4. In the tradition of Yoga and Upanishads, this concept of panchkosa is
described in Taittereya Upanishad where in the teacher Varuna the
father is guiding the student Bhrugu in his search reality .
Taittereya Upanishad
5. ⢠the son asks the father what is most
fundamental stuff of this universe
from which all creation has come.
⢠The father leads him on through
hints to perform Tapas (internal
research) to find out an experiential
answer to the question.
6. The son goes into silence and comes back to
the father with an answer that
âANNAM BRAMHETI VYAJAANATâ
all this universe is made up of âAnnaâ
(matter). everything in the universe is make
of âannaâ everything comes out of Anna,
everything sustained by Anna and
everything dissolves into Anna.
âANNAM BRAMHETI VYAJAANATâ
7. ⢠Father is very happy that the son has been
able to arrive at FIRST common principle of
the external universe.
⢠This matter (anna) based aspect of our
physical personality is called.
Annamayakosha.
⢠Annamayakosha consists of five elements
(panchamahabhootas) namely the earth,
water, fire, wind and fire. This is normally
nourished by the gross food that we
consume.
8. the subtler and smallest unit of annamaya kosa is our DNA that makes
up the genes in our chromosomes, and then there lie the cellular
organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems and the gross physical
body. Thus annamaya kosa is the physical frame which is the grossest
of the five kosas.
9. Father Varuna says âmy dear son, there is something
more subtle than âANNAâ what you have discovered,
please go on and carry on with your researchâ.
10. Bhrgu after a long research comes back and says
âOh, father, it is the prana- âPRANAM BRAMHETI
VYAJAANATâ the life energy, from which even the
gross annamaya Kosa comes outâ. Prana the life
energy
âPRANAM BRAMHETI VYAJAANATâ
11. ⢠Father is very happy that the son has been able to
arrive at SECOND common principle of the universe.
⢠The body may be there but without life of prana it is
gross useless.
⢠The vital energy or life energy which sustains not only
the gross physical body but which is the basic fabric of
this universe
⢠both inside and outside our body is the Prana.
⢠This Pranamaya kosa forms the layer which is subtler
than the annamayakosa.
12. ⢠This life force governs the
functions in the subtlest part of
annamaya kosha
⢠such as the expression of genes
⢠production of proteins
⢠cellular metabolism to a grosser
physiological function of
enzyme
⢠hormone secretion,
⢠digestion, excretion, sensations
etc.
⢠The right flow of prana or
energy is required to maintain
the normal homeostatic
functions in the body
13. Father Varuna says âmy dear son, there is something
more subtle than âPRANAâ what you have discovered,
please go on and carry on with your researchâ.
Bhrgu is now guided by his father to go back for tapas.
14. He returns after long penance and says âoh. My Guru, I realise that
â MANO BRAMHETI VYAJAANATâ Manas(mind) is the source of
everythingâ. This is called monomaya kosa.
â MANO BRAMHETI VYAJAANATâ
15. ⢠Father is very happy that the son has been able
to arrive at THIRD common principle of the
universe
⢠The body, prana may be there but without mind
it is useless.
⢠This is the aspect of oneâs personality wherein
the mind carries on its different functions such
as perception (manaha),memory (Citta) and
ego(ahankara)
⢠Mind,
⢠which is defined as a conglomeration of
thoughts responds to the input through sense
organs.
16. For example, you see a big red flower, eyes send the image to the brain and
the mind perceive it as a beautiful rose. Within the next fraction of a second
your memory describes that it was a very rare variety of rose which you
wanted to see badly. The thought circulates in mind and citta which soon goes
on to make you feel âoh, it is so beautiful, I like it, I love it, and I want itâ. This
component of the manomaya kosa
17. Father Varuna says âmy dear son, there is something more
subtle than â MANASâ what you have discovered, please go
on and carry on with your researchâ.
Bhrgu is now guided by his father to go back for tapas
18. Now through intense long tapas, Bhrgu realise
that it is â VIJNANAM BRAMHETI VYAJAANATâ
all the Vijnana (knowledge) from where which
the entire creation has happened
Vijnanamaya kosa is the fourth layer of our
existence.
â VIJNANAM BRAMHETI VYAJAANATâ
19. ⢠Father is very happy that the son has been
able to arrive at FOURTH common principle
of the universe
⢠The body,prana,mind may be there but
without knowledge it is useless.
⢠It is this component of the mind that has
developed in human race greatly that
differentiates man from animals.
⢠It is our intellect or the discriminative part of
our mind which guides us, to differentiate
between right and wrong, good and bad and
⢠use our freedom of choice to move towards
long-term sukha or happiness.
20. We all have two minds. For e.g., when the manomaya kosa said
that âit is a beautiful rose, I want to have it.â And you started
instructions your hands to pick up the flower, the inner mind
saidâ sorry, you cannot pluck that flower; it does not belong to
you; it is from then neighbourâs gardenâ and you stopped that
action. This conscious within that continuously guided us to do
a thing of not to do a thing is the Vijnanamaya kosa.
21. This also the kosha that is often covered by ignorance and wrong
knowledge leading to wrong perception, wrong thinking and
conflicts. The aim of a sadhaka would be to unravel the veils of
ignorance and in pursuit of right knowledge of his existence and
eternal happiness.
Father Varuna says âmy dear son, there is something more subtle
than â VIJNANAâ what you have discovered, please go on and carry
on with your researchâ.You have just a few steps to go ahead, you are
in the right direction.Bhrgu is now guided by his father to go back for
tapas
22. This time Bhrgu never returns. The Varuna goes to check
why the son has not come back. He was surprised to see that
Bhrgu is completely established in the knowledge of the final
truth that Ananda is the basic stuff of this universe from
which everything has been created
â ANANDAM BRAMHETI VYAJAANATâ
23. ⢠This is called Anandamaya kosa The subtlest of all
kosas â
⢠the bliss layer of our existence.
⢠a state of total silence, a state of complete harmony
and perfect health.
⢠This layer is often experienced without awareness in
our deep sleep where there seems to be no existence
of time, space or thoughts and there is only silence
⢠that is reflected as bliss for short time.
⢠The goals of our sadhana should be to experience
this inner primordial happiness at all times.
COMPLETE HEALTH
26. ⢠ANANDAMAY KOSA: In anandamaya kosa a man is
healthiest with perfect harmony and balance of all
kosas.
⢠VIJNANAMAYA KOSA: This kosa channlised in the
right direction.