||om tat sat ||

Viveka Chudamani Slokas 208 -209

Sloka 208

अतो नायं परात्म स्यात् विज्ञानमय शब्धभाक् ।

विकारित्वात् जडत्वाच्च  परिचिन्नत्वहेतुतः।

दृश्यत्वात् व्यभिचारित्वात् अनित्यो नित्य इष्यते ॥ 208||

Sloka 208-

अतो नायं परात्म स्यात्

Therefore the Supreme Self cannot be 

 विज्ञानमय शब्धभाक् ।

the Intellectual Sheath spoken off so far

Why it cannot be the Supreme Self?

विकारित्वात्  - because it is subject to change ;

It is subject to happiness and sorrows, and birth and death. So being a subject to change it cannot be Supreme Self which is beyond these.

जडत्वाच्च -  because it is inert; 

 It shines because of its nearness to Self , but not shine on its own. So it cannot be that Self which shines on its own.

परिचिन्नत्वहेतुतः - for the reason it is limited;

The intellect is limited. So the intellectual sheath cannot be the unlimited  Supreme Self

दृश्यत्वात् - because it is an object of senses;

Because it perceives. It becomes part of the objects that are around forming bondages. So it cannot be the Supreme Self which is free of bonds.

व्यभिचारित्वात्  - because it is not constant;

It is not present in deep sleep. It may be present in waking state. Because it is not available at all times , it cannot be the Supreme self which is always present as the witness of all things.

अनित्यो नित्य न इष्यते - 

the noneternal cannot be agreed as eternal;

In conclusion it says that the non-eternal sheath of Intellect cannot be agreed to be as the Eternal Supreme Self

Sloka can be summarized as follows:

Therefore Intellectual Sheath spoken off so far, cannot be the Supreme Self.  Because it is subject to change, because it is inert, because reason it is limited, because it is an object of senses, because it is not constant, the non-eternal sheath of Intellect cannot be agreed to be as the Eternal Supreme Self.

After the sheath of Intellect only one more sheath is left that is the sheath of Bliss.

In order to understand how one may separate non self from Self, a discussion was initiated in Sloka 155, the describe the five sheaths beyond which Self is perceived . We will quickly summarize what has been stated so far.

(1) The first is the Annamaya Kosa ( Slokas 156  -166 ). That being a collection of bones and flesh both having a beginning and an end, it cannot be the Self without beginning and end.

(2) Pranamaya Kosa made up of Five karmendriyas , the organs of action and vital air ( Slokas 167-168) .  The five organs of action perform external actions. There are five associated internal functions namely inhalation, exhalation, digestion, circulation, expulsion. All functions of the body are powered by Prana. This is also associated with birth and death and so it is not eternal and hence not a place for Supreme Self.

(3) Manomaya Kosa  or sheath of Mind, it is made up of five organs of knowledge and mind ( Slokas 169-185)  . Mind is the source of all bondages. It cannot be the Supreme Self which is free from all bondages. 

(4) The Vignyanamaya Kosa or Sheath of knowledge , consists of Intellect and the organs of perception ( Slokas186-208). This Sheath of knowledge also is not the place of Supreme Self as seen in the last Sloka(208) 

So what is left is the Ananda Maya Kosa or the sheath of Bliss. Now this is discussed in the next few Slokas.

Sloka 209 

आनन्दप्रतिबिम्बचुम्बिततनुः वृत्तिः तमोजृम्भिता

स्यात् आनन्दमयः प्रियादि गुणकः स्वेष्टार्थलाभोदयः।

पुण्यस्यानुभवे विभाति मानन्दरूपः स्वयं

भूत्वा नन्दति यत्र साधुतनुभृन्मात्रः प्रयत्नं विना॥ 

This is a Sloka of four lines. we shall examine each line to understand the import of this Sloka. This is the first Sloka of Ananda Maya Kosa or sheath of Bliss.

आनन्दप्रतिबिम्ब - 

A reflection of the Bliss ( of the Self)

चुम्बिततनुः वृत्तिः - touched by the modification

तमोजृम्भिता - 

that rose from the Tamas ( ignorance ) 

स्यात् आनन्दमयः  - 

that is Anandamaya Kosa

This is about the reflection of the Bliss of Self that one experiences in Tamas ( deep sleep). This reflection of Bliss experienced is Anandamaya Kosa. In this state we are untouched by the all the organs of action and organs of knowledge like in deep sleep. In this state one experiences the reflection of the Bliss of self, not the original Bliss of Self.

It has the following qualities

प्रियादि गुणकः - 

Priya etc ( Priya , Moda, Pramoda)  are its qualities

When do these qualities arise?

स्व इष्टार्थलाभोदयः - 

That arise on gaining a desired object.

In Ananda maya Kosa,  Priya, Moda  Pramoda are the three qualities that arise on gaining a desired object. 

When do you gain the desired object?

पुण्यस्यानुभवे विभाति  कृतीनां- 

when the fruits of good actions manifest as the experience of the fortunate ones.

मानन्दरूपः स्वयं 

the forms of this happiness come spontaneously

what happens then ?

सर्वो नन्दति यत्र साधु  - 

in this state everyone feels happy

तनुभृन्मात्रः प्रयत्नं विना - 

happens for all being without effort

This reflection of Bliss experienced is Anandamaya Kosa.

Priya etc ( Priya , Moda, Pramoda)  are its qualities

That arise on gaining a desired object.

When the fruits of good actions manifest as the experience of the fortunate ones, the forms of this happiness come spontaneously

in this state everyone feels happy- 

happens for all being without effort

 

We now summarize the Sloka:

The sheath of Bliss , experienced in Tamas or ignorance, untouched by organs of action and knowledge, mind and intellect, is bit a reflection of the Bliss of Self. The attributes of this sheath are pleasure and rest, which presents itself when an object agreeable to one self presents itself. It makes itself spontaneously felt to the fortunate ones during fruition of their virtuous deeds. 

|| Om tat sat||