The story so far ..!

The Tatvabhodha started with a Statement that we are going to expound the mode of enquiry ( Tatva viveka prakaaram ) to those qualified with Sadhana chatushtayam. The mode of enquiry ( tatva viveka prakaaram) is about the means of liberation. Then have seen what is meant by Sadhana chatushtayam. The one endowed with Sadhana chatushtayam then becomes qualified to receive tatva viveka prakaaram , the mode of enquiry into reality.

Then explaining about tatva vivekah , we hear about Self or Atma.

In explaining Self or Atma , it is explained that the self is other than three forms of the bodies Sarira Traya namely Sthula , Sukshma and karana Sarira. The Sarira Traya is then explained in Tatvabhodha 5 . The Self or Atma is also explained as the witness of the Avastha traya. The question about what is this Avastha Traya is explained in Tatvabhodha 6 !

The Self or Atma is also explained as something other than Pancha kosaha. Panchakosaha is explained in Tatvabhodha 7 .

Now the text of tatvabhodha 7 starts:

Tatvabhodha 7 : Pancha kosaha !

पंच कोशाः के ?
अन्नमयः प्राणमयः मनोमयः विज्ञानमयः आनंदमयः च इति ।

What are the five sheaths?

The five sheaths are " Annamaya", "Pranamaya", "Manomaya", "Vignyamaya", and "Anandamaya"

Kosa means covering . According to hindu philosophy the self is covered with five sheaths. Only when these covers are removed we understand the true nature of Self or Atman.

Again going back to the earlier notes ( tatvabhodha 4) the the definition of Self states that ...

पंचकोशातीत ह .. सह आत्म

That which is beyond the five coverings , is Atma !

So here we are trying to understand what are these five sheaths.
The cryptic answer is there.
These are.." Annamaya", "Pranamaya", "Manomaya", "Vignyamaya", and "Anandamaya"

We will go through each of these sheaths !

अन्नमयः कः
अन्नरसॆनैव वृद्धिं प्राप्य अन्नरूपपृथिव्यां
यद्विलीयते तदन्नमयः कोशः स्थूलशरीरं ।

(T) What is "Annamaya"?

That which achieves its growth from the essence of food and which merges in to the earth which is of the nature of food is called "annamaya Kosaha" the sheath made of food . That is the "Sthula sarira" or the gross body

Annamaya Kosha essentially refers to the Sthula Sarira or the Gross body which goes through processes of growth and decay . This is the sheath of the gross or physical body . The sheath of the physical body is dependent on food for its sustenance and lasts as long as it can absorb nourishment.

प्राणमयः कः ?
प्राणाद्याः पंचावयवः वागादिंद्रिय पंचकं प्राणमयः कोशः ।

What is "Pranamaya kosaha" ?
Prana etc namely the five vital airs and the speech etc namely five organs of action form the Pranamaya kosaha, the sheath of vital airs.

Pranamaya means composed of prana, the vital air, the force that vitalizes and holds together the body and the mind. It pervades the whole organism, its one physical manifestation is the breath. As long as this vital air exists in the organisms, life continues. Coupled with the five organs of action it forms the Vital air sheath or Pranamaya Kosaha.

The functions of the vital air are defined as five namely Prana , Apana , Vyana, Udana and Samana The regular breathing is controlled by Prana. The evacuation and rejection of all waste is controlled by Apana . Vyana controls the circulation of blood and nourishment . Udana controls all reactions like vomitting burping etc . Samana ensures that the the food eaten is digested and assimilated .

Thus the sheath of the vital air is the manifestation of the universal vital energy. It animates the gross body, making it inhale and exhale, move about, take in nourishment, excrete, and reproduce.

मनोमयः कोशः कः?
मनश्च ज्ञानेन्द्रिय पंचकं मिलित्वा यो भवति सः मनोमयः कोशः ।

What is "manomaya kosaha" ?

The mind and the five organs of intellect together from the "Manomaya kosaha" or the sheath of the mind - the mental sheath

Manomaya means composed of manas or the mind . The mind (manas) along with the five sensory organs is said to constitute the manomaya kosa. The manomaya kosa, or “mind-sheath” is said more truly to approximate to personhood than annamaya kosa and pranamaya kosha. Mind being the seed bed of all desires, it is the cause of diversity, of I and mine. A man’s bondage is caused by the mind, and liberation, too, is caused by that alone.

Thus the sheath of the mind or the Manomaya kosha is the seedbed of all desires. It is changeful, characterized by pain and pleasure, and has a beginning and an end.

विज्ञानमयः कः ?
बुद्धि ज्ञानेंद्रिय पंचकं मिलित्वा यो भवति सः विज्ञानमयः कोशः ।

What is "Vignyanamaya Kosaha" ?
The intellect together with five organs of intellect from the sheath of Intellect .

Vijnyanamaya means composed of Vignyana . Vignyana or intellect is the faculty which discriminates, determines or wills. So Vijnanamaya Kosha or the sheath of intellect is the combination of intellect and the five sense organs. It is the sheath composed of more intellect, associated with the organs of perception.

Vignyanamaya Kosaha pervades the three other sheaths ( Annamaya, Prana maya , manomaya kosaha ). And controls the three . The five sensory organs are common to Manomaya and Vignyanamaya Kosah. The mind with no control and discrimination leads to the changes and is thus prone to diversity. It is the intellect that can discriminate and that leads one to the path of "good".

आनंदमयः कः ?
एवमेव कारण शरीरभूता विद्यास्थमलिनसत्वं प्रियादिवृत्ति सहितं सत् आनंदमयः कोशः ।

What is "Anandamaya kosaha" ?
This is of the nature of the Karana sarira, and united with thoughts like Priya and so on , it is the sheath of "Bliss" or "Ananda"

Anandamaya means composed of "Ananda", or "bliss" . This sheath is the one associated with Karana Sarira or the causal body . In deep sleep, when the mind and senses cease functioning, it still stands between the finite world and the self. Anandamaya, or that which is composed of Supreme bliss, is regarded as the innermost of all. The bliss sheath normally has its fullest play during deep sleep while in the dreaming and wakeful states, it has only a partial manifestation. The blissful sheath or the Anandamaya Kosaha is a reflection of the Atman which is truth, beauty, bliss absolute.
!
एतत् कोश प्रपंचम् !

These are the five sheaths.

Going back to the definition of Atma or self , Self is the one beyond these the five sheaths. The five sheaths that hide the self can be in a different perspective. The five sheaths represent the evolution of the person in search of self. First one thinks of Annamayakosa itself as self and on reflection realises it is not so. Then he successively goes through Pranamaya kosa, Manomayakosa , Vignyanamaya kosaha realising that these are other than self. As he reaches Anandamaya kosaha experiencing the bliss of unattachment one ralises Self .

This is elaborated further

मदीयं शरीरं मदीयाः प्राणाः मदीयं मनश्च मदीया बुद्धिः मदीयं अज्ञानं इति स्वेनैव ज्ञायते
तद् यथा मदीयत्वेन ज्ञातं
कटक कुण्दल गृहादिकं स्वस्माद् भिन्नं
तथा पंचकोशाधिकं स्वस्माद् भिन्नं
मदीयत्वेन ज्ञातं आत्मा न भवति ।

The bangles , the earrings, the house etc known by me as mine are different from me , so too the "pancha kosa" known by me as my " sarira " , my "Prana" , my "manas" , my " buddhi" , my "ignorance' , - all these are different from me , the self or the Atman !!

Thus one discovers "self' or Atma by continuous discrimination.

This is summation of the definition of "self" or "Atma" arrived at a process of elimination.

So then what is "Self" or Atma ? - That forms the next part of the dialog.

अत्मा तर्हि कः?।
सच्चिदानंद ( सत् , चित् आनंद ) स्वरूपः ।

Then what is self ?
It is of the nature of "existence - sat" , " consciousness - chit" and "Bliss - Ananda" !

Having defined Self as what it is not , it is time to describe Self as what it is !. In so decribing we use three more words " sat ", "chit" and " Ananda" and we say "atma" is sat chit ananda svarupaha |

We now try to understand the three words Sat Chit Ananda.
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सत् किं ?
कालत्रये अपि तिष्ठति इति सत् ।

What is "sat" or what is "existence"?.
That which remains unchanged in the three periods of time

If we look back on our knowledge of "sadaa" whose root is "sat" we can easily grasp the meaning of "Sat" . Sadaa means always ! Sat means that which remains unchanged in the three periods of time namely the past , the present, and the future.

चित् किं ?
ज्ञानस्वरूपः।

What is chit or Conciousness?
It is the nature of knowledge ( gnyana svarupaha)

It is of the nature of knowledge,. Knowledge which is gained by the thought processes of the mind. These thoughts of the mind are also not known with out Atma or self. The thoughts come and go , but the self as the witness is unchanging.

आनंदः कः ?
सुखस्वरूपः ।

What is "Ananda"
It is of the nature of happiness or bliss

So if happiness is the nature of self , one can have the natural doubt why is that I donot experience the same all the time. That is because mind through the five sense organs and five organs of action finds objects which are seemingly desirable. In that process of chasing those objects we lose track of self . When we realize the irrelevance of those objects then we realize happiness without those objects. That is when we recognize the self

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एवं सच्चिदानंद स्वरूपं स्वात्मानं विजानीयात् ।

Thus one should know oneself to be of the nature of "existence consciousness and bliss" !

Thus ends the elaboration on knowing Atman as sachidananda svarupa !

Having intitially defined as what it is not, the Acharya definesAtma in possitive terms. Atma is Scahidananda svarupa !!

om tat sat !!