Ribhu Gita Brahma had a son by name Ribhu. Ribhu, by his very nature, possessed a sound knowledge of Brahman. Nidagha, the son of Maharshi Pulastya, was a disciple of Ribhu. Pleased with the good qualities of Nidagha, Ribhu instructed his disciple fully in the knowledge of the Brahman. Ribhu found out that his disciple, though proficient in all the scriptures, was not steady in the knowledge of the Brahman, because he was not able to cognise the one Reality underlying the various objects of the Universe. Nidagha went and settled himself in Viranagar on the banks of the river Devika and began to lead an ideal life bearing in mind at all times the duties of a true householder. After the lapse of a long time Ribhu went to Viranagar with the object of seeing his disciple Nidagha. Nidagha was waiting at the gate in expectation of a guest after duly performing his daily sacrificial rites. Nidagha welcomed Ribhu warmly and took him inside the house. Nidagha duly worshipped the noble guest and humbly requested him to take his dinner. Ribhu said, O Brahmin! Please tell me what kind of food you will serve me today. I do not relish unholy foods. Nidagha said, I have got in my house wheat-flour, maize, fruits, roots and loaves of bread. Of these whichever you like I shall be pleased to serve you with. Ribhu said, I do not want all these useless food-stuffs. Give me good sweets, rice boiled in milk, curds, molasses and other delicious articles. Then Nidagha said to his wife, O mistress! Soon make ready a very palatable and savoury meal for our guest today with the best of articles available in the house. According to the wishes of her husband, Nidagha’s wife prepared the dinner and he fed Ribhu sumptuously. When Ribhu had just finished his dinner Nidagha humbly requested him thus: O my venerable guest! Was the food tasty? Are you fully satisfied? Where do you live? Where are you proceeding now and wherefrom are you coming? Ribhu replied, He who is hungry becomes satisfied when he takes a hearty meal. I was never hungry at all and why do you put me this question? When by the constant working of the Jatharagni (digestive fire) the digestive organs get tired, man feels hungry and when the water in the system gets exhausted he feels thirsty. Hunger and thirst are the Dharmas of the body and not mine. Since there is no hunger at all for me, I am always satisfied. Pleasure and satisfaction are the functions of the mind. I am not the mind too. Enquire then about these things whose Dharma is satisfaction, pleasure etc. Now hearken to me about the other questions ‘Where do you live? Where do you go? And wherefrom are you coming?’ Atman or the Self is all-pervading like the ether and therefore these questions do not at all apply to It. The questions themselves are without basis. I do not go anywhere. I do not come from any place and I do not remain in any one place. These differences of ‘I’, ‘he’ and ‘you’ are in respect of the different bodies and not in reality. The truth is that you are not you. I am not myself nor is he another different from the other two. A sweet thing is not always sweet. When I requested of you sweet rice etc., my intention was simply to know what you would say. For the really hungry man everything is palatable. The same food which is palatable once begins to give the reverse impression the next moment. When man has taken food to his heart’s content even the most delicious food causes retching. Thus the tasty food becomes non-tasty and vice versa. Further, is there any such food which is uniformly tasty in the beginning, middle and end? This physical body made of earth is kept up by food which is also earth particles in reality. Just as the wall built out of clay is kept strong by coating it with clay now and then, this body also remains healthy and strong by the atoms of food that we take. Barley, wheat, green dhall, oil, milk, curds, sugar, fruits, etc., are all mere atoms of earth only. Then which of these are we to call tasty and which non-tasty? Knowing thus you should educate your differentiating mind and try to see the one underlying thing in all and you should become serene. Serenity is the most important qualification for the attainment of Moksha. Hearing these words of wisdom Nidagha prostrated before Ribhu and humbly said, O Revered sir! Be gracious unto me. Please reveal thy identity. I think you have come here to bless me with the true knowledge. by hearing your soul-elevating speech I am free from all delusions. Ribhu replied, O Brahmin! I am your preceptor Ribhu. I came here to give you the knowledge of the Self by which you will be able to distinguish the real from the unreal. I take leave of you now. That which is true and which is fit to be known, I have already told you. Ever meditating on these truths may you find the whole world indwelt by the one Vasudeva! There is not even a grain of difference or duality in it. Nidagha paid his due respects, worshipped his Guru and lived happily in the true spirit of the teachings of his Guru. II After a long number of years had rolled on, Maharshi Ribhu, in order to instruct Nidagha in the knowledge of Self, again went to Viranagar City. When he reached the city he saw that the king of the country had entered the city with a big crowd of followers. He found big crowds of men in every nook and corner of the town busily engaged in the reception of the king. Ribhu noticed Nidagha standing in a secluded place far away from the crowds with

Illustrations in Vedanta (Nyayas) The Vedanta Philosophy is best taught through practical illustrations of daily life, because its abstract truths cannot be understood by the finite intellect very easily. The main purport of Vedanta is that Brahman alone is real and the whole world of appearance is unreal, and that the Jiva is nothing but Brahman Itself. This abstruse theory cannot be comprehended by ordinary men of small understanding, who are immersed in the life of relativity and ignorance. They are taught this sublime Truth by means of illustrations suitable to them, so that they may fix their minds on the Reality through various angles of vision. Section I 1. Rajjusarpa-Nyaya In the twilight a man treads upon a rope, and mistaking it for a poisonous snake, jumps in hurry, and cries out in fear. His heart throbs quickly. But when a light is brought by a friend of his, he finds that it is not a snake but only a rope, and then all his fears vanish. This is to illustrate the unreality of the world and its superimposition on the supreme Brahman. Brahman is the Reality and the world is only a superimposition on Brahman just as the snake is a superimposition on the rope. 2. Mrigatrishna-Nyaya In the desert a traveller sees at noon a mirage where water, meadows, trees and mansions are seen. He believes the sight to be a true one and pursues the spot. The nearer he thinks he is to the spot the further it retreats from him. He leaves his way out far and wanders in the desert. Then he realises that he has done a mistake in straying away from his path in search of this false appearance of water. He once again does not get deceived by this kind of mirage. This is given, in Vedanta, to illustrate the falsity of the universe which appears to give pleasure, with objects for indulgence, to the wanderer, the Jiva. When the Jiva realises through Jnana or Knowledge of the Self, that this world is unreal and that he had done a mistake in turning away from the true path leading to his original State of Perfection or Svarupa, he stops from running after the false mirage of this life of sensual pleasure on earth. The world is only an appearance, just like a mirage which is only an appearance of sun’s rays. 3. Shuktirajata-Nyaya This is similar to �Akashanilima-Nyaya’ or ‘Stambha-Nara-Nyaya’ (Man in the post). These are also similar to Rajjusarpa-Nyaya. These illustrate the superimposition of the unreal on the real. The mother-of-pearl is mistaken for pure silver, the attributeless sky appears blue, the post is mistaken for a man at night. The knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, the Reality, comes after proper understanding, through discrimination, patience, endurance, renunciation and meditation. The world is an appearance of Brahman, just as the man in the post is only an appearance of the post, and the silver in nacre an appearance of nacre. 4. Kanakakundala-Nyaya This is similar to Mrittika-Ghata-Nyaya and the analogy of iron and implements. All the ornaments are made of one type of gold, but they are of diverse forms. They are all gold only in reality. There are various kinds of jars, pots and vessels, big and small, round and narrow, and of all forms, but all of them are but mud in reality. Various kinds of implements and tools are manufactured, with various forms and uses, but all of them are iron only in reality. The names of those various formations and their forms are false, since they are, in reality, only the original source, the gold, mud or iron. This is to illustrate that the various names and forms of this world and its contents are simply false, for all are in essence Brahman only. Brahman alone is appearing in many names and forms. 5. Samudrataranga-Nyaya There are countless waves rolling in the vast ocean. Each wave is distinguished from the other and each wave can be perceived separately, one by one. But all are water only, and are not separate from the great ocean. All are one only in reality. The difference is only apparent. This illustrates that all the innumerable Jivas that appear in this universe, though apparently they are perceived to be separate from one another, are in reality that one Ocean of Satchidananda and are all identical with it. There is no difference or diversity. 6. Sphatikavarna-Nyaya This is the analogy of colour in crystals. The Sphatika or the brilliant crystal is pure in itself and has no particular colour of its own. But when a coloured object is brought near it, it reflects the same colour and itself appears to be of that colour, blue, red or whatever it be. In the same manner, Brahman or the Atman is colourless, taintless and attributeless, but only the Upadhis or the limiting adjuncts make it appear as different and of various qualities, names and forms. 7. Padmapatra-Nyaya This is the analogy of the lotus-leaf and water. Rain water often falls on a lotus-leaf but the water drips down and the leaf does not get stained by or attached to the water on it. In the same manner, this Atman or Brahman is untainted, though there are countless worlds rolling in it, and countless bodies are seen to be put on by it. 8. Vatagandha-Nyaya The wind carries whatever scent is exposed to it and spreads it everywhere. But the air is pure and is not defiled by bad scent or ornamented by a good scent therein. This is similar to the illustration of the lotus-leaf and water to show the unattached state of the Atman or the Brahman, though it puts on various names, forms and actions in the appearance of phenomena. 9. Oornanabhi-Nyaya The spider brings forth the thread from its mouth to weave its web and withdraws it again into its mouth. But the thread is nothing but the body of itself

Formulae for Nirguna Meditation by Swami Sivananda Asangoham – I am unattached Om Om OmAchintyoham – I am unthinkable Om Om OmAjoham – I am unborn Om Om OmAjaroham – I am without decay Om Om OmAkartaham – I am non-doer Om Om OmAbhoktaham – I am non-enjoyer Om Om OmAksharoham – I am imperishable Om Om OmAgrahyoham – I am ungraspable Om Om OmAchyutoham – I am changeless Om Om OmAnantoham – I am infinite Om Om OmAdvaitoham – I am one without a second Om Om OmAnamayoham – I am diseaseless Om Om OmAtindriyoham – I am beyond the senses Om Om OmAmaroham – I am immortal Om Om OmAvyayoham – I am inexhaustible Om Om OmAvyapadesyoham – I am indescribable Om Om OmAprameyoham – I am immeasurable Om Om OmAvangmanogochroham – I am unattain�able byspeech and mind Om Om OmAkhandaikarasa-chinmatroham – I am the oneundivided essence of consciousness alone Om Om OmAntaratmaham – I am the inner Self Om Om OmParamatmaham – I am the supreme Self Om Om OmParipurnoham – I am all-full Om Om OmNityoham – I am eternal Om Om OmSuddhoham I am pure Om Om OmSiddhoham – I am perfect Om Om OmBuddhoham – I am awakened Om Om OmMuktoham – I am liberated Om Om OmNityabodhasvarupoham – I am of the nature ofeternal knowledge Om Om OmNityatriptisvarupoham – I am of the nature ofeternal satisfaction Om Om OmNityavijnanasvarupoham – I am of the nature ofeternal wisdom Om Om OmNityamuktasvarupoham – I am of the nature ofeternal freedom Om Om OmBhumanandasvarupoham – I am of the nature ofinfinite bliss Om Om OmNiralamboham – I am without any other support Om Om OmNirvikaroham – I am without modification Om Om OmNirviseshoham – I am without particularities Om Om OmNirbhayoham – I am without fear Om Om OmNishkriyoham – I am without action Om Om OmNirgunoham – I am without attributes Om Om OmNirakaroham – I am without shape Om Om OmNirmaloham – I am without impurity Om Om OmNiranjanoham – I am spotless Om Om OmNirvisesha-chinmatroham – I am the unlimitedconsciousness alone Om Om OmNishkaloham – I am without parts Om Om OmNirvikalpoham – I am without mental modifications Om Om OmNiramsoham – I am without divisions or limbs Om Om OmDesatitoham – I am transcending space Om Om OmKalatitoham – I am transcending time Om Om OmDesakalavastuparichhedarahitoham – I am withoutthe differentiations of space, time andindividuality Om Om OmTrigunatitoham – I am above the three qualitiesof Prakriti Om Om OmDvandvatitoham – I am above the pairs of opposites Om Om OmMayatitoham – I am above Maya Om Om OmMatrimanameyatitoham – I am above knower,knowledge and known Om Om OmNadabindukalatitoham – I am above Nada, Binduand Kala Om Om OmTuriyatitoham – I am above Turiya Om Om OmSarvatitoham – I am above all things Om Om OmDvaita-advaita-vihinoham – I am without dualityand non-duality Om Om OmBandhamuktivihinoham – I am without bondageand liberation Om Om OmAdimadhyantahinoham – I am without beginning,middle and end Om Om OmKaryakaranavarjitoham – I am different fromcause and effect Om Om OmNamarupavivarjitoham – I am free fromname and form Om Om OmSadasadbhedarahitoham – I am without thedifference of being and non-being Om Om OmSajatiya-vijatiya-svagata-bhedarahitoham I amwithout the difference of genus, and withoutexternal or internal variety Om Om OmAparichhinnoham – I am without limitation Om Om OmAkasavatsarvagatoham – I am all-pervadinglike the sky Om Om OmKevaloham – I am alone absolute Om Om OmKevala-asti-rupoham – I am the embodiment ofmere existence Om Om OmPrajnanaghanoham – I am the mass of knowledge Om Om OmVijnanaghanoham – I am the mass of wisdom Om Om OmChaitanyaghanoham – I am the mass ofconsciousness Om Om OmChidghanoham – I am the mass of sentience Om Om OmAnandaghanoham – I am the mass of bliss Om Om OmSattamatroham – I am existence alone Om Om OmSattasamanyoham – I am existence-in-general Om Om OmSoham – I am He Om Om OmSivoham – I am Siva (auspicious, blissful) Om Om OmSivah Kevaloham – I am Siva, the Alone,the Absolute Om Om OmSvayamjyotih svarupoham – I am the embodimentof Self-effulgence Om Om OmSvayamprakasoham – I am Self-luminous Om Om OmTejomayoham – I am All-brilliance Om Om OmJyotirmayoham – I am All-light Om Om OmJyotih svarupoham – I am the embodiment ofeffulgence Om Om OmChinmayoham – I am the embodiment ofconsciousness Om Om OmChinmatroham – I am consciousness alone Om Om OmChaitanyoham – I am consciousness Om Om OmKutasthoham – I am immutable (rock-seated) Om Om OmSasvatoham – I am everlasting Om Om OmSvaradaham – I am Self-King Om Om OmVeda-Vedanta-vedyoham – I am what is to be knownthrough the Veda and Vedanta Om Om OmAkhandananda-vigrahoham – I am the form ofundivided bliss Om Om OmOmkarasvarupoham – I am theembodiment ofOmkara Om Om OmPratyagatmaham – I am the internal Self Om Om OmPratyaktattvoham – I am the internal Reality Om Om OmParabrahmaham – I am the Supreme Brahman Om Om OmParamanandoham – I am the Supreme Bliss Om Om OmChidakasalakshanoham – I am of the character ofthe ether of consciousness Om Om OmRasanam Rasatamoham – I am the bestessence of all essences Om Om OmSarvadhishthanarupoham – I am of the form of thesubstratum of everything Om Om OmSarvasunyoham – I am devoid of everything Om Om OmSarvapurnoham – I am filled with everything Om Om OmNirvanasukharupoham – I am the embodi�ment ofthe bliss of Nirvana Om Om OmSarvatah Panipadoham – I am with hands andfeet everywhere Om Om OmSarvatokshisiromukhoham – I am with eyes,heads and mouths everywhere Om Om OmSarvatahsrutimanaham – I am with earseverywhere Om Om OmPrapanchopasamoham – I am the cessation of theappearance of the universe Om Om OmSariratraya-vilakshanoham – I am other than thethree bodies Om Om OmPanchakosa-vyatiriktoham – I am different fromthe five sheaths Om Om OmAvasthatraya-sakshyaham – I am the Witness ofthe three states Om Om OmSatchidananda-svarupoham – I am the embodimentof Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Om Om Om

Glory of Pranava by Swami Sivananda Within the Twinkling of an Eye! Within the twinkling of an eye, you can enter the Realms of Inexpressible BlissNiratisaya Ananda! The key is in your own hands: that is OM, the most sacred Pranava. OM is the Name of the Nameless: the Form of Pranava is the Form of the Formless. OM is the symbol of Nada Brahman. OM leads the Sadhaka instantly into Samadhi. In the Upanishads you find this Sacred Pranava compared to a bow with the help of which the Atman (arrow) is directed to the Lakshya (target), i.e., Brahman. When the Yogi who has full control over his senses and who has practised the initial rules of self-discipline, viz., Yama, Niyama, Asana, Prana�yama, Pratyahara and Dharana, directs this arrow of Atman with the help of the Pranava-Dhanus, the arrow at once becomes one with the target! He loses himself in Nirvikalpa Samadhi and finds his Goal Kaivalya Moksha. All Tapas, all Sadhanas, all observances, the practice of devotion, the performance of austerities, the vow of celibacy, of truth and of Ahimsa, all these have this one end and aim: Self-realisation. From time Immemorial the Sages of India have resorted to this Great Weapon Pranava for the purpose of achieving this aim. Various Upanishadic Seers have sung the glory of the Pranava. Pranava leads the aspirant through all the stages, and that is the extraordinary charm in its meditation all at once! Ordinarily, man’s Antahkarana is filled with Vishayakara Vrittis. He runs after objective enjoyment. He is dissatisfied; he is puzzled; he is unable to quench his thirst for enjoy�ment. He is unaware that the very source of Bliss is within him, his own Self. Pranava guides him along the right path. OM! It reveals to him the source of the Joy, Bliss, Peace and Immortality. Through the three Avasthas represented by A, U and M, he is led beyond to Turiya: and there in that Silence, he finds his own Self the Antara Atman! That is the Goal!

Practise Meditation by Swami Sivananda A neophyte should remember again and again some important Vedantic texts daily. Then only his doubts will be removed. Then only he will be established in the path. These texts are: Being only was in the beginning. One without a second Chhandogya Upanishad VI-2-1; In the beginning all this was one Self only Aitareya Upanishad VI-2-1; This is the Brahman, without cause and without effect; this Self is Brahman perceiving everything Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II-5-19; That immortal Brahman before Mandukya Upanishad II-2,7. Concern yourself with the present only. Do not look back upon the past or the future. Then alone you will be really happy. You will be free from cares, worries and anxieties. You will have a long life. Destroy the Sankalpas through strenuous efforts. Meditate ceaselessly upon that Satchidananda Brahman and attain the supreme immaculate seat. May you prosper gloriously! May you live drowned in the ocean of Brahmic bliss in an illumined state! This immortal Atman cannot be attained without constant practice. Therefore he who wishes to attain immortality and freedom should meditate on the Self or Brahman for a long time. The real solitary place is Brahman who is one without a second. There is neither sound nor colour here. There is no disturbance of any sort here. The only companion for you in the beginning of your practice is Brahman. When you become That during deep meditation, you are left alone (Sivah Kevaloham). Atman is the fountain-source of energy. Thinking on Atman or the source for energy also, is a dynamic method for augmenting energy, strength and power. If you once think even for a second of the all-pervading, pure, immortal, Satchidananda Atman or Brahman, this is tantamount to taking thousand and eight dips in the sacred Triveni the junction of holy rivers at Prayag. This is the real mental sacred bath. Physical bath is nothing when compared to this internal bath of wisdom or knowledge. Worship God or Atman with the flowers of Jnana, contentment, peace, joy and equal vision. This will constitute real worship. Offerings of rose, jessamine, sandal paste, incense, sweetmeats and fruits are nothing when compared to the offerings of Jnana, contentment, etc. These are the offerings given by ignorant persons. Try to identify yourself with the eternal, immortal, ever pure Atman or soul that resides in the chambers of your heart. Think and feel always: I am the very pure Atman. This one thought will remove all troubles and fanciful thoughts. The mind wants to delude you. Start this anti-current of thought. The mind will lurk like a thief. Be careful.

Vedantic Meditation by Swami Sivananda Section I Withdrawal From Multiplicity Self-restraint is the opposite of self-expression. The latter tends towards Pravritti or life in the variegated Samsara, and the former leads to the Highest Integration through Nivritti or stepping back to Truth. The creative diversifying power is turned in and sublimated into the spiritual splendour. The withdrawal from multiplicity and centring oneself in Unity is effected through self-restraint which is the austere transformation of the creative objective force into the conscious Power that causes the blossoming of the sense of individual finitude into the expanse of objectless consciousness. Variety is the meaning of manifestation. Every individual force is a copy of the limitless creative force and the natural tendency of this energy is to move towards the creation of multiplicity. This is the reason why the control of the action of creativity is found to be difficult in the case of those who are tied to individual physicality. An individual finds it hard to properly direct the cosmic habit unless he takes recourse to process of Spiritual Realisation. A spiritual Sadhaka goes to the source of this objectified energy and compel the force to diffuse itself in the serene Ground-Noumenon. A person who has let loose the flow of the creative force gets entangled in the process of multiple-creation and ever remains away from the knowledge of the Non-Dual Truth of his Eternal Self. This is the root background of the universal ethics that self-control is imperative to a seeker after the Absolute Reality. Those who have discriminatively grasped the spiritual character of human life refrain from the instinctive practice of self-multiplication and devote themselves to the glorious task of directing the potential energy to conscious contemplation on the Spiritual Ideal through the triple transformation of the active emotional and intellectual aspects of the general human nature. Such integrated persons possess a mighty power of understanding, analysis and meditation. The Chhandogya Upanishad says that when purity and Sattva are increased, there is a generation of immense memory which paves the way to the shattering open of the knot of self. The most intricate technic of the art of Self-realisation is mastered by the genius of an austere who has learnt to expand his formative lower into the plenitude of limitless life. Such austere spiritual beings flow with the lustrous spiritual strength which handles with ease even the most formidable of the diversifying forces of nature. Fear is unknown to them and their divinised energy is centred in the Self to be utilised in transcending the realm of the ego-sense. They establish themselves in the unbroken vow of leaping over phenomenon into the heart of Existence. Such is the glory of self-restraint! The control of the objective instincts is the preparation for world-renunciation in the quest of the Ultimate Essence. An abandonment of earthly nature effected by a distaste for particularities is what marks the character of a true austere Sadhaka. He should not enter the household, for, his path leads to Unity and not to the creative social activity. Alone and unfriended should he carry on the duty of Self-integration through unceasing selflessness and remembrance of the Divine Ideal. Selfless service polishes the self and rubs the ego and thus renders the person fit for the higher life of Dhyana and Brahma-Chintana. A cutting off from acquaintance with relatives is necessary, for, Nivritti-Marga does not allow of any transient connections. Fitness for Wisdom One who is fit for receiving Wisdom of the Self shall receive it ‘in due time.’ Self-effort and passage of time work simultaneously and one cannot be distinguished from the other, for Providence and Personal exertion cannot be separated as they both work simultaneously and are interdependent. Rather, these are only two names for one and the same force of action. Sri Sankaracharya had already exhorted that one has to undergo the disciplinary stages of Viveka, Vairagya, Sama, Dama, Uparati, Titiksha, Sraddha, Samadhana, and Mumukshutva before getting initiated into the mystery of Existence. One should not be initiated into the Truth of the Absolute unless he is found well developed in all these qualities. Nowadays generally we find that aspirants do not have a strong desire for Liberation. They may have a ray of Viveka and Vairagya of a mild variety. But it is very difficult to find an aspirant who cares for nothing but final Emancipation, who treats the whole world and its contents as mere straw, who meditates incessantly upon how to attain Salvation from embodied existence. It is not easy to understand the meaning of Liberation. How can it be possible for raw men of the world to realise the nullity of earthly existence and of worldly activities? Even advanced aspirants sometimes have got a strong desire for doing something wonderful in this world, something which none has done before. Such people cannot have a real desire for liberation. And such people are unfit for receiving Brahma Vidya. It is only the Uttama-Adhikari, the best qualified, who cares for nothing, who is totally indifferent to the ways of the world, who is ever silent and serene due to the dawn of proper knowledge, who is ever the same among the diverse men of the world, who is undisturbed by the distracted activity of the world, who is calm and peaceful, who has withdrawn himself from the bustle of life, who cares not for either death or life, who is unmindful of what is happening in the world, who is careless towards either this or that, that is really fit to receive the Ultimate wisdom of the Absolute! Even if there is the slightest desire lurking inside other than for the Realisation of the Absolute, that man will not be able to comprehend the true import of the Vedantic instructions by the Spiritual Teacher (Preceptor). He will have thousand doubts and distractions in the mind which will entirely pull him down from Vedantic Meditation. A person should desire for nothing else, than the Realisation

Shad Lingas by Swami Sivananda THE UPANISHADS are the sole authority regarding Brahman. You will have to take the help of the six marks (Shad Lingas) in the investigation of Brahman. The Shad Lingas go to determine what the main theme of a section is and indicate clearly that the Vedantic texts treat mainly of Brahman. The six marks are: Upakrama-Upasamhara (commencement, conclusion), Abhyasa (practice or reiteration), Apurvata (unprecedentedness), Phala (fruit), Arthavada (glorifying passage or explanatory statement) and Upapatti (illustration). The Sruti begins, In the beginning there was Brahman (Existence alone), one only without a second. (Chh. Up. 6-2-i) and concludes, All this has its being in It; It is the True; It is the Self; and Thou art That, Tat Satyam Sa Atma Tat Tvam Asi Svetaketu. (Chh. Up. 6-8-7). Both the beginning and the end of a section refer to Brahman alone. There should be agreement between the commencement and the conclusion of a section. This constitutes Upakrama-Upasamhara Ekavakyata, one Linga or mark. Abhyasa is the frequent repetition of ‘That Thou art’. The Sage Uddalaka repeats this nine times to his son Svetaketu in order to produce a deep impression in his mind. Apurvata – Revelation is the sole authority regarding Brahman. Brahman is knowable only through the Upanishads or the Vedas. The Sruti expressly denies other sources of knowledge. Apurvata or unprecedentedness consists in Brahman being inaccessible to any other Pramana than the Srutis. Brahman has neither colour nor taste. So It does not come within the scope of sensuous perception (Pratyaksha Pramana). It is not endowed with attributes invariably associated and so It cannot be known through inference (Anumana Pramana). It is not similar to anything known. Therefore, It cannot be known through comparison (Upamana Pramana). It can be known only through the Srutis. Phala or fruit is Moksha or the final emancipation through the knowledge of Brahman. Arthavada consists of explanatory statements. They explain that Brahman creates, sustains, destroys, enters into the governs the universe. Upapatti consists of illustrations (Drishtantas) similes and analogies such as that of the clay and the pot, the thread and the cloth, the gold and the ornaments, the ocean and the waves, etc. We have to conclude by these marks that Brahman is the main theme of the Srutis. One goes beyond grief and evil by attaining the knowledge of Brahman, just as one goes beyond fear and trouble by the knowledge, This is not a serpent, this is only a rope.’Have a comprehensive understanding of these six marks which will help you in your investigation or enquiry of Brahman (Atma Nirnaya). Equip yourself with the four means. Practise Sravana (hearing), Manana (reflection), Nididhyasana (meditation on the Self) and attain Eternal Bliss and Immortality!

The Pancha Koshas by Swami Sivananda I BOW to that Supreme Brahman from whom these five Koshas have sprung, by whom they are sustained and in whom they are dissolved, who is Existence, Consciousness and Infinity. Man in essence is the all-pervading immortal soul. He identifies himself, on account of delusion and ignorance, with the five illusory Koshas or sheaths, the Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya, Anandamaya and thinks that he himself is subject to the various changes. He identifies himself with the Annamaya Kosha or the physical body and when the physical body is burnt, he thinks himself burnt. He regards himself black. He become attached to son, wife, cattle, wealth, house, etc., on account of ignorance (Avidya) and thinks himself to be the owner of them. He thinks that he is a student, a householder, an ascetic and so on. The body is a product of five elements. It is entirely distinct from the real Self. The ignorance man is bound to Samsara by mere delusion, by the false ideas of ‘I’ and ‘mine’. He identifies himself with the Pranamaya Kosha and thinks ‘I am hungry, I am thirsty, I did this action.’ The Pranamaya Kosha is quite foreign to the real Self. He identifies himself with the Manomaya Kosha and regards himself as the thinker and thinks ‘I am angry, I am lustful, I am greedy.’ The Manomaya Kosha is entirely distinct from the real Self of man. He identifies himself with the Vijnanamaya Kosha and regards himself as the cogniser and thinks ‘I am intelligent, I know everything, I am the enjoyer.’ He identifies himself with the Anandamaya Kosha and feels ‘I am happy.’ Both the Vijnanamaya and the Anandamaya Koshas are quite foreign to the real Self of man. Just as there is a set of five vessels, one within the other, just as there are the layers of an onion, so also are these Koshas lying one within the other. There is the singlet close to the body. Over this there is the shirt, over the shirt there is the waist-coat, over the waist-coat there is the coat, over the coat there is the over-coat. Even so the Atman is enveloped by these five sheaths. The teacher first gives an exposition of the five Koshas to his disciple, gives him an insight into the nature of the Koshas and then points out that Brahman which is beyond the Koshas is identical with the man’s innermost Atman within, just as one points out the star by pointing out first the end of the tree’s branch. In Arundhati Nyaya one big star is shown first to the man, then a small, then a smaller star and finally the smallest star. Even so, the instructions given takes the mind from the gross to the subtle, from the subtle to the subtler and eventually from the subtler to the subtlest of although e Atman or the Self which is encased within the five sheaths. The human mind which is tainted by various kinds of Vasanas and impurities that have accumulated in this beginningless Samsara can realise the subtle Atman within, only by some appropriate process or method, and it is this appropriate process which the teacher describes in his masterly discourses. The illumined teacher enables his disciples to rise above the level of effects by explaining the grand truth that the Self and Brahman are identical. Man naturally identifies himself with the Koshas. His intellect becomes pure through meditation. He develops the faculty of true discrimination between the real and the unreal, between the permanent and the impermanent. When he acquires this faculty of discrimination, he abandons the first Kosha and recedes to the one next behind. He resolves by meditation each Kosha into what is behind it, till he reaches the innermost Atman behind the Koshas and then holds on to that Atman alone. Step by step he abandons one Kosha after another and dissolves all of them and eventually attains knowledge of unity with Brahman and becomes liberated from the round of births and deaths. The main object of the Srutis also is to impart a knowledge of Brahman as the means of attaining the highest goal or the final emancipation (Moksha). In order to transport man by the ship of Brahma-Vidya to the farthest shore of the great ocean (Koshas), the Sruti says, This Atman is Brahman; Thou art That.’ Just as a rope becomes a serpent, only on account of ignorance, so by Avidya or ignorance alone Atman becomes the man of five Koshas and appears to suffer along with the Koshas.The Annamaya Kosha constitutes the gross physical body. The Pranamaya, the Manomaya and the Vijnanamaya Koshas constitute the Linga Sarira or subtle body (astral body). The Anandamaya Kosha constitutes the causal body (Karana Sarira). The physical body is formed of the essence of food. The subtle body is formed of unquintuplicated, Apanchikrita or uncompounded elements. The casual body is formed of Samskaras or Moola Ajnana (primitive ignorance). The Anandamaya Kosha is the cause for the subtle and gross bodies or the remaining four sheaths. Birth and death are the Dharmas (attributes) of the Annamaya Kosha. Hunger and thirst are the Dharmas of the Pranamaya Kosha. Moha (delusion) and Soka (grief) are the attributes of the Manomaya Kosha. The Atman is ever pure and unattached. He is absolutely free from the Shad Urmis or six waves of the ocean of Samsara, viz., birth, death, hunger, thirst, delusion and grief. The physical body operates during the waking state. The subtle body functions during the dreaming state; and the causal body operates during deep-sleep state. During deep-sleep it is the thin veil of Anandamaya Kosha that separates the individual soul from the supreme Soul or Brahman. The Sruti shows with the help of knowledge that the individual soul is identical with the Brahman who is within and beyond the five sheaths from the Annamaya (food sheath) down to the Anandamaya (the blissful sheath) and goes on to