Prakriti and Creation process Part-III

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(Continued from the previous post)

 

58. On account of the preponderance of inertia observed in them,1

their cause also must have an excess of the quality of darkness

(tamas). At that time2 the qualities of sattva, rajas, and tamas are

reproduced3 in ether etc., in accordance4 with the law that the

qualities of the cause determine the qualities of the effect. This

text explains how the ignorance associated with Consciousness which is

the cause of ether, etc., is considered to have a preponderance of tamas.

 

1.Them—Ether etc.

 

2.At that time—-At the time of creation.

 

3.Reproduced—-The five elements though containing the particles of

sattva and rajas have a preponderance of tamas. In comparison with the

other elements, akAsha contains the greatest amount of sattva and the

earth the greatest amount of tamas.

 

4.In accordance etc.—Indian philosophy says that the cause is turned

into the effect. Therefore the qualities of the cause produce the

qualities of the effect.

 

59. These1 are called subtle2 matter, rudimentary3 elements

(tanmatrAs) and uncompounded (apanchIkrita) elements.4

 

1.These—Ether, air, fire, water, and earth as originally projected.

 

2.Subtle—As yet unable to participate in any action. When first

evolved these elements have no gross forms.

 

3.Rudimentary—The elements in their rudimentary state { tanmAtra )

possess only their own characteristic attributes. Thus the

rudimentary ether (AkAsha) is endowed with the quality of sound only.

 

4.Uncompounded elements—-The rudimentary elements, when first evolved,

are unmixed, with one another. The gross ether is a combination of the

original subtle ether with the other four subtle elements in a fixed

proportion. This will be explained later on.

 

60.From these subtle elements are produced subtle bodies and gross

elements.

 

THE NATURE OF THE SUBTLE BODIES

 

61.The subtle bodies are what are known as the linga-SharIras

seventeen component parts.

 

62.The component parts (of the linga-SharIra) are the five organs of

perception, the intellect, the mind, the five organs of action, and

the five vital forces.

 

63.The five organs of perception are the ears, the skin, the eyes, the

tongue, and the nose.

 

64.These1 are produced separately2 in consecutive order from the

sattva particles of ether etc.

 

1.These—The five organs of perception.

 

2.Separately—The ears are produced from the sattva particles of ether,

the skin from those of air, the eyes from those of fire, the tongue

from those of water, and the nose from those of earth, as opposed to

mind, etc., which are produced from a combination of all the elements.

 

65.Intellect (buddhi) is that modification of the internal

instrument (antaHkarana) which determines.2

 

1.antahkarana—The inner organ, of which Cilia, buddhi, manas, and

ahamkdra are the different aspects.

 

2.Determines—The real nature of an object.

 

66. The mind (manas) is that modification of the internal instrument

which considers the pros and cons of a subject (sankalpa and vikalpa1).

 

1 sankalpa and vikalpa—These two terms can be explained either in

relation to thought or action. When a person cannot determine whether

a particular object is this or that or when he cannot determine

whether he will perform a particular action or not, then the aspect of

the internal organ called manas is said to function.

 

67. The mind-stuff (chitta) and egoism (ahamkAra) are included in the

intellect {buddhi) and the mind (manas) respectively.

 

68.Memory (chitta) is that modification of the inner organ which

remembers. This is included in buddhi or the intellect.

 

69.Egoism (ahamkAra) is that modification of the inner organ which is

characterised by Self-consciousness.

 

The word antahkarana-vrtti means a modification of the inner organ.

According to the Vedanta philosophy when an organ perceives an object

the mind transforms itself into the object. When, for instance, the

eye sees a pot the mind projects itself through the eye and takes the

form of the pot. When the Antah-karana becomes absolutely sure of the

existence of the pot then it is known as buddhi, but when it cannot

determine whether it is a pot or something else, then it is called

manas. Similarly when the antahkarana remembers an object it is

denoted as Citta. Lastly, when it establishes the relationship of " I "

or " mine " with the object as, for example in, " I know the object, " " I

am happy " or " mine is the happiness, " it is known as ahamkAra.

 

70.These,1 be it noted, are produced from the combination of

the sattva particles of ether etc.

 

1 These—The manas etc.

This text shows that these also are material objects.

 

71.On account of their being luminous1 they2 are said to be the

products of the sattva particles.

 

1 Luminous —Cp. " Of these the quality of sattva, from its purity, is

luminous and healthy " (Gita 14. 6).

They—The five organs of perception as well as the manas etc.

 

72.This intellect (buddhi) together with the organs of perception

constitutes the intelligent1 sheath2 (vijAnamayakoSha).

 

1.Intelligent—buddhi or intellect is called

vijnAnamaya (intelligent) as it is the product of sattva and has an

excess of luminosity owing to its association with the organs of

perception.

 

2.Sheath—Because it covers the Self like a sheath.

 

73. This vijnAnamayakoSha on account of its being conscious that it is

an agent2 and enjoyer and that it is happy or miserable etc., is

called the phenomenal jlva (the individual self) subject to

transmigration to this and the other worlds.

 

1.VijnAnamayakoSha— The jlva or the embodied being is, accord

ing to the Vedanta philosophy, Pure Consciousness limited by or

reflected in this koSha.

 

2.Agent~Cp. vijnAnam yajnam tanute, karmAni tanutepi cha- " The VijnAna

(intelligence) performs sacrifice. It also performs all works "

(Tait. Up. 2. 5).

 

3.Phenomenal—As opposed to pAramArthika or absolute reality.

From the absolute standpoint the jIva is identical with Brahman as

set forth in the famous line brahma satyam jganmithyA jivo brahmaiva

nAparaH:—`' Brahman alone is real and the world is an illusion. The

Jiva is nothing else but Brahman. " As such the jIva cannot have any

consciousness of agency, enjoyment, pain etc. We impute this to it

from the empirical standpoint of the world. " He, imitating the

intellect, wanders between the two worlds, as if thinking, as if

moving " (Br. Up. 4. 3. 7). This identity with Brahman is realised only

in samAdhi.(This is a controversial issue attributed to the author and

some advaitins. Thanks in advance for not starting discussion on this

issue :-)

 

For the characteristics of the Jiva, according to Sankara, refer to

his commentary on vedAnta sutrAs 2.3.10—20, 30—50: 3.2.5—10.

 

74. The mind with the organs of perception constitutes the mental

sheath {manomayakoSha).

 

75. The organs of action are the organs of speech, the hands, the

feet, and the organs of evacuation and generation.

76. These1 are produced separately in consecutive order from the

active {rajas) particles of ether etc.

 

1.These—-The organs of actions. They have been produced separately

from the rajas particles of ether, air, fire, water, and earth

respectively.

 

77.The five vital forces are the PrAna, apAna, vyAna, udAna, and samAna.

 

78.prAna is that vital force which goes upward and has its seat at the

tip of the nose.1

 

1.Nose—Really prAna has its seat in the heart. Cp- pranaH hridaye

" prAna is in the heart " (Tait.Br. 3.10.8.5). But its presence is

directly felt at the tip of the nose.

 

79. apAna is that vital force which goes downward1 and has its seat

in the organs of excretion. 1 Downward—Below the navel.

 

80.vyAna is that vital force which moves in all directions and

pervades the entire body.

 

81.udAna is the ascending vital force which helps the passing out from

the body and has its seat in the throat.1

 

1.Throat—Though at the time of death the subtle body may pass out

through any part of the body, yet the throat is most often this exit.

 

82.samAna is that vital force, which assimilates food and drink

and has its seat in the middle of the body.

 

83. Assimilation means digestion of food and its conversion into

chyle, blood, and other materials of the body.These five vital forces

are really one, but they are differently named on account of their

different functions.

 

84.Others1 say that there are five more vital forces known as nAga,

kUrma, Krukala, dEvadatta, and dhananjaya.

 

1.Others—The followers of the Sankhya philosophy.

 

85.Of these Naga is that which causes vomiting or eructation, kUrma

opens1 the eye-lids, krukala creates hunger, dEvadatta produces

yawning and dhananjaya nourishes the body.

 

1.Opens etc.—and closes them.

 

86.Some1 say that on account of their being included2 in Prana etc.,

the vital forces are really five in number.

 

1.Some—The school of Vedantins.

 

2.Included—The Sruti also, contrary to the Sankhya philosophy,

declares that the vital forces are only five in number, viz prAna,

Apana, etc. Cp. Br. Up. 1.5.8.

 

87.These five vital forces, viz Prana etc., are produced from the

combination of the active (Rajas) particles of ether etc.

prAna etc. are, therefore, material objects.

 

88. These five vital forces such as Prana etc., together with the

organs of action, constitute the vital sheath (prAnamayakoSha1). Its

active nature2 shows that it is the product of the particles of Rajas.

 

1.prAnamayakoSha — prAnamaya means consisting of the PrAnas

or vital forces.

 

2.Active nature—Such as movement, progression, etc.

 

89.Among these sheaths, the intelligent sheath (vijnAnamayakSha) which

is endowed with the power of knowledge1 is the agent; the mental

sheath (Mano-mayakoia) which is endowed with will-power2 is the

instrument; and the vital sheath (prAnamayakosa) which is endowed with

activity is the product. This division has been made according to

their respective functions.3 These three sheaths together constitute

the subtle body.4

 

1.Power of knowledge—vijnAna or intelligence has this power on account

of its proximity to the Atman.

 

2.Will-power—Will is a function of the mind. Cp. kamaH sankalpo

vichikitsA— " Desire, resolution, doubt, etc. all these are

modifications of the mind " (Br. Up. 1.5.3).

 

3.Respective functions—The agency of the intelligent sheath has

been established on the ground of its closeness to the Atman. The

Self (perceiver) in spite of the presence of the sense-organs and the

object can perceive the object only when the mind is attached to it.

Therefore the mind is the instrument. The objects are always

present before the perceiver. But it is the mind alone which cognises

them. As people say, " My mind was elsewhere, I did not see; my

mind was elsewhere, I did not hear. " The vital sheath is the pro

duct, as the following Shruti passage speaks of the prAna or the vital

force as the product of speech and mind. " They (speech and mind)

became united and out of that union PrAna was born " (Br. Up.

1.5.12).

 

4.Subtle body—This accompanies the Jiva during transmigration.

 

90. Here also the sum total of all the subtle bodies, when looked upon

as one,1 like a forest or a reservoir, is called samaShti or aggregate

and when viewed as many, like the trees or quantities of water, is

called vyaShti or individual. As in the case of ignorance, all the

subtle bodies that are in the universe may be looked upon collectively

or individually, like a forest and the trees that form it, or like a

reservoir and the quantities of water that make it up. In the former

case it is an aggregate or totality, and in the latter it denotes the

different individuals. Consciousness that identifies itself with this

aggregate as an undivided whole, is known as hiranyagarbha, whereas

the Consciousness that identifies itself with each of the subtle

bodies is called taijasa.

 

1.Looked upon as one—That the subtle bodies may be looked upon as one

and as many is borne out by the following Shruti passages: lingam vai

mano yatra niShktamasya- " To whatever object a man's own mind is

attached " (Br.Up. 4.4.6); anantam vai manoanantA vishve devAH— " The

mind is endless, and the viShvadevas are endless " (Br.Up. 3.1.9).

That the aggregate and the individuals are but different modes of

looking at the same principle is known from the following Sruti

passage: vAyureva vyashtirvAyureva samaShtiH— " vAyu is each individual

and vAyu is the aggregate " (Br. Up. 3.3.2).

 

(To Be Continued....)