Roll No.

20905S1 - ANIL KUMAR NAIR

i. Define the terms

1. Sthula

STHULA SARIRA: Annamayakosha (Gross Body) for the Dense

Physical Plane. The terms ‘sthula – sarira’ means ‘gross body’. ‘Sthula’
meaning ‘gross’ is that which is perceivable by the senses. This gross
body is perceived by our senses as well as by that of others, and hence
is called sthula.

2. Sarira

Sarira is that which disintegrates. At the time of death, the body

disintegrates into five elements - spice, air, water and earth – from
which it has created. Since this gross body can be perceived by the
senses [sthula] and because it finally disintegrates [sarira], it is called
‘sthula – sarira’.

3. Vishva. Totality, whole creation; also a name of the individual

soul in the waking state.

Explain the terms

1. Nava – dvara – pura

The account of the City of Nine Gates is specifically identified as

allegorical in BHAGAVATA PURANA itself. It was spoken by the sage
Narada Muni, who was questioned by King Prachinabarhishat about the
nature of the self, and Narada Muni himself explains all the elements of
the allegory in the original text.

The City of Nine Gates represents the male human body, with its nine
openings? two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, the mouth, the anus, and
the genital opening. The individual jiva resides herein and enjoys or
suffers the experiences gained through the nine gates. It is through
these that each one of us experiences joys and sorrows and transacts
with the world outside.

According to the philosophy of the Bhagavata Purana, intelligence is a

subtle material energy with discriminatory capabilities like those
manifested by artificial intelligence machines. The five knowledge-
acquiring senses are the senses of sight, smell, taste, hearing, and
touch. The five working senses are those of walking, grasping,
speaking, reproduction, and evacuation. All ten senses are grouped
around the mind and are considered servants of the mind. Each of
these servants has hundreds of wives. The wives represent desires for
material experience, and the senses act under their pressure.

2. Jagrad – avastha

Jagrad-avastha - the waking state

Svapna-avastha - the dreaming state
Sushupthi avastha - the sleeping state

Jagrad-avastha:
This is the state in which we function through the physical body and
the sense organs and contact the external world. In this state, we
experience the external world. This is Anubhava. While contacting the
external world, the mind records and stores all the experiences in the
form of impressions called Vasanas. (We will learn more about it in a
separate post) Our mind retains them also. So in the jagrad avastha,
Anubhavas are recorded and stored as Vasanas. In Sastra , Jagrad
avastha is described as “ indriya janya jnana avastha. The state of
experience where the knowledge taking place is born of sense organs.
When the experience is of the external world through the sense organs
then that state of experience is called jagrat avastha. The Jagat
avastha got 3 factors, pramata, pramana and prameya

I] Pramata – I, the knower

Ii] Pramanam – The means of knowledge like sense organs, etc and
Iii] Prameya – The objects of the external world

3. Annamaya – kosa

Anna means food. All of the physical aspects of life come and go, and
are consumed by another aspect of external reality. Thus, the
outermost of the koshas is called the sheath of food, or Annamaya
kosha.

In Vedanta practice, we train this aspect of ourselves, take care of it,

nurture it, so that we can both enjoy our external lives and go inward
without it being an obstacle during meditation time. In meditation, we
become aware of Annamaya kosha, explore it, and then go inward, to
and through the other koshas.

Anandamaya kosha is the most interior of the koshas, the first of the
koshas surrounding the Atman, the eternal center of consciousness.
Ananda means bliss. However, it is not bliss as a mere emotion
experienced at the level of the sheath of mind. Ananda is a whole
different order of reality from that of the mind. It is peace, joy, and love
that is underneath, beyond the mind, independent of any reason or
stimulus to cause a happy mental reaction. It is simply being, resting in
bliss called ananda.

Yet, even this bliss, however wonderful it is, is still a covering, a

sheath, a lampshade covering the pure light of consciousness. It is the
subtle most of the five koshas. In the silence of deep meditation, this
too is let go of, so as to experience the center.

III. Answer in detail

1. Explain the process of pancikarana

'Panchikaranam' in Sanskrit means the process of Compounding or

Grossification.

Sthula Sarira (Gross Body)

That which is made up of the 5 great elements that have undergone

the process of "Panchikaranam"; born as a result of the good actions of
the past; the counter of experiences like joy, sorrow etc.; and subject
to the 6 modifications- namely, to potentially exist, to be born, to grow,
to mature, to decay and to die- is the Gross Body. The body can be
perceived by the 5 senses, by one's own self and by others, both inside
and outside and is therefore called 'Gross'.

The 5 Great Elements are- Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. When
they undergo the process of Panchikarana, they form the 5 Gross
Elements. A permutation and combination of these gross elements
constitute the entire Gross World that we perceive. Our body too is
part of this world and hence made up of the 5 gross elements. At
death, the body disintegrates back to the 5 elements from which it is
formed. Actually, the body, being part of the 5 elements, is never
separate from them.

Satkarmajanyam
(Born of the result of good actions of the past)

The human birth is the result of the good actions of the past. With the
prominence of merits, we gain a heavenly body; with demerits. an
animal's or even lower body; and with the balance of both, we gain a
human body. In both the higher and the lower bodies, our merits or
demerits are exhausted with no new ones being formed. The human
birth is the finest in the creation. In this birth, we have the choice to
evolve or devolve. We are endowed with a subtle intellect that can
discriminate between right and wrong, real and unreal, good and bad
etc. and attain the supreme Truth.

The Evolution of the Tamasic Aspect.

From the 'Tamas' aspect of the 5 great elements, the grossified 5

elements are born. This process of Panchikarana is as follows:

1. The tamas aspect of each of the 5 elements divides into two equal
parts.
2. One half of each remains intact.
3. The other half of each gets divided into 4 equal parts.
4. Then to the intact half of one element, 1/8th portion from each of
the other 4
elements gets joined.
5. Then Panchikarana is complete.
6. From these 5 grossified elements, the gross body is formed.

2. What are the sis modifications of the Sthula – sarira?

The six modifications or Shad – Bhava – Vikaras of body are : Asti

[Existence] , Jayate [Birth], Vardhate [Growth], Viparinamate [Change],
Apaksheeyate [Decay], Vinashyate [Death], are the six modifications
or change of the body.
This comprise of potential existence, borth, growth, transformation,
decay and destruction or death. Anything in the world and the world
itself is subject to these transformations and therefore does not come
under the category of nitya [nitiya is that which does not undergo the
six fold transformations] and therefore is anitya.

Anything which has parts is subject to change, the shad vikaras ,birth
and death and hence is temporary, whereas brahman is indivisible, it
has no parts.Its expalined as "ekam eva adviteeyam "-- meaning it
alone exists and is not divisible. Hence it stands for eternality.

3. How does Sankaracharya dissuade the seeker from a life of

mindless sensory pursuit?

The first systematic exponent of the Advaita is Sankaracaraya, it was

Sankara who brought forth the final beautiful form of Advaita
philosophy, and gave perfection and finishing touch to it. Carefully go
through Sri Sankara’s commentaries on the principal Upanishads, the
Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad-Gita. You will clearly understand his
Advaita philosophy. The commentary on the Vedanta Sutras by
Sankara is known as Sariraka Bhashya.

The teachings of Sankara can be summed up in half a verse: “Brahma

Satyam Jagan Mithya Jivo Brahmaiva Na Aparah—Brahman (the
Absolute) is alone real; this world is unreal; and the Jiva or the
individual soul is non-different from Brahman.” This is the
quintessence of his philosophy.

The Advaita taught by Sri Sankara is a rigorous, absolute one.

According to Sri Sankara, whatever is, is Brahman. Brahman Itself is
absolutely homogeneous. All difference and plurality are illusory.

Brahman—The One Without A Second

The Atman is self-evident (Svatah-siddha). It is not established by

extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny the Atman, because It is
the very essence of the one who denies It. The Atman is the basis of all
kinds of knowledge, presuppositions and proofs. Self is within, Self is
without; Self is before, Self is behind; Self is on the right, Self is on the
left; Self is above and Self is below.

Brahman is not an object, as It is Adrisya, beyond the reach of the

eyes. Hence the Upanishads declare: “Neti Neti—not this, not this....”
This does not mean that Brahman is a negative concept, or a
metaphysical abstraction, or a nonentity, or a void. It is not another. It
is all-full, infinite, changeless, self-existent, self-delight, self-knowledge
and self-bliss. It is Svarupa, essence. It is the essence of the knower. It
is the Seer (Drashta), Transcendent (Turiya) and Silent Witness
(Sakshi).

Sankara’s Supreme Brahman is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or

attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special
characteristics), immutable, eternal and Akarta (non-agent). It is above
all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never
become an object as It is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman is
non-dual, one without a second. It has no other beside It. It is destitute
of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described,
because description implies distinction. Brahman cannot be
distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is not the
distinction of substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constitute the
very essence or Svarupa of Brahman, and not just Its attributes.

The Nirguna Brahman of Sankara is impersonal. It becomes a personal

God or Saguna Brahman only through Its association with Maya.
Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman are not two different
Brahmans. Nirguna Brahman is not the contrast, antithesis or opposite
of Saguna Brahman. The same Nirguna Brahman appears as Saguna
Brahman for the pious worship of devotees. It is the same Truth from
two different points of view. Nirguna Brahman is the higher Brahman,
the Brahman from the transcendental viewpoint (Paramarthika);
Saguna Brahman is the lower Brahman, the Brahman from the relative
viewpoint (Vyavaharika).

The World—A Relative Reality

The world is not an illusion according to Sankara. The world is

relatively real (Vyavaharika Satta), while Brahman is absolutely real
(Paramarthika Satta). The world is the product of Maya or Avidya. The
unchanging Brahman appears as the changing world through Maya.
Maya is a mysterious indescribable power of the Lord which hides the
real and manifests itself as the unreal: Maya is not real, because it
vanishes when you attain knowledge of the Eternal. It is not unreal
also, because it exists till knowledge dawns in you. The
superimposition of the world on Brahman is due to Avidya or
ignorance.

Nature Of The Jiva And The Means To Moksha

To Sankara, the Jiva or the individual soul is only relatively real. Its
individuality lasts only so long as it is subject to unreal Upadhis or
limiting conditions due to Avidya. The Jiva identifies itself with the
body, mind and the senses, when it is deluded by Avidya or ignorance.
It thinks, it acts and enjoys, on account of Avidya. In reality it is not
different from Brahman or the Absolute. The Upanishads declare
emphatically: “Tat Tvam Asi—That Thou Art.” Just as the bubble
becomes one with the ocean when it bursts, just as the pot-ether
becomes one with the universal ether when the pot is broken, so also
the Jiva or the empirical self becomes one with Brahman when it gets
knowledge of Brahman. When knowledge dawns in it through
annihilation of Avidya, it is freed from its individuality and finitude and
realises its essential Satchidananda nature. It merges itself in the
ocean of bliss. The river of life joins the ocean of existence. This is the
Truth.

The release from Samsara means, according to Sankara, the absolute

merging of the individual soul in Brahman due to dismissal of the
erroneous notion that the soul is distinct from Brahman. According to
Sankara, Karma and Bhakti are means to Jnana which is Moksha.

Vivarta Vada Or The Theory Of Superimposition

To Sankara the world is only relatively real (Vyavaharika Satta). He
advocated Vivarta-Vada or the theory of appearance or
superimposition (Adhyasa). Just as snake is superimposed on the rope
in twilight, this world and body are superimposed on Brahman or the
Supreme Self. If you get knowledge of the rope, the illusion of snake in
the rope will vanish. Even so, if you get knowledge of Brahman or the
Imperishable, the illusion of body and world will disappear. In Vivarta-
Vada, the cause produces the effect without undergoing any change in
itself. Snake is only an appearance on the rope. The rope has not
transformed itself into a snake, like milk into curd. Brahman is
immutable and eternal. Therefore, It cannot change Itself into the
world. Brahman becomes the cause of the world through Maya, which
is Its inscrutable mysterious power or Sakti.

When you come to know that it is only a rope, your fear disappears.
You do not run away from it. Even so, when you realise the eternal
immutable Brahman, you are not affected by the phenomena or the
names and forms of this world. When Avidya or the veil of ignorance is
destroyed through knowledge of the Eternal, when Mithya Jnana or
false knowledge is removed by real knowledge of the Imperishable or
the living Reality, you shine in your true, pristine, divine splendour and
glory.

The Advaita—A Philosophy Without A Parallel

The Advaita philosophy of Sri Sankaracharya is lofty, sublime and

unique. It is a system of bold philosophy and logical subtlety. It is
highly interesting, inspiring and elevating. No other philosophy can
stand before it in boldness, depth and subtle thinking. Sankara’s
philosophy is complete and perfect.

Sri Sankara was a mighty, marvellous genius. He was a master of logic.

He was a profound thinker of the first rank. He was a sage of the
highest realisation. He was an Avatara of Lord Siva. His philosophy has
brought solace, peace and illumination to countless persons in the East
and the West. The Western thinkers bow their heads at the lotus-feet
of Sri Sankara. His philosophy has soothed the sorrows and afflictions
of the most forlorn persons, and brought hope, joy, wisdom, perfection,
freedom and calmness to many. His system of philosophy commands
the admiration of the whole world.