separate from or different from;

(sthla skma kraa arrt). Even though
he does not use the word antm used by us earlier, we need to

understand that when he refers to sthla skma kraa arras,

he is referring to antm in the context of the self.

So, tm is different from antm which are the three arras i.e

bodies viz sthla arra, skma arra and kraa arra.

These are collectively called the arra traya. Traya means three.
The author will elaborately define these later.

Next, he talks about (paca ka atta) - the five

strata or layers of the human personality. Unlike in the case of

arra traya, where the author enumerates the three types of

bodies, he does not enumerate the five kas here. But for the sake
of our clear understanding these are (annamaya

ka), (pramaya ka), (manmaya

ka), (vijnamaya ka) and

(nandamaya ka). All these five put to gether is called ka

pacaka. And this group also belongs to antm category and

antm is atta which means different from or transcending; that

is beyond the (ka pacaka).

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 93

The third group the author refers to is (avasth

traya sk). Sk means the witness or the observer who,

therefore, is different from the avasth traya the three states of

human experience. Here again the author does not enumerate the
three states. So we need to understand that he is referring to
(jgrat avasth) - the waking stage of experience,

(svapna avasth) - the dream state of experience, and

(suupti avasth) - the dreamless sleep or deep sleep state
of experience. These are the three states of experience called

avasth traya. All of them are also antm. And tm is avasth

traya sk i.e. the witness or the observer of the three states. And,

therefore, it is different from all these three. Thus, the three groups
and their eleven components have been enumerated.
Having said all this, the author still has to answer the students
question. He has stated what all is not tm i.e. what all is antm,
but he has not yet explained what is the nature of the tm. He

refers to it as (saccidnanda svarpa). Svarpa

means ones own form i.e. ones inherent nature. And this inherent
nature, the author says is, (sat), (cit), and

(nanda); (ya tihati) abides in whom or in

whom they inhere; (sa tm) that is called tm.

So tm is different from the eleven components of the self seen

earlier which are antm. And tm is of the nature of

94 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

saccidnanda. Now even though the author has answered the

students question but in the process he has provided a ground for

raising several more questions like What is arra traya the 3
fold body? What is ka pacaka- the five fold layer? What is

avasth traya - the three fold states of experience?The author has

to now explain each one in addition to explaining what he means

by saccidnanda svarpa.
The Q & A continues.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 95

Sthlaarra - The Gross body - its elements and functions

? (sthlaarra ki).
And the author elaborates.

Packtapacamahbhtai kta satkarmajanya

sukhadukhdi bhgyatana arra.

Asti jyat vardhat vipariamat apakyat vinayatti

avikravadtat sthlaarra

So, of the 11 components of antm which all are mithy

in nature, the student takes up the first viz. sthlaarra for a

complete understanding and asks the question What is

sthlaarra?.

The teacher gives a very elaborate explanation and covers four

aspects viz. the cause, the function, the nature of and the condition
of the sthlaarra. In English sthlaarra can be translated as
the gross body or the physical body. And this very word sthla
indicates its condition. It means gross. Gross means visible,

perceptible to the sense organs. The body can be seen, heard, smelt
etc. So gross mean perceptible to the sense organs
(indriya gcaram). It is perceptible not only to us but also to
others.

96 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

What is the cause of this physical body? He says that the physical
body has two types of causes. One is the general cause
(smnya kraam) which is the same for every physical
body. And the other is the specific cause (via

kraam) which varies from individual to individual.

The physical body is made up the five fundamental elements

called
(paca mahbhtni), just as, in Science we
talk about various elements, which alone combine and form
varieties of compounds. We have studied about the various
elements in the periodic tables and have understood that
everything in the the Universe is made up their combination alone.
For example, starting from Aluminium we know of Carbon,
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Calcium, Potassium upto Zircon. Just as
Science talks about these elements, the shstrs also have

fundamental elements. In Science, the elements are more than

hundred but in the scriptures the elements are only five. Another
difference is that in Science all elements are components of the
earth, whereas in the scriptures the elements are universal. Also
what is an element in the scriptures is a compound according to
Science e.g. water.
The first element is (ka) which means the space.

Space is not a vaccum. Space is a positive material and therefore it

is called
(ka bhtam). The second element is

(vyu) which means air, the third is (agni) i.e. the fire, The

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 97

fourth one is (pa) or (jala) which is water and the

fifth one is
(pthv ) i.e. earth. And all of them are called

gross elements because we are able to physically perceive them.

Earth is tangible. Water is tangible. We can feel the air through our
skin. We can see fire. And we can recognize space sensorily.

ka or space is experienced in a peculariar manner. And that is

why before sitting on a chair or a bench we see whether there is

space or not. And we sit only when there is some empty space. If it
is empty it means there is space. Therefore we are able to sensorily
experience the emptiness of the chair in a peculiar way which is
also (indriya gcaratvam).

All these are called gross elements

(sthla bhtni).
And the author says these five gross elements are the basic raw

material for the production of all the physical bodies. The physical
body of every one of us, not only human beings, but all things in
the creation including animals, plants, inert things, dvats etc. is
made up these five elements only.

The body has got a tangible part which is made of the Earth. From
the Earth come the vegetables. From the vegetables the food
comes. And from the food the body is formed. So Earth contributes
to the formation of the tangible body. Next, the body has got
Water element. In fact the very shape of the body is determined by
70% of Water. Then there is Fire principle because of that alone the
body has got a standard temperature of 98.4 degree F. Even when
go to Alaska or Arctic or Antartic Circle, the weather may be

98 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

freezing cold, but the body maintains the temperature because of

the fire of life in the body. Then the body has got air in the form of
life breadth which enters our lungs and comes out. The body
occupies a lot of space outside and lot of space inside the body also
stomach is but an empty space and that is why we can push the
food inside it. So the body is made up of the five elements and
therefore, it is called (pca bhautika arra).

Everybody is made of these five elements alone. It is a universal

contributor. And that is why author says

(packta paca mahbhtai kta). Kta means produced out

of, manufactured out of, shaped out of. The manufacturing factory
is the mothers womb. At the time of conception, the body is
formed. Undoubtedly, this is the most wonderful factory in the
creation. The body is created out of paca mahbhtai the great
five gross elements pac kta means grossified or made gross,

visible and perceptible. This is the smnya kraam the general

cause.

Now turning to via kraam, the author says

(satkarmajanya). The special cause is the karma

(puya) and (ppa) : (karms) - which one has earned in

the past births or janms. This puya and ppa karma, is also

known as puya paapa (ada) unseen or not see-able, The

karma topic is dealt with in detail later in this book itself, where

we will elaborately study what is puya, what is ppa, what is

karma, what is the Law of karma, what is previous janma and what

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 99

is future janma etc. At this stage it is sufficient to understand that

the specific cause for the body is that it is born out of puya ppa

karms.

Karma alone determines the quality of the physical body and the
type of physical body. Whether it should be an animal physical

body, or whether it should be a human physical body or whether

it should be a divine physical body. The raw material is the same
but the type changes. For example, all houses are made out of the
same bricks, cement, iron etc. but all houses are not the same. Each
one is different because they have been built to different plans. So
the raw material plus the architectural plan determines the type of
house. The raw material is universal but plans will vary. Similarly
our bodies are also made out of the same raw material but the
shapes are different. Even among human beings one body is a
male body and another is a female body. Both are made up of the
same five elements only but what determines the body? Why
should one body be male and another female? The author says it is
because of puya ppa karms.

And within the male body or the female body itself, certain bodies
are fat, some are not so, some are healthy, some are sick, some
have congenital diseases, some have short life, some have long life,
some have got dark hair, some have got grey hair, some have got
no hair! Who determines all these? The karma. If one disagrees
and says that these are all determined by parental genetics, the

question would be, what determines one to be born to a specific set

of parents. Why should a person be born to such parents? And

100 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

that, the author says is determined by karma. And that is why he

uses the term karma janya. Since this karma varies from

individual to individual, it is called via kraa specific cause.

The puya ppa karms which we have done in the past births will
be responsible for the type of our body. Whether, human or

animal, whether male or female, whether healthy or sick etc. all

these are not accidental. Our scriptures never accept anything as
accidental. Any event is an incident. Even an accident is an
incident whose cause we are not able to find out. There is no
accident. Birth is not an accident. So if a baby is born with
congenital diseases, like Down syndrome, it is not an accident. It is
the result of the karms of
(prva janma) - previous

births. Our shstrs very firmly emphasize the scientific fact that

there can be no effect without a cause. So when a baby is born with

such conditions, one has to logically trace the cause to the previous
Janma only. And incidentally this conclusion also affirms the birthdeath-rebirth cycle. So paca bhta plus prva janma karm is

equal to the cause of the body.

Further, among the different type of bodies, being born in a

human body itself is considered to be a great blessing. There are
so many bodies like animals, plants, insects, and reptiles even
those not perceptible to our ordinary eyes. When we see the
television channels like Animal Planet, we are amazed to know
how many different types of bodies are there. We feel lucky that
we are not one of them!

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 101

The human body is the most sacred body because in that alone we
are able to probe into life, the mysteries of life, and the goal of life.
Not only that, but we can choose a goal and accomplish it. And,
therefore, the author says that irrespective of whether it is a male
body or female body, we have got the human body i.e. manuya

arra only due to the puya of the previous births. He uses the
term sat karma, which means puya karma to qualify the word

janya. The the general cause and the specific cause together form

the cause of the body.

We now turn our attention to the function of the body. And the
author says the bodys function is that it serves a temporary
residence for the individual or (jva), or jvtm, remaining in

which it can interact with the world.

For example, let us consider the case of a person transferred by his

employer from one city to another. Before he starts any transaction
in the new city, he will first search for a house to live in the new
city from which he can carry out all his operations. So first he will
fix a residence, occupy it and thereafter he may go and find out
where the shops are, from where he will get cooking gas
connection, where the schools are for his children etc. These are all
later transactions. Before all these he will require an abode. Of
couse, this will be a temporary rented abode because he knows
that he will be transferred again to some other city after some time.
In like manner, this body is also a temporary residence, in which
the jva resides, transacts and later shifts the residence from this

102 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

body to another body. Then after some time it shifts to yet another
body and this process goes on. We do not know since when this
shifting business has been going on. It seems to have been doing
this from beginningless times and it seems that it will continue to
do this endlessly. And this present body has been only its
temporary residence. So there is no reason why one should fall too
much in love with this body. No doubt, even a temporary house
has to be maintained and it must be livable. But we cannot hold on
to that residence because it is only temporary and at the
appropriate time we will have to vacate it. And if we dont
voluntarily vacate, the owner will force us to vacate it. In the

Bhagavad Gt, Bhagawn Ka explains this phenomenon, using

the analogy of a dress.

Vssi jrni yath vihya navni ghti narpari.

Tath arri vihya jr - nyanyni sayti navni dh.

Lord Ka implies here that there is no reason to be carried away

too much by the physical body. We need to give its due but never

give it more importance than what it deserves or requires.

The author continues his explanation. He says (bhga

yatana). Bhga here means experience. yatana means abode.

In this context the body is the abode for the experiences, which

could be pleasurable or painful or mixed.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 103

(sukha dukha mira anubhavt) - mira means mixed.

anubhavt means experiences. One may wonder how experiences

can be a mixture of pleasure and pain at the same time. A

numerous examples can be cited. For example, a person has two

children and both of them take their annual examinations. One
child passes with very good marks whereas the other child fails in
the examination. What will be that persons experience - pleasure
or pain? That is called mira. The author uses the word di

(sukha dukhaadi) to denote the mixture.

So out of the four attributes of sthla arra, we have considered

three viz condition, cause, and function. Then the fourth and final
one is its nature. What is the nature of this body? The author says

(vikravat tat sthla arra). Our body is

subject to constant change or modification. Every second,

thousands and millions cells are dying and thousands and millions
of new cells are born. As we keep on cutting them, the hair keeps
growing; the nails keep growing. The food gets exhausted by

digestion and that is why after some time we again feel hungry.
The author divides this modification of this body into six types
(a vikravad). The body undergoes six types of
changes viz. (asti) potential existence in the womb of the

mother i.e. invisible existence as the fetus; (jyat) is born;

comes out of the womb; (vardhat) grows up (till about

roughly 20 years). In this time it reaches full height. Every limb is

104 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

fully developed. It is an adult body; (vipariamat) after 20 years and say upto the age of 50 or 55 years, the body does

not undergo much of a change. It is neither growth nor decay but

it is just maintaining the status quo i.e. travels in the same plane;
And thereafter, (apakyat) decays or disintegrates.

And finally (vinayatti) perishes or dies. Death is also a

form of transformation in which the body again gets merged into

the paca bhtani, just as a pot, on destruction gets converted into

clay form. Matter is never destroyed but it just gets converted.

Destruction is also a form of transformation only. Continuous
transformation is the nature of the body and the author calls it a

vikra.

These are the six modifications of the body - tat sthla arra.
This is called the physical body which is the antm no.1.
Now let us study Antm No.2.

Skmaarra and saptadaa kalbhi - The subtle body and its

instruments

? skmaarra ki?

Apackta

sukhadukhdi

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 105

pacamahbhtai
bhga

kta

sdhana

satkarmajanya

pacajnndriyi

pacakarmndriyi pacapr daya manacaika buddhicaik

va saptadaakalbhi saha yat tihati tat skmaarram.

So the student asks what is skma arram? - The subtle body.

Some people call it the astral body also.

The teacher gives an elaborate definition. Here also we have to

understand the different aspects i.e. the condition of the body, the
cause, the function, the nature and its constituents.
The first is the condition of the body. It is called subtle body
because, unlike the gross which is tangible and perceptible, the
subtle body it is not visible to others. We can see each others
physical bodies but we cannot see the subtle bodies of others. So
the

subtle bodies

are (indriya agcara)

imperceptible to others. We will see later that one of the

constituents of the subtle body is the mind. We cannot see each
others minds. Just take the case of a teacher and students in a class
room. The teacher can see physical bodies of the students but does
not know if their minds are in the class room or not. He would
have given an hour long lecture with the very optimistic hope that
the minds of the students were also in the class room. If not all, at
least a few of them! One can imagine what amount of optimism is
required for a teacher because he cannot see the minds of the
students and what all things are happening in the minds. Whether
they are enjoying the class or getting bored or whether they are

106 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

wondering how to get out and escape this misery of a lecture! All
this is because, the mind is subtle; skma - imperceptible.

But even though the mind is imperceptible to others, one can very
well know ones own mind and what is going on there. Is it calm

or disturbed? Is it happy or unhappy? Whether it understands

what is being taught or everything is bouncing off the head? So
we can conclude that it is partially knowable to one self but not to
others, unlike the physical body which is knowable to the owner
as well as others. So this is the condition of the subtle body.
Now what is the cause of this subtle body? The author says
(apackta paca mahbhtai kta).

Like the physical or gross body, the subtle body is also created out

of the same five great elements only - paca mahbhtai i.e. space,
air, fire, water and earth. But unlike the gross body which is

packta i.e. grossified, the subtle body is apackta not

grossified; subtle. So if the gross body is created by the gross form

of the elements, subtle body must be created out of subtle form of

the same elements. Because the effect has to necessarily follow the
cause. Physical body is born out of physical matter, visible matter.
Subtle body must be made out of subtle matter. One may call it
energy but it is a form of matter only. Because scientifically we
know that energy is an invisible form of matter only and subtle
body is born out of subtle matter. This is the general cause.
Then there is a specific cause also and that is similar to the gross
body sat karma janya. So the specific cause of the subtle body is

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 107

also based on prva janma karms. Thus the five great elements
plus previous karms are the cause of the subtle body.

Let us now understand the function of the subtle body? The author
says
(sukha dukhdi bhga sdhana). It is

like an instrument or a tool box with which a person contacts the

external world. In the context of an office, a person contacts other
people by various methods eg. Postal letters, telephone, email, fax
and a cell phone etc. We always need an instrument to contact the
world. Life is mostly a series of experiences born out of interaction

with the external world. In sleep, there is no interaction and so

there is no experience. In waking state we have experiences only
because of the interaction. Interaction needs instruments of
contact. And skma arra is a bundle of several such

instruments of interaction. It is not one instrument. The author

mentions seventeen instruments. He calls them (bhga

sdhana). Sdhana in this context means tool. Bhga as we have

already seen means experience of the world. Sukha and dukha

experiences and a mixture of both, like in the case of the gross

body. This is the function of the subtle body.

Now coming to the nature of the subtle body, even though the
author has stated it specifically, we need to understand that like
the gross physical body, the subtle body is also subject to
transformation

and

change.

To

put

in

Sanskrit,

it

is

(savikra) subject to modification. For example, mind is

a constituent of the subtle body. Mind is the most violently

108 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

changing instrument. All sense organs are also changing all the
time. And all of them are also subject to destruction. But the only
difference is that the subtle body has got a longer life as compared
to the gross physical body. That means according to the scriptures,
at the time of an individuals death only the gross physical body of
the person dies and the subtle body continues to survive. Also, the
subtle body is said to travel in search of another physical body. It
is like any instrument. If one perishes, we get another.
But why should the skma arra goes in search of another

physical body? That is because physical body is the residence or

the shell remaining in which only the subtle body can undertake
all transactions. It cannot otherwise function. That is why the
subtle body survives and travels to find a new physical body. But
because it is imperceptible, we cannot see it travelling.
But there could be an argument that since one cannot see the
subtle body, it does not exist. At the outset it may look like a fair
point but ability to see cannot be the only criterian for proving
existence. One cannot see ones own eyes directly, but they exist. If
someone argues he can see his eye in the mirror, the answer would
be that he can see only the reflected image of his eyes and that too
he has to trust the mirror. If it is a concave or a convex mirror,
even that image will be distorted.
There is an interesting anecdote. One a person said to another that
he does not believe in the existence of things that he cannot see. So
to teach him a lesson, the latter person slapped him strongly in the
back. Naturally the first one screamed compaining that he was in

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 109

pain. The latter said that it cannot be so because neither of them

can see the pain. So what one cannot see cannot exist!!!
So, therefore, non-perception is not a proof for non-existence. We
dont see other peoples mind or emotions. But that does not mean
they dont have a mind or emotions. The shstrs, therefore, say

that the subtle body survives the death of the physical body and
takes another body. And at the loss of that body it goes on to
acquire any physical body. This process continues for several
births. And the subtle body dies only at the time of
(pralaya) - the cosmic dissolution. So compared to the

physical body, the subtle body has a relatively very long life and

continues until the destruction of this world. This is the nature of

the subtle body.
The next aspect we need to know is the constituents of this subtle
body. This is a long list. The author says there are seventeen
components. (saptadaa kalbhi). Kal means
ingredients, parts or instruments.
He goes on to enumerate them.
(paca jnndriyi) - The five instruments of

knowledge; jnndriya means instrument or organ of

knowledge. We must remember that the reference here is to the

subtle body and so these are not the organs of the physical body.
They belong to the subtle body. So we need to understand that by
organs the author is referring to the faculties. For example, our

110 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

eyes are only physical organs. They can see only if there are
connected to the sight faculty in the brain. If that faculty is
damaged, the eyes cannot see even if they are physically present.
Next is (paca karmndriyi) The five organs or

instruments of action.

One set of five relating to the organs of knowledge relates to the

input mechanism i.e. gathering information from the external
world. They are entrance gates. The second set of five

karmndriys is instruments of action the output mechanism

which help in responding to the inputs. So we require entrance

gates and we also require exit gates.

Next is (paca prdaya) - the five prs or forms

of energy. These are the power centres or energy centres because
of which alone we are able to act. This is similar to any machine
which can move or work only if it has energy. If we take the
example of a car, we fill it with petrol and this petrol is converted
into energy and with that energy alone the car moves. Our
physical body moves, and for that movement it requires energy. So
we require a fuel tank. And we do have a huge fuel tank which we
constantly get replenished. Like the fuel in a car is converted into
energy, the food in our bodys fuel tank called stomach or tummy
is converted into energy. This internal energy is called
(pra akti). These are five in number. Thus the five fold

physiological functions which maintain the energy is the third set

of the seventeen components. . These three sets add up to fifteen.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 111

Then, (mana) - the mind. And finally (buddhi) - the

intellect is also present. Mind stands for the emotional faculty.

And buddhi stands for the rational or intellectual faculty. We all

have emotions. We all have intelligence also. In some people

emotions may be dominant and in some others intelligence may be

dominant. In the rest it may be balanced. But we all have both
these faculties. So in all, these are the seventeen constituents of the
subtle body. (yat tihati) that which abides in these

seventeen constituents is called skma arra which is antm

No. 2.

Before proceeding further to antm No. 3, the author feels the

need to explain the composition of the five jnndriys, the five

karmndriys and the five prs.

The author now enumerates the seventeen organs.

I I
I
I I
I I
I I
I I
I

rtra tvak caku rasan ghram iti pacajnndriyi.

rtrasya digdvat. Tvac vyu. Cakua srya.

varua. Ghrasya avinau. Iti jnndriyadvat.

Rasany

112 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

rtrasya viaya abdagrahaam. Tvac viaya sparagrahaam.

Caku viaya rpagrahaam. Rasany viaya rasagrahaam.

Ghrasya viaya gandha grahaam iti.

Paca jnndriyi Five organs of knowledge

Now the five jnndriys are being explained. They are rtra -

the ears, the organs of hearing; tvak the skin, the organ of touch;

caku - the eyes, the organs of sight or perception; rasan - the

tongue, the organ of taste; and ghra the nose, the organ of

smell. But here we need to note that when we are enumerating the
eyes, ears etc. we do not refer to the anatomical parts because the
physical part is there in a dead body also. The dead body also has
skin but it cannot feel the touch, it has eyes but it cannot see etc. So
the author does not refer to the anatomical part which belongs to

sthla arra. What he refers to is the subtle power behind each

organ; that invisible (akti). (ravaa) akti is called

rtra indriya; (darana) akti is called caku indriya etc.

indriya does not refer the physical part but to the subtle part. It
belongs to skma arra and not to the sthla arra.

The anatomical name of these parts in the physical body is called

(gaka). Gaka is the physical part and it belongs to the

physical body including the dead body, whereas indriya belongs

to the subtle body. In a dead body gakas are present but

indriyas are not there. In a blind person also gaka is there but
indriya is missing. These are the five sense organs.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 113

Then the author talks about the (dvat). Dvats is a

unique concept in our scriptures. Every sense organ has a faculty

like seeing faculty, hearing faculty etc. Each faculty is a limited
faculty. Eyes can see alright but it has got a limitation. Dogs can
see more than us. An owl can see more than us. Dogs can hear
sounds which we cannot. So every faculty that we enjoy is a finite
faculty. And the shstrs say that corresponding to every finite

faculty, there must a corresponding total power. So individual

finite power or faculty is always a part of the corresponding total

cosmic power. And this power which exists in the cosmos is called
a dvat. So dvat is any power at the macro level. And from that
macro level power each of us gets a small portion.

It is like a Chief Executive who has got power to govern the entire
Company. But he picks up several General Managers for looking
after each function like Finance, Sales, Marketing, Production,
Human Relations etc. And he delegates part of his total power to
each of these General Managers depending upon their respective
function. Thus General Manager Finance will have power only
with respect to the Finance function. He will not have any power
relating to say the Marketing function and so on. Similarly there
are so many powers in the creation. Each power has a
corresponding total power. It is called a dvat and all the dvats

put together is called vara God who, like the Chief Executive
is a conglomeration of all the total seeing power, total smelling

power, total hearing power, total thinking power, total touching

power, total emotional power and so on.

114 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Out of that total power relating to sight, every pair of eyes has got
a miniscule. And therefore, the eyes are functioning only with the
blessings of that respective dvat, just as every General Manager
functions only with the blessings of the Chief Executive.

Each organ is capable of grasping one aspect individually viz.

sound, form, touch, smell and taste. Thus the five fold organs
gather the five fold stimuli. The five fold aspects of the creation are
called viaya and the organs are called indriya. So each indriya
grasps each viaya. And which organ will grasp which object is

not based on our choice or will. If we want to hear a talk, we have

no choice but to use our ears. We cannot say that it is boring to
listen through the ears all the [Link] we are now going to hear
through the eyes! That will not be possible. It is fixed and
determined by the Lord himself. Thus every organ can function
only within its given field. One organ does not have an access into
another field. Just as a ship can move only on water, car can move
only on the road, aeroplane can fly only in the air; each sense
organ can function only in its (ktra) - the field. Also each

sense organ has got a finite capacity only. Ears can hear only

within a range. But the range is not the same for all human beings
as certain persons can hear certain sounds which others cant.
Thus the organs have a finite faculty and the scriptures say that
any finite power is a portion of the infinite potential. Thus the five
sense organs have finite powers but the corresponding dvats

have got infinite potential. The use of this information is like

knowing which Minister or Department is responsible for what in

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 115

the Government. When we have a problem we can approach only

the relevant Department and the relevant Minister. If we go to the

Home Ministry with a college admiission issue, we will draw a
blank. So the worship of the relevant dvats is useful for

improving the relevant sensory faculties.

The author mentions the names of the dvats i.e the

corresponding macro or infinite power for each of the five

jnndriyi. For rtriya it is (dik) dvat. The total or macro

hearing power is known by the name dik dvat; for tvaca i.e.

touch, it is (vyu). Vyu dvat is the name of the total power

of touch; for cakua
(srya) dvat. For the eyes the

corresponding dvat is srya dvat or the Sun; for rasany it is

(varua) dvat. Varua is the name of the total power of

taste; and for ghrasya it is (avinau) dvats. For the total

power of smell, there are twin dvats called avins or avini

kumrs. Thus, these are the five dvats.

After this the author also enumerates the objects of the knowledge
of these jnndriys.

(rtrasya viaya abdagrahaa) in

this context viaya means function the function of rtra is

abda grahaa abda means sound and grahaa means

grasping or experiencing. So the object of knowledge or function

of the hearing faculty is to grasp sounds.

116 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

(tvac viaya spara grahaa); Spara means touch. So the

function of skin is the perception of touch soft, hard, hot, cold

etc. (caku viaya rpa grahaa) the

function of the sight faculty is the perception of the rpa which

means colours. Form is also called rpa but the primary meaning
of rpa is colours. (rasany viaya rasa

grahaa) rasana means the tongue. Rasa grahaa means

grasping the rasa i.e taste; and (ghrasya

viaya gandha grahaa) the function of nose is gandha

grahaa the perception of smell.

And that is why in the scriptures, the whole world is divided into
five segments. Instead of enumerating the objects of the world, the
scriptures divide the world into five segments i.e sound, smell,
taste, form and touch. If we analyze carefully when we see an
object what we see is the colour or shape. We never see an object.
We always see the properties but never the substance. These are
very interesting truths. Our sense organs never perceive the
substance. They perceive only the properties called abda, spara,

rpa, rasa and gandha. And we never know what the substance is!

When we say you are sitting, we are only seeing your colour. If we

say you are speaking, we are only hearing your sound. If you
apply lot of perfumes, we only smell the [Link] we dont
know what your substance is.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 117

Paca karmndriyi Five organs of action

The author next talks about the different aspects viz. the functions,
their field of activity and the corresponding dvat which
represents the total potential of (karmndriya) - the
sense organs of action or output. He explains:

I
I I I

I I I

I I
I I
I

Vk pi pda pypasthnti paca karmndriyi.

Vc dvat [Link] , Pdayrviu.

Pyrmtyu. Upasthasya prajpati. Iti karmndriyadvat.

Vc viaya [Link] vastugrahaam.
Pdayrviaya gamanam. Pyrviaya malatyga.

Upasthasya viaya nanda iti.

First he enumerates the five organs (vk) - the organ of

speech. It is useful to be reminded here that we are not talking
about the the physical part which is the tongue. The physical part
as we have seen is called gaka which may be there even in a

person who is dumb. The reference here is to the invisible faculty

because of which the tongue is able to express. This invisible part
is called vk akti or vk indriya the organ of speech; :

(pi) means the two hands because of which we are able to hold

118 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

handle the objects of the world. We always use our hands to do

whatever we want to do i.e. the outputs we want to give. The
reference here is to the faculty and not the physical part. In fact the
very word handle must have come from hand. Handle means that
we do with our hands; (pda) - the foot or leg. The pair of
legs we have is called pdau - feet. They are meant for movement.

It is because of them that we have mobility. So, pda stands for

locomotion or the power of movement; (pyu) - that internal

organ which removes the waste from the body. Our body is a very
big factory which takes in a lot of raw material. And in this factory

of the body, the food is converted into energy for activity. Any
factory will need to discharge the waste. So the body factory also
has wastes which have to be evacuated. Otherwise there will be a
health hazard. That organ which does this is called pyu waste

removing organ both solid waste as well as liquid waste;

(upastha) - the organ of reproduction because of which

every living being reproduces and perpetuates its parampar or

lineage. Here also we should remember all references to the organs

are not to the gaka, the physical part but to the indriya, the
invisible faculty. So indriyas have been enumerated.
The next aspect is the corresponding dvats.

(vc dvat vahni) vahni or agni is the name

of the dvat for the total power of communications, which is a

very important faculty. Many times we do not communicate

properly and at the same time we are unable to keep our mouth

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 119

shut. At times we also fall victims to communication gap. In fact

most of the problems in a family can be traced to communication

gap. So the corresponding total potential that is called Vk Dvat

Agni. It is also called Sarasvat Vk Dv. Most of us only pray to

Lakm Dv for blessing us with wealth. But if we want to totally

avoid the communication gap in the family; we have to pray more

to Sarasvat the Vk Dv. Another name is Bhaspati. Bha means

vk. So Bhaspati means the dvat of vk. Therefore, Agni dvat,

Sarasvat dvat, and Bhaspati dvat all of them represent the

total power of speech. Then (hastay indra) Indra

dvat represents our total power of handling. We have only

limited power and are barely able to carry our own weight what
to talk of extra weight. That is why someone was asked what
middle age was and he said that it was that period in life when
one can carry only ones own weight. In old age, even that would
not be possible. A third hand would be required even to get up if
sitting on the floor. The next is (pday viu). -

Viu dvat or Lord Nryan especially in his Trivikram or

Vman form. Viu is considered to be the presiding deity for

movement because only in his Trivikrama avatr, he showed his

power of movement. Please refer to the story of King Mahbali in

the Bhgavata Purn to understand the connection between Lord

Viu and the power of movement.

The next is
(pyrmtyu) - The presiding deity of

cleansing the residue or the remnant is mtyu that is Yama

120 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Dharma Rj. Yama is the presiding deity for removing the waste.
In the context of our body, only when the waste is removed can we
eat afresh.
The duty of Lord Yama is to remove people from the world
through death. For example, in old age what is there left in us?

Only the old shell of the body which is a waste. When old people
become a burden to the earth they have to be evacuated to make
place for the new generation. So Lord Yama represents the power

of evacuation, the power of removing the unwanted, paving way

for the fresh creation. Any destruction in the universe is a stepping

stone for the next construction. So destruction is always
constructive destruction. We should never look down upon

mrutyu which literally means death. But in this context it refers to

Lord Yama Dharma Rj. That is why while taking the name, the

word DHARM is emphasized. He never does anything which is

adhrmik. His activities are never unjust. He never takes to unfair

activities. Our problem is that we dont mind everybody else

dying but we have an unfair attitude that we and a few others

close to us should live eternally. This is an unfair expectation on

our part and Lord Yama will never fulfill this unfair expectation!

The fifth and last one is (upasthasya prajpati) -

The presiding deity of upastha, the organ of reproduction,

generation or creation is Prajpati i.e. Brahm, the four headed

dvat. Brahm is worshipped as the creator and that Brahm Jis

total power of creation alone manifests in every living being. The

only difference is that Brahm Ji can create all the species whereas

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 121

human beings can create only human species. So we have got a

limited power of reproducing only our species. But Brahm Ji has

the unlimited power of reproducing all creation. He stands for the

total potential of creation and that is why he has four heads. The
four heads stand for the four Vds and the four Vds stand for
the total knowledge, omniscience. Any creation is knowledge. Any
creativity requires knowledge.
(iti karmndriy dvat) These are the

dvats of organs of action.

Now what remains in this topic is a discussion on the functions of

each one of the karmndriys.

(vc viaya bhaam) viaya as we have

seen earlier means function. The function of the organ of speech is

Bhaam i.e speech; (py viaya vastu

grahaam) - The function of the two hands is the handling of the

objects vastu means objects or things and grahaam means

handling; (pday viaya gamanam) - The

function of the feet is movement; (py

viaya mala tyga) - The function of pyu is the elimination or

the discharge of mala i.e. waste. The waste discharged through

sweat or excretion of any form of waste would come under the

function of mala tyga; and (upasthasya

viaya nanda) - The function of the organ of reproduction is

122 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

reproduction begetting children. Becoming parents; raising the

status of a person to parent hood. The scriptures point out that
parent hood is nanda whether one may agree or not because

one sees oneself in his or her child. Also when we die, we never
look upon it as total disappearance but we perceive that we

continue to survive in the form of our children. Children represent

immortality. Therefore, nanda, otherwise called immortality, is

the word used here for begetting children. So the perpetuation of

the species is the function of the upastha.

That completes the description of ten out of seventeen organs.

Paca pra - Five physiological systems

However, we find in a similar description of the paca pr s i.e

five praanas is missing in the original text. We do not know if

these have been omitted inadvertently by the author. In the
absence of their description by the author, we will still study them
on the basis of the scriptures.
The five fold prik system can be called the five fold

physiological system. They are somewhat similar to the

physiological system that we find in modern Biology. These
physiologic functions are divided into five. This is the Shstrik
approach. These are called

(pra), (apna), (vyna), (samna)

and (udna). The order has been slightly changed for ease
of understanding sequentially.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 123

Pra is the respiratory system. The external air is breathed in as

the pra vyu, the energy is absorbed and thereafter the wastage

is exhaled; the second one is apna which means the evacuatory

or excretory system- that energy which gives the power for the
removal of the waste from the body; next is vyna which is the

circulatory system for the energy that is manufactured out of food.

Food is first converted into energy and that energy is supplied or

distributed to every cell of the body. This is done by vyna which

is known as Circulatory system in biological terms; the fourth one

is called samna which is digestive system, which alone converts

the raw material called food into the invisible energy. We require

energy for all our activities; and finally we have got udna - It is a

unique system which functions only rarely. It is like an emergency

exit. They are like the fire extinguishers which are not normally
used but used only in an emergency. A similar concept can be
observed in Vishnu temples. They have a door on the northern side

of the deity which is called Svarga Vsal entrance to heaven.

This door will not be opened at all on normal days. It is opened

only once a year and that too on the Vaikuaha kdasi day.

Similarly Bhagavn God, the omniscient Lord has kept an

emergency power to protect and save our body and health. And
that power gets activated whenever any poison or toxin, which is
threat to our health, enters our body. This power manifests either
in the form of vomiting or purging until the poison is thrown out.

If some foreign particle enters through the nose, we keep on

sneezing till that particle is thrown out. Similarly, if some dust
particles enter the eyes, the tear glands begin to put in extra efforts

124 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

till the dust particle is removed. Even when we are sorrowful or

we experience certain unhealthy emotions, then also tears come
down our eyes. According to the Scientists, those unhealthy toxins
in the mind are removed through tears. But tears flow when we
are extremely elated also. But the composition of these tears is
different from the composition of the tears we shed due to a
sorrowful and unhealthy emotion. All these are examples of the
function of udna which we can call the reversing function or the

emergency function which operates rarely.

This function also operates at the time of death when all the organs
have to withdraw their respective functions. Udna, therefore, is
active at the time of death also. All things inside the body are

thrown out. Food cannot be taken inside. All this happens because
the skma arra has to leave the sthla arra.

These are the paca prs, the five fold physiological system.

Antakaraa - Four inner equipments

And finally we have two more - mana and buddhi , which are

called Antakaraa.

Mana is defined as the (saaya) or doubting faculty.

Saaya or doubting is a faculty. In fact this faculty is very active

in many people. They are called Doubting Thomases. In Sanskrit

it is expressed as
(sankalpa vikalptmaka

mana) oscillating faculty. The famous opening phrase of the

soliloquy "To be, or not to be" in William Shakespeare's

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 125

play Hamlet comes to our mind. When in doubt, we keep on

oscillating between two ideas like the pendulum of the clock to

be or not to be. The pendulum moving in one direction is called

sankalpa. The pendulum moving in the opposite direction is called

vikalpa. The sankalpa vikalpa oscillation or vacillation faculty is

called mana. It is also the emotional faculty. So mind stands for

both faculties i.e. doubt as well as emotion.

Whereas, (buddhi) is the faculty we call the intellect. It is the

rational

faculty.

In

Sanskrit

it

is

expressed

as

(nicaytmaka) that which puts an end to the

vacillation; decisive. It is the buddhi which puts an end to the

vacillation of the mind by taking a decision. So this is the decisive

or rational or intellectual faculty.
These are thus the seventeen components of skma arra.
In some other texts, two more constituents are added to the
seventeen to make them nineteen constituents. Those two
additions are (citta) and (ahakra). Citta is the
memory faculty. It is an extremely important faculty because

without that we will have to keep learing everything again and

again. Even for the study of this text, the basic assumption is that
we remember what we have read and understood in the earlier
chapters. But for that, we will for ever be struck on Page 1 only!
The last faculty is ahakra which refers to the Ego - the I notion

because of which we identify with the sthla arra and the

126 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

skma arra. Thus we can count these four also i.e. mana,

buddhi, citta and ahakra alongwith the fifteen to make it a

total of nineteen components of skma arra.

Now to consider an interesting question before we proceed

further. The scriptures say that after the death of the sthla

arra, the skma arra travels to take up another gross body.

And they also says that all information, data, memory etc. stored

in the skma arra including the mind is transferred to this new

gross body and this process goes on till pralaya. This means that

we carry the mind and memories from the previous births. Now a
question is often asked as to why we dont remember anything
from our previous birth/s.
This question is answered from two perspectives. It is not true that
all of us do not remember anything from the previous births. The
child prodigies we see are those persons who have memories of
the previous births passed on to them which they can recall.
Otherwise there can be no explanation how a small child is able to
our render music or play musical instruments or solve
mathematical problems. We call them genius. So a genius is that
person who has been able to recall the memory of his previous
births and work on it in the present birth to produce extraordinary
results in his chosen field of action. This is the first perspective.
Secondly, for most of us, when we cannot recall what happened a
few days or a few weeks or a few years ago, how can we recall
what happened in the last birth or a few births ago? As we are
reading this book, if someone were to ask us what all was

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 127

discussed in the third Chapter, most of us will not be able to recall

unless we refer back to the third chapter. So, just because the mind
continues to exist from birth to birth, there is no rule that we
should remember the experiences of the previous birth. There are
many things we remember, many things we forget because of long
passage of time.

128 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Kraaarra - Causal body

The next topic is the 3rd antm, viz kraa arra. As usual the
student asks:
? (kraaarra ki). And the author explains:

I

Anirvcyndhyavidhyrpa

arradvayasya

kraamtra

satsvarp jna nirvikalpakarpa yadasti tat kraaarram.

Kraa arra can literally be translated as the causal body.

Kraa means cause. Here also we will study the four factors viz.

the condition, cause, function and nature.

For the sake of convenience, we first take up the function. To

understand the function of kraa arra, we need to know a very
important law of the creation. It is very important from the point
of view of the scriptures and also from the perspective of modern
science.
This law of creation states is that nothing is ever created. In fact the
word creation itself is a misnomer. Really speaking, because of the
law of conservation of matter and energy, matter can never be
created and matter can never be destroyed. In short, nothing can
be created or destroyed. It means when we talk about the creation
of a desk, really speaking the carpenter does not create anything.
The desk was already existent in the form of wood. Carpenter does
not add even one ounce of matter or even one milligram of matter.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 129

By his effort he has only modified the wood into the desk form.
That is only transformation of matter from one form to the other.
This transformation alone we erroneously call creation. Similarly
when an ornament is created, the goldsmith does not produce
even a microgram of gold. Already matter was there in the form of
gold and he has only given a particular shape to it. It is a sheer
transformation from one form of matter to another form. Similarly
when a tree is generated or produced, no tree is generated. It
already existed in the form of a seed. And that seed is called the
unmanifest form of the tree. The tree did exist very much in the
seed in a potential form, in an unmanifest form. Production of the
tree is not production, nor creation. It is only that the unmanifest
tree comes to manifestation.

Similarly all our bodies existed in the womb of the mother in

potential form and the creation of our body is the unmanifest
again coming to manifestation. So everything existed all the time.
This whole universe, this whole creation existed all the time.

Bhagawn or God did not create even an ounce of matter.

A question may arise that, if that were be the case that the world
existed all the time, why do we talk about the creation of the world
called (si) and why do we talk about the dissolution of

the world called : (pralaya). The scriptures point out that the
creation of the world is not really the creation of the world. The
creation existed before also. But the only the difference is, just as
the tree existed before in an unmanifest form, similarly the

130 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

universe also existed in an unmanifest form. The scriptures call it

the seed form of the universe. Just as there is a seed form for the
tree, just as there is a seed form for the body, the whole universe
also existed in an unmanifest, potential causal form.
When the scientists study cosmology, they also talk about the big
bang theory. And according to that theory, before the big bang, the
whole universe existed in a very very condensed form. In science
they call it singularity. In Vdnt we call it (avyakta

prapaca). So the creation is nothing but the avyakta, the

unmanifest coming to vyakta i.e. manifestation. Just as the seed

becomes sprout, the sprout becomes the plant and the plant

becomes the tree, similarly the tree of the universe also evolves.
And if creation is nothing but manifestation, what will be the
dissolution of the universe? We have to extend the same principle.
At the time of pralaya, the world will not be destroyed. Due to the

operation of the law of nature, matter can neither be created nor

destroyed. Universe cannot be destroyed. At the time of pralaya,
the whole manifest universe again will go back to unmanifest
condition.
Thus we need to understand that going from manifestation to
unmanifest condition is called pralaya and going

from

unmanifest condition to manifestation is called si. This means

the universe will always exist either in avyakta rpa or vyakta

rpa.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 131

And this law applies to everything in the universe. When we

destroy the desk, it will become pieces of wood. If we burn the

pieces of wood, it will be reduced to ashes. If we mix the ashes
with earth, it will reduce to mud form, from which again the wood
will grow. We can only change the form. In fact the atom bomb
explosion was based on this theory. When matter is converted into
energy, it becomes an atomic explosion. Einsteins theory E= MC
is based on this. When matter is destroyed, it will get converted
into energy and when we recovert the energy, it will again become
matter. If this is true, we can say that every object in the creation
existed even before its creation, but in an unmanifest form.
Whether it is a fan, mike or carpet or even our own body,
everything must have existed even before its creation in its
potential form.
So our two bodies, i.e. sthla arra and skma arra must
have existed even before their creation. And they would have

existed in unmanifest form, seed form or causal form. That causal

form of these two arras is called kraa arra. The causal

form for this mike will be kraa mike, the causal for the desk will

be kraa desk, and the causal form of the Earth will be kraa

earth! And so on. And the most important aspect to understand is

that each manifest form contains the seed for the unmanifest form.
Like the seed of a mango tree is contained in the seed which is
inside the mango fruit. And therefore, the author says kraa

arra serves as the seed for the sthla and skma arras to

orginate.

132 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

The next logical question would be, when the whole creation is
destroyed, what will happen to the sthla and skma arras ?
The answer is that they will not get destroyed, but will get

converted back into kraa arra and when the next si

comes, again the kraa arra will be transformed into sthla

and skma arras and this process will go on eternally.

Unmanifest becomes manifest. Manifest again goes back to

unmanifest. Water becomes vapour and vapour again becomes
water. In the Gt, Bhagawn Ka says in verse 28, Chapter 2:

|
||

Avyaktdni bhtni vyaktamadhyni bhrata.

Avyaktanidhannyva tatra k paridvan.

Lord Ka says that everything was unmanifest. It became

manifest and it will again go back to unmanifest. This expansion

contraction process will eternally continue. Expansion is falsely

called creation. Contraction is falsely called destruction. Therefore
Lord Ka addresses Arjuna Who is dying? There is no
phenomenon called death at all. It is all change of shape only. So

where is birth and where is death. Birth and death are there only
in your perspective.
This is what the author explains in the text.

arradvayasya kraamtra. The kraa arra is merely the

seed. It does not do any function. It serves only as a seed. Mtra

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 133

means only; so it is the only cause for arra dvayasya the two
bodies i.e sthla arra and skma arra.

Now what is the condition of this body? The author says

nirvikalpaka rpa. When anything is in causal form or seed form,

it will be in an undifferentiated form. It means that the various

parts will not be clearly visible or recognizable. In the tree form we
can clearly see the branch, the leaf, the trunk, the flower; the fruit
etc. all are clearly recognizable. But in the seed form, even though
everything is present, it is in an undifferentiated form. In the small
lump of flesh after conception of a baby, all the ogans of the baby
are present in the DNA of the baby, to use the language of
genetics. If we do a DNA mapping we will find all the information
coded in the genetic language. What type of baby will it be after 15
years? Whether it will have congenital diseases, whether it will be
healthy or sick, whether it will have hair on top of the head or not,
whether psychological problems will be there or not, all this
information is in the DNA but we are not able to detect because we
have not yet mastered to decode this language. That is why as the
child is born and it grows, the parents are always anxious because
we cannot recognize whatever is there in a potential form. And
certain diseases like hypertension, diabetes, kidney problems etc.
manifest only after several years. But all these are present in
potential form, all the while. And therefore, the condition of the
Kraa arra is such that we will not be able to differentiate or

distinguish anything.

134 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

And such undistinguishable state is called nirvikalpaka rpa.

Vikalpa means differences. In sthla arra the differences are

clear. We are clearly able to see and distinguish the head, the
hands, legs etc. So the vikalpas are clear.

In skma arra the differences are less clear but we can still

make out. We know what is mind, what is intellect, what is

emotion, what is memory, what is jnndriya etc. These

differences are evident. On the contrary, in kraa arra, the

differences will not be detectable at all. This in Sanskrit is called

nirvikalpaka rpa.

Now let us study the nature of that kraa arra. The author

says its nature is svarpa ajna . We need to undersand this

word ajna very clearly.

We have seen that with respect to the Universe, the kraa arra

obtains before the creation or after the dissolution. And as per

definition the differences will not be recognizable in the

unmanifest form. This means that the subject-object duality will

not be recognizable in kraa avasth.

In our present manifest form, we are able to clearly differentiate

that I am the subject, the knower and all other things are the
objects i.e the known. In kraa avasth even that duality will not

be recognizable. Since the knower-known division itself is not

recognizable, we cannot talk about any knowledge in kraa

avasth. We cannot talk about any form of knowledge.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 135

We can talk about knowledge, only when there are divisions. Even
in a class room, learning or knowing takes place because there is
someone teaching and someone listening by using the mind and
the ears. We can talk about knowledge when there are so many
instruments. But when there is no division of subject, object, mind,
sense organs, intellect etc. we cannot talk about knowledge. And
therefore, the nature of that state of the kraa arra is ajna

i.e. total ignorance because the infrastructure for knowledge is

absent. So the author says kraa arra is that which consists of

ignorance of sat svarpa - the real nature of everything. It is in the

nature of total blanket ignorance.

And that is why the cosmologists, through their research are

trying to find out the condition before the Big Bang. According to
the theory of general relativity, the initial state of the universe, at
the beginning of the Big Bang was singularity. But both general
relativity and quantum mechanics break down in describing the
Big Bang. They found a state which they call singularity but they
are unable to understand what caused the Big Bang. They,
therefore, define singularity as a state of no information. We call it

kraa arra. They call it state of no information. We call it

ajna. It is widely believed that despite all research the

Scientists will never be able to know the cause!

Now what is the cause of kraa arra? The question itself seems

absurd because by definition, kraa arra is the root cause of

everything and being the root cause of everything it can never be

an effect or a product. Everything is born out of kraa arra,

136 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

but kraa arra itself is not born out of anything and that is

why the author calls it andi. Andi means the beginningless. And
this andi kraa arra is given a technical name avidy or mla

avidy. The word avidy is a technical word and is another word

for kraa arra. And since it is the root cause, it is called mla

avidy. It has several other names also. It is called my, prakti,

avyakta, akti etc. All these are synonyms. Of these, the author

has chosen to use andi avidy rpa. Thus we can understand

kraa arra as the causeless cause of the universe!

We are now left with the word anirvcya. This is another technical

word for mithy. We have already learnt the meaning of this word

when we discussed tm satya tadanyat sarva mithy. We have

learnt that satya has independent existence and mithy has got

only dependent existence. And we also considered the example of

a desk and clay pot. In a clay pot, clay has got independent
existence. Even if the pot is destroyed, clay will continue. But pot
has got a dependent existence. If we remove the clay the pot

cannot exist. So there we learnt that antm is mithy. And here the

author introduces another word anirvcya which means mithy.

The entire antm is mithy. The author has used this word only

while discussing kraa arra but it can be used in the context of

all the arras. So one can say anirvcya sthla arra, anirvcya

skma arra and of course, anirvcya kraa arra. All are

mithy.

There is another interesting aspect. This kraa arra by its very

definition will exist only before creation or after dissolution.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 137

Therefore, there is no way of seeing or experiencing the kraa

arra now. But the shstrs say that we can get a taste of the

kraa arra, if we have a desire to know that. However, for that

we cannot destroy the whole universe.

We all know that before the construction of a large building

complex, the architects build a miniature model. The shstrs say
we get a similar model of the kraa arra very easily and very
regularly, whenever we go to sleep.

During our sleep, the sthla arra is as though dissolved because

we are unaware of it. Thus we can say that sleep is a miniature

model of the dissolution of the sthla arra. Not that it is

actually dissolved but it is as though or seemingly dissolved

because we dont experience the physical body. Similarly the

skma arra is also as though dissolved during sleep, as none

of them function as that time. Eyes, ears, emotions, knowledge,

ego, intellect, memory etc. are all as though dissolved. We can

never say that we are asleep in the present tense. This is because
all our faculties are dissolved. But, if we can say that we are asleep,
it would mean that we are not asleep! In sleep everything is as
though or seemingly dissolved. So, this sleep is a miniature
version of pralaya and therefore, the shstrs call it laya. Laya
is the miniature version of pralaya. We can remove the pra and

make it a miniature! During sleep we dont experience the world,

we dont experience our physical body, we dont experience our

subtle body, and we dont experience our mind, our intellect. We
experience nothing but the sleep. Therefore, subject-object duality

138 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

is absent and even all the knowledge stored in our citta is

dissolved. There is only total ignorance. There is only sat svarpa

ajna.

There is an interesting story which highlights this fact. An

orthodox person, who used to practice untouchability, was

travelling in a train. There was another person sitting next to him.
This orthodox person warned the other person not to touch him
since he was very orthodox. The train started moving and both of
them fell asleep. In the process, the orthodox person still asleep fell
on the lap of the other person. At that time there was no issue of
untouchability! When he woke up, he once again warned the other
person not to touch him! So the lesson is that all these practices of
touchable, untouchable etc. i.e. all divisions are only in waking
state but not in deep sleep state. That is why sleep is given as an
example for recognizing kraa arra. But the actual kraa

arra will be available only in pralaya avasth, when the whole

universe will be dissolved.

We need to understand this aspect very carefully. At the time of

pralaya i.e. dissolution of the universe, the subtle body also get

dissolved. However, the causal body continues to exist even at the

time of pralaya, because that is going to be seed for the next

creation of gross and subtle bodies, just as the farmers keep some
seeds for the next crop. Similarly the Lord is an intelligent farmer
and he keeps all the causal bodies with which he can create the
physical and subtle bodies in the next round of creation. Causal
bodies, therefore, have the longest life possible. The causal body

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 139

gets dissolved only under one condition. The gross body goes at

the time of death; the subtle body goes at the time of pralaya. The

causal body goes or gets dissolved only once in a persons lifetime

and that happens at the time of liberation or mka. So the wise

people or the jnis at the time of their death become free from
their sthla, skma and kraa arras. And that is why, the
scriptures point out, that after mka there will be no rebirth, as

the cause for the rebirth itself would get destroyed. So mka is

the final end.

This completes the discussion on the three arrams sthla,

skma and kraa arras.

140 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Avasthtraya - The three states of existence

Seqentially, the next topic is ka pacaka. However, the author

has done a slight modification. Instead of dealing with ka

pacaka, he first discusses avasth traya. The order is slightly

changed and we will also follow the teacher.

? (avasthtraya ki)
I

Jgrat svapna suuptyavasth

The student asks What are the three fold states of experience?
The author enumerates them as (jgrat) - the waking state of

experience; (svapna) - the dream state of experience; and

(suupti) - the dreamless deep sleep state of experience. The

author goes on to describe each of them more clearly.

Jgradavasth The waking state

As per our shstrs nothing should be taken for granted and there
should be no doubt left in learning. So the author begins with

jgrat avasth.

? (jgradavasth k)
-

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 141

rtrdijnndriyai abddi -

viayaica jyat iti y s jgradavasth.

Sthla arrbhimn tm viva ityucyat

The student asks What is the waking state of experience?

The teacher explains s jgrat avasth.- that is called as the waking
state y jyat which is experienced or which is known with

the help of the interaction between two factors viz. rtrdi

jnndriyai - the sense organs of knowledge which are the sense

faculty of hearing etc. i.e. eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. But

sense alone cannot generate experience. If sense organs should

generate experience, they require the corresponding sense objects.
And therefore, the author says abddi viayaica - viaya means

sense objects. And the sense objects are also divided into five -

abddi i.e in the form of abda, spara, rpa, rasa and gandha

We have discussed these earlier. Thus the indriya group and the

viaya group interact. During the deep sleep state, the indriya
group i.e. the sense organs group is not functioning, they are

withdrawn or resolved and that is why even when the world

continues, we have no experience. We may be attending a music
programme and if in between we doze off, the music programme
will continue but the musical experience ends for us because one
of the complementary pairs i.e. the sensory group has switched off
or withdrawn. If we listen to some nice music it would give us
happiness and if the music is terrible, it gives us sorrow. The entire
waking state is a series of pleasures and pain. And pleasure leads

142 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

to further reactions and pain leads to further reactions. Emotional

problems like desire, anger, delusion, greed, lust, envy etc. i.e all
forms of emotions are based on these interactions only. And if
these interactions are absent, these emotional problems will also be
absent. And even the worry about the future will be absent.
Therefore, the interactions as well as the interaction based
reactions; all of them come under jgrat avasth.

Another important aspect is that if this interaction has to happen,

we have to support the sense organs. We have to be behind the

sense organs. Without our backing them up, the sense organs will
not function. They cannot operate by their mere existence. Our cooperation is required. When we want to listen to something very
carefully for example a feeble sound, we tend to encircle the back
of our ears with our hand and we are all attention. This shows our
backing up or supporting the ears to perform to their best. Taking
another example, if in a class room we are not focussed on our ears
but on our mind thinking about something outside the topic being
discussed in the class, we will not be able to hear the talk properly
because we would be failing to back up the sense organ i.e. ears,
which is required for listening. Now the question could arise, by
referring to ears are we talking about the physical ears or the
hearing faculty i.e. the sthla or skma? The answer is both. We

have to identify with both i.e. the gaka as well as indriya. In

this example, if we have to identify with the indriya, we have to

identify with the gaka i.e physical ears and that is why we keep
the hand near the ears as a gesture of identification.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 143

Therefore, the functioning of the indriya requires indriya

indentification or abhimna identification. Indriya abhimna

requires gaka abhimna. And gaka is a part of the physical

body. Therefore gaka abhimna requires arra or dha

abhimna. So we have to identify with our physical body.

Without identifying with our physical body, we cannot operate the

sense organs and if we cannot operate them, we cannot experience
the external world. That is why in sleep or in dream, even though
our body is there, even though our ears are open also but we dont
hear any sound. This is because in that state we dont identify with
our body. So even though mosquitoes may be there all over our
body, we are like jvan mukts, liberated persons!!! Since we dont

identify with our body, there is no experience of the mosquito bite.

Our nostrils are open but we dont smell anything. A good

example is somnambulism or sleep walking. These people have no

arra or dha abhimna i.e. no identification with the physical

body.

So waking state requires sthla arra abhimna and when we are

in the waking state we are called : (viva) - the waker.

(iti ucyat) so it is said.

Whereas in the dream state, we dont identify with the body and
naturally we dont experience the external world. The body is nonoperational and so, the external world is also non-existent for us.
This is what the teacher is going to explain in the next Q &A.

144 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Svapnvasth The dream state

? (svapnvasth kti ct)

Jgradavasthy yad da yat ruta tajjanita-vsanay

nidrsamay ya prapaca pratyat s svapnvasth. Skma

arrbhimn tm taijasa ityucyat.

The author first talks about the mechanism or cause of the dream
state. He says at the time of waking, we experience the external
world and at this time, the mind records those experiences. The
mind is the most sophisticated recording medium. In a tape
recorder, we can record voices and in a video recorder, we can
record both visuals and sound. But in the mind, we can not only
the experiences of the world, in form and sound but it records all
the five viayas i.e abda, spara, rpa, rasa and gandha at the same
time. In addition to these five sensory stimuli, even the emotions

like anger, happiness, jealousy, anxiety, worry, greed, lust, etc. i.e.
what all we experience in the jgrat avasth, they are all registered.

The more powerful the experience, the more deep is the recording.

And this recording medium has no limit in terms of memory

capacity, unlike audio or video recorders, in which we have to
frequently change the recording medium. But Bhagavn has given

us the most sophisticated recording device that we can go on

recording without changing the recording medium i.e. brain. We

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 145

can record any number of experiences and the medium lasts even

for several births! These registered experiences are called vsans.

Another word is
(saskr). We are all born with

innumerable vsans or saskrs gathered in the previous births

and that is why we have musical genius, mathematical genius,

spiritual genius etc. because they all are born with inherited
balance of talent from the previous births.
So the waking state serves as a sophisticated recorder. Now when
we feel tired of the waking state and switch off the light and go to
bed, then what does that mind do? No more live programmes are
available. The recorder part of the instrument is switched off. But
the player part of the instrument takes over and whatever is
registered in the mind, is replayed; like the action replay in the
cricket match! The vsans are projected and this projected vsans

are called the dream universe. Every experience creates an imprint

or etching in the mind which produces a vsan.

This is what is explained by the author when he says

jgradavasthy yad da yat ruta - what is heard and what

is seen in the waking state; (we need to add other things also like
what is smelt, touched, tasted etc.); tajjanita vsanay - tat janita
means born out of that experience;

During the waking state the vsans are not activated. We cannot

do recording and playing simulataneously. So in the waking state

only recording takes place. But nidr samay at the time of sleep,

ya prapaca pratyat the world which is recognized i.e.

146 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

whatever inner world, private world, mentally projected world is

experienced; s svapnvasth - that is called the dream state.

This world of dream is a purely private world for anyone. We

cannot share the dreams with another person. For example, if we
go to a temple, we can see the temple premises, the idol, the
manner the idol is decorated etc. We can show this, share this
experience with others. We can even take them to the temple and
show them. We can take photos and videos of the temple and
share them with others.
But suppose we see the temple, idol etc. in a dream, can we wake
up the neighbour and show him the dream? We cannot because it
is (ntara prapaca) an inner world. It is

subjective. In jgrat avasth, it is an objective, external world and in

svapna avasth, it is a subjective, internal world.

So in a dream we never gather any new experience. New

experiences can be gathered only in waking state. In dream we can
only relive whatever experiences we had before. However, some
people may claim that they had new experiences in the dream!
That is never possible. It is possible that the old experiences may
be rearranged, all memories could be jumbled up and out of the
jumbled memories one may have a seemingly new experience. But
it cannot be anything new. It can only be a rearrangement of the
old memories which may appear as new.
Suppose one still says that he had an experience in the dream
which he never had before. The shstrs say that the person has

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 147

had the experience before. It is only that he doesnt remember that

experience. For example, we come across some people whose face
looks very familiar but we cannot recollect where we have seen
them earlier. So it may look like a new experience. In a dream, the
mind can project only what is stored there.

If that person is adamant, he may still claim that he did have a new
experience in the dream which he has never had in his life. In
response, the shstrs say that, in that case, he is bound to have

had that experience in his previous birth/s. Those experiences also

sometimes get projected in the dream.
Carrying this line of thought further; suppose a person claims that
he sees the future in the dreams. Our response would be that, that
experience is based on his imagination, which could have been
registered in the waking state. For example, suppose a person is
harassed by some other person in the waking state. This person is
unable to respond because the person who is harassing is either a
parent or an elderly person. But in his mind he feels like punching
the nose of the person who is harassing! And he also imagines or
visualizes that he is punching the nose! In his dream that person
can see that scene of his punching the nose! So the scriptures say
that the dreams also serve as a method built by nature to exhaust
our desires! Some visualization is fulfilled in dreams.
But if one actually sees future events in dream, we dont call it a
dream. We call it ESP the Extra Sensory Perception. Dreams can
never give us the experience of the future because dream by
definition is the replay of the experiences of the waking state and

148 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

such an experience is called svapna avasth. And the most

interesting aspect is that when we are in a dream, we dont know

that it is a dream. It all looks so real!!!
A dream is seen as a dream only in the waking state. That is why

Vdnt says that experiences in the waking state are also another
dream, which we are never able to believe. The scriptures say that
the truth of this statement will be revealed to us when we attain

mka. It is a mind boggling statement. So a dream is not a dream

in a dream state. A dream in a dream state is like waking because
there also there are people, objects, places, experiences etc.
Everything is like in the waking state. So for the dream we require

vsan abhimna. Vsans belong to the mind. Mind belongs to

the skma arra. And therefore we identify with our subtle
body in the dream. So in the waking state we are sthla arra

abhimn and in the dream state we are skma arra abhimn.

And the author gives a special name for this I the tm the

conscious being. He calls it (taijasa) a dreamer; (iti

ucyat) it is said.

So viva is a waker and taijasa is a dreamer.

Suuptyavasth The deep sleep state

Next we move to the sleep state, which is very easy to understand.

? (atha suuptyavasth k)

s


I

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 149

Aha kimapi na jnmi. Sukhna may nidrsnubhyata iti

Suuptyavasth.

Kraaarrbhimn tm prja ityucyat.

The student asks atah so hereafter; suupti avasth k - what is

the sleep state of experience?

The teacher answers. In the sleep state, there is neither the external
world seen through the sense organs nor is there the inner world
projected through the vsans. Neither the sense organs are
operational nor are the vsans activated.

We have these 2 in 1 musical players. They have a radio and also a

cassette player and there is a selector switch. If we push the switch
in one direction the radio will play. This represents the waking
state. Then if we change the switch to the cassette player and it
will play the recorded cassette which is already inserted in the
player. This is like the dream state. And if we dont want to listen
to either the radio or the tape recorder, we can select another
switch which indicates sleep. In this state it neither plays the live
programme nor the recorded programme but the player is asleep
it is in suupti avasth !

Similarly in our case also there is total non-expereince in deep

sleep state. But this is also a form of experience. And how do we
experience that state? Aha kimapi na jnmi - I do not know

anything! .We dont experience anything, neither the external

world nor the internal world of projection. And therefore, we do
not have the reactions that we have in the two avasths. We do not

150 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

have worries. We do not have anxieties. They all belong to waking

and dream states. In suupti all the emotions are resolved, worries
are resolved, anxieties are resolved, even pain of the body is also

resolved. The author describes this state as sukhna comfortably;

with total relaxation; may nidrsnubhyat sleep is experienced

by me.

So we experience nothing except deep relaxation. This experience

is called

(sukha ajna anubhava) experience
of total peace and ignorance of everything. But the interesting
aspect is that we experience this not through an active mind
because in sleep the mind is also resolved; the vsans are not
functioning; memories are not functioning; emotions are not
functioning. Thus the mind is also in a resolved condition.
Therefore this experience is registered in the dormant mind, the
resolved mind, the passive mind. The passive mind or resolved
mind is called kraa arra as we have seen before.

Since the sense organs, the mind etc. are all resolved at the time of
the sleep experience, we can never say we are experiencing sleep.
If we are able to say that we are experiencing sleep it would mean
that we are not in the sleep state. We need to be in a waking state
to make this statement. Thus the experience cannot be claimed
while undergoing the experience. We can claim the experience
only after we return to the waking state. We can never use the
present tense but can talk about this experience only in the past
tense. We can say I slept well, I knew nothing, I was very
happy etc.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 151

Thus in suupti avasth, we are identified with neither the sthla

arra nor the skma arra but with the kraa arra in

which everything is in a potential latent condition - seed form.

Therefore, here the abhimna is with the causal body and in this
state we are called kraa arra abhimn. The author gives a
technical name prja to a person in this suupti avasth.
To sum up,

Sthla arra abhimn is called Viva the waker;

Skma arra abhimn is Taijasa - the dreamer; and

Kraa arra abhimn is Prja the sleeper.

This concludes the discussion on avasth traya.

152 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Paca k - The five sheaths or covers

We now move on to the last set of five antms which are known

as ka pacaka - the paca kas the five sheaths; the five

encasements or five layers of personality. The student asks:

? (paca k k)

Annamaya

nandamayacti.

pramaya

manmaya

vijnamaya

The question is What are the five layers or covers of the

personality? A layer can be compared to a case, just as we have a

case to cover the knife or a sword. In the scriptures such a case

with reference to the self is called ka.

The teacher lists them starting with annamaya. We have to add

the word ka. So annamaya ka food modified sheath is a

case or sheath or personality which is formed by the modification

of the food that we consume;

The second is pramaya ka the prik energy - the invisible

energy sheath. This is talked about by the prik healers also;

The third is manmaya ka the mental sheath or the

psychological or emotional layer of personality;

The fourth is vijnamaya ka the intellectual sheath which

corresponds to the rational, intelligent layer of personality; and

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 153

the last one is nandamaya ka - the deepest level of personality

which is the source of nand; the source of relaxation;

rejuvenation and re-vitalization.

Cti is only a conjuction ca iti which means and as we have

seen earlier.

Having enumerated them, the author now goes on to define each

of them. If we carefully follow, we will find that each subsequent
one is subtler than the previous one with nandamaya being the

subtlest in this group.

Annamaya is the grossest visible layer. In fact we can see only this

layer. We cannot see the pramaya layer of others. Only when a

person tries to get up from sitting on the floor, we will know how
his pramaya is working. If getting up is a difficult proposition

for him, it would mean that his prik layer is feeble!

Before we get into the detailed exposition of each of these layers, it

is important to understand that these five ks are not five new

antms but are only new names for the three arras which we

have already discussed. The same three arras are divided into

the paca ks from another functional angle.

This is similar to the structure of our country or a State. We have

several divisions based on the different standpoints. They are

called Zones. If we take the functioning of the Railways, the entire
rail network is divided in to 8 or 9 zones. If we take the
functioning of the Metereological department, they have also

154 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

divided the country into 20 or 25 zones. The country is the same.

But it is divided differently from different functional standpoints.
Likewise, the three arras are divided into five ks from

another functional angle. According to this classification, the

physical body or the sthla arra is called annamaya ka.

Similarly the kraa arra corresponds to nandamaya ka.

There is no difference between kraa arra and nandamaya

ka. They are but two names given from different stand points.

Just as the husband at home becomes the Managing Director at the

Office.

Skma arra, the subtle body is divided into three functional

divisions which are the other three kas viz. pramaya,

manmaya and vijnamaya.

Now let us look at the text to understand each of the five kas
better.

Annamaya - The food sheath

? (annamaya k ?) What is annamaya?

Annarasnnaiva

bhtv

annarasnnaiva

vddhi

prpya

annarpapthivy yadvilyat tadannamaya ka sthlaarram.

The author explains why it is called annamaya ka?

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 155

Before we see the answer, let us ask ourselves as to why the

physical body is called sthla arra? Since it is gross body

perceptible to our own sense organs and also to others sense
organs, and because it is solid, tangible, concrete and really a
heavy body, it is called sthla arram.

Similarly, annamaya ka is so called because it is a product of

anna food. The whole gross physical body is manufactured out

of the raw material called anna or the food that we consume. Let

us consider how a human body is formed in the womb of the

mother. The parents have consumed food. There can be no doubt

about it since they are alive! The food that is consumed by the
father will get converted into the seed in the body of the father,
which we call sperm and which is the main cause for the
production of the physical body. But father alone is not enough.
Similarly, the mother should have consumed food. That food
consumed will get converted in the mothers body into an egg or
ovum. That is, sperm or seed in the male body and ovum or egg in
the female body. These two are called anna rasa. Since the body is

formed only by the joining together of these two, the authors says

anna rasnnaiva bhtv come into being only due to anna rasa.

In Sanskrit it is expressed as
(ukra

ita rpa annarasnnaiva bhtv) - ukra means the seed, ita

means egg.

So, anna rasa is the si kraa - the cause of the creation of the

body. After the body has been conceived, and the fetus has been

formed in the mothers womb, how does it grow? The growth of

156 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

the body; the survival of the body also requires the same anna.

So the mother has to consume healthy food and also extra food for
the baby. If there is malnutrition in the mother, it will affect the
baby indicating the baby is also sustained by the mothers food
only through the special cord called the umbilical cord.
In the scriptures, there is an Upaniad dealing exclusively with

maternity. It is called Garbhpaniad. It deals with in detail, how

the child is is formed, how the child grows, etc. But we dont need
to study that Upaniad now because here we are interested in

mka and not begetting children!!!

The author continues annarasnnaiva vddhi prpya. The

physical body grows because of anna and therefore, anna

becomes not only si kraa but also the sthithi kraa, the
cause of the survival of the body.

Then after 9 months of conceivement the baby is born. Till then the
body survives by the food eaten by the mother. But once the baby
comes out and thereafter, if the body has to grow, the baby has to
consume the food. So, once again anna gets converted into

carbohydrates, proteins, salt, minerals, calcium, potassium,

sodium, iron etc. which are collectively called anna rasa.

After this the body grows upto a particular time and then starts to
decline after 50 or 60 years. At this time, the intake of anna also

becomes lesser and lesser. On death, the body gets mingled with
the earth and become fertilizers for the plants grown on the earth
for the production of food. Thus the body becomes the source of

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 157

food for the next generation. The author says anna rpa pthivy

yat vilyat - vilyat - means merges; anna rpa means the source of

food. Thus anna rasa is not only si kraa; not only sthithi

kraa, but also laya kraa. From food we come and to food
we go back! Since anna is si, sthithi and laya kraa of the

body, it is called annamaya ka. Maya means product; i.e.

product of anna and it is another name of sthla arram.

Pramaya - The vital air sheath

Next the student asks:

? (pramaya ka?) What is pramaya? What is

meant by the energy sheath? The energy personality; the prik

personality which the prik healers are supposed to read, rectify

and correct the health problems. They talk about an invisible aura
around our body.
The author explains:
I

Prdhy pacavyava vgdndriyapacaka pramaya

ka.

The author says prdhy paca vy ava the prik layer

consists of the five fold physiological system.

These are pra- the respiratory system; apna - the excretory

system; vyna - the circulatory system; samna- the digestive

system and udna - the reversing system. These are called paca

vyava. They alone are responsible for the generation of energy.

158 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

When this energy gets exhausted we feel hungry. This stored

energy is expressed in the form of kriy akti power of action

which expresses in the paca karmndriyi. Every karmndriya

is an outlet through which the kriy akti expresses itself
through our walking or talking or even undertaking physical

ndriy i also comes within

exercises. Thus the paca karm

pramaya ka. Therefore the author says, prdhy

pacavyava the five fold physiological system vk di indriya

pacaka vk, we know means the organ of speech di means

etc. i.e the other four organs of action viz. pi, pda pyu and

upastha.

In a dead body, annamaya is present, but pramaya has left.

Manmaya - The mental sheath

? (manmaya ka ka)

Manaca jnndriya pacaka militv y bhavati sa manmaya

ka

The main part of the psychological or emotional sheath is our

mind. Mind is the seat of all emotions and also the seat of all
desires. So manmaya represents icch akti. We have already
seen that pramaya represents kriy akti.

Manmayas job is generating the desire and pramayas job is to

fulfill those desires. So desire comes first and then fulfilment. In

keeping with our want to learn Tattva bdha, manmaya desires

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 159

and pramaya brings us to the class room and helps us to sit

through the lectures! That is the job of pramaya.

Mana is the emotional mind, the desiring mind, fancying mind,

the mind which builds castles in the air that mind which goes

on wishing and wishing irrespective of whether the body has any

energy or not.
Now we can have a desire only for something which we know. We
cannot desire an unknown thing. This is the principle people use
in the advertisements. They repeatedly show their products on the
television and other media so that we know all information about
their product and the desire to buy is born in our mind. So desire
requires collecting data with the help of jnndriya.

And so the author says manaca jnndriya pacaka militv by

combining the mind with the five sense organs of knowledge

eyes, ears, nose, tongue and the skin; militv means combining; y

bhavati sa manmaya ka that which is born or that which

results is manmaya ka the psychological or emotional

sheath.

Thus pramaya is a combination of ten organs and manmaya

is a combination of six organs - mind plus the five sense organs.

Vijnamaya - The intellectual sheath

? (vijnamaya ka) What is vijnamaya - the

intellectual, rational or the knowledge layer of personality?

160 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

I

Buddhijnndriyapacaka militv y bhavati sa namaya

vij
ka

The authors answers that it is the expression of jna akti. Kriy

akti requires icch desire and desire requires jna

knowledge; without knowledge we can never desire!

A hundred years ago people would never have had a desire for a
computer or computer games because they did not know that such
a thing as a computer was possible. Action presupposes desire,
desire presupposes knowledge and vijnamaya ka represents

the knowledge.

That is why the author says buddhi jnndriyapacaka militv -

by combining the intellectual faculty with the five sense organs of

knowledge eyes, ears, nose, tongue and the skin; militv means

combining; thus after knowing and discriminating, judging,

weighing the pros and cons, the buddhi decides; y bhavati sa

vijnamaya ka that which is born or that which results is

vijnamaya.

Whatever we desire we know but whatever we know we dont

necessarily desire. We know many things but we use our
discriminative power to decide whether we should desire or not.
There are many desires in our mind which we happily drop for
various reasons. A bald headed person comes to know about a
particular brand of shampoo which is supposed to be very good
for smooth hair. But what can he do with this knowledge? It is

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 161

irrelevant for him. What will an advertisement for some hard to

bite savouries mean for a toothless person? He might read about

all such things. If teeth are not there, the new knowledge will not
produce any desire. Taking another example, a new car might
have been advertised costing say Rupees 50 lacs. Now, this person
who sees the advertisement may like it but has no money to buy.
So we have to remember that wherever there is desire, there is
knowledge; but wherever there is knowledge, the desire need not
arise.
So jnndriya are common to manmaya ka and vijnamaya

ka. All these are components of the skma arra i.e.

pramaya ka, manmaya ka and vijnamaya ka. Just to

recap, pramaya represents kriy akti, manmaya represents

icch akti and vijnamaya represents jna akti.

nandamaya- The bliss sheath

Now what is left is nandamaya ka.

? ( nandamaya ka) What is nandamaya ?

I
I

vamva kraa arra bhtvidhystha malinasattva

Priydi vtti sahita sat nandamaya ka.

tat kapancakam.

162 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

nandamaya is the same as kraa arra. And we have already

defined kraa arra as the state when everything resolves into

seed form at the time of pralaya. The seed condition of

everything is called kraa arra and at the time of deep sleep

state we get a condition which is very nearly similar to pralaya. It

is not that the world is resolved but at the time of deep sleep the
world is as though resolved for us. For others the world continues
but for us it is seemingly disappeared. We dont experience the
external world, we dont experience the dream world, we dont
experience our own physical body, we dont experience any
emotion, we dont experience any knowledge and we dont even
experience our very individuality. Our ego is also totally resolved.
At the time of deep sleep state, we are in seed state. This state we
have already seen is called kraa arra.

So the author says that this nandamaya ka is kraa arra

bhtakraa arra bhta; bhta means born out of; of the

nature of.

We should remember that kraa arra was given another

technical name avidy. It is not a regular Sanskrit word. Normally

avidy means ignorance. But here it is used in a technical sense

called mla avidy or as the author prefers to call it avidhystha.

When we are in the kraa arra i.e. in the deep sleep state, we

have got two fold experiences. One experience is total ignorance.

We are unaware of anything. In fact we dont even know that we
are sleeping. Sleep does not have a present tense. We can say he
sleeps but we can never say I sleep. So in sleep or kraa arra,

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 163

we experience ajna or ignorance. And here ajna is called

malinasattva this is again a technical word which means

obstructed knowledge. Lord Ka discusses this in detail in the

Bhagavad Gt. We will learn this when we study the Gt. Here it

is sufficient to note that malinasattva is a technical word for

ignorance.

The second experience is total relief from stress, tension and

worries. This is what is called nanda. Who does not love to
sleep? Everybody loves sleep because of the nanda which the

sleep gives not only to the sleeper but also to others who may feel
happy because they enjoy some peace because of this persons
sleep! For example, a baby and that too a naughty baby sleeping is
the greatest relaxation for the mother. All young mothers know
that.
So the second aspect is happiness which is indicated by priydi

vtti sahita which is associated with different states of happiness

priydi vtti refers to degrees of happiness. The shstrs grade

happiness into three layers. Just as in English we have three

degrees of comparison happy, happier and happiest; in the

shstrs too, happiness is graded into three layers. When we see a

desirable object, we get a feeling of happiness by merely seeing it.

Suppose in a shop we see an object we like, the very sight gives us
happiness. Then we buy that object. When we posses that object
we are happier. And later on when we actually use the object we
experience the highest happiness. This is called
(darana

sukha),
(grahaa sukha) and

(anubhava

164 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

sukha) seeing pleasure, owning pleasure and enjoying pleasure

in Sanskrit, the corresponding words are (priya),

(mda) and (pramda). These three degrees of

happiness are experienced in sleep also depending upon the depth

of the sleep. We experience deep sleep, deeper sleep and deepest

sleep. In deep sleep we wake up by ourselves. In deeper sleep we

do not wake up by ourselves by somebody has to wake us up. In
deepest sleep we neither wake up on our own nor even if
somebody tries to wake us up! Thus depending upon the depth of
the sleep our experience of joy varies. Thus nandamaya consists

of malinasattva and priydi vtti. Such a kraa arra

obtaining in sleep is called nandamaya ka. Priydi i.e priya

di means priya etc.i.e. mda and pramda.

Finally the auhor says tat kapancakam. These five put together

is called paca k . But essentially they represent the three

arrams only. So really speaking there are only six antms but if

we separately count the paca ks it will become eleven antms.

Now we go on to the topic of tm.

tm Atma

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 165

Having enumerated the antms, the author now goes on to

discuss the crucial subject matter of tm. We have previously

roughly defined tm as the invisible, immortal, inner essence of

every individual.

Earlier the author has stated that tm is the only real one and all
others are antms. Then he went into a detailed discussion of the

antms. But, he has still not defined what the tm is, except

stating the tm alone represents our real self and the antms do
not represent our real self. They are only our superficial

personalities. Here he wants to reiterate this statement first and

then go on to defining the tm.

-
I

Madya arra mady pr madya manaca mady

buddhirmadyam

ajnamiti

svnaiva
yatj

tadhyath

madyatvna ta
j
kaakakuala-ghdika svasmdbhinnam
tath pacakdika svasmdbhinna madyatvna
j tamtm

na bhavati.

The author points out here that all the three arrams, otherwise
known as the paca k , are not the real self. They are only a

166 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

temporary medium through which I the tm interacts with the

world. They are all media meant for our transaction.

To demonstrate this, the author uses a line of thought or a

particular logic. He says that whatever, we possess or use, we refer
to them as my or mine. And whatever we claim as mine only
belongs to us. So whatever belongs to me is not myself but
different from myself. For example, a car, a pen, a book etc.
which we possess and use, we refer to them as my car, my pen,
my book etc. They belong to me but are not myself. Thus if a
house belongs to us, we are not the house. We use the house, we
possess the house, we claim the house but we are not the house. So
the author says whenever we claim something as mine, we are
not that. We are different from that. Now if we analyse how we
refer to the paca k , we will find we claim them as our own
possession, we claim them as mine; we say my body, my mind,
my intellect etc. The author uses some other examples, kaaka-

bangle, kuala ear ring, ghdika house etc. We claim all

these as mine and so therefore they are not me. They are

different from me.

The author mentions in the first line madya arra. Often we
say I am tired, I am hungry or I am heavy or I am out of

shape, what we mean is that my body is tired, my body is

hungry, my body is heavy, my body is out of shape etc. In all
these cases we refer to my body. We dont say I the body. We
only say my body. From this it is clear that we claim that the
body is mine and therefore it cannot be me. We have seen that the

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 167

body represents annamaya k. This is what the author means by

madya arra.

The same is the case with mady pr. In this also we say my
digestion is weak, my circulation is weak, and my breathing is
heavy etc. In all these also we refer to them as my and so they
should be different from me. The word pr refers to

pramaya k.

Taking madya manaca we refer to our mind as my mind. We

say my mind is disturbed today, my mind is calm after doing the

prayer so we refer to the mind also as an instrument possessed
by us. It is an object of possessed by me and therefore it cannot be
me. The word mana represents manmaya k.

The same is the case with mady buddhi intellect. This also also
we refer to my intellect, my intelligence, my rational faculty

so here also we recognize the intellect as an instrument possessed

by me and therefore intellect is also a possessed one and not I
the possessor. The law is that the possessor is always different
from the possessed. Here the word buddhi refers to vijnamaya

k.

Also, madyam ajnam we refer to ignorance as something

belonging to me i.e. my ignorance. So the ignorance is also not

me but which is something in me and which is possessed by

me. I am, therefore, different from ignorance also. ajna
represents nandamaya k.

168 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Svnaiva jyat all these are known as mine; the author quotes
the examples like kaaka kuala ghdika the bangle, the ear

ring, the house etc.; madyatvna jta - they are all claimed as

mine; svasmdbhinnam different from me.

Extending this logic, the author says tath - likewise; paca kdi
the five sheaths or layers etc. i.e. all the three arrams, all the

three avasths - all the eleven items; svasmdbhinna madyatvna

jtam are known to be or claimed to be mine and therefore they

are not me. We have seen that all these are all called antm.

So the author says that all these antms, we claim as mine and
logically, therefore, they can be me. They have to be different
from me. tm na bhavati they are not the self, the I.

Now the question arises whom am I?

The author will deal with this question later. Before that, let us
review this long sentence. Every word is clear. Madya arra,

mady pr, madya mana, mady buddhi, madyam

ajnam all these represent the five ks all these are svnaiva

jyat they are all known as mine and never as I. Like in the

example

Madyatvna ta
j

kaaka

kuala

ghdika

pacakdika like any other worldly possessions, our body,

mind etc., are also only our possessions but not us the possessor.

j
tm na
And therefore, svasmdbhinna madyatvna tam

bhavati they are different from I and therefore, they cannot be

I the tm. So the logical question would be:

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 169

? (tm tarhi ka?) Then or in that case, what is

tm?

The author gives a crypic answer. (saccidnanda

svarpa)

This is the crucial portion. All the previous portions are only

preparations for this postion.

Now we will try to understand this subtle topic.
So the student asks the teacher: tarhi then; if I am not the body, I
am not my mind, I am not my intellect, I am not my physiological

system, I am not the waker, I am not the dreamer, I am not the

sleeper, if I am not any of them, if tm is none of them then what
is this wonderful thing called tm?

The teacher says tm is saccidnanda svarpa. Saccidnanda is a

compound word made up of three words viz sat, cit and nanda

svarpa means of the nature of. So the teacher says tm is of the

nature of the nature of sat, cit and nand. The student is no wiser.

So he goes on:

? ? ? -

Sat ki? Cit ki? nanda ka ?

What is sat, what is cit and what is nanda?

The answers he gets for these questions are:

? (sat ki?)

170 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

I

Klatray'pi tihatti sat.

? (cit ki?)
I

Jnasvarpa.

? (nanda ka?)

Sukhasvarpa
We will now try to understand these three words independently.
Then we will apply them in the text. Of the three crucial words, we
will first take up the word cit for our understanding.

Cit Consciousness

The word cit means consciousness; caitanya, jna, vijna

all these words convey the same meaning i.e. consciousness. So

according to Tattva bdha, the Vedntik text, tm or the real I is

of the nature of consciousness, which makes the body sentient.

tm is that consciousness principle because of which the body is

alive. This bundle of matter called the body is sentient. Sentient

means capable of feeling the surrounding which makes the body
different from an inert desk or an inert chair. The body is also
made of chemicals. But this bundle of chemicals is different from

the desk which is also made of chemicals only. We call it biochemistry because this bundle of body is alive and sentient.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 171

Whatever makes this body alive and sentient, is called

consciousness.
The next logical question would be what is this consciousness
which makes the body sentient?

Vdnt analyzes the nature of this consciousness and we have to

understand the fundamental principles regarding the nature of

this consciousness. The first lesson we have to remember is
consciousness is not a property of the body. According to Vdnt
unlike the height, weight, complexion etc. which are the properties

of the body, sentiency or consciousness is not the property of the

body. Similarly Vdnt says consciousness is not even a part of

the body. Like the hair, nail, skin etc. are all parts of the body, we
cannot conclude that consciousness is a part of the body.
Having understood that, can we say that life or consciousness is
generated in the body or the brain, just as enzymes are produced
in the body, blood is manufactured in the body and cells are
created in the body? The answer of Vdnt is that consciousness
is not even a product generated by the material brain.

Brain

cannot generate consciousness. Body cannot generate life by itself.

In short life is not a product of matter. So the first important lesson
is that consciousness is not a part, nor a property nor a product of
the body.
The second lesson is that, on the other hand, consciousness is an
invisible independent entity which pervades the body and makes
the body alive. This converts the chemistry into bio-chemistry. The

172 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

nearest example we can think of the electricity which makes the

fan active. There is invisible electricity behind the visible fan and if
the visible fan is moving it is because of the invisible electricity
which drives the visible fan. And this invisible electricity is not a
property of the fan; it is not a part of the fan. It is not even a
product of the fan. It is a separate principle which exists
independent of the fan. Even before the manufacture of the fan,
the electricity existed. And it is this independent, invisible
electricity which makes the fan active. All our bodies are like fans.
Just as the invisible electricity makes the the fan rotate, just as the
invisible electricity makes the bulb brilliant, similarly this inert
bundle of matter called our body is alive and kicking because of
the invisible principle called consciousness. So the second lesson is
consciousness is an invisible and independent entity which
pervades the body and makes it alive.
Now lesson No. 3. This invisible independent consciousness is not
limited or circumscribed by or confined to the boundaries of the
body. It extends beyond the body also, just as the electricity is not
confined to the boundaries of the fan. And therefore, according to

Vdnt, consciousness is boundless, limitless, dimension less

which means it has no height, no width, no length it is beyond all
these. All these belong to the body just as the length belong to
the blades of the fan and not to the electricity. So the third lesson is
that consciousness has no boundaries. It is all pervading or
limitless. So it is not limited by space.

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 173

The fourth lesson is that this invisible, independent consciousness

will continue to survive even after the body medium dies, perishes
or is destroyed. Like, even after the destruction of the bulb and the
light, even after the destruction the fan and its rotation, the
electricity continues to be present in the circuit, similarly even after
the body dies, the consciousness continues to exist. It is, therefore,
a permanent principle; an eternal principle. The fourth lesson is
that the invisible consciousness is not limited by time.
So it is not space wise limited is the third lesson. It is not time wise
limited is the fourth lesson.
Lord Ka explains this in the Bhagavad Gt :

Na jyat mriyat v kadci- nnya bhtv bhavit v na bhya.

Aj nitya vat'ya pur na hanyat hanyamn arr.

He says that the soul is never born, nor it ever dies; nor does it
become a soul after being born. For, it is unborn, eternal,
everlasting and primeval; even though the body is slain, the soul is
not.
And the fifth and final lesson is that after death the surviving
consciousness cannot be contacted by us or recognized by us, not
because it is not present but because the medium of the body no
longer exists. The surving consciousness after the fall of the body
is unrecognizable. The principle is similar to the examples of bulb

174 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

and fan given earlier. We recognize the electricity only though the
gadgets like bulb, fan etc. If they break down, we cannot recognize
the electricity even though it is always present.
For arguments sake if one says that we can recognize it by putting
our fingers in the socket, the answer would be that one has to put
on the switch for that also. Here we are able to recognize it only
through the medium of the switch. We all know that electricity is
always present in the atmosphere but are we in a state of shock
continuously? We can recognize the electricity only when it flows
through some medium and not otherwise. That is why at home,
whenever we want to know if there is electricity or not, we check
by putting on the light or fan. So in the absence of the body, the
consciousness is unrecognizable but not non existent. So even
after death the tm survives. That is why it is called cit rpa,

which means of the nature of consciousness. And by naming the

consciousness as tm, the author wants us to claim the

consciousness as I the self. By using the word tm, which means

self, the author wants that we should train ourselves to claim this
consciousness as I AM.

All along we have wrongly learnt to claim this body as I. We

have wrongly learnt to claim the pra the mind, the intellect etc.
as I. We have all along been the victims of wrong conditioning.

The author says that we should no longer claim the body as I.

Instead we should learn to claim the inner, immortal, invisible
essence i.e the consciousness as I. So I am the consciousness
temporarily possessing the body. The body will come and go but

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 175

I will survive for ever. The physiological system, my intellect

may all disappear but I the consciousness will continue to

survive. During sleep the mind may dissolve but I survive. My

intellect may diasappear in a coma and it may stop thinking
already it might have stopped but that is a different matter! But
I survive. Everything may go, but I the tm will survive. I the

consciousness is ever present and I know that as a fact. Therefore

I am jna svarpa.

And to claim this consciousness as I Lord Ka gives us a

technique. This method is called (dk dya

vivka). This is a technique to be used to claim the invisible

consciousness as oneself. This is a very useful technique to
remember.
According to this technique, we are different from whatever we
experience. For example we experience an object say a pen. The
pen is the object of our experience. The I in us is the subject the
experience.

This I is different from the experienced pen.

Similarly, this I is different from the wall that we experience. So

we can conclude that we are not that which we experience. Now if
we apply this principle and start negating whatever we experience
we will be left only with I which is the subject of the experience
and not the object. I is the experiencer and not the experienced.
And how do we negate? For each experience, we question. Is this
an object or subject of experience? If the answer is that this is an

176 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

object, we conclude that I am not this. This is called the

(nti nti) method also.

I am not this, I am not this we have to negate everything that

we experience. First the entire world will be negated. Why

because, I am experiencing the world and so I am not the world.
The world is an object of experience but I am the subject.
Thereafter, we come to the body and the body also is an object of
our experience. We intimately experience the body in the waking
state, we experience another body in the dream state and we
experience no body in the sleep state. The body is something that
we experience in all the states and therefore I is not the body. We
need to go on applying the same logic to everything in the
Universe including our prnik conditions, the physiological
conditions, emotions etc. All these are the objects of experience.

We clearly say I am restless now, I am happy now, I am

jealous, I am compassionate etc. We intimately experience our
emotions and mind and therefore, we can say I am not the mind.
Similarly we experience knowledge. We know what we know. We
experience ignorance also. We dont know what we dont know.
Knowledge is also experienced by us and ignorance is also
experienced by us. Therefore, we can say I am not the intellect; I
am not ignorant. Thus we can go on negating anything that we
experience. When everything is negated, nothing will be left out.
And therefore when we negate everything and come to blank
state, we ask the question Is this blankness experienced or not?

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 177

The answer is self evident. We are able to talk of the blankness

only because we are able to experience it!
And that is the consciousness principle, because of which even the
blankness is known - (sarva abhva sk). Sk

means witness; the experiencer; of sarva, everything including the

absence of even thought, total blankness.

That consciousness

principle I AM - (aha tm asmi); (cit

rpa); this is the (jna svarpa tm). Cit is

equated to (jna).

Now let us understand the other two words viz. sat and nanda.

Sat - Existence

We have seen that this consciousness does not die when the body
dies. It is eternally present. It was present in the past; it is present
now; and it will be present in the future. The body arrives and
departs but not this consciousness. In Sanskrit whatever is eternal
is called sat or satya. Consciousness being eternal it is called sat.

This is the meaning of klatray'pi tihatti iti sat or to put it

differently, trikl api tihatti iti sat. Trikla means all the three

periods of time i.e. past, present and future. In all these three
periods of time; tihatti - what continues to remain - it is not the

body, nor the mind; but it is iti sat - the invisible, independent

consciousness. So tm is not only cit rpa but is also sat rpa.

178 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

nanda - Limitless happiness or bliss

As regads tm, we have already studied earlier, while discussing

the five lessons, that the consciousness is not limited by the

boundaries of the body. It is boundless and all pervading. In

Sanskrit the all pervading principle is called ananta. Ananta or

ananta, means boundless, limitless or to use another Vedntik

expression pra. Pra means full and complete. This

pratva or limitlessness is always experienced in the form of

nand. Ananth is always experienced as nand. Whenever our

mind is full, whenever we dont lack anything, we have a sense of

completeness. Conversely, whenever we lack something in life it is

expressed as sorrow. Sorrow, therefore, is defined as limitation

and happiness is defined as limitlessness.
So anant means nanda. I dont miss anything in life. I dont

lack anything in life so says - not the body; not the mind; not the
intellect (these have got infinite limits) but the tm. The tm

does not lack anything because everything in the creation exists in

the tm only and therefore it is ananta; pra; nanda. That is

why the author says nanda is sukha svarpa of the nature of

happiness. In this state if some were to ask us what do you want,

our answer will be I dont want anything because I am pra,

complete in myself.

Lord Ka tells in the Gt -

Vyai vicra - Analysis of individual - Microcosm 179

Prajahti yad kmnsarvnprtha mangatn.

tmanyvtman tua sthitaprajastadcyat.

The Bhagawan says to Arjuna when one thoroughly casts off all
cravings of the mind and is satisfied in the self through the joy of
the self, he is said to be a sthitapraja of a stable mind of an
equanimous mind.

A sense of incompleteness always expresses itself as a desire in our

mind. We dont have a house of our own; we dont have children;
we dont have grand children etc. All these are feelings are due to
the sense of limitation. And this gives us sense of incompleteness;
this sense of want gives rise to sorrow. Freedom from this
limitation is called pratva - when we have a feeling of
complete contentment; when we want nothing more; when we

miss nothing and that state is the state of nanda superlative

happiness. Thus tm is sat, cit nanda svarpa.
The author concludes

va saccidnandasvarpa svtmna vijnyt.

va in this manner svtmna vijnyt may you recognize

the tm as yourself which is saccidnanda svarpa the eternal

all pervading invisible inner essence I. To assimilate this reality,

one needs to contemplate a lot. With this tm has also been

defined by the author.

180 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

This completes the second major topic of Tattva bdha which

deals with jva vicra. Vicra means analysis, study or enquiry.

jva vicra means the study of the individual; the study of the

microcosm.

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 181

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the CosmosMacrocosm

182 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Caturviati tattvtpatti prakra -

The process of evolution of 24 elements and elementals

The third major topic in this text is the study of the creation
si vicra i.e. the study of cosmology; the study of the

macrocosm study of the totality in Sanskrit it is called samai

vicra. The study of the microcosm is called vyai vicra. Vyai

means microcosm and samai means the macrocosm. Vyai

means the individual, samai means the total.

While analysing the individual, we saw that the individual i.e the
microcosm is a mixture of tm and antm - tm being satya

and antm being mithy. In this chapter we are going to discover

what the macrocosm or the total is made up of. What is the

compostion of the creation? This is the samai vicra or si

vicra.

Atha caturviati tattvtpattiprakra vakyma.

Atha means hereafter ie after the completion of the two major

topics, the teacher takes up a discussion on utpatti prakra the

method of creation. Utpatti means creation or origination. Prakra

or prakra means the mechanism; the method or the mode.

In modern science, we call it cosmology. In Vedic teaching it is

called si vicra. So utpatti prakra refers to cosmology of -

caturviati tattva. The entire cosmos is technically called

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 183

caturviati tattva because the scriptures divide the whole

universe into 24 basic principles.

Just as the scientists, who have their own methods, divide the
world into elements like Aluminium, Barium, and Carbon etc.,

Vdnt divides the whole universe into 24 basic principles. What

these 24 principles are will be examined later. At this stage it is
sufficient to understand that caturviati tattva is equal to

prapaca or jagat or the whole universe. And therefore,

caturviati tattvtpatti means prapaca utpatti, jagat utpatti;
vakyma means we shall teach.

We need to note an interesting aspect. The author uses the word

we and not I, in this sentence. This is because he wants to claim
that this is not his own personal teaching but is based on what he
has learnt from his guru and which his guru in turn has learnt from

his guru and so on. So the author wants to convey that he has the
backing of the entire guru parampar while teaching. In order to
identify with the entire parampar he uses the word we.

a.

Brahman my trigu - Brahman, Maya and the three cosmic

qualities or aspects

Brahmray sattvarajastamgutmik my asti.

He starts by explaining the status at the time of the origination of

the Universe i.e before the Big Bang as the scientists prefer to call
it now.

184 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Before the origination of this universe, there were two primal

factors as the very cause of this universe. Like in a family, there are
two factors, i.e. father and mother, as the very cause of the
children, before the orgination of the children.
Just as the children have the parents, the whole universe has
parents in the form of two basic principles. The first one is called

Brahman. Brahman is another name of the tm itself the

invisible, immortal, inner essence of every individual. Therefore,

the nature of this Brahman is also sat cit nanda. It is the eternal

and immortal principle that existed even before creation. A

revision of the discussion on the topic of tm will be helpful at

this state to understand the nature of this Brahman.

Now one may ask why are we using two different terms for the
one and same consciousness? The answer is that when the
consciousness is seen from the individual angle as the
consciousness obtaining within the body, the microcosm, it is

called tm. But the very same consciousness seen from the

standpoint of the totality, the macrocosm, it is called Brahman. For

example a person as the head of a particular family will be called

the father, but the same person when he is the head of the Indian
Government; he is called the Prime Minister! The person
remaining the same, we give one name from the standpoint of the
family but a different name from the standpoint of the totality.
Similarly consciousness infused in the body is called tm and
consciousness pervading everywhere in the universe is called

Brahman.

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 185

Another example to understand this aspect is, the space obtained

within the four walls of a room is called inner space. But when the
walls are pulled down, the space remains the same but we no
longer call it inner space because the word inner is relevant only
when the walls are present. If we remove the walls, it will be called
total space.
Similarly consciousness when enclosed within the walls of the
body is called tm. The same consciousness not limited by the
body i.e. unenclosed is called Brahman. And this Brahman was in

existence before the creation. This is the first of the two factors.
For convenience sake, let us call it Father Brahman.

Naturally a mother is required. Brahman has to be married!

Bachelor Brahman cannot do anything alone!

So the author points out that there was another factor. Like

Brahman, this whole material universe was also existent before

creation but in a seed form or potential form, just as every plant

exists under the ground in a seed form before sprouting. Even
though we cannot see the seed, we can infer the presence of the
seed because without a seed there can be neither a plant nor any
tree. We can sometimes see in some corners of buildings or
temples or old structures etc. some plants coming out from the
walls made of brick and cement. But can cement and bricks
produce the plants? We dont believe in the origination of the

plants from bricks and cement but we infer that in the

intermediary gap, some bird must have deposited a seed, because
without a seed a plant cannot appear.

186 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

The law of conservation of matter and energy states that matter

cannot be created out of nothing. It therefore follows that the
universe, which is nothing but matter, cannot come out of nothing.
The logical conclusion, therefore, is that universe must have
existed in a potential form. And this potential form of the universe
is called my, which is material and inert in nature. So, Brahman
is the non-material conscious principle and my is the inert

principle; material principle. My is also known as (prakti),

(pradhna), : (akti), (avyakta),
(avykta) etc.

This my did not originate from some where. This my also

existed from beginningless times. We can never know the

orgination of my. It is similar to a chicken and egg situation. No

one can prove which came first!

So Brahman is beginningless and my is also beginningless.

Consciousness is also beginningless. Matter is also beginningless.

Both are andi. And it is this my alone which is symbolically

presented as the universal mother. Brahman represents the

universal father as it were. My represents the universal mother

as it were. Both principles were always there.

Here the word Brahma

or

Brahman has to be carefully

understood. In the scriptures there are two words, one is Brahman

(short a) and another is Brahm (long aa). When we say Brahm,

we refer to one of the Trinities, Brahm, Viu and iva. Here

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 187

Brahm is the name of a personal God with a body with four

heads etc. But the word Brahma or Brahman does not refer to four
headed Brahm. This word represents the formless consciousness

principle. So we should be careful not to mix up the words Brahma

(short a) and Brahm (long aa). And generally to avoid
confusion, we refer to Brahma (short) as Brahman. We add one n

to avoid confusion. So Brahman means formless, eternal

consciousness. And to avoid any residual confusion, we add a Ji to
the name of the four headed Brahm and call him Brahm Ji.

Now coming back to Brahman and my, let us understand the

relationship between these two. Brahman, the consciousness has

independent existence and therefore, it is called satya. We have

discussed this aspect while discussing tm. And what attributes

we applied to antm, has to be applied here for my. So, my,

the matter principle, does not have an independent existence. It

has to depend upon Brahman. And for this reason my is called

mithy. tm or Brahman is satya the sentient consciousness

principle. Antm or my is mithy the inert principle.

And so the author says Brahma ray my ray means

dependent; Brahma ray my means my is dependent on

Brahman for its very existence.

The assumption of Brahman as the father and my as the mother

was made only for the better understanding of the principles

behind these concepts. One should not misunderstand that

Brahman stands for male and my for female. We cannot treat

Brahman as a male because the formless conscious principle cannot

188 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

be treated as male or female. Similarly my is also not female

because formless energy cannot be male or female. It is only
symbolic. We should not take it literally.
The author further describes the attributes of my. He says sattva,

rajastam gutmik my. My has got three faculties, three

powers, three attributes called gu. Here gu means akti faculty, power, aspect.

Sattva represents the faculty of knowledge; jna akti; raj gua

represents kriy akti power of action or the faculty relating to

activity; tam gua is called dravya akti the power of inertia

that means that power which will suppress the other two powers
the suppressing power. When the power of inertia is dominant, it
will suppress jna akti and also kriy akti. For example an

object like a pen is dominated by inertia as it does not have jna

akti in the sense it cannot know anything by itself and it does not

have kriy akti it cannot do any activity by itself because it is

overpowered by dravya akti. The car parked outside does not

have jna akti or kriy akti. This is good because if it had

kriy akti it would go away on its own and if it had jna akti,

it would go and hide in some place where we cannot find it! So

the world requires dravya akti, whereas our body requires jna

akti, kriy akti etc. These three faculties are present in my.

That is why my is called trigua my. And what akti does

Brahman have? Poor Brahman has no akti of its own and so it is

called nirguam attribute less, power less.

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 189

If we recall the opening verse of the famous work Saundarya Lahar

of di akarcrya:

: :
: :

iva akty yukt yadi bhavati akta prabhavituma.

na cdva dva na khalu kuala spanditumapi

The literal meaning of this verse is that Lord iva acquires the
ability to create this world only alongwith akti. Without her, he
cannot move even an inch.

iva here refers to Brahman and as Brahman he cannot do

anything on his own unless he comes in to contact with my, the

akti tattva.

Nothing is possible for Brahman. Before creation nirgua

Brahman and trigua my were present. Ctana or sentient

Brahman and actanam or insentient my was there.

We know that consciousness is eternal and so it cannot undergo

any change. It is nirvikra changeless. On the contrary my is

savikra subject to change. Matter and energy can change and

evolve. It is out of this mixture of the changeless Brahman and the

changeful my that the creation has evolved. The author next

explains the process of this evolution.

190 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

b.

Paca bhta si - Evolution of five fundamental

elements

I I

I I I

Tata ka sambhta. kd vyu.

Vystja, Tjasa pa. Aadbhya pthiv .

The author after pointing out in the previous sentence that the

trigutmik my was dependent on Brahman, goes on to explain

the sequence of events of creation.

But before we examine the sentence, it will be useful to understand

the import of the sentence.
We have seen earlier that the creation was born out of a mixture of
the ctana, nirgua, nirvikra Brahman and actana, trigua,

savikra my. The creation cannot evolve out of the

consciousness principle because of evolution is a form of
modification or change and consciousness is changeless. So it has
to necessarily evolve out of this mixture only. This role is
attributed to my.

Brahmans role is to exist and to bless my. It cannot do anything

other than blessing. Like the light in a room. It does not do any

action. It only blesses all the activities because of which we are able
to see and do them. Light is required for the action but it itself
does not do any activity. It cannot play the role of a teacher nor
can it play the role of a student. But in its presence alone, the
teacher and student can act and interact. So like the light which

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 191

blesses by its very presence, Brahman does not do or evolve

anything but in the presence of Brahman alone my evolves;

matter evolves. This evolution is called creation. The author
presents this creation in four stages.
The first stage of evolution is the paca bhta si the evolution
of the five fundamental elements called the paca bhtni. These

are invisible - the subtle five elements skma paca bhtni.

The next stage is that these five subtle elements produce varieties
of subtle bodies. All the subtle bodies consisting of the mind, the
sense organs or the prns, all are the products of the subtle

elements and therefore these subtle bodies are called skma

bhautikni. The difference between bhta and bhautika is that

bhta refers to the elements and bhautikas refer to the
elementals which are the combination of the elements. Just as

matter modified becomes material, bhta modified produces

bhautika. All the different invisible lks or worlds mentioned in

the scriptures like swarga lka, mahar lka, jana lka, tap lka, etc.
are also products of the invisible five elements. This is called

skma bhautika si. This is the second stage.

The third stage is called sthla bhta si - the evolution of the

physical, gross elements, the visible, concrete, tangible paca

bhta. In Sanskrit these are called sthla bhootani.

In the fourth and final stage, through varieties of combination of

these five gross elements, the gross bodies are created. This is
called sthla bhautika srishti which means creation of the gross

192 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

bodies, the tangible physical bodies. So our physical bodies come

under the classification of bhautika and not bhta. The body is

a mixture of all the five elements. The body has got the earth part
i.e. the pthiv tattva; it has water, the jala tattva giving it the

shape; the body has got agni tattva because of which we have
temperature of 98.4 F, the warmth of life; the body has got vyu

tattva, air in the lungs and we call it prna tattva. And finally
the body occupies space wich is the ksha tattva. Since the body

is a combination of the elements, it is called bhautika. It is sthla

bhautika because it is tangible.

Thus the entire creation, the entire cosmos evolved in these four
stages viz. skma bhta, skma bhautika, sthla bhta, sthla

bhautika. Now the author deals with each of these in detail.

Tata, says the author that is from that beginningless my,

blessed by Brahman, ka sambhta space, the first of the five

elements evolved; it being in subtle form it was skma ka;

sambhta means evolved.

This is a very interesting aspect and needs a bit of examination.

According to the shstrs, space is also a created element. It is not

eternal. And this fact is now being accepted by Scientists also.

Earlier under Plutonian physics, space was thought to be eternally

present and it was thought that the planets and stars were created
in the eternal space. But now after the Einstenian physics, it is
accepted that we cannot talk of space before creation i.e before the
big bang. The Scientists say that one can talk of space only after
the big bang. So space is also created like all other elements. This

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 193

is a very important aspect to understand. Not only that space is a

created entity, it is not nothingness or vaccum. It is a positive

material. It is very very subtle but still it is a positive material.
These days the scientists also are talking about an elastic space, a
bending space, a curving space etc. If the space is emptiness, how
can it be elastic, bending, curving etc.? Science now accepts that
space is a very very subtle elastic matter. This fact has been
recognized in our scriptures thousands or even millions of years
ago!
Space is a created element and it is the subtlest form of matter.
According to our scriptures, the property of sound belongs to the
space abda i.e. sound is the property of ka. And this is the

only property space has. It does not have the property of touch i.e.

spara; it does not have rpa i.e. colour and form; there is no

smell, gandha, and it does not have rasa i.e. taste. So it has no
other property except one i.e abda.

Another interesting aspect pointed out in the scriptures is that this

property of sound is ever present in the space. We can hear it only
if we have a very fine and subtle hearing faculty. Due to the
limitation of our ears, we are unable to hear this sound. It is similar
to the seven colours present in the light. In the pure white light
like sunlight, there are seven colours which we are unable to see
because of the limitations of our eyes. But when the light passes
through a prism, our eyes can recognize these colours. This
phenomenon can be seen in the rainbows as well. Similarly, when
other elements come into the picture, we will able to recognize the

194 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

sound. In fact it is said that yogis in the deep meditative state can
recognize the subtle sound of space. It is called nkra Nda the

sound of OM. In the scriptures it is called anhata abda or

avyakta abda the unmanifest sound in space, which our

ordinary ears cannot hear. Thus the ka gua ka is born.

Then, kd vyu; from the ka bhta, the second element

vyu i.e air is born. We should remember that the reference here
is to the subtle or skma vyu. This subtle air has two properties

viz. abda and spara sound and touch. Vyu has got the quality

of touch also. It can be felt by our skin. That is in a hot climate why

we try to sit under the fan. We dont see the air but we can feel it

spara gua.

Then, vystja; from the subtle vyu bhta the third element
evolves which is tja fire; the agni tattva. The skma agni

bhta is born which has got three properties viz. abda, spara

and rpa. Vayu cannot be seen but agni can be seen also. Agni also
has the other two properties i.e. sound and touch. We can feel it.
So it is known as triguaka agni.

Thereafter, we get tjasa pa water; the subtle jala tattva. The

skma jala bhta is born. It has four properties abda, spara,

rpa and rasa. The additional one is rasa taste. Water has got a

unique taste with the help of which we can separate it from all
other liquids. It is a unique tasteless taste, differentiating taste. So

jala is chaturguaka.

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 195

Then finally adbhya pthiv. From the water principle, pthiv the
subtle earth principle is born. This is also known as bhmi which

has got five properties i.e. paca gu abda, spara, rpa, rasa

and gandha. The additional property is gandha - smell. We can

experience this when the first rains come in the monsoon. We get a

unique smell which belongs to earth. None of the other elements

have this property of smell.
Thus five elements are evolved. Another interesting aspect to note
is that the first element can be recognized by one sense organ
because it has got only one property; the second element can be
recognized by two sense organs, because it has two properties;
third one by three; the fourth by four and the fifth by five sense
organs. Whatever can be recognized by more number of sense
organs is called gross. Whatever can be recognized by lesser
number of sense organs is called subtle. ka is skma, very

subtle, whereas pthiv, the earth is sthla, gross. Thus in a

graded manner, the five elements are born. This is the first stage of
creation paca skma bhta si. We will now consider the
second stage of creation i.e. skma bhautika si.

I

I

I

I

I

196 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

t

pacatattvn

rtrndriya sabhta.

madhy

kasya

Vy sttvikt tvagindriya sabhta.

sttvikt

Agn sttvikt cakurindriya sabhta.

Jalasya sttvikt rasanndriya sabhta.

Pthivy sttvikt ghrndriya sabhta.

c.

Sttvik gua- Evolution of the Sattvik aspect

We have studied the five subtle elements and also learnt that each
one of them has three gus or properties viz. sttvik, rjasik and

tmasik. Now the author explains that from the five subtle

elements, the five sense organs of knowledge are born. We have

already seen in the previous chapters that the five sense organs of
knowledge i.e. jnndriyas belong to the skma arram, the

subtle body. It is useful to remind ourselves that when we say

sense organs, we are not referring to the physical part but to the
subtle faculties.
So the five indriyas are born out of the five elements. However,

since each element has got three gus, a question will arise as to

which element and which gu of that element is responsible for

the birth of the jnndriyas.

The author says t paca tattvn madhy amongst these

five elements; here tattva refers the five skma bhtas; madhy
- amongst; kasya - of the space element; sttvika at the

sttvika part; rtrndriya sabhta - the indriya or organ of

ears is born. Thus the sttvik property of the space element

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 197

produces the ears. And why do we say the space produces the ears

and not the eyes or nose etc.? The answer is obvious. We have seen
that the unique property of space is abda or sound, and no other
part of the body expect ears is capable of recognizing sounds.

So
(yat indriya yasmt bhtt

jyat) - whichever organ is born out of whichever element;

(tat indriya tasya bhtasya

via gua jnti) that organ perceives the special property of

those particular elements, because they owe their very existence to

these elements.
Then vy sttvikt - from the sttvik part of vyu;

tvagindriya sabhta the organ of touch i.e. skin is born; this

organ recognizes the property of vyu which is touch which is the

special additional property of vyu. Similarly Agn sttvikt

from the sttvik part of agni, cakurindriya sabhta caku

means eyes the eyes are born. We have seen that agni has three

properties, sound, touch and form. Of these two i.e. sound and
touch are properties of ka and vyu and so the special
property of agni is form and colour and this additional property

is perceived by agnis child i.e. the eyes. Next is jalasya

sttvikt rasanndriya sabhta - rasana means tongue. It

is also known as the jihvndriya jihv, the tongue is born out of

the sttvik part of jala water and its via gua i.e. taste is

recognized by the tongue; pthivy sttvikt ghrndriya

sabhta. Ghrndriya as we have learnt earlier refers to the

198 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

smelling faculty. Thus the organ of smell is born out of the sttvik

part of pthiv and it recognizes the pthivs via gua which is

ganda smell.

The chart at the end of this chapter gives a pictorial depiction of

the entire process of caturviati tattva utpatti prakra - the
evolution of the 24 basic elements.

I
I I I
I
I
I I
I

t pacatattvn samaistvik t manbuddhyahankra

-cittntakarani sambhtni.

Sankalpavikalptmaka mana. Nicaytmik buddhi. Ahankart

ahankra. Cintanakart cittam.

Manas dvat [Link] [Link]

[Link] vsudva.

Now referring to the chart, we can see in left side bottom that
mind is created from the sattva gu of the all the five elements

put together, which is called samai sattva gu. This is because,

the mind which is the inner organ called antakaraa requires all

the five sattva gu for it to co-ordinate with all the sense organs.

Since mind has to function behind all sense organs and collect all
the stimuli and co-ordinate, it has to evolve out of the sattva of all

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 199

the five elements. Otherwise it will lead to a bizarre situation

where what the eyes see, the ears will not know. The mind has to

co-ordinate with all the five sense organs and it has to possess the
property of sattva gus of all organs.

The author, therefore, says, t pacatattvn samai

stvikt from the total sattva taken from all the five elements;

the inner organ containing mana;buddhi; ahankr and citt,

collectively known as antakarani; sambhtni. is born. This

inner organ has got four different functions. It is four-in-one.

Depending upon the four functions, it is known by four different

functional names. The organ is one but known by four different
functional names like a person could be a Manager in a particular
company, a Secretary in a religious organization, a father at home
and a student studying this text. Thus, just as the same person
discharges four different functions, the organ is one, but it has four
different functions. Antakaraa is the common name for the

organ consisting of these functions.

The author goes to explain the nature of these four functions. He

says sankalpa vikalptmaka mana. We have already learnt that

sankalpa vikalpa means doubting or vacillating or wavering

function. Whenever we talk of vacillation or oscillation, it involves

two directions - like a pendulum of a clock which keeps swinging
between right and left. Should I work or should I remain at home;
should I attend the class or should go for a movie; should I study
the scriptures or not study; should I get married or not; should I
beget children or not so many such questionsto do or not to

200 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

do called pros and cons in English sankalpa is pros thinking;

vikalpa is cons thinking so sankalpa vikalpa is vacillation called

doubting faculty which includes emotions also since emotions also

belong to the mind.
The second is nicaytmik buddhi After lot of vaccilation finally
a decision is made. This deciding faculty is called buddhi; nicaya

means to decide.

The third is ahankart ahankra aha kart means the sense of

individuality the notion of I am the doer the ego which is

called ahankra. It is because of this ego faculty that we treat the

body as ourselves; we claim the skma arra as ourselves.

When the mind thinks, we dont say the mind thinks but we say I

think. When the mind is upset, we dont say the mind is upset,
we say I am upset. So, that faculty with which we identify with
various factors, that identifying faculty is called ahankra the I
notion.

The last is cintanakart citta. Citta is the faculty of

remembering, the faculty of memory. Another word for cintana

is anusandhna which means recollection. So this memory

faculty is called citta.

And each organ has a presiding deity also which corresponds to

the

total

power.

When

we

discussed

jnndriya and

karmndriy we named the corresponding total power as the

presiding deity - devat. The corresponding devats are:

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 201

Manas dvat candram Moon is the presiding deity of the

mind and therefore, if any body has mental problem, they are
supposed to worship the moon. That is why, when the moons
blessing is missing, we call that person a lunatic. Lunar as we
know means connected with moon.

Buddh brahm Brahm, the four headed devat, who is married

to Saraswati the Goddess of knowledge. Brahm according to the

scriptures is the embodiment of the four Vds represented by the

four heads. Brahm presides over the knowing faculty or the

thinking faculty known as the buddhi.

Ahankrasya Rudra ahankra, the ego; the individuality the

presiding deity is Rudra or iva because ahankra is the cause

of destruction. Ego alone is responsible for all our problems. In

sleep we dont have an ego and so we are paragons of all virtues,

wonderful people. The moment we wake up, the I rises; the ego
gets resurrected and then follow all the problems, which mostly
leads to the destruction of relationships, destruction of businesses,
destruction of projects and in the extreme, destruction of life itself.
It is this ahankra which leads people to commit suicide. That is

why the presiding deity for ahankra is Rudra the dvat

known for his destructive powers.

Cittasya vsudva citta or memory preserves what all we have

experienced before. This faculty is represented by Vsudva, the

Lord Viu who is known as the protector; the sthiti kart, rakaa

kart.

202 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Thus, in all nine organs are born out of the sattva gu; the four

functions of the organ of antakaraa out of the samai sattva

gu and the five jnndriyas i.e. the five sense organs out of
vyai sattva gu.
d.

Rjasik gua- Evolution of Rajasik aspect

Next we take up raj gua.

I

I

I

I
I

I

t pacatattvan madhy kasya rjast vgindriya

sambhtam. Vy rjast pndriya sambhtam. Vahn
rjast

pdndriya

sambhtam.

Jalasya

rjast

upasthndriya sambhtam. Pthivy rjast gudndriya

sambhtam.

t samairjast pacapr sambht.

From the rjasik part of the five elements, the five karmndriys
are born. The rjasik aspect of space produces the organ of speech;

from the rjasik air the hands; from the rjasik fire the legs;
from the rjasik water the anus and according to another version,

the genitals and from the rjasik earth - the genitals according to
one version or anus according to another. The last two can be

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 203

reversed. In short, the five karmndriys are born out of raj gua
which stands for activity.

The author further explains that out of the total or samai raj

gua, pra is born i.e. the pra akti. The energy for all

types of activities must be born out of samai raj gua, because

the energy must bless all the five organs of action. For example,

pra akti is required to support vk the speech faculty. That is

why when we dont eat for a few days or we purge for a few times,

the voice becomes feeble. The pra akti is very weak. Thus this

power is required to support each karmndriya in performing its

action and that is why it evolves out of the samai raj gua.

As we have seen earlier, pra has five fold functions. There is

only one pra, there is only one power, one akti but it has

five different functions based on which we give five different

names. The names are five but the organ is only one. Just to recall,
the five functions are pra the respiratory function; apna

the excretory function; vyna the circulatory function; Udna -

the reversing function; and samna the digestive function. We

have already discussed this paca pr, during the analysis of

the skma arram. This is what the author says samai rjast

paca pr from the raj gua of the macrocosm, the five

organs of action are born.

So we now have the five organs of knowledge plus the four organs
of antakaraa plus five organs of action plus five prs in all
nineteen organs are born out of the five elements i.e. paca bht.

And these nineteen items constitute the skma arram.

204 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Earlier we had mentioned seventeen items only leaving aside

memory and ego. Here we have included them to reach nineteen.
Thus the number of tattvas born out of my is twenty four i.e.

five subtle elements plus the nineteen elementals. And that is why
while introducing this topic, the author had said caturviati

tattvtpatti prakra. Caturviati means twenty four.

e.

Tmasik gua- Evolution of Tamasik aspect

If we refer to the chart now we will find that the tmasik portion

has not been discussed so far. And this portion will be utilized for
the creation of the five gross elements. What we have discussed till
now are the subtle elements creating only the subtle organs. Now

the author will explain how tam gua is used for creating the

gross elements which produces the gross body. The next

discussion is, therefore, on the gross body.
I
I





I

I
I

bhavanti.

pacatattvn

tmast

packta

pacatattvni

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 205

Packaraa katham iti ct. t paca mahbhtn

tmasa

svarpam

kamkamardha

kamka

pthak

bhta
t

dvidh

vibhajya

vyavasthpya

aparamaparamardha caturdh vibhajya svrdhamanyu ardhu

svabhga catuayasa yjanam krya. Tad packaraa

bhavati.

tbhya packta pacamahbhtbhya sthlaarra bhavati.

va pia brahmayraikya sambhtam.

tmast packtapacatattvni bhavanti.

f.

Pacatattvn

Packta pacatattva - Evolution of five Grossified

elements

Having discussed the creation of subtle elements and the subtle

elementals, the author now talks about the creation of gross
elements. The gross elements are created out of the tmasik part of
the subtle elements.

So t pacatattvn tmast from the tmasik part of

the five elements; packta pacatattvni bhavanti the grossified

five elements are born.

The author anticipates the question in the students mind. How

do they become grossified? How does the invisible element
become visible? How does this packaraa take place?

Packaraa katham iti ct. What is this packaraa? The

teacher explains the process.

t pacamahbhtn tmasa svarpam first the

tmasik part of the five elements are taken. Then kamka

206 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

bhta dvidh vibhajya each of these five elements get divided

into two.

Then kamkamardha pthak t vyavasthpya - one half of

the divided element is kept as it is, in tact; pthak t

vyavasthpya means remais in tact.

Aparamaparam ardha caturdh vibhajya The other half is

divided into four parts. Now each of this part will be one-eigth
part of the element.

Svrdhamanyu ardhu svabhga catuayasa yjanam krya

then each of the four parts of each element is distributed to the

other four elements. Thus 1/8 ka will go to 1/2 of vyu,
another 1/8 will go to 1/2 of agni another 1/8 will go to 1/2 of

pa and another 1/8 will go to 1/2 of pthiv.

Similarly, each 1/8th part of vyu is distributed to the 1/2 part of

other four elements and so on. This process is illustrated in the
chart at the end of this chapter for easy understanding.
Therefore, at the time of grossification, we find that each element
becomes an alloy. Before grossification every element is pure,
called tanmtr, in Sanskrit. After grossification, every element is
an alloy i.e. a combination of the five elements.

Now the challenge is that if each element has all the five elements
in it, what name do we give to each of them? The solution is to
name them based on the dominant element. For example, in the
composition of the gross ka 1/2 will be space, 1/8 each of

Samai or Si Vicra Analysis of the Cosmos- Macrocosm 207

vyu, agni, pa and pthiv. And formula will be similar for the
other four gross elements.

The author concludes tad packaraa bhavati Upon the

creation of such compounds, the subtle elements become gross

elements. And after that -

tbhya packta pacamahbhtbhya sthlaarra bhavati

from the five gross elements so formed, the gross body is born.

Without the sthla arra each one of us will be a ghost. So this

process creates our beautiful arram, a gross tangible cabinet,

hardware for our functioning is created. The software cannot

function unless there is hardware to install it. What a great creator
of computer Bhagavn is!

Not only our sthla arra but the entire sthla prapaca or the

gross universe is also a mixture of the five gross elements. So

paca sthla b htni and also sthla bhautikni all are created

through this process.

The author has explained all the four stages of creation viz. skma

bhta, skma bhautika, sthla bhta and sthla bhautika..

Lastly

the

author

says

va pia brahmayraikya

sambhtam - thus the pia individual who has five elements;

brahmay - the cosmos also has five elements. And this is how

the individual fits into the cosmological order. And that is the
cosmos is called prapaca which means made up of these five

elements.

208 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

This concludes the discussion on Si Vicra or the creation of

the universe.

209

Fig. 1 Caturviati Tattvtpatti Prakra (with Sanskrit terms)

BRAHMAN + MY

SI/ PRAPACA
KA

VYU

STTVIK GUHA

Dik

rtra

Vyu

Mana

Tvak

Srya Varua

Caku

Rasan

Buddhi Citta

PA

PTHIV

Paca Skma Bhta Si

abda
Spara
Rpa
Rasa
Gandha

Avinau

Ghram

Ahankra

Candram Brahm Vsudva

Rudra

Guh
Dvat

Bhaam
Vahni

Vastu
grahaam

Gamanam

Indra

Viu

Malatyga

Mtyu

nanda

Viaya

Prajpati

Dvat

Paca Jnndriya

Vk

Pi

Pda

Pyu

Upastha

Antakaraa

Pra

Apna

Vyna

Udna

Samna

Dvat

See next
page

TAMASIK GUHA

RJASIK GUHA

abda abda abda

Spara Spara Spara
Rpa Rpa
Rasa

abda

AGNI

Paca

Karmndriyai
Paca Pr

210

Fig. 2 Caturviati Tattvtpatti Prakra (with English terms)

BRAHMAN + MY

COSMOS/ UNIVERSE
SPACE

AIR

Dik

Ears

Mind

Sound Sound
Touch Touch
Form &
colour
Vyu

Skin

Sound
Touch
Form &
colour
Taste

Srya Varua

Eyes

Intellect

Tongue

Memory

Candram Brahm Vsudva

WATE

Evolution of five subtle elements

EARTH

TAMASIK ASPECT

RJASIK ASPECT

STTVIK ASPECT

Sound

FIRE

Sound
Touch
Form &
colour
Taste
Smell

Avinau

Nose

Ego

Rudra

Properties
Deities

Five organs of
perception or
knowledge

Inner equipments
Deities

Speech

Grasping

Locomotion

Vahni

Indra

Viu

Tongue

Hands

Legs

Respiratory

Excretory

Circulatory

Elimination
of waste
Mtyu

Procreation

Prajpati

Anus

Digestive

Genitals

Reversing

See next
page

Function
Deities

Five organs of
action
Five
physiological
systems

BRAHMAN + MY

Fig. 3 Packta pacatattva - Evolution of

the five Grossified elements

SI/ PRAPACA
KA

STTVIK GUHA

Packaraa
Grossification

Stages
(i)

ka
Space
1

211

Vyu
Air
2

Agni
Fire
3

VYU

AGNI

PA

PTHIV

Paca Skma Bhta Si

TAMASIC GUHA

RJASIK GUHA

pa

Water
4

Pthv
Earth
5

Process description

Tanmtrs in their original form

(ii)

kamka bhta dvidh vibhajya Each

(iii)

kamkamardha pthak t
vyavasthpya One half remains intact.

(iv)

Aparamaparamardha caturth vibhajya

(v)

element splits into two.

2
3
4
5

1
3
4
5

1
2
4
5

1
2
3
5

1
2
3
4

The other half of each gets divided into

four equal parts.

Svrdhamanyu ardhu
svabhgacatuayasa yjanam krya -

To one half of the element in stage (iii) 1/8

portion from each of the other four
elements gets combined.

212 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 213

Aikya vicra- Oneness of microcosm and

macrocosm

214 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

The fourth main topic will deal with reveleation of the fact that the
truth of the microcosm, the individual and the truth of the
macrocosm, the total, is one and the same. The essence or core is
one and same.
Like the essence of the wave is water, the essence of the ocean is
also water. Wave is microcosm. Ocean is macrocosm. But the truth
of both is water a single entity. Similarly, the individual is like a
wave and the total is like the ocean. The essence is one. This is
called the jvtm paramtm aikya which means identity or

oneness or the essential oneness of the microcosm and macrocosm.

The recognition of the oneness of this identity of the microcosm

and the macrocosm is the central theme of Tattva bdha, all other

prakaraa granths, the Bhagavad Gt, all the Upaniads, the

Brahma sutras, the Itihsa Purs essentially all scriptural

literature which deal with the Advaita philosophy.

The author commences the discussion of this topic with the

following sentence.

I
I
I
I

Sthlaarrbhimni jvanmaka brahmapratibimba bhavati.

Sa va jva prakty svasmt vara bhinnatvna jnti.

Avidhypdhi san tm jva ityucyat.

Mypdhi san vara ityucyat .

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 215

Jva vara The individual and the total

Before we analyze the text, we need to thoroughly understand the

concept discussed under this topic.
We have already learnt that we have the macrocosm consisting of
three layers of universe viz. causal, subtle and gross which are all
made up of inert matter and the three corresponding layers in the
microcosm, which are also inert.
We have also seen that when all these processes were going on,
when this evolution was taking place, nothing happens to

Brahman. It is in the presence of Brahman only that all these

happen but Brahman itself does not undergo any change or
modification.

Brahman is like the Sun. The Sun does not do any transaction.

Whereas, on the Earth, blessed by the Sun, in the presence of

sunlight, lot of transactions take place. However, sunlight is itself
not a participant in these transactions. Thus Brahma caitanya or

tma caitanya, being changeless, formless, attributeless etc. and

without having any property like sound, taste, touch etc., does not

participate in these activities of creation. So then what is the role of

this Brahman?

Once the three prapacs and three bodies viz. gross universe and

gross body; subtle universe and subtle body; causal universe and

causal body have evolved, these material universes and bodies

serve as means for the manifestation of the consciousness principle

Brahman or for reflecting the tma caitanya; like a mirror capable

216 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

of reflecting the sunlight. The mirror does not have any light of its
own. But when kept under the Sun, it has a special capacity to
reflect the light of the Sun. Once the reflection is formed i.e once
the reflected Sunlight is available on the mirror, the mirror itself
becomes a bright luminous object even though on its own, it is not
bright or luminous. Only when the srya pratibimba or reflection

is formed, the non-bright becomes bright. It becomes so bright that

with the reflected light we can even illumine a dark room. The

mirror is able to illumine the dark room not with the original
Sunlight but with its borrowed light.
Similarly when the consciousness pervades the three universes
and the three bodies, we get the reflected consciousness or
manifested consciousness in these six media. Causal body, subtle
body, gross body become a medium to reflect the consciousness
and this matter, which is inert and naturally insentient, starts to
behave as if it is sentient. The inert body becomes a live body. The
life in the body, the sentiency of the body is not natural
consciousness but it is a borrowed consciousness borrowed from

tm the original consciousness. Since there are three bodies, there

are three reflections. Let us try to understand this concept better

with an illustration.
Let us first consider the reflection in the causal body and label it
Reflecting Medium No. 1 or RM1. Then let us label the reflection in
the subtle body as RM 2 i.e. Reflecting Medium No. 2. Similarly
lable the gross body as RM 3.

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 217

At the macro level, let us label the causal universe as RM4, the

subtle universe as RM5 and the gross universe as RM6. So these

are RM 1, RM2, RM3 at the micro level and RM4, RM5 and RM6 at
the macro level.
Since there are six reflecting media, there will be six reflections but
the orginal source will be only one. For example, if we keep six
mirrors under the Sun, there will be six reflections of the Sun; one
in each mirror, but the main source i.e. the Sun will be only one.
Because of the plurarity of the reflecting media, there is plurality
in the reflected consciousness also. Let us similarly label the
reflecting consciousnesses also.
RC1 will be the label for the reflected consciousness in RM 1
(causal body). Similarly we will label the others as RC2, RC3, RC4,
RC5 and RC6 corresponding to each RM. RC 4 is the reflected
consciousness manifest at the causal universe, the cosmic
intelligence which unifies the cosmos. The shstrs accord a special

name for each of this reflected consciousness.

RC1 Prja

RC2 Taijasa
RC3 Viva

RC4 Antarymi

RC5- Hirayagarbha

RC6 Vir

218 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Of these, the first three at the micro level and the last three are at
the macro level. And they all represent but one tm alone. The

reflections are many but the original is one.

Further, the micro reflections at the micro level consisting of

prja, taijasa, and viva, all the three put together is called jvtm.
Thus jvtm is the name for the micro reflection group. Whereas,

the macro reflection group comprising of antarymi, hirayagarbha

and vir is called paramtm or vara. So jvtm is also a

reflection and paramtm is also a reflection. The original is

neither jvtm nor paramtm. The orginal is only tm. In the

micro medium it is called jvtm and in the macro medium, it is

called paramtm.

Now let us consider the nature and size of these reflections. It goes
without saying that the nature and size of the reflection will
depend upon the reflecting medium. Even if the orginal Sun is big
and bright, if the mirror is very small and that too dirty, naturally
the reflection will be small and because of the dullness of the
medium, the reflection will also be dull.
So the reflection in the jvtm is characterised by its smallness in
size and also dullness due the variety of problems that the body

experiences. And therefore, the jvtm has got limited qualities or

negative attributes like (alpajatva) limited

knowledge; (alpaivaratva) limited power etc.

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 219

Whereas the very same consciousness is manifest or reflected in

the macro medium, the cosmic intelligence and it harmonizes the

universe and maintains the planetary movements amongst other

things. As a jvtm we are unable to control our own movement

or even the movement of traffic on the roads. Imagine the cosmic

intelligence which maintains the cosmic movements of the planet,

the solar system, the galaxy etc. which are are all constantly
moving. Imagine if two planets were to collide! We cannot even
imagine. But they are all following the cosmic law very very
intelligently and accurately.
This intelligent cosmic order not only organizes the physical laws
of the universe by even the moral laws of dharma and adharma,

including the jvs birth and death. It determines what should be

enjoyed by which jv and when and what should be suffered by
which jv and when. They are not accidental. Even a mosquito

bite is not accidental. It is puya for the mosquito and it is a small

ppa for us! Such moral laws, cosmic laws are all very well

maintained by a cosmic intelligence which is called paramtm,

which is the reflected consciousness at the macro medium level.

And therefore paramtms qualities are all superior qualities.

Paramtm has got superior qualities or virtues because of the

superior medium, which is the macro medium. tm by itself has

no quality at all. The reflected ones alone get the attributes of size
and quality based on their own properties.

From this we can surmise that both the jvtm and paramtm are

distorted versions. The distortion is that the tm which does not

220 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

have any quality appears to have superior quality at the macro

level on the one hand and the very same tm appears to have an
inferior quality at the micro level. Both are but distortions.

Another example will make this very clear. Let us say you keep
two mirrors in front of you. One is a convex mirror and another is
a concave mirror. When you look into the two mirrors you get
reflections of your face. Will the reflections will be like the original
or distorted? These reflections will not be the true reflections of the
original face but will be distorted. In the concave mirror it will be a
flat face and in the convex mirror it will be an elongated face. The
type of distortion will depend upon the type of the medium i.e the
mirror - covex or concave. But the original face has no distortions
at all.
Thus, the jvtm has got
(nika gua), paramtm
has got (utka gua) and tm has no gua it is
(nirgua).

Thus if we take the jvtm and remove the distorting medium

and also take paramtm and remove the distorting medium,
what will be left will only be tm.

And a wise person is one who calls God and says Oh God, You
and I are one and same, even though now I look miserable. The
misery is not because of me. It is because of the distorting medium.
Minus the medium, I am the nirgua tm. And if I remove the

distorting medium from you, you will also be the nirgua tm.

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 221

Therefore, both of us are in essence nirgua tm only. I am the

same as you - Aham Brahma Asmi. I am not worried because I have

a distorted look. If I see my face in the convex mirror or the

concave mirror, my face will look ugly. But I never worry about
that because I know that even though the image looks distorted,
the distortion does not belong to my original face which is
undistorted. The distortion is only incidental and caused only by
the medium.
Thus the wise person realizes this reality and assimilates this as a
fact when he says Aham Brahma Asmi and it is this knowledge of
the self, the Tattva bdha which is called jvtm paramtm

aikya.

The chart on next page pictorially depicts the Jva-Ishwara Aikya.

222 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Fig.4 Jva-Ishwara Aikya

Brahman/tm
Original Consciousness
OC

MICROCOSM
RM1

Subtle Body

Taijasa

Jvtm = Paramtm

Hirayagarbha

Kraa prapaca
Causal Universe
RC 5

Skma prapaca
Subtle Universe

RM6

RC 3

Sthla arr

RC 4

RM5

RC 2

Skma arr

Gross Body

Antarymi

Prja

Causal Body

RM3

RM4

RC 1

Kraa arr
RM2

MACROCOSM

Viva

Vir

RC 6

Sthla prapaca
Gross Universe

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 223

Now if we look at the chart Jva-vara Aikya, Brahman the

original consciousness is labeled as OC. So tm is OC. Then on

the left side, we have the kraa arr or the causal body labeled

as RM1 and the reflected consciousness is called RC1. The shstrs

have named it prja. Again on the left side, in the middle portion,

the skma arr or the subtle body is RM2 and the reflected

consciousness is RC2. This is called taijasa. At the bottom portion

of this side, the sthla arr i.e. the gross body is RM3 and the

reflected consciousness is RC3 and it is called viva. The reflected

media are also depicted as grey in colour implying the impurities, the

distortions. And prja, taijasa and viva together are called jva.
Therefore, when we are a jva, we mean the distorted

consciousness which is manifesting through our causal, subtle and

gross bodies.

Now let us look at the right side. First we have the kraa

prapaca or the causal universe which is also known as my or

avidy. That is labeled RM4 and the reflected consciousness is RC 4

and it is called antarymi. Then theskma prapaca i.e the subtle

world is RM 5 with the corresponding RC5 and it is called

hirayagarbha. The Sthla prapaca or the gross world is RM6,

the reflected consciousness is RC6 and it is called vir. All the

RMs are pure white depicting that there are no distortions in these
media. So, antarymi+ hirayagarbha + vir put together are

called vara or Paramtm.

.

224 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

After the analysis, what do we find? Are these two i.e. jvtm and

paramtm, the same or different? If we look at each of them

through the distorting medium, they will be different, because the

medium is bound to distort, because of it own qualities. The

paramtm may have superior qualities and the jvtm may have
inferior qualities. Therefore, the difference between the two is

caused by the distortions caused by the medium like the reflection

of the face in the convex and concave mirrors. But in actual fact,
there is no distortion in the original face. Similarly the orginal
essence of both jvtm and paramtm is tm only and it is only

one and the same tm. Now let us understand the text.

Sthlaarrbhimni jvanmaka brahmapratibimbha bhavati

jvanmaka means the tm which is named as jv; brahma

pratibimbha bhavati is only the reflection of the original

Brahman or tm; sthla arrbhimni obtaining in the sthla
arram. We have to include the other two also i.e. skma and

kraa arrbhimni. And not only is the jvtm dull, it does not

even know that it is the original consciousness reflected in this

medium of the body. Even this truth, the jvtm is ignorant of. It
mistakes the distorted version as its original nature. This ignorance

is the cause of sasr, and it suffers because of this problem. Sa

eva jvaThis confused jvtm looks at the paramtm which is

also a distorted reflection and confuses that reflection of

paramtm as its orginal nature. He does not realize that

paramtm is also a distorted version.

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 225

Thus as long as we are absorbed in the distorted versions, we will

always see different images. We will swear that they are different.
We need to assimilate the fact that the original is the undistorted

tm and that both the distorted images are incidental attributes

and they dont belong to the tm. The author continues - svasmt

prakty by his own natural ignorance; vara bhinnatvna

jnti - he looks at paramtm as different from his own self i.e.

jvtm. This is called jvtm paramtm bhda. This ignorance

is at the root of the Dvaita philosophy. It is called dualistic

philosophy which proclaims that we, the jvtms are all ordinary

mortals, and he the Great Lord is the Mah Paramtm. He is the

creator and we are all his creations. He is the master and we are all

his servants. All these confusions arise because; we compare our

distorted inferior quality and then look at paramtms distorted

superior qualities. That is why this perceived difference exists.

According to the advaita (non-dualist) philosophy, the paramtm

is neither a master, nor are we servants. They appear to be so only

from the standpoint of the medium.

The author then goes on to define jvtm. He says

avidhypdhi san tm jva ityucyat. Avidhy refers to kraa

arra, which includes the sthla and skma arrams also. We

can therefore, consider avidhy here as the arra traya; updi

means medium. So avidhypdhi san tm means the tm

appearing or reflecting in the micro medium; jva ityucyat is
called jva.

226 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Similarly for paramtm, he says mypdhi san vara ityucyat -

reflected in my i.e. the kraa prapaca, in which we should

include skma prapaca and sthla prapaca

also. We can,

therefore, consider mypdhi as prapaca traya the macro

medium. So mypdhi san means appearing in the macro

medium; vara ityucyat - is called vara or paramtm.

So vara is omniscient, omnipotent, all love, all compassion, all

beauty etc. - everything is supremely beautiful. We poor souls

have diametrically opposite qualities. But the author wants to
point out that even though we seem to be different; the differences
are only superficial and incidental. Essentially and intrinsically,
the jvtm and paramtm are one. This knowledge is called

jvtm paramtm aikya jna. This is the foundation principle

of advaita philosophy.

At this stage, it is quite natural for questions like What will I get if

I gain this knowledge? Will it solve any of my day to day

problems, family problems, national problems, religious problems
what will I get out of this knowledge?etc. are bound to arise.
Before the author deals with these questions, he wants to explain
what one could lose by not gaining this knowledge.


I
I

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 227

va updhibhdt jvvarabhdadi yvat paryanta tihati

tvat

paryanta

janmamaradirpa

sasr

na

Tasmtkrat na jvvarayrbhda buddhi svkry.

nivartat.

Why do the human beings suffer in life? Suffering is not caused by

the events in life; sufferings are not caused by the planetary
position in life. But sufferings are caused by wrong perceptions,
misconceptions based on the ignorance and misunderstanding of
the distorted versions of jvtm and paramtm. So he says va

in this manner; updhibhdt because of the differences in the

medium; jvvarabhdadi the wrong perception that jvtm

and vara are different; di, in this context means wrong
vision, misunderstanding, misconception; yvat paryanta tihati

as long as this misconception continues in life; tvat paryanta

till such time; janma maradi rpa sasr this sasr which is

characterised by repeated births and deaths. The author uses the

word di which means and the like and which includes all kinds

of problems like old age, disease, separation from near and dear
ones etc. - all these problems put together is called sasra. Na

nivartat will never go away. Tasmtkrat - because of that

reason; jvvarayrbhda buddhi - the misconception of the

difference between jvtm and paramtm ; this divisive vision

na svkry never accept; never entertain.

Let us ask ourselves if all our problems are internal or external? A

person having cataract in his eyes said that the light in the room
was very dull and that the brightness should be increased! Will
any amount of increase in the brightness improve his sight? Then

228 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

there was a case of a deaf person who accused people of not eating
properly because of which their voices were very feeble! This is
what we tend to do for all our problems. We do not realize that the
problem actually lies within us. We go on attributing the cause for
all our problems to some external person or reason. There is no
point in attacking the

world; we

have

to

change

our

misconceptions.
This is what Vdnt says. We are the problem and so the solution

also has also to be in us only. Changing, the people, the family,

the society are all struggles in the wrong direction. Solutions
attempted in the wrong direction will never succeed. That is why
all human beings are unhappy throughout their life because they
are always, as the idiomatic expression goes, barking up the
wrong tree.
We should never see a distance between us and God. The greater
the perception of distance, the deeper will be the problems of

sasr. Lesser the distance, the lesser will be the problems of the
sasr. No distance, the sasr will disappear. This state of No

distance is called aikya.

But, how does one do that? How to change the misconception?

How can we remove our distorted misconception? The author

provides the answers in the next chapter.

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 229

Mah Vkya - The Great equation

Nanu shankrasya kicijjasya jvasya nirahankrasya sarvajasya

varasya

tattvamasti

mahvkyt

sydubhay viruddha dharmkrntatvt.

kathamabhdabuddhi

This misconception in the form of the bhda i.e. difference between

the jvtm and paramtm; the division between the individual

and God, is attacked by the Vdik scriptures. Any misconception

can go away by right knowledge. That is why even in our day to

day life, if there is any doubt regarding anything, an enquiry
commission is instituted. For example, if a space vehicle explodes,
we set up an enquiry commission to find out. Different versions as
to the cause could exist. Whenever there are several doubts,
versions and misconceptions, they can be removed only by
enquiry and confirmed knowledge. Such misconceptions will not
go automatically. They cannot go by any other exercises. It
requires the intellectual exercise of enquiry because misconception
is an intellectual problem. For an intellectual problem, the solution
also has to be intellectual.
And therefore, the Vdik scriptures attempt to give the right

knowledge regarding the relationship between jvtm and

paramtm. This teaching is given at the end part of the Vd and

that is why it is called Vedntik i.e Vd anta teaching. Amongst
the vast body of Vdik literature, it is in Vdnt alone that the

230 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

jvtm - paramtm relationship is enquired into. It is an elaborate

and systematic teaching and the culmination of the teaching is that

jvtm and paramtm are one and the same original

consciousness only. The differences are seeming, superficial; they

are only apparent differences. We dont deny the superficial
differences, like the two images in the two mirrors. We only say
that the visible differences are superficial and non-factual. And
that culminating statement, which reveals the non-difference or
the oneness, is called a Mah Vkya.

Mah vkya is a Vedntik statement, which reveals the fact that

jvtm and paramtm are really one tm one. So bhda is
negated, abhda is revealed. Like any equation in mathematics,

Mah vkya can be called the great equation.

For example, when do we choose an equation in mathematics? We

dont say 8 = 8 because it is very evident and because every body
knows that 8 = 8. We cannot say 8 = 9, because we know that 8 is
not equal to 9, they are evidently different. Thus when two things
are evidently different, equation is not possible and when two
things are evidently equal, the equation is not required!
Whereas, when two things are seemingly different but are really
equal, we require an equation. Like 5+3 = 9-1. When we look at
this equation superficially, we can see only the differences. On the
left side we have the number 5 and 3 added together. On the right
hand side the number 1 is reduced from the number 9. On the face
of it, we see the differences only and so we could question the
equal to sign in the equation. How can they be equal? The eyes

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 231

report the differences in numbers and also the arithematical signs.

What we fail to appreciate is that they report a superficial
difference. We require a mathematical teacher to tell us that the
differences are superficial and results of both sides are 8 only.

Similarly if jvtm and paramtm are evidently identical,

equation is not required. If jvtm and paramtm are evidently

different, equation is not possible. But when the jvtm and

paramtm are seemingly different because of the incidental

distortion caused by the reflecting medium but really speaking,

both are one and same all pervading consciousness, then the
Vedntik teacher gives the solution for the equation Jvtm =

Paramtm. And this great equation is called Mah vkya.

This oneness is revealed by several scriptural statements and all

those statements are called Mah vkya, the great spiritual

equation. For an English translation for Mah vkya, we should

not take the dictionary meaning. In the dictionary the meaning of

Mah would be given as big or long and vkya would be a

sentence. So if we take the dictionary meaning, Mah Vkya

would mean a big or a long sentence. But Tattvamasi is small

statement. So Mah vkya should be understood to mean as the

great

spiritual equation which equates

the

jvtm with

paramtm. There are innumerable Mah vkyas occurring in all

scriptures, all over the Vds and in all the Upaniads and the most
popular Mah vkya is Tat Twa Asi. And this is generally called

upada vkya because this Mah vkya is normally used by a

guru while teaching the student. This Mah vkya occurs in the

232 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Sma Vd in an Upaniad called Chndgy Upaniad, in a very

significant section called Sat vdy.

In the Vdntik literature the most popular Mah vkya is Tat

twa asi. The equation states:

Tat, which means that paramtm - the cosmic intelligence which

is organizing the whole creation, maintaining the cosmic order,

making the solar system move perfectly, helping the Sun rise and
set accurately; this intelligence which maintains and unifies the
cosmic order.

Twa refers to each one of us, the individual jvtm, struggling to

organize this small little family and that too often failing
miserably.

Asi means are. So the equation says that Tat - the paramtm;

Twam you, the jvtm; asi are. The popular Latin equivalent is
That thou art. So this vkya is called abhda bdhaka vkya

the sentence which reveals or informs or gives knowledge of the

non-difference or aikya bdhaka vkya the sentence which

gives the knowledge of or enlightens or reveals the oneness of the

jvtm and paramtm.

When a student listens to a Mah vkya for the first time in his

life, proclaiming that You are God you, the jvtm, are the
paramtm, what will be his reaction? He is bound to laugh and
say this is the joke of the century. Or he may think that because of
too much knowledge the teacher has lost it! But he may not say it!

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 233

For all of us steeped in a world of plurality and whose religious

beliefs have been conditioned by a dualistic approach right

through our live, this would sound as blasphemy! The moment we
think of us and God, what comes to our mind is not oneness, but
infinite differences. God is the creator and we are the created. God
is all pervading. We are very small. God is omnipotent. We are
powerless. God is the embodiment of positive virtues like love,
compassion etc. We are the embodiment of .better not said!
So how can this impure jv and the pure var be ever identical?
We have to worship God; we should never claim equality with

God. Claiming equality with God is a sacrilege, it is a sin. This will

be the first thought of every Vedntik student.

The author realizes this fact very well and thefore raises a question
on behalf of the student. And he says

Nanu means indeed or not at all this indicates the students

protest. He is raising a red flag. He says jvasya i.e. I the jva;

kicijjasya - am of limited knowledge. He means to say that I

know very few things in the world and there also half of it is

wrong knowledge and another half doubtful knowledge. This is

my condition. Therefore, (kicijja) means a person

with limited knowledge. Another popular word is

(alpaja) to denote limited knowledge as opposed to

(sarvaja) which means all knowing.

234 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Shankrasya shankra means endowed with a strong

individuality. Here the student is referring to his own peculiar

attribute which limits him and which makes him different from all
others. So shankra can be understood as a limitation imposed
by his individuality or ego. And about God he says

varasya the paramtm; sarvajasya is omniscient. So the

differences beween me and God are so clear; katham abhda

buddhi syt how can there be this vision of equality; tattvamasi

iti mahvkyt by listening to this great equation tattvamasi?

The student implies that while he will be able to listen to this

theory, he will not be able to swallow it. He can never accept this

because, he says ubhay both of them i.e. jvtm and

paramtm; have got viruddha dharma krntatvt - krnta

means endowed with; dharm means attributes; viruddha means

opposite or contradictory. So he says, both jvtm and paramtm

are endowed with opposite attributes, paramtm having superior

attributes, jvtm having inferior attributes. These are not even

closer attributes. On the contrary, they are diagonally opposite. So

how can this Mah vkya be accepted?

The teacher is compassionate. He appreciates the students point.

He is not at all angry. In fact he is happy to note the keenness of
the student to learn, which is what has prompted the question in
the first place. He explains what is meant by Mah vkya and
what his intention was when he said that Tattvamasi was a Mah

vkya. This is another unique feature of our scriptures. The

scriptures always encourage the students to raise all questions, all

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 235

doubts and get them clarified before proceeding further. Our

scriptures are not faith driven but knowledge driven. The goal is

to gain knowledge and not to perfunctorily perform some rituals.

The teacher continues:

I I

I
I

I

I

Iti cnna. Sthlaskmaarrbhimni tvampada vcyrtha.

Updhivinirmukta samdhi dasampanna uddha caitanya

tvampada lakyrtha.

va sarvajatvdiviia vara tatpadavcyrtha.

Updhinya uddhacaitanya tatpada lakyrtha.

va ca jvvaray caitanyarp'bhd bdhakbhva

The teacher now goes into the technical aspect of the Mah vkya
equation between Jvtm and paramtm i.e Tattvamasi, where tat

refers to paramtm, twa refers to the jvtm and asi means

equal.

The teacher explains that whenever we use a word, it is used to

communicate a meaning to the listener. That is the purpose of
speaking. So when a word is uttered, it reveals an object in the
mind of the listener. Every pada or word reveals a padrtha-

236 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

meaning of the word. And which word reveals which padrtha,

we learn by the study of language. That is literature.

For example, when the word Table is uttered, the object of a table
occurs in our mind. What we hear is the sound but what we
understand is not the sound. If I say bring the Table you bring
the object table. Thus every word conveys a particular object. This
object which is referred to by a word is called its vcyrtha its

primary meaning; the official meaning; the original meaning or the

dictionary meaning.

But often we use the very same word not to convey the meaning of
the total object but a part of the object which is also referred to by
the same word. For example when one says I it refers to that
person. But the question is which part of that person does it refer
to - the head or the trunk or the limbs? One inference would that it
includes the entire body with entire skma arram, all sense
organs, mind, intellect, the entire kraa arra and the
consciousness. So in this sense the word I would refer to the three
bodies plus consciousness, which is available in a distorted form.
Now suppose one says I am writing. What does that mean? Does
it mean that he is writing with the whole body i.e sthla

arram+skma arram+kraa arra etc.? The writing is done

by just one limb i.e. the hand and that too only one hand, which is
one of the karmndriyas, with a portion of the mind involved in

the process. But we dont say hand is writing or hand backed by

mind is writing. On the contrary we say I am writing. And the

listener also does not get confused. He understands that the word

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 237

I refers to the hand. Similarly when we say I am overweight, it

refers only to one part of i.e. that the physical body. Another
example is, suppose one refers to a great mathematician and says
He is a giant in mathematics. The listener will understand that
the use of the word giant should not be understood literally but
only in an implied manner i.e. to show his prowess in the subject.
One can think of such numerous examples.
So a word can convey either the total object or it can refer to a part
also. Similarly the meaning of a word could be literal or figurative
depending upon the context. When it refers to the total object or
literal meaning it is called primary meaning. When it conveys any
other meaning other than the primary meaning, according to the
context, is called secondary meaning, filtered meaning.
Similarly when one is asked to bring a banana, the banana
includes the skin. When one is asked to eat the banana, it is
understood that one should eat it without the skin. Thus most of
the time when we speak, we use only the secondary meaning. And
the intellect automatically filters and understands this very well
because of which we dont see any contradiction.
Thus, when a word reveals the total object or the literal meaning, it
is called vcyrtha which is the direct meaning or primary

meaning. But when the word reveals a part of the total object or a
figurative meaning it is called lakyrtha i.e. indirect meaning or

implied meaning or secondary meaning. So a word can have either

vcyrtha or lakyrtha. An intelligent listener should take the

appropriate meaning according to the context.

238 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Let us consider another example. As we have seen earlier normally

the word I refers to an individual the direct meaning of which
includes the body, the mind, the intellect, the consciousness. But
when a person says I am fat, the meaning of the word I
contextually can be connected to only one part of the individual.
Why? Because we know that mind cannot be fat; the intellect
cannot be fat; the consciousness cannot be fat. So when he says I
am fat, the word should refer to only the relevant part of I and
that is the physical body. When the word I is used to refer to only
the physical body, it is lakyrtha only. Similarly when a person

says I am an emotional person, the word I has to be connected

with the word emotional, and we know that the body cannot be
emotional; the consciousness cannot be emotional; the sense
organs cannot be emotional; and so the word Ican refer to only
that part which is relevant in this context. We dont even need tell
all these things because the listener is intelligent and he does this
filtering job. Thus we use the word I with different meanings in
different context and the speaker doesnt even need explain but
given the context the listener understands, by taking the
appropriate lakyrtha without taking the vcyrtha.

The teacher says that the same principle has to be applied to

understand the equation of the Mah vkya.

When it is said that the jvtm is one and the same as the

paramtm, the question arises as to which part is being referred to

here. The author says that the three arras cannot be taken here
because from the standpoint of the arra, jvtm and

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 239

paramtm are totally different. Jvtm is a micro medium

consisting of arra traya. Whereas, paramtm is a macro

medium consisting of prapaca traya. So if we take the medium
aspect of the two, the equation will not work.

Thus in defining tva i.e you, what is left is the consciousness

principle, which pervades the arra traya and which makes the

arra traya sentient and that is tm, the caitanya. This is the
lakyrtha of the word tva.

Similarly, what is tat the paramtm? Here also we dont take the

paramtm as the macro medium. We disregard the prapaca

traya. So once again we take the consciousness principle which is

manifesting through the prapaca traya. Here again we should

take the lakyrtha instead of the vcyrtha.

So jvtm is the consciousness principle; paramtm is also the

consciousness principle. The consciousness tm is common to

both even though there is no commonality between the medium of

both.
Therefore when it is said that you are God, it means that you and
God are one original consciousness, manifesting through two
different reflecting media, as explained earlier through the
examples of concave and convex mirrors. And therefore, the
author says that if we take the meaning of tat and tva as

consciousness, the Mah vkya will be meaningful. On the

contrary, if we take the meaning of tva as the body or the mind,
the Mah vkya will make no sense.

240 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

So in the Mah vkya, sthla, skma and kraa arras wont

fit. Similarly, sthla, skma, and kraa prapaca will not fit. The

only entity which will fit is the all-pervading, undivided original

consciousness. This is what the author clarifies in the sentence. He
says

Iti ct if asked thus; na - no; tvampada vcyrtha the direct

meaning of the word tva i.e the individual includes sthla ,

skma arras; we have to include kraa arra also even

though the author does not mention it. So the definition of I

refers to the total object or the total individual which includes the
gross body, the subtle body, the causal body and the
consciousness. All these four factors are included in tvampada i.e.
in the word tva which is the vcyrtha [Link] primary or the

direct meaning of the word. From this standpoint, this meaning of

the Mah vkya will not work because the bodies are different

between individual and God. Then what should we do?

We

should not take the primary meaning but should take the
contextual meaning only. What should we do for that?
The author says updhi vinirmukta updhi means the reflecting
matter or medium i.e the arra traya; vinirmukta means
segregate or set aside. So we need to segregate or set aside or filter

the reflecting medium which is arra traya; but how do we do

that? By samdhi dasampanna samdhi means discrimination

which is viveka, which we have already learnt; da means at the

time of. The discrimination the author is talking about is the

separation of the consciousness from the reflecting medium. We

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 241

must remember that we are not talking about physical separation

but only figurative separation i.e. only in our understanding. So by

the process of discrimination, when we arrive at; uddha

caitanya unmixed consciousness; filtered consciousness; it is

called lakyrtha. And after filtering we should know which part

to retain and which part to throw away. If not, we would be acting

like Vidura. As the Mahbhrat story goes, when Lord Ka

came to Viduras house, he was so thrilled, nervous and confused

that he peeled a banana to offer to the Lord and threw the banana
in the waste basket and gave the peel to poor Ka !.

Thus, after figuratively separating the body and consciousness, the

pure consciousness - the uddha caitanya is denoted by tva or

aha the I. So when a person says I am God, the word I refers

only to the consciousness part. This is the tvampada lakyrtha.

Similarly the author analyses the vcyrtha and lakyrtha of the

word tat. He says va applying the same principle; vara

the Lord or the paramtm; sarvajatvdiviia the one

endowed with omniscience and who includes the four entities viz.

sthla prapaca, the total gross universe; skma prapaca, the

total subtle universe; kraa prapaca, the total causal universe;

and Brahman, the universal or cosmic consciousness; is the direct

meaning or vcyrtha of the word vara or God. God has total

body, total mind, and total intellect at the cosmic level. Therefore,
he possesses total knowledge, sarvajatvdi viia omniscient.
This is the vcyrtha.

242 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

But in the context of the Mah vkya, we should not take the

vcyrtha of the word vara. Like in the case of the twampada,

we should figuratively segregate or filter or set aside the three

reflecting matter media viz. sthla prapaca, skma prapaca and

kraa prapaca. The vara will then become updhi nya

bereft of three matter media; and what would be left would be

uddha caitanya the pure filtered cosmic consciousness

separated from the three reflecting media. And this is tatpada

lakyrtha the implied meaning of the word vara or

paramtm ortat.

So in the presence of the reflecting media we get only a distorted

image of the reflected consciousness both at the individual level

and the cosmic level. But if the reflecting media are removed,
albeit only figuratively, what will remain is the undistorted
original consciousness.
But the tragedy is that we can never see the original consciousness
like we can never see our own face. It is not an object of
perception. This original consciousness is not the object but it is the
subject I.
For that reason, one cannot also argue that the original
consciousness does not exist because it cannot be seen or
perceived. This argument will be specious because it will be like
stating that the face does not exist because it cannot be seen or the
mind does not exist because it cannot be seen or for that matter,
the brain of the arguer does not exist because it cannot be seen!!!

Aikya vicra - Oneness of microcosm and macrocosm 243

Non-perception of the orginal consciousness or face does not

prove their non-existence. We can never see our original face. If we

want to see the face, we will get only a reflected version in the
mirror and this reflection will necessarily suffer from distortions
either positive or negative. Jvtm is negative distortion,

paramtm is positive distortion and tm is without any

distortion.

Therefore author says va ca in this manner; caitanya rp

in the form of original, undistorted consciousness; jvvaray

abhd jvtm and paramtm have no difference; they are one

and the same abhd means no difference at all;

We should remember that the distorted version is also temporary

and also that the distortion is not a real distortion. When our face
is distorted in the mirror, it is only an apparent distortion. The
original face is not really distorted at all. Similarly the distortions
of jvtm and paramtm are incidental, temporary and apparent.
The orginal real consciousness is ever the same. And that

consciousness I am. This is the Tattva bdha self knowledge.

Bdhakbhva bdhaka means contradiction; abhva means

non-exisent or absent.

So the author asserts that there is no contradiction in saying I am

God. Every jni claims, I am God. And this is called Mah

vkya janya aikya jna the knowledge of oneness born out of

the study of Mah vkya.

244 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

This completes the discussion of the topic Jva vara Aikyam.

This is the central topic of Tattva bdha. What is given here is

only a summary. This is the subject matter of all Upaniads, the

Bhagavad Gt and for that matter all Vedntik granth in which

this topic is dealt with in full detail.

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

245

Aikya Jna phala- Benefits of the knowledge of

oneness

246 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Jvanmukt - Liberated individual

We now move on to the fifth and final topic of Tattva bdha

which deals with the aikya jna phala. In this section, the author

addresses the question What will I get out of this knowledge?

The author continues.

va ca vdntavkyai sadgurupadna ca sarvvapi bhtu

y brahmabuddhirutpann t jvanmukt ityartha.

The author says that this knowledge is highly beneficial. It is

highly practical. It can bring about a revolutionary change in our
approach to life. In everything that we do, there will be a change of
perspective and this benefit is called mka or mukti. So the

result of this knowledge born out of the study is mka.

The author also, in an implied manner, prescribes the mode of

undertaking this study. He advises us to never undertake an
independent self study. Self study will not work in Vdnt. Not

only it may not work, it may prove to be counter productive also.

Therefore, this knowledge has to be gained with the help of

shstrs and guru, scriptures and a scriptural master to guide you.

This is what he means when he says Vdntavkyai with the
help of the Vedntik statements - especially Vdnta Mah vkyai

tattvamasi is one example. There are others like aha brahmsmi,

prajna brahma, aya tma brahma, sa yacya puru,

yascvdity, sa ka - hundreds and thousands of Mah vkyas

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

247

are there. So the author says that making use of those scriptural
statements and sadgurupadna ca with the help of the

systematic teaching of a sadguru.

The author himself has developed this topic systematically starting

from arra traya etc. This is a systematic Vedntik study. The

systematic study is here called upada. It is not like a mantra

initiation. That is also called upada. It is a one time and two

minutes job. That is initiation into a mantra for regular repetition

for the purification of the mind. But here the word upada has a

different connotation. It means systematic study imparted by

sadguru the one who has an effective method of communication

the one who is a master in communicating in an appropriate way.

In the scriptures and tradition the method of teaching is discussed

very elaborately. Imparting this knowledge is like feeding the baby
which a mother knows. She does not put a huge ball of food in the
babys mouth. She starts with small portions only and then slowly
increases the quantity. There is a prescribed method to feed the
child. This methodology is called sampradya. That is why in the
scriptures, the sadguru is defined also as sampradya vit the one
who has the skill of communication; the methodology of

transferring this difficult knowledge. So with the help of guru and

shstrs; sarvvapi bhtu brahmabuddhirutpann buddi in

this context means jna [Link]; utpanna means has
arisen or has come; so knowledge comes through guru shstr

upada and the knowledge referred to here is the Brahma buddi

the knowledge of Brahman or tm which means the original

248 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

consciousness. We can find this original consciousness in sarvu

api bhtu - in every medium; in my body, in your body, in an

ants body; in a plant; in an animal etc. Of course, the distorted

versions will be different depending upon the respective updhis

but we know that the distortions are only incidental caused by the
medium. If we set aside the medium, the orginal is the same. The
author says that the one who has understood this truth, this
reality; in whom this Brahma jna has emerged; the one who

has managed to assimilate and actualise this truth is called jvan

muktliberated person. He will be liberated even while living in

this very world. Mukt means liberated and jvan means while
living.

We need to understand as to what is the liberation that is being

talked about. Liberated from what?
We know that at present the I in us is the original consciousness
but temporarily manifesting in this reflecting medium in a
distorted form. After a few years, the reflecting medium will
perish and alongwith it the distorted reflection will perish. But
even when these reflected consciousness (RC) and reflected
medium (RM) perish; I the original consciousness (OC) will
continue to exist eternally.
It is like sleep. During sleep, we do not transact through the body
medium but we very much exist. Similarly in death also the RC
may end, the transaction may end, but we are immortal and so we
will continue to exist.

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

249

The greatest fear of a human being is the fear of mortality and

therefore, the greatest freedom is the freedom from the fear of

mortality; freedom from the sense of insecurity. All of us suffer
from a high sense of instinctive insecurity. Even as children we
were instinctly clinging to our mothers or atleast their saris! When
we grow old we try to cling to our children. When we are sick and
immobile, we dont want them to go out even for a day. We say to
them I dont know when I will die and so be always by my side.
It is this sense of insecurity which expresses itself in the form of all
emotional problems. This insecurity is the seed for raga, dva,

kma, krdha, mha, lbha, mada, mtsarya, asy - all these are

different versions of one fundamental problem which is insecurity.

We struggle to earn money. We cling to money and wealth
because we think that money and wealth will give us security.
And why do we need security from money? Because we feel that
we by ourselves are insecure and therefore we need money. We
hold on to power, position, house, relationship all for the same
reason. Bhaya or fear is driving the humanity.

Therefore, freedom is mukti which means freedom from the sense

of insecurity and the consequent ramifications - all put together in

a single word called samsra. So mukti or mka means

samsra nivtti.

The interesting aspect is that instinctively nobody wants to die;

nobody wants to be erased from the earth. This is called survival
instinct. There is always the desire for immortality which is
instinctive. Once we understand and assimilate the fact that the

250 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

death of the reflecting medium, that is our body and that of the
reflecting consciousness does not mean that we cease to exist, we
will be fully liberated from this sense of insecutity which endlessly
keeps haunting us. So when we gain this jna, this knowledge
of the self, jvan mukti is the result.

This liberation can be gained in this very life itself. It is not

something that we get after death. And since this liberation can be
enjoyed even while living, it is called jvan mukti. The one who
enjoys jvan mukti is called a jvan mukta a liberated person.

Having heard the teacher define jvan mukti and jvan mukta, the

student wants to know more about this Jvan Mukta and the type
of life of such a person. This is important for us also to know

because only then we can decide whether to become Jvan Mukta

or not! We want to find out whether it is a worthwhile proposition!

So the student asks this question on our behalf.

?

(Nanu jvan mukta kah?) But, who is a jvan mukta or a

liberated person?

The teacher defines:

-

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

Yath dh'ha puru'ha brhma'ha dr'hamasmti

251

dhanicayastath nha brhmaa na dra na purua kintu

asanga saccidnandasvarpa prakarpa sarvntarymi
cidka-rp'smti dhanicayarp'parka jnavn
jvanmukta.

The gurus detailed answer is summed up in three words at the

end of the sentence - aparka jnavn jvanmukta a person
who has gained self knowledge is a liberated person jvan

mukta.

The main characteristic of a liberated person is self-knowledge and

self knowledge is here is called aparka jna. This is a technical
word used only for defining self-knowledge.

In the shstrs knowledge is normally divided into three types.

First is the knowledge of an object which is far away from us and

which is not available for direct experience. This is beyond the

range of our experience. For example, we have knowledge of
existence of different galaxies in the universe, but we cannot
experience them directly. This knowledge is called indirect
knowledge. In Sanskrit, the term used is parka jna.

The second type of knowledge is the knowledge of an object which

is available right in front of us and we can have a direct experience
of that object. This knowledge is called pratyaka jna. Both

pratyaka jna and parka jna refer to the knowledge of an

object only. The difference is only in the proximity or remoteness

of the object of experience.

252 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Self knowledge does not fall under either of the above categories
because I the self, am not an object at all! It is neither a proximate
object nor a remote object. I am not the object but the very the
subject, the knower. Self knowledge is, therefore, called aparka

jna. So we should never say direct experience of the self. Direct

experience can be only of an object nearby. So a jvan mukta

is one who has got aparka jna. Self-knowledge. And this

knowledge he has is dha nicaya rpa free from all forms of

doubt; in the form of a firm conviction. dha

means firm;

nicaya means conviction. So this knowledge refers to a firm

conviction about oneself.

And what is the firm conviction? Totally convinced that aha

saccidnanda svarpa I am of the nature of sat, cit and nanda.
We have already discussed this topic in a previous chapter. So this

knowledge which is held with firm conviction is that I am of the

nature of limitless existence, consciousness and superlative
happiness. The nature of this saccidnanda is asanga though it

pervades the body mind complex, it is not attached to it. We need

to remind ourselves that if the all pervading consciousness is
connected with body mind complex, when the body perishes, the
consciousness will also perish. But since it is not attached and is
independent of the body mind complex, even at the death of the
body, the tm continues to exist. And this unconnected or

unattached nature is called asanga svarpa.

The author continues, I the tm, am sarva antarymi the

consciousness present in every body just as the electricity is

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

253

normally present in every electrical gadget. Similarly every body

is blessed by the tma caitanya. The bodies are many but tm is
one and therefore it is called sarva antarymi.

Antarymi means inherent like a thread which is behind every

beed of a garland. The beads of the garland are visible but the

thread which holds all the beads together is invisible. tm is like

the invisible thread and every one of us is like a beed. The thread
is inside each beed but is not attached to the beed. The thread is
one but the beeds are many. So the properties of the thread are
somewhat similar to tm. It is (1) invisible; (2) inside every beed;

(3) holds all the beeds together and (4) though it pervades all the
beeds it is unattached to the beeds. This is a good example to
understand this concept.
There are two more examples to understand this concept of tm.

One example is ka.

Some of you might have heard about Cidambara rahasya. A

famous temple of Lord Siva is situated in Cidambara town in

South India. This temple is supposed to hold a secret. And the

secret is that the temple does not have a deity. In place of the deity
there is empty space. The significance is that Lord Siva is

worshipped there as the space principle. So, first example is

ka.

The second example is praka - the light principle, like the srya

praka, the Sunlight which envelops or pervades the entire

earth. Here the reference is not to the solar disc which is far away.

254 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

The reference here is to the Sunlight which not only spreads or

pervades over the earth but every nook and corner of the solar
system.
The tm can, therefore, be compared to the ka and praka
because of certain common attributes.

Both ka and praka are formless. Space is formless, light is

formless, tm is also formless consciousness.

The second common feature is that space is division less space

cannot be cut with a knife or otherwise divided. Similarly light

also cannot be divided. And in the same way, tm, the

consciousness, also cannot be divided.

Thirdly, the ka space cannot be polluted by any dirty object.

Air can be polluted but not the ka. So it is blotless,

blemishless. In the same way, even though the light or praka

spreads over every object, the dirt of the object cannot contaminate
the light. So praka is also blemishless. Similarly tm the

consciousness is also blemishness.

Next ka does not have a boundary. Every object has a

boundary, dimesion. But ka is boundless or limitless.

Likewise, srya praka, the light also is not bounded or limited

by any object. It goes beyond every object. It even goes beyond this
earth. In the same way the tm also is boundless or limitless.

And finally, ka, even though, is associated with every object; it

is not connected to any object. It is associated with all but not

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

255

connected to any one. Similarly, light also is associated with every

object light is on our body but is not connected to our body. If it

were so, wherever we go, the light will go with us. We will never
be in a dark place! And not only that, when we walk off a place
with the light with us, that place will become dark till someone
else walks in that place with the light!

So because of its

unconnected nature, the light remains in the place even when we

go way. The nature of the tm is also the same. Even when our

body perishes, the tm continues to remain and exist.

Thus, formless nirkra; divisionless nirvikalpa; blemishless

nirmala; limitless - nissma and finally connectionless

nissanga; such is the nature of the tm.

A jni has assimilated this true nature of the tm. As a jni, he

does not say I am the body. He only says I temporarily use the
body. I am only the user of the body and I am not the body. And
therefore, author says, nha brhmaa if we understand that

we are not the body, we cannot say that I am a brahmin or I am a

katriya or I am a vaiya, or I am dra because they are

divisions all based on the body mind complex. tm the

consciousness is vara atta beyond all these classifications. So

there is no superiority complex that one is a brahmin and because

of the same logic there is no inferiority complex that one is a

dra. Body based consciousness, caste based consciousness - all

drop off.

The next is na purua - gender based complex; or

gender discrimination. The word purua means men but includes

256 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

str women also. There is neither superiority nor inferiority based

upon the gender. Gender identity is also dropped.

And how firm is this knowledge in a jni? The author implies

that this knowledge in a jni is as firm as the knowledge of an

ignorant person with regard to himself. The ignorant person has a

firm knowledge that he is either a brahmin or katriya etc. or a

purua or str etc. Just as an ignorant person has a firm wrong

knowledge about himself, the wise person has a firm right

knowledge.
Therefore, the author says by way of an example, yath like an

ignorant person who says dha aha I am the body; purua

aha I am a male; brhmaa aha I am a brahmin; dra

aha I am a dra; ti dha nicaya such a strong but wrong

conviction and misconception an ajni has; the jni has the

same strong conviction about him being sat cit nanda svarpa

praka rpa sarvntarymi cidka rpa asmi iti. So strong is

the knowledge of the jni with regard to his real nature.

By using the word dha nicaya i.e. conviction, the author wants

to emphasise this knowledge is a spontaneous knowledge and

never forgotten by the jni at any time. When one is growing old,

the body identification becomes stronger; worry or concern about

death becomes stronger; concern about the children becomes
stronger; and it is at those times that the jni is aware of the fact
that his body is only an incidental medium. It has to arrive, grow

and finally it has to go. And because of this objectivity, he doesnt

have any obsession either with his own physical body or with the

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

257

physical bodies of his near and dear ones. He accepts the fact of
the temporary nature of the body. He doesnt look upon old age as
a tragedy. He doesnt look upon death as a tragedy. He looks upon
them as the most natural events which have to be accepted as they
are.
And because of this conviction the jni

attains mka or

freedom or liberation. We have already equated mka as the five

fold benefits in the introductory Chapter. It will be worthwhile to

briefly revise these and remind ourselves of these benefits in this
context.
a) (jijs nivtti) Satisfaction of natural
curiosity.

The satisfaction of the natural curiosity; quenching the thirst;

finding an answer to the mysteries of life and to questions
about one self - Who am I? From where do I come? Where do I
go? Why am I born? What is God? Is there a God? If so, where
does he exist? What is the world? Who created it? How was it
created? There are innumerable questions regarding one self,
God and the world. All those questions and mysteries are
cracked. Mystery is a pain for the intellect. Intellect cannot
withstand mystery, it cannot withstand ignorance. Therefore, it
has an instinctive curiosity to know answers to all these
questions.
That curiosity is quenched by gaining self knowledge. This is
intellectural satisfaction.

258 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

b) (vidynanda prpti)

Gaining knowledge

driven happiness.

The self knowledge which teaches us that we exist eternally

gives us total satisfaction. As we assimilate this knowledge
more and more, the sense of insecurity goes away. The sense of
fear goes away. In fact all emotional problems are based on this
fear. When all of them go away, we enjoy the inner peace which
in turn leads to superlative happiness which is called

Vidynanda.

c)
desperation.

(krpaya nivrutti
)

Freedom

from

This is also called pratantra nivritti . Once we discover

nanda in this knowledge, we no longer need to depend upon

external sources of happiness. External pleasures become a

bonus. So we have no desperate dependence on external

sources of happiness. They only serve as a standby. Just like the
back up power supply we have for computer installations. With
this back up in place there will be no desparate dependence on
the main power supply. So with the self knowledge the
desperate craving for external pleasures go away.
d) (ghta nivrutii) freedom from shock, trauma.

This self knowledge is a great shock absorber. It gives us such an

emotional cushion and an emotional insulation that no problem in
life will give us a shock. We have the jna kavaca the shield of

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

259

knowledge. The worst of the tragedies, we can receive and react

with great resilience of mind. We will learn to consider all such

shocks as disturbances and carry on with life. Thus the self
knowledge gives us freedom from shock and trauma inflicted on
us by people, events and experiences.
e) (dakat prpti) Gaining efficiency.

This knowledge also leads to an increase in our efficiency in our

day to day life. Due to the fact that we do not have a desperate
dependence and since we are free from the shocks of life, our mind
is generally relaxed and calm. And this very calmness increases
our efficiency. If a disturbing experience takes place, we take it in
our own stride and do not brood over it. We are able to set aside
such events to fully apply our mind and efforts to the task at hand.
This focussed approach is a must for the efficient completion of
any undertaking. And this is the fifth benefit of self knowledge.
These five fold benefits put together is called mka. This is called

jvan mukti because it happens when one is alive.

So a jni obtains these benefits or aikya jna phala while

living. But the next question would be what will happen to such a
person at the time of death? The author deals with this question
also.
I

Brahmaivhamasmi iti aparka jnna nikhila karma bandha

vinirmukta syt.

260 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

The author says, aparka jnna by the sheer power of self

knowledge; that Brahma va aham I am Brahman alone; not the

temporary falling body, not the temporary wobbling mind, not the
temporary confused intellect but I am the Brahman the limitless

consciousness by this sheer knowledge; we have to add

maraakl i.e. at the time of death because that is the question

being answered here; nikhila karma bandha vinirmukta syt

nikhila means entire or all; vinirmukta means free from; so this

jvan mukta becomes free from all the karms, which are referred

to as banda shackles. Thus a jni will become free from all the

shackles called karm otherwise called puya-ppa which can

be loosely translated as good deeds and bad deeds. From this the

author is also hinting that at the time of an ajni s death, he is not

freed from all the karms. Because, when the author says that at
the time of death, a jni is free from puya-ppas, he implies
that an ajni at the time of his death is not free from puya-

ppas. Jni alone is totally free. Let us understand the

implication of this statement.

We have to remember that puya-ppas, otherwise called karms

are responsible for rebirth. At the time of death, a jni is freed

from all the karms. Therefore, a jni , otherwise called a jvan

mukta, will not have punar janma or rebirth. That means he will

not take another body. He is freed from assuming a new body.

And this freedom from a new body is called vidha [Link]

means free from; without. Dha refers to a next body or a new

body. So vidha means freedom from a new body; which is

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

261

freedom from punar janma. So a jni while living is a jvan

mukta and after death he becomes a vidha mukta. This is the

benefit of tma jna.

And this freedom from another human birth, this vidha mukti is

in essence a merger into the Lord freedom from individuality is

merger into totality. When a river merges into the ocean, it loses its
individuality as a river but it continues to survive as one with the
total ocean. This cessation of individuality is vidha mukti. It is

the merger of the microcosm with the macrocosm. The acquisition

of the totality is called vara prpti.

Now the author has introduced a new word karm in this

sentence. This is another technical word from a Vedntik

standpoint. The dictionary meaning of karm is any action. That

is why we earlier referred to the hands and legs as karmndriya

organs meant for karm or action.

But here the word karm does not mean action but it refers to

puya-ppa. This is a very very important teaching unique to the

Vds unique to our Hindu scriptures.

The author, therefore, feels that he needs to explain the law of

karm or the principle of karm, which he does in the next chapter.

262 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Law of Karma

What does the law of karm say?

It says that every action that a person does will produce two types
of results called karma phala. One result of action is the visible

result which we can see and experience directly. In Sanskrit it is

called da phala which is purely based on the physical action

we do. Da means that which can be seen.

But we know that behind every action which is visible there is an

invisible motive also. This motive also will produce a result which
has to be invisible, because the invisible motive will have to
produce a proportional result which is invisible. This invisible
result is called ada phala.

So da phala is one result and ada phala is the second result

of any action. And since the results of any action can be positive or
negative, the ada phala can be either positive or negative. The

positive ada phala is called puya and the negative ada

phala is called ppa. Thus depending upon our motive or

intention for every action we do, we gather puya and ppa.

For example, suppose I am walking on the road which has no

footpath. And I am walking almost on the edge of the road. It is a
busy road and vehicles are moving up and down. Suppose all of a
sudden, I feel a push from behind. Someone has pushed me. I fall
down and get injured. Naturally, my first reaction will be anger. I
will be very angry with that someone who had pushed me and

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

263

caused pain to me. So I get up and look angrily behind to see who
had pushed me.
Just as I turn my head, I see a huge public transport bus run past
me very closely, missing hitting me by a hairs breadth. As I face
that person who had pushed me, he says that That bus was
coming so close to you and was about to hit you. So in order to
save you, I had to push you. I am extremely sorry.
Now what will be my reaction? There is bound to be a change in
my attitude. It will turn from one of anger to one of gratitude.
Now what has happened to my injury the da phala, the visible

result? The injury remaining the same, pain remaining the same,
the action is approved, admired and thanked. In the normal course
harming another person would have been ppa. But in this

particular case even though that person has caused injury, we

would certainly call it puya. This puya he begets on the basis

of his main motive which was to save me from being hit by the
bus. He never had any motive to cause injury to me. Thus behind

every action there is an invisible motive which is responsible for

the puya ppa phala.

Now this puya and ppa which are the ada phala get

accumulated in the name of the jva. This is like the debits and
credits which get accumulated in ones bank account.

This

puya and ppa later get converted into visible happy and
unhappy experiences. Puya gets converted into favourable
experiences. And ppa gets converted into unfavourable

264 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

experiences. Thus every puya and ppa is an invisible seed of

future pleasure and pain.

To put this in Sanskrit, ada puya sukha dadti, ada ppa

dukha dadti.

Now the next question that will arise is How long do this puya
and ppa take to get converted into pleasure and pain? How

long will the seed take to fructify into sukha and dukha?

The scriptures point out that this period is not uniform, just as all

types of seeds do not take the same amount of time to become a

tree and fructify. A papay seed will quickly grow into a tree and
we can get the papay fruit in a short time. Whereas, a mango or

coconut seed may perhaps take years grow into a tree and give out
the fruits. Perhaps the benefit will not accrue to the present
generation but only to the next [Link] the duration of
fructification will vary from seed to seed, some of them may
fructify tomorrow, some of them may fructify next week, next
month, next year, next decade, next century etc. And some puya
and ppa may not fructify in this janm or birth!

This is because any seed to fructify requires a favourable

atmosphere. A seed can grow into a plant only when the soil is
proper, water is available, the temperature is appropriate, the
elevation of the land is proper etc. So therefore, some puy and

pp (plural) may not fructify in this birth. They will remain in a

potential form and therefore they will require another birth for

fructification. And all this unfructified puy and pp earned and

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

265

accumulated in several births, are called sacita karm. Just as

savings accounts in banks, we have in puy and pp also the

balances gathered in past lives and brought forward to this life.

These are sacita karms. Sacita means accumulated.

Now suppose, out of the sacita or accumulated karm, one

portion gets ready for fructification in the present life. They have
completed their gestation period. Like the maturity of various
fixed deposits over different periods of time. Similarly the
different fixed deposits of puy and pp mature at different

times. A bunch of sacita karm which is mature and ready to

fructify in the present birth is called prrabdha karm.

Prrabdha karm means maturing sacita karm; fructifying

sacita karm. And this prrabdha karm alone decides what type

of body we should get in the present birth. If it is a puy

prrabdha; the body will be a very favourable body, irrespective

of whether it is a plant body, an animal body or a human body.

This is decided by, not sacita karm but by the prrabdha karm.
Even it is to be a human body, the prrabdha karm determines

whether it should be a male or a female. Further even after gender

selection, whether the body should be a healthy one or have some
congenital diseases is again determined by the fructifying

prrabdha. Not only that, this prrabdha alone determines, the

parentage, the place of birth, whether born in a rich family or a
poor family etc. Even the duration of the life is controlled by this

prrabdha.

266 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

It is not uncommon for us to sometimes have an experience for

which we have not worked for. Whenever we work for something
and achieve it, we are not surprised. But at times we get an
experience, a certain condition for which we know that we have
not worked for at all. If it is a favourable condition, we may call it
good luck and if it is unfavourable, we could call it bad luck.
Whatever comes to us without our working for is the job of

prrabdha.

And while we are thus exhausting the prrabdha, reaping the

sukha and dukha experiences, we keep on doing karm. These

present actions that we are doing now will also produce fresh

puya and ppa. And this freshly acquired puya ppa in this
birth, this freshly augmented and replenished puya ppa is

called gmi Karm. gmi means the puya ppa which is

acquired in this janm, in this birth. This gmi puya ppa also

will be partly exhausted in this birth itself since some gmis will
fructify in this birth itself. But the other gmis will not fructify

because the conditions are not conducive for fructification. This

unfructified gmi will continue to remain in our account and at

the time of death of the body, get added to the sacita karm

balance. Thus we will exhaust our prrabdha karm and a part of

our gmi karm and when prrabdha and the fructified part of

gmi are exhausted, the body falls. This is because the very
purpose of the body is exhaustion of these karms.

Once the prrabdha and a part of gmi end, and the body falls,
the other part of gmi which could not fructify at the time of

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

267

death will join the sacita bundle. And out of this pool of sacita

another bunch of karms get ready for fructification. The next

fixed deposit matures! Which karms are ready to mature and

which one are not, we can never say. It is unpredictable. But it is

definite all karms will eventually fructify.

The next bunch of prrabdha gives another body. And in that

body, those prrabdha gets exhausted. And during the process of

this exhaustion, we replenish the stock with fresh karms. Again a

part will go to sacita. And again we have another birth. This is

what the scriptures mean when they say punarapi jann

punarapi maraa. In this manner these karms gets exhausted,

replenished and again replenished and exhausted. This cycle goes

on and on. This is the lot of an ordinary ajni or sasr. He is

caught in this vicious cycle. And this called the law of karm.

Now the next logical question is what will happen to these three

karms i.e sacita, prrabdha and gmi accumulated,

fructifying and arriving - of a jni? The author answers this

question in the final part of the text which we will see later. The
essence of the answer is that all the three are exhausted at the end
of a jni s life. His account will show nil balance! So his file will

be closed. Since he has no more karm left to be exhausted, he

does not have a rebirth.

But before he discusses this subject, the author wants to explain

the types and nature of the the karms. We should remember that

the author had referred to this word karm in his previous

sentence. He continues:

268 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Karmi katividhni santti ct gmi cita

sa prrabdha bhdna
trividhni santi.

The author says that if it is asked i.e if such a question is raised - iti

ct; karmi katividhni sant - how many types of karms are

there? Here meaning of the word karm is the ada puya ppa

phala which we have seen earlier. He continues trividhni santi

there are three types of karms. And they are gmi sacita

prrabdha bhdna - gmi karm i.e gmi puya ppa; sacita

karm means sacita puya ppa and prrabdha karm means
prrabdha puya ppa.

Jntpattyanantara jnidhakta puyapparpa karma

yadasti tadgmtyabhidhyat.

The author first gives the definition of gmi. This definition will

vary depending upon whether a person is a jni or an ajni. In

the case of an ajni, the gmi karm is the puya ppa acquired
from birth in this life. So birth is the starting point. By birth, we
mean whenever this person is capable of thinking independently.
Since puya ppa get attached on the basis of the motive of

action, the actions of the babies done without any motive do not

result in any puya ppa. So that point whenever we start our

deliberate and motivated action, gmi starts.

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

269

But in the case of a jni, there is a slight difference. Jnis gmi

starts from the time he gains the jna. For him the time of

jna is the starting point for gmi karm. So from the time of
Jna i.e. after gaining knowledge, whatever karm he does, is
called gmi karm and upto the time of jna whatever karms

he has done will get added to his sacita karm. So in the case of

jni, the cut off time is gaining the jna, in the case of ajni,

the cut off time is the birth. This is what the author explains:

Jntpatti anantara. Anantara after; jna utpatti - gaining

jna i.e puya pparpa karma all the good and bad actions;
jni dhakta done by the body of a jni. We have to
carefully note that the author uses the word dha i.e the body of a

jni. He doesnt say actions done by a jni. The author was to

imply that the jni does not look upon his body as self; yadasti

whatever karma is there; tat gmi iti abhidhyat - that is called

gmi karma. This is the definition of a jnis gmi karma. What

happens to a jnis gmi will be explained later. The next

question is:

? (sacita karma ki) What is sacita karma?

Anantaki janman bjabhta sat yat karmajta prvrjita

tihati tat sacita jyam.

The author answers. Yat karmajta prvrjita tihati

whatever puya pp is accumulated in all the past janmas both

270 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

immediate past and remote past; bja bhta sat is the seed; for

anantaki janman the countless crores of future janmas; yat

tihati tat sacita karma - all that past bundle is called sacita

karma.

So as said earlier even a jni has past janmas. So, whatever puya

pp he has accumulated in the past janmas, and not only in the

past janmas but in this janma also upto the attainment of jna,

will constitute his sacita karma. This we cannot say in the case of

ajni. This cut off is only for a jni since at the time of his jna
prpti his gmi karma will stop.

Next the author defines prrabdha:

I

Prrabdha karma kimiti ct.

Ida arramutpdhya iha lk va sukhadukhdi prada yat

karma tat prrabdha. Bhgna naa bhavati. Prrabdha
karma bhgdva kaya iti.

Prrabdha as we have seen earlier is that part of sacita karma

which has fructified and which has given rise to the body and its

experiences. So he says ida arramutpdhya that which

produces this body; that puya ppa which decides ones date of

birth, including the placements of planets in the horoscope. There

is a general misconception amongst many that all these are

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

271

determined by God. That is not true. The date birth, the type of
body, the family in which one is born, all are determined by the
type puya ppa of the past; iha lk that too in this world and

in the place where we are born; yat sukha dukhdi prada that

which is both pleasurable and painful experiences, without our

working for it in this birth. We must remember that whatever
work we do for pleasure in this birth will come under gmi.

Obviously no one will work for pain! But if some pleasure or pain

comes to us without our planning; whatever comes unasked

prrabdha phala; yat karma tat prrabdha that is called karma.

So this is the definition of prrabdha karma. It is the same in the

case of jni and ajni alike. In the case of gmi and sacita, the

definition is different in the case of a jni and ajni. But in the

case of prrabdha it is the same.

272 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Law of Karma for J nis

Having defined the three types of karms, the author now wants to

explain as to what happens to the three karms of a jni.

First he takes up prrabdha and says bhgna naa bhavati it

is exhausted only by experiencing the karma phala or fruits

bitter or sweet! Prrabdha will have to be exhausted both by

jni and ajni alike. The jnis body is also under the influence

of prrabdha. He may have long life or a short life, a healthy body

or a sick body it all is determined by the prrabdha at the time

of his birth. So he cannot escape its effect. That is the law of karma.

But the advantage of a jni is that he does not identify with his

body. He has understood he is sthla, skma, kraa arrt

vyatirikta he is different from the arra traya. Just as a dress

has got its own life period, he looks upon his body also as an
external object which has to go through its karma. Therefore, he

doesnt react to the prrabdha anubhava. The author emphasises

again - prrabdha karma bhgdva kaya - the prrabdha

karmas will get exhausted only by experiencing the consequences.

With regard to sacita karma, he says

Sacita karma brahmaivhamiti nicaytmaka jnna nayati I

He says nicaytmaka jnna by gaining the knowledge with

total conviction; brahmaiva aham iti that I am Brahman; sacita

karma nayati - all the sacita karmas are destroyed. One great

benefit of this knowledge is that it is so powerful that it is capable

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

273

of destroying all the unfructified karmas known as sacita

karma. Just as the radiation has the power to destroy the cancerous

cells, this tma Jna has the power to destroy all the sacita

karma.

Thus for a Jni, the prrabdha is exhausted and sacita is

destroyed. What about gmi? The author says:

-
I

gmi karma api jnna nayati kica gmi-karma

nalindalagatajalavat jnin sambandh nsti I

gmi karma api

j nna nayati this knowledge destroys gmi

karmas also. Here we have to understand the import of the word

nayati. There is no actual destruction of gmi karma because for a

Jni, gmi karma does not arise at all. According to the law of
karma, the motivation for any action arises as a result of the ego or
ahankra. It means dha abhimna identification with the

body. It is this motivation which leads to karmas. It is the ego

which is the cause of puya and ppa.

A jni does not have an ego when performing karma. He has no

ahankra. The world may praise him; he doesnt bother about it.
The world may criticize him; he doesnt bother; because he does
not have dha abhimna.

So he says, gmi-karma jnin sambandh nsti the gmi

karmas have no relationship with a jni; a jni does not have

274 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

any identification with the karmas done after attaining jna; the

author provides a beautiful and apt comparison. He says this

position is like nalindalagata jalavat; nalindala means lotus leaf;

jala means water. If we observe a drop of water on the lotus leaf,

we will find that even though the drop sits on the leaf, it does not
get attached to the leaf and the leaf does get wet by the water.

Similarly, while we see the actions coming from a jni, those

actions; nsti do not have any sambandha or relationship with

him because he does not identify with the body.

And now the author goes on to make a very interesting

observation.

I


I
I

Kica y jnin stuvanti bhajanti arcayanti tnprpti jnikta

gmi puya gacchati.

Y jnin nindanti dvianti dukhapradna kurvanti tnprpti

jnikta

sarvamgmi

kriyama

pptmaka tadgacchati. suhda

ppaktya ghanti.

yadavcya

puyaktya

karma

durhda

The author says the Jni does not have an ego. In whatever way

we treat them, they are not going to reciprocate positively or

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

275

negatively. One has to be, therefore, very careful while relating to

a jni. If a person ill treats a jni, the jni is not going to

retaliate or take revenge or curse because he doesnt have an

abhimna or feeling of insult. But the author warns that if one

mistreats a jni, all the ppa karms of the jni, which he has

done knowingly or unknowingly, will get transferred to that

person. Of course, we should not take this as a literal transfer.
What the author wants to point out is that is if we ill treat a jni, it

will be ppa karma for us. On the other hand, if we are going to

revere and respect a jni, he is not going to feel elated and give us

some reward because he is also indifferent to our reverence and

respect. But Bhagavn will reward us by transferring some of his

puya s to us. So the idea behind this warning is that the worship
of a jni is puya karma and the insult of a jni is ppa karma.

He says y nin
j
stuvanti bhajanti arcayanti those who

worship, sing his glories and does puja of jnis; tnprati to

them; jni kta gmi puya gacchati the punyam earned by

the jni will accrue or get transferred. We have already

discussed earlier that there is no question of accruing of gmi

puya or gmi ppa for a jni. So the correct interpretation of

this sentence is that one will get puya if he reveres a jni.

On the other hand y jnin nindanti he who criticizes the

jnis; dvianti hates them; dukha pradna kurvanti injures

or hurts them; tnprati - to them; jnikta sarvam gmi

kriyama yadavcya karma pptmaka tadgacchati - all the

gmi ppa will accrue or get transferred. Here also we have to

276 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

remember that a jni does not have gmi ppa. The idea is that
we will get ppa if we insult or hurt a jni. So, these two

sentences should not be taken literally. These types of sentences

should not be taken literally but only their implied meaning

should be understood. They are called (artha vda

vkya).

The above idea or thought is re-emphasized in the end to highlight

its importance. Suhda puyaktya durhda ppaktya

ghanti - those who worship and revere a jni, who can be called

suhda, will acquire puya and those who hurt or ill treat a
jni, who can be called durhda will acquire ppa.

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

Important aspects of Law of Karma

277

In the last chapter, we were in the midst of a discussion on the

topic of benefits of self-knowledge and in that context we are now
discussing the law of karma.

Before we proceed to the concluding sentences in the Tattva

Bdha text, we need to discuss a few important aspects of this

law.

This law of karma is unique to the Vdik teaching. It is very

significant with a lot of practical corollaries. If we understand the

law of karma and all the corollaries, then this understanding will
give us a lot of mental relaxation.

The first corollary that we derive is that, every experience that we

undergo in our life is either because of our prrabdha karma or the

gmi karma. That is our own actions done in the previous births
or those actions done in the immediate past in the current birth.

These prrabdha and gmi alone give us every pleasurable and

painful experience. We can, therefore, never blame any third factor

for our experiences. We cannot blame other human beings. We
cannot blame the world and we cannot even blame the poor God.
Because the rule is (ya

kart bhavati sa va karma phala bhkt bhavati) whoever is the

kart, the doer, that person alone becomes the present bhkt -

reaper of the results. And therefore if at all one has to blame

someone, if at all the bhkts have to blame someone, then he can

blame only one person and that is the past kart. This past kart is

278 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

none other than ones own self who is the present bhkt. So the
past me is responsible for the present me. We ourselves are

responsible for our present. Thus the first corollary of this law of

karma is that we stop blaming others in the world for all our
experiences.

The second important corollary of the law of karma is that, if the

past I is responsible for the present I, by the same token i.e by

extending this logic, we can say, the present I is responsible for
the future I. The past cannot be corrected. There is no use
grieving over spilt milk. It was our foolishness in the past and no
purpose will be served by talking about it. But we can concentrate
on the present and by doing so; we can very much influence,
control, direct and manage our future. So the law of karma says

most emphatically, take responsibility for your future. Dont take

to a fatalistic philosophy, saying that everything is in the hands of
some unknown destiny; some unknown fate. Dont take refuge in
some fatalism and wash off your own responsibility. You and you
alone are responsible for your future. Therefore, the law of karma

is the only remedy for fatalism.

Many people think law of karma is fatalism. On the contrary, the

law of karma is the only remedy for the wrong philosophy of

fatalism. Fatalism is a wrong philosophy because it makes us to

wash away our responsibility.

Lord Ka tells Arjuna in the 6th Chapter of the Gt:

(uddhardtmantmna) Arjuna do not expect

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

279

me to uplift you. I will never do that. I will encourage you but you
and you alone will have to uplift you. In a childrens race, the
parents can cheer their children like the cheer leaders, enthuse
them etc. but the running has to be done by the children only.
Similarly Bhagavn can only cheer us, motivate us, boost our

confidence and support our efforts but we have to take charge of

our life and that too right from this moment onwards. This is the
second important corollary.
The third corollary is also important. At any given time, a person
is experiencing either prrabdha phala or gm phala. We can

call them the actions of the remote kart and current kart . Both

are the same person only. The remote kart has produced

prrabdha and the current kart has produced gm.

Now when these experiences come, our human tendency always is

to co-relate or connect the kart and the experiences. When we try

to thus co-relate, the gm phala and its equation to the current

kart, they will match. We will say that he is a good person and

therefore he has good experiences. So and so is a bad person and

so he has bad experiences. Thus experiences and the person can be
co-related when it is a case of gm phala.

But we also come across numerous instances where a person

whom we consider as good undergoes miserable experiences and
the person whom we consider bad has very pleasurable
experiences. We get confused and take the easy way out of
blaming God for all these injustices. For example, in Mahbhrata

itself, we see the Pandavs who follow dharma suffering all along

280 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

and even spending 13 long years of their life in the forests and we
see Durydhana who is adharma incarnate enjoying all pleasures
as a King.

What we fail to realize that we are trying to erroneously work out

an equation between the prrabdha phala experiences and the

current kart. We need to bear in mind that prrabdha is not

associated with the current kart but prrabdha is the result of the
action of the remote kart prva janma kart whom we dont

see at all. Therefore, when we co-relate the prrabdha anubhava

and the current kart they will not match. That is why when we
see very good people suffering, we are disturbed because we think

that good people should enjoy and bad people should suffer. This
is the equation that our intellect can easily assimilate. But when we
see a noble person suffering in life and a corrupt person having all
prosperity, we are disturbed and get angry with the world. We are
unable to accept such a situation. We get angry with the world and
we get angry with God accusing him of being grossly unjust.
Seldom do we realize that the problem is neither with the world
nor with the God nor with justice. The problem lies with our
wrong equation. We are trying to equate the prrabdha phala
and the current kart, which will never work. Therefore, the third

corollary is never make the wrong equation between karma

phalam and kart.

The fourth corollary is an interesting one. We have seen that our

experiences are in the form of both gm and prrabdha. The

prrabdha karma, the prrabdha puya ppa is not generally

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

281

known to us. That is why it is called ada that which cannot

be seen. We have learnt this earlier. So fortunately or

unfortunately, we dont know what our prrabdha is, until it

fructifies.

When we get a sukha experience, we infer that we had a good

prrabdha. And if it is a painful experience, we infer that we had

a bad prrabdha. However, before fructification, normally we

have no way of knowing what prrabdha is waiting for us

tomorrow. And since this is unknown, we are unable deal with the

prrabdha also. We struggle to deal with even the known issues;

what to talk of unknown issues!

But the shstrs say that there are different methods by which we

can have access to our prrabdha and know it. However, it is

preferable not to know it because even without that it is too much

of an effort for us to handle the known world. One can imagine
what would happen if we start handling the unknown also! So

shstrs point out that we should better thank Bhagavn for

covering our vision from prrabdha!

Yet as per the shstrs, one method to know the prrabdha is

ones horoscope or jtaka. The horoscope of a person which

indicates the planetary position is supposed to be an indicator or

clue to ones prrabdha. The various positions of the planets and
constellations at the time of ones birth as stated in the horoscope

are supposed to indicate ones prrabdha based on which one can

know if the experiences will be pleasurable or painful.

282 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

We need to understand this point very carefully. The planets do

not cause pleasure and pain. The planets can never influence our
life or give us pleasure and pain. The planets are not the cause of
suffering. The planetary position is only the indicator of the

prrabdha and it is the prrabdha alone which is the cause of

suffering.

This is similar to the clock indicating the time of Sunrise and

Sunset. Is the clock the indicator of Sunrise and Sunset or is the
clock the cause of Sunrise and Sunset? There is a vast difference
between an indicator and a cause. In Sanskrit they are called
(lakaka) and (jpaka) or (kraka) and

(jpaka).

Kraka means cause and jpaka means indicator. So a clock

does not cause Sunrise. If the clock were to cause the sunrise, what

will happen? If the clock stops, there will be no Sunrise!!! So like

the clock is only an indicator, the planetary positions are also the
indicators of ones prrabdha, both puya and ppa.

Now suppose we are able to know the prrabdha based on the

horoscope or any other method, the shstrs say there is a method

of handling that! We know that our future experiences are not only

dependent on our prrabdha, but also they are dependent on our

gm which we are continuously generating. So if we create such

gm, which is capable of countering or neutralising the

prrabdha that karma

is called pryacitta karma or parhra

karma that is the production of an appropriate gm to counter

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

283

or handle the effects of the arriving prrabdha. This is similar to

carrying an umbrella while going out in the hot Sun. We cannot

change the heat of the Sun and we cannot avoid going out also. So
we take a gm umbrella to counter the effect of the Suns heat. So

the prrabdha which is the Suns heat can be remedied, at least

partially, with the gm which is the umbrella. So taking the

umbrella is the pryacitta karma.

The next question will be can pryacitta karma cure or remedy

all the prrabdha karmas? Do we have pryacittas or pryacitta

gm for all types of prrabdhas? Everyone will be eager to

know the answer because then we can get total protection from the
effects of prrabdha karmas!

The answer to this question lies in another question? And that is

Do we have medicines for all diseases or do medicines cure
dieseases. What will be the answer? If we are intelligent, we will

never answer. We will say that it will depend on the type of

disease. We will not have a blanket yes or no as an answer.
For certain diseases, the medicines are sufficiently advanced and
they can completely cure such diseases. Once upon a time, cholera
was fatal, typhoid was fatal and tuberculosis was fatal. Now we
can cure all such bacteria borne diseases. We have got anti-biotics
which is a great blessing. So, in certain diseases, medicines can
cure the disease.
In certain other diseases, medicines do not cure, but they give us
the capacity to manage the diseases, thus saving us from death.

284 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

Suppose a person suffers from diabetes. The doctor advises him to

take care of his diet, cut off sugar, go for regular walks and take
the medicine prescribed by him. This medicine may not cure the
diabetes but the person is not likely to succumb to the disease, at
least in the near future. Thus medicines help us to manage in
certain cases though they cannot cure.
Then there are certain other diseases which the medicines cannot
cure at all. The doctor will pronounce them as a terminal case.
There are hospitals and institutions where terminal patients are
managed. These patients are also given medicines but these are not
meant for curing. They are only meant for alleviating the suffering
or pain.
Thus, medicines can cure some diseases, medicines can help us
manage some diseases and in the case of some diseases even
though the medicines cannot cure them, they can alleviate the pain
or suffering. The shstr says that the pryacitta karmas also act

as either a cure, or as a management or as alleviation. In a weaker

prrabdha, it can cure. In an intermediary prrabdha, it will help us

to manage. In a powerful prrabdha, it will alleviate the pain or

suffering. This is also a corollary of the law of karma.

Also, sometimes the pryacitta is general and we call it prayer.

When it is specific we call it parhra. So parhra and prayer are

one and the same. Prayer or prrthan is smnya or general

whereas pryacitta or parhra is specific and well directed. So

therefore, the fourth corollary of the law of karma is the

availability of pryacitta.

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

285

Then the fifth and the final corollary of the law of karma is that in
any particular janma or birth, we never exhaust all the karmas. We

may exhaust the prrabdha or we may remedy or neutralize some

prrabdha. At best all the prrabdha and a part of gm also may

be exhausted but certainly another part of gm and the full

baggage of sacita can never be exhausted in one janma. The law

of karma, therefore, says that punar janma or re-birth is a

compulsory necessity. Thus the fifth and final corollary of the law
of karm is punar janma or re-birth. This is accepted by some
other religions and some others reject it. But in the Vdik teaching,

the cycle of births and re-births is the natural corollary of the law
of karma.

Even in the case of an animal, it will exhaust all the prrabdha by

going through pleasure and pain. A dog, if it has got a lot of

puya, will become the dog of a cinema actress, all the time

having cosy life. It will have an airconditioned room; imported

biscuits. Many people in that city may not have food but the dog
will have imported biscuits. In short, it will have all luxuries
including a Mercedes Benz car ride while ordinary people struck
by their prrabdha will be going in the miserable local transport

bus! And from the window of the bus they will see the dogs face

looking out of the window of the car with its tongue out as though
it was mocking at them! Many people may sometimes wonder that
the janma of that dog was better than their own janma! So this is
the manifestation of puya.

286 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

We can also see cases of some other dogs which we call street dogs
being attacked by all the urchins etc. It has to scavenge for food
and sleep in filthy surroundings. All this because of the
manifestation of ppa! Thus even a dog exhausts all its

prrabdha, through varieties of experiences. But fortunately, a

dog does not have gm karma because the dog does not have an

ego to do a deliberate and planned action. And that is why, if the

dog violates the traffic signal, no police man impose a fine because
it doesnt have a will or karttva or bhkttva. So a dog avoids

gm like a jni. The dog is like a jni. It exhausts prrabdha.

It avoids gm. But we should not be tempted to believe that all

this means that the dog is liberated! The problem is that a dog

cannot gain jna. Otherwise it will be a student a Vdnta

attending some class or reading this text on Tattva bdha! And

because it cannot gain jna, it cannot burn the sacita karms,

which only a jni can do. So for a dog also, sacita karms will be

there which cannot be destroyed. So animals will have to be

reborn. Therefore, punarapi janana punarapi maraa cycle is the

fifth corollary.

This is how the process works. At the time of death, the prrabdha

is exhausted. In fact it is on exhaustion of the prrabdha that death

occurs. At the time of death, a part of gm is also experienced

and exhausted. But the remaining part of gm is still

unexperienced. This unexperienced part of gm will join the

sacita karma.

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

287

When prrabdha is exhausted sthla arra or the physical body

falls off.

But only the sthla arra goes away. The skma

arra and kraa arra continue even after death. The

Reflected Consciousness, i.e RC also continues after death. Only

the sthla arra and its reflection go away. That is RM 1 goes

away but RM2, RM3, RC2 and RC3, they all continue. And of
course the OC, the orginal consciousness eternally exists.
The jva consisting of the original consciousness, skma and

kraa arra media and their respective reflected consciousnesses,

survives. But we cannot see skma and kraa arras and the

reflections in them. Thus this invisible jva nucleus continues and

travels to acquire another physical body depending upon the next

fructifying prrabdha. Of this jva nucleus, which part travels and
which part does not travel?

The skma arra and kraa arra travel as they are finite.
The reflected consciousness also travels because it is also finite.
Just as when the mirror moves, the reflection of the Sun also
moves along with the mirror. When the reflected medium (RM)
moves, the reflected consciousness (RC) also moves with it. So RC
travels RM travels. However the original consciousness (OC)
cannot travel because it is infinite and all pervading. What is
infinite will have no space to move. So when we say the jvtm

travels, we refer all parts other than OC, i.e. the RMs and RCs

travel. This jvtm acquires another body, exhausts the

prrabdhas of that body, collects some more gm and on its

288 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

death, again travels and this punarapi janana punarapi maraa

cycle goes on.

Let us now look at this process for a jni. The author has already

said the jni like an ajni has to exhaust his prrabdha. So this

sukha dukh anubhava, the physical experiences of pleasure and

pain cannot be avoided by jnis. That is why even the great jnis

fall sick. They too have got diseases. They also undergo physical

pain. But the difference is that because of the jna of the nature

of the self and the nand gained by that knowledge, the sorrow or

the pain at the body level is overshadowed. Even ajnis

experience this occasionally. For example, let us consider the case

of a person who has a severe body pain and is lying down on the

bed. Suddenly he is visited by a dear old friend. That persons

happiness will know no bounds. He will at least for sometime
forget all pain, overcome the painful experience and get up from
the bed to greet the friend. This is called (abhihva). So,

for a jni, the prrabdha dukha is overshadowed by

vidynand.

We can cite another example to understand this. Suppose in a

cricket match between India and Pakistan (that is the most
emotionally charged event), an Indian batsman gets out after
scoring 98 runs. Every team member and he himself will feel very
sad. But suppose in the end the Indian team wins the match.
Everyone, including the batsman will not feel the pain of having
got out without scoring the century because the victory of the team

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

289

will overshadow his pain. The victory against Pakistan will be a

greater nand than even mka!

Similarly, for a jni, this vidynand overshadows prrabdha

dukha. It will be made insignificant. Like a candle light or the

stars in front of the bright sun. During the day time, it is not that
the stars are not existent, but their light is overpowered by the
light of Sun and therefore, we do not feel their presence. Similarly
for a Jni, the prrabdha stars will be there, but the vidynand

of Sunlight will overshadow the pain and therefore the will get
reduced to something like pin pricks. He will exhaust his

prrabdha without even bothering about it. Others around him

may sympathise and feel the pain on seeing him suffer but he

wont bother. Thus his prrabdha is exhausted. The lives of jnis

like Swmi RmaKa Paramahams, Bhagawn Ramana Maharishi

etc. are proof for this truth.

Now as regards his sacita karma is concerned, we have learnt that

the sacita karma jnna nayati. The tma jna is so

powerful. It is like a person waking up from the dream. The

knowledge of the waker that I am the waker is so powerful that

all the ppas committed in the dream will get destroyed

immediately. So it is like waking up from the dream.

Then what happens to gm? We seen that gm does not arrive

at all. It is avoided because a jni does not have ego or abhimna.

For all practical purposes he is like an animal, without any

negative connotation. Just as an animals action does not produce

290 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

puya or ppa because they dont have the ego, a jni does not
acquire puya or ppa because he does not have an ego.

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

Pram - scriptural proofs

291

Now the author concludes his teaching with these words.

I
I

Tath ctmavit sasra trtv brahmnandamihaiva prpnti.

Tarati kamtmavit iti rut.

Tath ca And therefore; tmavit a wise person; sasra trtv -

crosses over sasra consisting of all the three karmas, sacita,

gm and prrabdha which means that when a jni dies, all the

three arrams dissolve and gets merged into the all pervading

vara; brahmnandam iha eva prpnti. he enjoys brahmnand

even while living, in this life itself; and then the author says this
has been stated in the original scriptures iti rut rut means
the Upaniadik statements. This statement is made in the

Chandogyo Upaniad - tarati kam tmavit tmavit means the

knower of tma, a Jni; tarati swims or crosses over; kam

sorrow. This means that even though prrabdha karmas do bring

favourable and unfavourable situations for a jni, he wades

through them, he swims through them. So this is Upaniadik

support for jvan mukti.

Now author quotes another scriptural statement for vidha mukti

which is a shlka or a verse from a smti.

292 Tattva Bdha -Pravacanas (talks) Swami Paramarthananda

I I

Tanu tyajatu v ky vapacasya gh'tha v.

Jna samprpti samay mukt'sau vigataya. Iti smtca.

Ky tanu tyajatu a jni may die in a K - that means he
may drop his body in a very sacred place like Ksh; vapacasya

gh'tha v or he may die in the house of a dog eater vapaca

means a dog eater i.e. in the house of an uncultured person;

therefore, let him die in a very sacred place or let him die in a very
ordinary place the place of death doesnt matter for him, the time
of death doesnt matter for him, the mode of death doesnt matter
for him nothing matters for him because by the power of his
knowledge, he will attain vara . Jna samprpti samay asau

mukta this jni is already liberated at the time of gaining the

knowledge itself; that means even while he was alive he has been
liberated and vigata aya is liberated from all the karms.

aya means the karms which reside in the skma arram. We

know that all the karms are supposed to reside in the skma

arram. So for him all the karms are gone and also the skma

arram has gone. And therefore, he is free from the cycle of birth
and death. Iti smt ca so it is said in the smti. This is vidha

mukti.

We have already seen in the introductory chapters that smtis are

secondary literature based on the Vds. Thus ruti and Smti

point out that jna gives both jvan mukti and vidha mukti.

Aikya Jna phala - Benefits of the knowledge of oneness

293

That is the power of jna and so it is worthwhile to seek this

knowledge with full commitment.

The author concludes with:
I

Iti tattvabdha prakaraa sampta.

He says that with this concludes the prakaraa grantha known as

Tattva bdha. Thus with this, the fifth and final topic jna
phala , the Tattva bdha teaching is complete.

pramada pramida prt pramudacyat.

prasya pramdya pramvvaiyat..