viSva, taijasa and prAjna

[Guest guest]

viSva, taijasa and prAjna (The three states of the jIva)

 

(Extract from translation of MadhusUdana sarasvatI's siddhAntabindu)

 

 

 

The jIva is threefold, as viSva, taijasa and prAjna, differentiated by the

secondary difference caused by their different limiting adjuncts. (The

significance of the expression 'secondary difference' is explained in the

note below). The jIva limited by avidyA, the inner organ (subtle body) and

the gross body, who identifies himself with the waking state, is known as

viSva. The same jIva, devoid of identification with the gross body, and

limited by the two adjuncts (avidyA and subtle body), who identifies himself

with the dream state is known as taijasa. When the jiva is devoid of the two

limitations of the gross body and the subtle body, is limited only by avidyA

which is limited by the samskAras in the mind, and is identified with the

state of deep sleep, he is called prAjna. The jIva (in all the three states)

is only one, and there is no difference in the jIva himself because there

are no independent limiting adjuncts for each of these states. (The meaning

is that the adjuncts in the waking state are three and out of the same three

adjuncts, two are present in the dream state and one in the deep sleep

state. So the adjuncts are not independent or mutually exclusive). Still,

because there are these secondary differences due to different limiting

adjuncts, the same jIva is referred to by different names in the different

states. The witnessing consciousness, however, is only of one nature, who is

aware of everything, permeates everything, and is called the 'fourth'

(because he is beyond the three states). There is no difference in him even

with different limiting adjuncts (for the jiva in the three states), because

his limiting adjunct is of the same nature. (The limiting adjunct of the

witnessing consciousness is sattvaguna which is always the same).

 

Note. The jIva has as limiting adjunct nescience limited by the inner organ

(mind) and the samskAras (impressions) in it. This can be called the

'independent' limiting adjunct which distinguishes one jIva from another

jIva. Each individual jIva has a separate limiting adjunct in the form of

his mind. Therefore one person cannot know another person's mind. But a

particular individual knows what he himself saw in dream and what he

experienced in sleep, even though the limiting adjuncts in the three states

are not identical. So the difference due to the different limiting adjuncts

of the same individual in his three states is called secondary difference

here.

 

Extracts from SrI Sankara's works on the three states are given on my

website http://www.geocities.com/snsastri under the main heading 'Terms and

Concepts in Vedanta' and sub-heading 'The three states'.

 

S.N.Sastri