Commentary on the Panchadasi: 17. Swami Krishnananda.

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Monday 06, Oct 2025, 20:00.
BOOKS
UPANISHAD 
Discourse - 4
Chapter 1: Tattva Viveka – Discrimination of Reality.
Mantras 28-43
Mantras 34
SWAMI KRISHNANANDA
Post-17.

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34.

Syāt pañcī kṛta bhūtottho dehaḥ sthūlo'nnasaṁ jñākaḥ, liṅge tu rājasai prāṅaiḥ prāṅaḥ karmen indriyaiḥ saha (34). 

In the beginning of his commentary on the Brahmasutra, Acharya Sankara makes a statement. He uses the words tadatmya adhyasa, mutual superimposition, in the context of the explanation of there being no possibility of consciousness becoming matter or matter becoming consciousness. The knower cannot become the known, and the known cannot become the knower; but somehow we mix up these two aspects.

The known appears to be somehow or other moving in the direction of something in space and time, and locates it outside, so that consciousness appears to be object consciousness, while it cannot become an object; and the other way around, we become attached to the object, as if we are the object itself. The more we are attached to an object, the more we become the object. The consciousness has lost its Self-consciousness. It has moved into the object and become the object, so the more is the attachment, the more is the objectivity of ours, and the more is the Self-consciousness lost.

This physical body, which is made of the quintup-licated physical elements known as the annamaya kosha, the physical sheath, which is gross in its nature, is the outermost sheath. In the internal sheath, which is subtler, constituted of the rajasic principles of prana together with the karmendriyas enumerated yesterday, we have another body altogether.

Pure physicality is in the outermost body. The rajasic element is predominating in the subtle body, which consists of the five senses of knowledge, the five senses or organs of action, together with the mind and the intellect. This is called the linga sarira. It is called linga because it indicates what kind of person we are. Our sense organs, ten in number, and our mind and intellect indicate what kind of person we are. They are mostly shining through our face, and the face is the index of one's personality. This is the subtle body, linga.

35.

Sātvi kair dhīr indriyaiḥ sākaṁ vimar śātmā mano mayaḥ, taireva sākaṁ vijñāna mayo dhīr niścayā tmikā (35).

The mental body is inside the physical and the vital bodies, and it consists of the mind and the five senses of knowledge. The five senses of knowledge and the mind constitute the mental body. The intellectual body is also constituted of the five senses of knowledge, plus the mind. Whatever is in the mind is also in the intellect, together with the five senses of knowledge. That is, there is an intimate connection between the mental sheath and the intellectual sheath. They are like the elder brother and the younger brother. Internal to the subtle body is the causal body, as we have noted already.

36.

Kāraṇe sattvamānanda mayo modādi vṛttibhiḥ, tattat kośaistu tādāt myād ātmā tat tanmayo bhavet (36). 

It is called anandamaya kosha because we feel bliss when we enter into it. We have seen the joy of sleep. The bliss of sleep is superior to the bliss of a meal that we take, or a position that we occupy in society, or wealth that we may possess, etc. No joy of the world such as food, land and property, money or social position can equal the happiness of sleep. If we do not sleep for days, we will see what happens. All our desire for lunch and wealth, etc., will vanish, and we would like to sleep rather than have anything else. The reason is that it is only in the state of deep sleep that the consciousness is totally dissociated from the sheaths. That is why we are so happy. In all other conditions, we are associated with the sheaths. Therefore, we cannot have so much happiness either in dream or in waking.

In this karana-sarira, we experience joy when we are fast asleep. This ananda, or the Bliss of the Atman, manifests itself faintly in the outer sheaths when we feel happiness in the presence of a desirable object. When that desired object is seen with the eyes, we feel happiness, called priya. When the object that is desired is coming near us, we feel a more intense happiness than the earlier happiness, which is called moda. When the object is completely in our possession, we have the most intense form of happiness, and that is called pramoda. These are the three degrees of happiness that we experience in this world—priya, moda, pramoda: when the desired object is seen, when it is moving near, or when it is under our possession. This is how the anandamaya kosha works even in dream and waking. But in deep sleep, it is a total dissociation of consciousness. Therefore, the deepest sleep is the greatest happiness. When the consciousness of the Atman is identified with the causal body, it looks like it is asleep. When it is identified with the intellect, it looks as if it is arguing, understanding, studying, etc. When it is identified with the mind, it is thinking. When it is identified with the vital body, it is breathing and living. When it is identified with the physical body, it is having all the problems of the outer world.

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Continues

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