Chandogya 6.8.7 Tattvamasi per Shankara [work in progress]

स य एषोऽणिमैतदात्म्यमिदः सर्वं तत्सत्यः स आत्मा तत्त्वमसि श्वेतकेतो इति भूय एव मा भगवान्विज्ञापयत्विति तथा सोम्येति होवाच ॥ ७॥ इति अष्टमः खण्डः ॥८॥

sah yah esah anima;

aitadatmyam idam sarvam; 

tat satyam, sah atma; 

tat tvam asi, svetaketu iti

6.8.7. 'That which is this subtle essence, all this has got That as the Self. That is Truth. That is the Self. Thou art That, O Śvetaketu.'

[this will be repeated in 6.9.4, 6.10.3, 6.11.3, 6.12.3, 6.13.3, 6.14.3, 6.15.3, 6.16.3]

Shankara: Sah yah, that which has been spoken of as Existence; is eșah, this; animă, subtle essence, the Source of the universe. 

Sarvam, all, idam, this; aitadātmyam, has got That as the Self. All that has got this Existence as its Self is etadātmā. The state of having That as the Self is aitadātmyam.

This whole universe has become possessed of a Self through this Self which is called Existence; it has no other Self which is subject to transmigration. (This follows from other Upaniṣadic texts such as, 'There is no other hearer but This, no other thinker but This' (Br. III.8.11)). 

And the Self through which all this universe becomes possessed of its Self (Existence), tat, That itself is the source called Existence; satyam, the Truth, the supreme Reality. 

Hence sah, that indeed; is ātmā, the Self of the world, its inmost essence, its quintessence, its very reality, because the word Self, when not preceded by any other word, conventionally denotes the inmost Self, like the conventional words cow etc. 

Hence tvam, thou; asi, art; tat, that Existence; śvetaketo, O Śvetaketu.

6.9.4

Entering into which those creatures return again, and entering into that which is of the nature of subtleness, which is Existence, and which is the Self, others who are different from them, whose attention is fixed on Existence which is the true Self, do not return, 'sah, that; yah, which is; eșah, this; anima, subtle essence', etc. has already been explained (VI.8.7). 

As in the world, somebody sleeping in his own house, having got up and gone to another village knows that he has reached some other village, and feels, 'I have come from my own house', similarly, why do not the creatures have the consciousness, 'I have come from Existence'?

6.10.3

It is seen in the world that ripples, waves, foams, bubbles, etc. rise on the water, and become identified with it again, i.e. they become destroyed. But the creatures, although they go to their causal state every-day in deep-sleep, death, and dissolution, do not get destroyed 

6.11.3

As it has been shown in this illustration of the tree, a tree is said to be living when it remains associated with a soul and continues unwithered, drinking sap etc. And when bereft of that it is said to be dead. 'Somya, O good-looking one; viddhi, know (this); evam eva khalu, verily as such'; iti uvāca ha, this he said. 'Jīva-apetam, when separated from the soul, detached from the soul; vāva kila, surely; idam, this body; mriyate, dies. Na jīvah mriyate iti, but the soul does not die. For it is seen that a man, who still has some works un-finished, completes it after having woken up from deep-sleep, remembering, 'This residual work of mine remains unfinished.' And from the fact that no sooner are creatures born than they hanker after breast-feeding, and have fear etc. it is understood that they possess memory of the experiences of breast-feeding and suffering in past lives. Moreover, since rites like Agnihotra etc. have some purpose to serve, it follows that the soul does not die.

How again, is this very gross world, bearing such names and forms as earth etc. born from Existence which is very subtle, real in nature, and devoid of any name and form?

6.12.3

'If that Existence is the root of the world, why is It not perceived? O venerable sir, please explain this to me again with the help of an illustration.

6.13.3

That which', etc. is to be explained as before. 'If in this way, although Existence which is the root of the world is not perceived through the organs, like the subtleness of salt, It can be experienced through some other means, then what is the means for realizing That by realizing which I shall become fulfilled, and by not realizing which I shall remain unfulfilled? 

6.14.3

Please explain to me over again, with the help of an illustration, the process by which a person having a teacher becomes united with Existence.

6.15.3

Although merger in Existence is similar in the cases of a man of Knowledge and a man of ignorance, still, the ignorant man returns, but not the wise one.

6.16.3

The Self, by remaining steadfast in which, or by not being so, one gets release or bondage respectively, That which is the root of the universe, That which is the abode and basis of all creatures, That which is the quintessence of all, and That which is birthless, immortal, fearless, auspicious, and nondual, tat satyam, That is Truth; sah ātmā, That is your Self. Therefore, tat tvam asi, Thou art That; śvetaketo, O Śvetaketu.' This sentence has been explained more than once.

Who again is that Śvetaketu, denoted by the word 'thou'?

It is he who knows himself as, 'I am Śvetaketu, the son of Uddālaka', and who, after hearing the instruction, thinking over it and understanding it, asked his father for knowing what has not been heard of and thought of, and remains unknown, 'Venerable sir, how is that instruction imparted?' He who has become entitled to be the hearer, the thinker, and the knower, is none other than the supreme Deity himself, who, in the form of a reflection has entered into the aggregate of body and organs made up of fire, water, and food,--of the universe, and is One without a second', since the two (ideas) are contradictory. Because, when the Self, One without a second, is realized as 'I am This', then, the idea of differences, such as, 'This thing is different from me', 'This has to be accomplished by me', or, 'By doing this I shall enjoy its results', are not logical. Therefore it is reasonable that, when the true knowledge of the non-dual Self as Existence is realized then, the false, mutable knowledge of the Self as the individual soul ceases.

~tr. Gambhirananda

Beyond the Mystic

The mystical isn't real. It's just the last stop on the way. 

Happiness is a C-plus. Joy is pretty much a solid B. Ecstasy is B-plus.

They say ecstasy is almost bliss. Bliss is limitless.

As the vital breath is the glue holding the body and mind together.

The subtle body of the buddhi is reflecting brahman.

Happiness, joy, and ecstasy are our three states of reflected bliss, love.

scene 4

Ravens are whirling in this medicine wheel. Rattlesnakes are turning ouroboros.

Big Sur waves are crashing like Jack Kerouac. Monterey is popping.

Basho in Matsushima. The Bhagavad Gita on Walden Pond.

Footnotes to 3/not 2

Gaudapada says the two states of sleeping are deep sleep and dreaming. The two states of dreaming are sleeping and waking.

I minus nescience equals God minus Maya. Tattvamasi says the Chandogya.

Cosmic consciousness is mystical and ecstatic, far beyond the body, breath, mind, and intellect, but not real. See Taittiriya 2.6.1.

Three Divided by Not Two

1. The Power of Three

The holy trinity of nonduality is atman, brahman, and oh, maya.

Consciousness, existence, and the bliss of limitlessness are not three but the incalculable nature of brahman triangulated.

Further, waking, dreaming, and deep sleep are three states of consciousness appearing in the so-called fourth, turiyam.

2. Attributes

Gaudapada says the two states of sleeping are deep sleep and dreaming. The two states of dreaming are sleeping and waking.

I minus nescience equals God minus Maya. Tattvamasi, says the Chandogya.

Cosmic consciousness is mystical and ecstatic, far beyond the body, breath, mind, and intellect, but not real. See Taittiriya 2.6.1.

3. Beyond the Mystic

The mystical isn't real. It's just the last stop on the way. 

Happiness is a C-plus. Joy is pretty much a solid B. Ecstacy is B-plus. 

They say ecstacy is almost bliss. Bliss is limitless.

4.

The vital breath is the glue holding the body and mind together. The subtle body of the buddhi is reflecting brahman. Happiness, joy, and ecstasy are the three states of reflected bliss, aka love. Bliss is unconditional love.

Panchakosha in Vivekacudamani (translation by Prabhavananda / Isherwood)

translation by Prabhavananda / Isherwood (edited):

Wrapped in its five coverings, beginning with the physical, which are the products of its own Maya, the Atman remains hidden, as the water of a pond is hidden by a veil of scum.

When the scum is removed, the pure water is clearly seen. It takes away a man's thirst, cools him immediately and makes him happy. 

When all the five coverings are removed, the pure Atman is revealed. It is revealed as God dwelling within; as unending, unalloyed bliss; as the supreme and self-luminous Being.

The wise man who seeks liberation from bondage must discriminate between Atman and non-Atman. In this way, he can realize the Atman, which is Infinite Being, Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Love. Thus he finds happiness. 

The Atman dwells within, free from attachment and beyond all action. A man must separate this Atman from every object of experience, as a stalk of grass is separated from its enveloping sheath. Then he must dissolve into the Atman all those appearances which make up the world of name and form. He is indeed a free soul who can remain thus absorbed in the Atman alone.

...

This body is the "physical covering". Food made its birth possible; on food it lives; without food it must die. It consists of cuticle, skin, flesh, blood, bone and water. It cannot be the Atman, the ever-pure, the self-existent. 

It did not exist before birth, it will not exist after death. It exists for a short while only, in the interim between them. Its very nature is transient, and subject to change. It is a compound, not an element. Its vitality is only a reflection. It is a sense-object, which can be perceived, like a jar. How can it be the Atman-the experiencer of all experiences?

...

THAT covering of the Atman which is called "the vital covering" is made up of the vital force and the five organs of action. The body is called "the physical covering". It comes to life when it is enveloped by the vital covering. It is thus that the body engages in action. 

This vital covering is not the Atman-for it is merely composed of the vital airs. Air-like, it enters and leaves the body. It does not know what is good or bad for itself, or for others. It is always dependent upon the Atman.

...

THE mind, together with the organs of perception, forms the "mental covering". It causes the sense of "I" and "mine". It also causes us to discern objects. It is endowed with the power and faculty of differentiating objects by giving them various names. It is manifest, enveloping the "vital covering"

The mental covering may be compared to the sacrificial fire. It is fed by the fuel of many desires. The five organs of perception serve as priests. Objects of desire are poured upon it like a continous stream of oblations. Thus it is that this phenomenal universe is brought forth. 

Ignorance is nowhere, except in the mind. The mind is filled with ignorance, and this causes the bondage of birth and death. When, in the enlightenment of the Atman, a man transcends the mind, the phenomenal universe disappears from him. When a man lives in the domain of mental ignorance, the phenomenal universe exists for him. 

In dream, the mind is emptied of the objective universe, but it creates by its own power a complete universe of subject and object. The waking state is only a prolonged dream. The phenomenal universe exists in the mind. 

In dreamless sleep, when the mind does not function, nothing exists. This is our universal experience. Man seems to be in bondage to birth and death. This is a fictitious creation of the mind, not a reality. 

The wind collects the clouds, and the wind drives them away again. Mind creates bondage, and mind also removes bondage. 

The mind creates attachment to the body and the things of this world. Thus it binds a man, as a beast is tied by a rope. But it is also the mind which creates in a man an utter distaste for sense-objects, as if for poison. Thus it frees him from his bondage. 

The mind, therefore, is the cause of man's bondage dage and also of his liberation. It causes bondage when it is darkened by rajas. It causes liberation when it is freed from rajas and tamas, and made pure...

The "mental covering", therefore, cannot be the Atman. It has a beginning and an end, and is subject to change. It is the abode of pain. It is an object of experience. The seer cannot be the thing which is seen.

...

THE discriminating faculty with its powers of intelligence, together with the organs of perception, is known as the "covering of intellect". To be the doer is its distinguishing characteristic. It is the cause of man's birth, death and rebirth. 

The power of intelligence that is in the "covering of intellect" is a reflection of the Atman, the pure consciousness. The "covering of intellect" is an effect of Maya. It possesses the faculty of knowing and acting. It always identifies itself entirely with the body, sense-organs, etc.

It has no beginning. It is characterized by its sense of ego. It constitutes the individual man. It is the initiator of all actions and undertakings. The states of waking and dreaming belong to this "covering of intellect". It experiences joy and sorrow. 

Because of its sense of "I" and "mine", it constantly identifies itself with the body, and the physical states, and with the duties pertaining to the different stages and orders of life.

This "covering of intellect" shines with a bright light because of its proximity to the shining Atman. It is a garment of the Atman, but man identifies himself with it and wanders around the circle of birth, death and rebirth because of his delusion. 

The Atman, which is pure consciousness, is the light that shines in the shrine of the heart, the center of all vital force. It is immutable, but it becomes the "doer" and "experiencer" when it is mistakenly identified with the "covering of intellect". 

The Atman assumes the limitations of the "covering of intellect" because it is mistakenly identified with that covering, which is totally different from itself.

This man, who is the Atman, regards himself as being separate from it, and from Brahman, who is the one Atman in all creatures. An ignorant man, likewise, may regard a jar as being different from the clay of which it was made. 

By its nature, the Atman is forever unchanging and perfect. But it assumes the character and nature of its coverings because it is mistakenly identified with them. Although fire is formless, it will assume the form of red-hot iron.

...

THE "covering of bliss"' is that covering of the Atman which catches a reflection of the blissful Atman itself. Nevertheless, this covering is a creation tion of our ignorance. Its nature consists of the various degrees of happiness which are experienced when a desired object is gained. Its blissful nature is spontaneously felt by righteous men when they reap the reward of their good deeds. It expresses that joy which all living beings may experience without making any effort towards it. 

The "covering of bliss" is fully revealed to us in the state of deep sleep. It is partially revealed in the waking and the dreaming states, when any desirable object is being enjoyed. 

This "covering of bliss" cannot be the Atman, for the following reasons: it has limitations; it is an effect of Maya; its joyful nature is experienced as the result of good deeds; it is of the same kind as the other coverings, which are all products of Maya.

...

IF WE reason and meditate on the truth of the scriptures, transcending all the five coverings of ignorance, we realize the ultimate Existence-which which is the Atman, the witness, the infinite consciousness. 

The Atman is self-luminous, distinct from the five coverings. It is the witness of the three states of consciousness. It is existence, changeless, pure, ever-blissful. It is to be realized by the man of discrimination as the Atman within himself.

Panchakosha from Taittiriya Upanishad (translation by Chinmayananda with afternotes by Nikhilananda)

Verses II. i. 3. to II. v. 2. describe the five sheaths which constitute the embodied creature. They are the sheaths of food or matter, the prana or vital breath, the mind, the intellect, and bliss-arranged in telescopic manner, one inside another. The outer derives its reality from the inner. Brahman is the innermost reality; It is untouched by any of the sheaths, but is the unrelated ground of all. The physical sheath cannot function without being energized by the sheath of the prana, or vital breath; the mind directs the prana, and the intellect controls the mind; the intellect is dependent upon bliss.

~Nikhilananda

II.

i.

1. Om, the knower of Brahman attains the Supreme. With reference to that, is the following hymn recited: Brahman is the Truth, Knowledge and Infinity. He who knows It as existing in the cave of the heart in the transcendent ākāśa, realises all his desires along with omniscient Brahman.

2. From that (which is) this Ᾱtman, is space born; from ākāśa, air; from air, fire; from fire, water; from water, earth; from earth, herbs; from herbs, food; and from food, man.

3. He indeed is this man consisting of the essence of food. This is his head. This is his right wing. This is his left wing (side). This is his trunk. This is the hind part forming his support and foundation. About this also is the following Vaidika verse.

ii.

1. All beings that exist on earth are born of food. They, thereafter, live by food; again, they ultimately go back to it and merge to become food. So, verily, food is the eldest of all the creatures. On that ground it is called the medicament for all. Those who meditate on Brahman as food, indeed obtain all food. From food all beings are born, having been born, they grow by (consuming) food. Food is that which is eaten by the beings and also that which in the end eats them; therefore, food is called annam.

2. Other than that (soul) made up of the essence of food there is an inner soul (sheath) made of the prāṇa. With it this is filled. This (prāṇamaya) is of the same form as the previous. Its human form is exactly as the human form of the former. Of that, prāṇa is the head, vyāna is the right side, apāna the left side, ākāśa is the trunk, earth is the tail or the support. About this also there is the following Vaidika verse.

iii.

1. Through prāṇa, the gods (indriyas) live and so also do men and the animal kingdom. Prāṇa is verily the life of beings. Therefore, it is called the universal life or the life of all. Those who meditate on Brahman as prāṇa come to live the full span of their life. Prāṇa verily is the life of beings. Therefore, it is called universal life or the life of all.

2. Of that former (annamaya), this prāṇamaya is the ātman. Different from this prāṇamaya – self made up of the prāṇas, there is another self constituted of the mind. With that self made of mind, the prāṇamaya is full. This also is of the form of man. Its human form is according to that of the former. Of it, Yajus is the head, Ṛk is the right side, Sāman is the left side, the scriptural injunction (ādeśa) is the trunk and the group of hymns of Atharva-vada is the tail and the support. There is the following Vaidika verse about it.

iv.

1. Whence all the speech turns back with the mind without reaching It (the eternal Truth, the Brahman), He who knows the bliss of eternal Truth, the Brahman, fears not at any time. This mind is the embodied soul of the prāṇamaya. Of this (prāṇamaya) the manomaya is the Self.

2. Different from that made up of mind (manas) is another inner soul made up of intelligence (vijñāna) and by that this (manomaya- self) is filled. It also has the shape of man. According to the human shape of the previous, is the human shape of this one. Faith (śraddhā) is its head, righteousness (ṛtam) its right side, truth (satyam) its left side, yoga is the trunk and total intellect (mahaḥ) is the tail and the support. There is this following Vaidika verse about it.

v.

1. Knowledge performs the sacrifices and it is the real agent of all the physical activities. All the ‘gods’ worship Knowledge as Brahman, the eldest. If a man knows Knowledge as Brahman and if he does not swerve from it, he attains all desires and comes to abandon all the sins in the body.

2. Of That, of the former, this one verily is the embodied self. Different from this self made up of intellect (vijñānamaya) is another self within, formed of bliss (ānandamaya). By this, that is filled (by ānandamaya the vijñānamaya is full). It also has the shape of man. According to the human form of that is the human form of this. Of it, joy (priya) is the right side, rejoicing (moda) is the left side, and bliss (pramoda) is the trunk. Brahman is the tail support. There is this following Vaidika verse about it.

vi.

1. If he knows Brahman as non-existent, he becomes himself non-existent. If he knows Brahman as existent, then (they) the world knows him to be existent. Of the former (ānandamaya kośa), the Self is the essence.

~tr. Chinmayananda

Nikhilananda Notes:

2.1.3 The aim of the Upanishads is to teach a man the nature of Brahman, which is his inmost self. But his mind is identified with the various physical objects of the outer world. Without a visible symbol he cannot fix his mind on the transcendental Consciousness. Thus the visible body is described as a symbol of Atman. In this particular verse, the physical man is pictured as a bird, which resembles a sacrificial fire. This fire-arranged in the form of a hawk, a heron, or some other bird-has a head, two wings, a trunk, and a tail, The Taittiriya Upanishad describes all the different sheaths in a like manner. 

2.2.2 The use of the word sheath (kośa) is apposite because the kośa resembles a scabbard which holds within it a sword. Four other sheaths will be described, one after another, in order to point out the innermost Self, or Atman, which is identical with Brahman and is beyond the body, the vital breath, the mind, the intellect, and bliss. The Upanishad here follows a process by which the external chaff is removed in order to reveal the innermost kernel. The five sheaths, though not Atman, are described as such, in a figurative sense, from the relative standpoint. They appear to be conscious, like Atman, because of their close proximity to Atman, as iron filings near a magnet appear to be active.

2.3.1 The word gods denotes such divinities as the gods of fire, water, etc. Prana signifies vāyu, or air. The meaning of the passage is that the gods breathe or become active after being energized by the prana, or air. Or, since the chapter deals with the soul, the word gods may mean the senses, and prana, the vital breath. The meaning would then be that the sense-organs become endowed with life through the vital breath. // The passage indicates that even the animals possess life and a soul. They too are endowed with five sheaths, presently to be described the subtle abiding within the gross, the inner permeating the outer -all of which are conjured up by avidyā, or ignorance. The innermost essence behind the sheaths is Atman, eternal and unchanging, which is defined as "Reality, Knowledge, and Infinity," and which belongs to human beings and animals alike.

2.5.2 The word ānandamaya (consisting of bliss) has the same termination (maya) as annamaya (consisting of food), pranamaya (consisting of prāna), etc. Therefore the sheath of bliss is also a change or modification, like the sheaths previously mentioned. It is not Ātman, or Brahman. Secondly, the Upanishad speaks of attaining the sheath of bliss. Therefore this sheath is an object and not Brahman. Thirdly, the sheath of bliss is described as being endowed with a head, a right wing, etc. Brahman is utterly devoid of parts. Fourthly, Brahman is described in the scriptures as being devoid of all attributes (Br. Up. II. iii. 6; III. viii. 8); but this is not true of the sheath of bliss. Lastly, Brahman is mentioned in the text as the support or tail of this sheath. Therefore the sheath of bliss is an effect, like the other sheaths, and not the Pure Brahman. Ananda, or bliss, is the fruit of knowledge and action. The sheath of bliss describes Brahman in Its aspect of the enjoyer. Though pure in Itself, Brahman becomes the enjoyer in the phenomenal realm by identifying Itself with the sheath of bliss.

2.6.1 Brahman is the ultimate support of the five sheaths. These sheaths have been described in order to demonstrate the transcendental Brahman. Through the contemplation of the sheath of bliss, the aspirant ultimately realizes the Pure Brahman. The example is given of the luminous ray of a gem, which is mistaken for the gem itself, but by following which one ultimately reaches the gem. Beyond the sheath of bliss there exists the Pure Brahman, which transcends all duality and is the substratum of the phenomenal universe.

Scene 3

In a Valley in Vermont, the Green Mountain Boys

and Girls are playing Bluegrass like Kentucky Derby Day.

Dead Flowers and Autumn Leaves,

Pink Cadillacs and an Urge for Going,

Turn, Turn, Turn.

Thus Speaks The Panchakosha.

Scientific theories concerning consciousness are a dime-a-dozen but cost millions and millions. In advaita, theories are created to be deconstructed.

Searching in vain for their holy grail, scientific materialism is all for nothing if consciousness is not proven to be a creation of the material world.

Consciousness is the ground of existence. The proof is your self. Neither body, breath, mind, intellect, nor ecstasy is atman. Thus speaks the panchakosha.

The body is neither immortal nor immutable. 

The vital breath is both inner and outer. Atman is neither nor in-between.

Ignorance of reality resides in the mind, projecting a universe and all the gods. 

The intellect knows only the dark—until enlightened by the satguru.

Happiness, joy, and ecstasy are like kissing the mystical reflection of limitless bliss.

On Anandamaya Kosa (bliss sheath) from Vivekacudamani

THE "covering of bliss"' is that covering of the Atman which catches a reflection of the blissful Atman itself. Nevertheless, this covering is a creation of our ignorance. Its nature consists of the various degrees of happiness which are experienced when a desired object is gained. Its blissful nature is spontaneously felt by righteous men when they reap the reward of their good deeds. It expresses that joy which all living beings may experience without making any effort towards it. 

The "covering of bliss" is fully revealed to us in the state of deep sleep. It is partially revealed in the waking and the dreaming states, when any desirable object is being enjoyed. 

This "covering of bliss" cannot be the Atman, for the following reasons: it has limitations; it is an effect of Maya; its joyful nature is experienced as the result of good deeds; it is of the same kind as the other coverings, which are all products of Maya.

~tr. Parabhavananda / Isherwood

Chinmayananda:

Now the ānandamaya kośa is being described. Ᾱnandamaya kośa is also a vṛtti, a mental disturbance; ‘vṛtti’ means ‘thought’. Even during deep sleep there are thought waves. The prāṇa, the mind and the intellect are annihilated or transcended.

Samādhi is a state wherein all thought waves have totally stopped. Deep sleep is not samādhi; during deep sleep there are yet subtle vṛtties in the intellect. These vṛtties can be said to be bliss thoughts (ānanda vṛtti).

At these moments, the bliss of Infinitude is tasted a little. Śaṅkara, in his poetic exuberance says, “The ripples of thought waves arising out of tamas in our mind, kiss the reflection of the bliss of Infinitude. This is the characteristic of the ānandamaya kośa.”

Priya, moda and pramoda are different degrees of happiness experienced when we come in different degrees of contact with the objects of our liking.

A lover sitting in his home and thinking of his beloved feels happy. Though the beloved is far away, to think of the beloved is happiness. In English, we may call this pleasurable emotion felt in the bosom as ‘pleasure’ (priya).

When the beloved, the object of our liking is in front of us, the pleasure is intensified and that intensified pleasure is called ‘moda’, in English let us call it ‘joy’.

And when we are actually indulging in or enjoying, when the object of our pleasure is in our possession, that pleasure is naturally, most intensified. This maximum intensity of joy is called ‘pramoda’, again in English let us call it ‘ecstasy’.

When we are in dreamless deep sleep, we are in the bliss sheath. Our experience in deep sleep is, ‘I don’t know.’ ‘I know nothing’ is our only experience in deep sleep. None of the things that one generally experiences as objects, emotions and thoughts are there. So absence of things and utter ignorance are the nature of this sheath.

Dayananda:

The ānandamaya is described in this verse. Ānandamaya is a specific vṛtti, born of tamas, avidyā- tamojṛmbhitā. All the vṛttis are born of avidyā only.

Ānanda-pratibimba is reflection of ānanda. So ānandamaya is a vṛtti which is pervaded by reflected ānanda. Ānandamaya is not svarupānanda, it is a particular vṛtti. 

There are a lot of people who translate the word ‘ānanda’ as bliss which is not correct. Bliss itself is a vṛtti-viśeṣa, whereas the ānanda is the nature of the ātmā and not a vṛtti. In the sentence ‘satyaṁ jñānam anantam brahma’, the word ‘ananta’ stands for ānanda. Ananta means that which is free from any limitation. That is the nature of ātmā. Therefore, limitlessness, wholeness, fullness is the meaning of the word ‘ānanda.‘

The common experiential ānanda one gets is also a mātra, fraction of the vṛtti viśeṣa, a particular state of mind, and is limited in terms of time also. So it is time-bound. Again there are degrees in the experiential ānanda. Therefore we have different words like - pleasure, happiness, joy, etc. All these are vṛtti-viśeṣas with different degrees of intensity. In the experience of any ānanda, the fullness of the ātmā is manifest and that is what is sought after by all.

When what you like is in sight, there is a vṛtti-viśeṣa called priya. Labhe modaḥ, when what you like is gained or very nearly gained then there is the vṛtti called moda. And when you experience the thing you like then the vṛtti that rises in your mind is pramoda. So, all these are vṛtti-viśeṣas born in the wake of desirable objects. Since the vṛtti is born, there will be nāśa, destruction for it. Even when you gain the desired object, you may find it not very desirable; there is again the nāśa of that vṛtti-viśeṣa. All this is a set-up to prove that these priyādi vṛttis are not exactly the ānanda that we are talking about.

Similarly, ānanda being the nature of ‘I’ is never away from ‘I’. So, the statement ‘I was happy’ is a mistake. That is why ānandamaya becomes a kośa. The ānandamayasya-kośa is very clearly manifest in deep sleep, ānandamayasya sphūrtiḥ utkaṭā suṣuptau. In the deep sleep the ānanda is unaffected by any other vṛtti, because no other vṛtti is there. The ahaṅkāra is resolved in sleep, so all the notions about the self are resolved. In sleep there is no identification with the body, etc, so problems related to body, etc are not there. And therefore ānanda is predominant in sleep.

Similarly, in sleep, the ānanda that obtains is nothing but svarupānanda. The only difference is that in sleep there is no other vṛtti to vitiate this ānanda whereas, in waking and dream, there are degrees of resolution and subsequent vṛttis that inhibit the quality and the duration of ānanda.

In both waking and dream you have a judgement about yourself which also stifles the ānanda. In sleep, however, there is nothing to stifle it; so it is uninhibited.

There is a great enthusiasm to go to sleep but there is a reluctance to get up. From this we understand that sleep must be an island of joy which we want to enter into but are reluctant to get out of.

This ānandamaya cannot be the para-ātmā, naiva ayam ānandamayaḥ parātmā. This is negation of ānandamaya. At every level there is negation. Why can it not be parātmā? Sopādhikatvāt, because it has got an upādhi. The upādhi is the mind. Vṛtti-viśeṣa, a particular vṛtti of the mind is the upādhi of ānandamaya.

frm Taittiriya 2.5.1

In fact, ānandamaya is the self which is other than and interior to that vijñānamaya. The vijñānamaya is filled up by the ānandamaya. This ānandamaya also is of human form only. It is of human form in keeping with the human form of that vijñānamaya. A pleasant disposition indeed is its head. Joy is the right wing. Ecstasy is the left wing. Ānanda is the trunk. Brahman is the tail (as it were) which is the support. In this regard, there is the following mantra.

207. The ānandamaya kośa (bliss sheath) is that modification of nescience which is kissed by a reflection of the Ᾱtman, which is Bliss Absolute. Pleasure and so on, are its attributes and it springs into expression when an object agreeable to it presents itself. The fortunate feel it spontaneously when the fruits of their good actions manifest. Every being, without the least effort, derives great joy from it.

208. The ānandamaya kośa is fully manifest in the deep sleep state. While in the dream and waking states it is only partially manifest depending upon the sight of pleasing objects and so on.

~tr. Chinmayananda

On Vijnanamaya Kosa (Intellectual sheath) from Vivekacudamani

buddhirbuddhīndriyaiḥ sārdhaṁ savṛttiḥ kartṛlakṣaṇaḥ vijñānamayakośaḥ syāt puṁsaḥ saṁsārakāraṇam (186)

buddhiḥ- the buddhi; buddhīndriyaiḥ sārdham - along with the sense organs; savṛttiḥ - with the thought modifications; kartṛlakṣaṇaḥ - characterised as doer; vijñānamaya kośa; - is the vijñānamaya-kośa; puṁsaḥ - for the person; saṁsārakāraṇam - cause of saṁsāra; syāt - would be. 

186. The buddhi with its thought modifications and the organs of perception is the vijñānamaya-kośa which is of the nature of the doer and the cause of saṁsāra for the person. 
~tr. Dayananda

184. The intellect with its modifications along with the organs of perception forms the intellectual sheath (vijñānamaya kośa). It has the characteristics of ‘the agent’ (or doer) which is the cause for transmigration. 
~tr. Chinmayananda (numbering scheme variation)

The discriminating faculty with its powers of intelligence, together with the organs of perception, is known as the "covering of intellect". To be the doer is its distinguishing characteristic. It is the cause of man's birth, death and rebirth.
~tr. Prabhavananda / Isherwood

Commentary:

Here the word ‘vijñānamaya’ is used in the sense of both the doer and the enjoyer. The identification here is with the aham-vṛtti, ‘I’ thought; therefore the vijñānamaya is aham-vṛtti-viṣaya, the locus of ‘I’ thought. Being the locus of ‘I’ thought, it becomes the subject- knower and doer. Everything else is idam-vṛtti or object, which is looked upon as ‘this,’ something different from me.

The Taittirīyopaniṣad says, ‘vijñānam yajñam tanute karmāṇi tanute‘pi ca,’ the vijñānamaya is the one who performs all the actions, vaidika as well as the laukika. The vaidika karmas are purely scriptural or religious like agnihotra, etc. The laukika karmas are the actions like bathing, cooking, eating, etc. The vijñānamaya performs all these activities and enjoys their results. Therefore the vijñānamaya is the central figure in the whole complex of human life.

It is unlike the ātmā which is free from any vṛtti. Vijñānamaya means there is aham-vṛtti or ‘I’-sense. Again it is kartṛ-lakṣaṇāḥ - the one who is characterised as kartā, doer, as the subject. Kartā does not mean only doer, it also stands for knower, seer, hearer, etc. So it is the subject.

It becomes the cause of saṁsāra for the person, puṁsaḥ saṁsāra-kāraṇam syāt. The vijñānamaya can keep the person in saṁsāra forever or it can free the person also. It is the cause for both the perpetuation of saṁsāra as well as its elimination.

The vijñānamaya being a kartā is the villain of the piece to cause saṁsāra. He is the one who is given the upadeśa, teaching, of ‘tattvamasi.’ The upadeśa is not given to the manomaya because it is a mere instrument. The teaching has to come from outside. The vijñānamaya himself cannot recognise, ‘I am Brahman.‘

~Dayananda

anuvrajaccitpratibimbaśaktiḥ vijñānasañjñaḥ prakṛtervikāraḥ jñānakriyāvān ahamityajasraṁ dehendriyādiṣvabhimanyate bhṛśam (187) 

vijñāna-sañjñaḥ - The kośa known as vijñāna; anuvrajat-citpratibimba-śaktiḥ - is the power of reflected consciousness that has entered it; prakṛteḥ - of prakṛti; vikāraḥ - modified form; jñāna-kriyāvān - has knowledge and action; aham iti - as ‘I’; ajasram - always; deha-indriyādiṣu - in the body, sense organs, etc; bhṛśam - totally; aham iti - as ‘I’; abhimanyate- identifies. 

187. This kośa known as vijñāna has the power of illumining due to the reflected consciousness which has entered it; it is a modified form of prakṛti having the function of knowledge and action and always identifies totally with the body, sense organs, etc as ‘I’.
tr. Dayananda

185. Accompanied by1 a reflection of the light of Cit, the intellectual sheath is a modification of prakṛti. It is endowed with the function of knowledge and is always completely identified with the body, sense organs and so on.
~tr. Chinmayananda

The power of intelligence that is in the "covering of intellect" is a reflection of the Atman, the pure consciousness. The "covering of intellect" is an effect of Maya. It possesses the faculty of knowing and acting. It always identifies itself entirely with the body, sense-organs, etc.
~tr. Prabhavananda / Isherwood

Commentaries:

The vijñānamaya is conscious of everything. It is the one which has got the power of illumining everything because of consciousness borrowed from the cit. Vijñānamaya is one in which the cit, the caitanya, has entered as though. It has got the cit-śakti or power of consciousness, even though borrowed.

The vijñānamaya is the modified form of the prakṛti or avidyā alone, prakṛter-vikāraḥ: Among all the vṛttis of the antaḥkaraṇa, the vijñānamaya is the main vṛtti. Also it is jñāna-kriyāvān, one who does the act of knowing. He is the knower who uses all the means of knowledge and gathers knowledge.

All the attributes of the physical body are assumed by the vijñānamaya. Similarly, he identifies with the prāṇa, senses, and mind, and assumes their attributes. All the attributes of the body-mind-sense-complex are loaded on the ātmā. The vijñānamaya becomes the ātmā until one knows the real ātmā.

It is very difficult to make the person even to see the fact that the ātmā is to be understood and that it is other than the vijñānamaya. Īśvara’s grace alone makes him listen to this. One may undergo psychotherapy but not the ātmā-vicāra. Until Īśvara-anugraha, grace of the Lord is gained, crossing the vijñānamaya cannot take place.

~Dayananda

The vijñānamaya kośa is constantly accompanied by the reflection of the light, Cit, Consciousness. Consciousness is all-pervasive at all times. The world of plurality floods up within it, as it were. Consciousness reflected in the intellect is intelligence, just as the electricity reflected in or functioning in the bulb is light.

The matter vestures cannot function by themselves in the absence of Consciousness. They are, after all, composed of inert cells. The intelligence is there only because of the Consciousness playing through the intellect in us. The matter equipment, the intellect, becomes brilliant because of the light of Consciousness. The intellect by itself has no intelligence, it is like a mirror in darkness.

The function of the intelligence, the vijñanamaya kośa is ‘to know‘. Jñāna is its main function. It gives rise to the concept of ‘I, the knower’. The mind projects the world of objects and the intellect illumines them with its intelligence which is reflected in the light of Consciousness and there arises the notion of, ‘I know’. This process of mental projection and intellectual recognition goes on at all times and the feelings of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ are created.

~Chinmayananda

An edit of Prabhavananda / Isherwood translation of 188 onward:

It has no beginning. It is characterized by its sense of ego. It constitutes the individual man. It is the initiator of all actions and undertakings. The states of waking and dreaming belong to this "covering of intellect". It experiences joy and sorrow. 

Because of its sense of "I" and "mine", it constantly identifies itself with the body, and the physical states, and with the duties pertaining to the different stages and orders of life.

This "covering of intellect" shines with a bright light because of its proximity to the shining Atman. It is a garment of the Atman, but man identifies himself with it and wanders around the circle of birth, death and rebirth because of his delusion. 

The Atman, which is pure consciousness, is the light that shines in the shrine of the heart, the center of all vital force. It is immutable, but it becomes the "doer" and "experiencer" when it is mistakenly identified with the "covering of intellect". 

The Atman assumes the limitations of the "covering of intellect" because it is mistakenly identified with that covering, which is totally different from itself.

This man, who is the Atman, regards himself as being separate from it, and from Brahman, who is the one Atman in all creatures. An ignorant man, likewise, may regard a jar as being different from the clay of which it was made. 

By its nature, the Atman is forever unchanging and perfect. But it assumes the character and nature of its coverings because it is mistakenly identified with them. Although fire is formless, it will assume the form of red-hot iron.

Seer Solar Metaphor Chidabhasa-Chaitanya Knower

1. Seer Solar Metaphor

Consciousness is the sun.

And reflected consciousness is the moon.

The sun is that self-shining witness and unmoving mover. 

The moon is the knower of the dark.

Moonlight is the mind shining on maya.

Or through it with truest viveka.

a. Viveka: Discrimination between the Real and the unreal, between the Self and the non-Self, between the permanent and the impermanent; right intuitive discrimination; ever-present discrimination between the transient and the permanent. ~Sivananda

b. Not a fan of the english translation of discrimination for viveka. The word has been abused by jim crow in america. Discernment is an alternative definition but it sounds passive to these ears. Viveka is much more alive. Long live the sanskrit.

2. Chidabhasa-Chaitanya Knower

If brahman is equivalent to space, kutastha is equivalent to that space in a jar.

In this language, brahman is turiyam, and kutastha is the sakshi.

Consciousness reflects in the buddhi and is called chidabhasa-chaitanya, the knower.

a. footnotes from Svananda's Glossary of Sanskrit Terms:

Brahman: The Akhandaikarasa Satchidananda, the Absolute Reality; the Truth proclaimed in the Upanishads; the Supreme Reality that is one and indivisible, infinite, and eternal; all-pervading, changeless Existence; Existence-knowledge-bliss Absolute; the substratum of Jiva, Isvara and Maya; Absolute Consciousness; it is not only all-powerful but all-power itself; not only all-knowing and blissful, but all-knowledge and bliss itself. ~S

Kutastha: Absolutely changeless; He who is found without exception in all creatures from Brahma or the creator down to ants and Who is shining as the Self and dwells as witness to the intellect of all creatures, rock-seated, unchanging; another name for Brahman.

Turiya: Superconscious state; the noumenal Self of creatures which transcends all conditions and states; oneness.

Sakshi: Witnessing principle; seer; Kutastha which passively observes the actions of the body and the senses; witness.

Buddhi: Intellect; understanding; reason.

Chidabhasa: Reflected consciousness; the reflection of intelligence (Jiva).

Chidabhasa-chaitanya: Reflection of consciousness from Kutastha-Brahman.

3. Paraverse Prophecy

Brahman is pure intelligence. 

The pure intelligence of the witness reflects within diaphanous dreamstuff of the buddhi and this intellect is the knower. 

Pure intelligence is the witness. Reflected intelligence in the intellect is the knower. Reflected knowing is artificial intelligence. Can this superintelligence build a better buddhi?

Pancadasi Notes

• Upanishadic Creations

• Kūṭastha in the Pancadasi

• Isvara and the Bliss Sheath (P6:155-170)

• Free Will and the Will of Isvara (P6:174-179)

• Knowledge of Reality and Not Otherwise (P6:209-219)

• Experiencing Nonduality (P6:246-256)

• Knowledge of Reality is Essential (P6:281-288)

• Seven Stages of Enlightenment (P7:28-47)

• Doer & Enjoyer (Pancadasi 7:194-236)

• The Doer: Talks on Pancadasi 7:194-236

• The Jivanmukti Creed (radical edit of Pancadasi 7:252-295)

• Krishnananda on Individual Consciousness (Commentary on Pancadasi 8)

• Pancadasi Translations for Kindle (and Print)

• The Creatrix

• Isvaraverse

• This Is Called Intuition

• Space-time Body-Mind Maya

• Mahavakya Story

• Modifying Atman

• To Isvara...

• To Knowing: Talks on Pancadasi P7:31-44

• Talks on Pancadasi 7:91-93

• Consciousness Only Knows

• Brahman, Kutastha, & Chidabhasa

• On Individual Liberation (I, I Am, & I Am X): Pancadasi 7-1/18 According to Tejomayanada

• Paraverse on Pancadasi

bbb

Devatmasakti 2026

Through Duality

-One comes to nonduality through duality. One word is all it takes to make the silence dual.

-They say it takes a mind to remove a mind. Throw both thorns away.

-Maya is neither existence nor non-existence. Brahman's power is double-edged today.

To One Half-Awake

-Events happen in timelessness. The mind connects them with its spider silk of spactime faster than the speed of manifesting light.

-Every sleeping dream is like being in an art performance. Then every sleeping dream is like an art performance. Now every waking dream is like being in an art performance.

-In other words, sleeping dreams seem like waking dreams as they're happening. And the waking dream feels like reality to one half-awake.

Devatmasakti Om

-Every individual reflection of consciousness exhibits a point of view born of subtle genetic material and social mind-conditioning. Cain slays Abel and so on.

-Disidentifying with an ego is like waiting for Godot. Listen to a Mantropanisad while you wait: Kena, Katha, even Svetsvatara.

-Devatmasakti! Consciousness is me. Existence is you. Atman is Brahman. Om.

Devatmasakti 2026

Every individual reflection of consciousness exhibits a point of view born of subtle genetic material and social mind-conditioning. Cain slays Abel and so on and so on.

Disidentifying with an ego is like waiting for Godot. Listen to a Mantropanisad while you wait: Kena, Katha, even Svetsvatara.

Devatmasakti! Consciousness is me. Existence is you. Atman is Brahman. Om.

To One Half-Awake

Events happen in timelessness. The mind connects them with its spider silk of spactime faster than the speed of manifesting light.

Every sleeping dream is like being in an art performance. Then every sleeping dream is like an art performance. Now every waking dream is like being in an art performance.

In other words, sleeping dreams seem like waking dreams as they're happening. And the waking dream feels like reality to one half-awake.

Through Duality

One comes to nonduality through duality. One word is all it takes to make the silence dual.

They say it takes a mind to remove a mind. Throw both thorns away.

Maya is neither existence nor non-existence. Brahman's power is double-edged today.

On Laws of Physics and Verities of Love

The power of universal consciousness is the principle of existence manifesting as the laws of physics

and the verities of love.

The power of individual consciousness is beginningless ignorance spontaneously realizing.

Only consciousness is real. Universal consciousness is the stuff of myth. Individual consciousness is complete nescience.

footnotes

It's just as much stopping thinking as not thinking stopping

and thinking is a dangerous tool when left to an untrained mind.

If this thinking appears in that consciousness as I know it does, 

am I this individual or am I that?

draft

THE POWER OF UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS IS THE PRINCIPLE OF EXISTENCE MANIFESTING AS THE LAWS OF PHYSICS AND THE VERITIES OF LOVE

the power of individual consciousness is beginningless ignorance spontaneously realizing

Scientific materialism is all about the laws of physics. Love is all about the verities of love. 

Only consciousness is real. Universal consciousness is the stuff of myth. Individual consciousness is complete nescience.

To the Individual, Universal, and Absolute

Brahman is the name of an awareness so clear it would blow my mind if I ever stopped thinking about it.

This individual consciousness is what it takes in the big picture of things called Maya for awareness to be self-aware as it is.

In the name of Brahman, Saguna and Nirguna, supreme god of universal consciousness and absolute awareness, I sing.

foonotes

1. 

the power of universal consciousness is the principle of existence manifesting as the laws of physics

and the verities of love

2. 

it's just as much stopping thinking as not thinking stopping

and thinking is a dangerous tool when left to an untrained mind

3.

if this thinking appears in that consciousness

as I know it does, am I an individual or am I that 

4.

THE POWER OF UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS IS THE PRINCIPLE OF EXISTENCE MANIFESTING AS THE LAWS OF PHYSICS AND THE VERITIES OF LOVE

the power of individual consciousness is beginningless ignorance spontaneously realizing

5.

Scientific materialism is all about the laws of physics. Love is all about the verities of love.

Only consciousness is real. Universal consciousness is the stuff of myth. Individual consciousness is complete nescience.

Cross-secting Reality

A wave is this imaginary entity within the sea not knowing it's the sea.

In duality, the buddhi turns to ego and the inner instrument, subdividing into mind and intellect and memory, and so on and so on and scooby dooby shakti of three.

It appears as if the self goes through unawareness to get to self-awareness but that's a cross-section of reality and not the whole, that is whole, this is whole.