Tuesday, March 13, 2007

 

Tattvabodha - 27

Hari Aum

Prostrations to Guru. Prostrations to All.


etheshaam panchatatvaanaam madhye aakaashasya rajasaamshaath vaagindriyam sambhootham
Among these five elements, from the Rajas aspect of space, is formed the organ of speech.

vaayoh rajasaamshaath paaneendriyam sambhootham
From the Rajas aspect of Vayu (Air), is formed the hand.

vanheh raajasaamshaath paadhendriyam sambhootham
From the Rajas aspect of Fire, is formed the leg.

jalasya rajasaamshaath upasThendriyam sambhootham
From the Rajas aspect of Water, the genitals of formed.

priThivyaah rajasaamshaath gudhendriyam sambhootham
From the Rajas aspect of Earth, the anus is formed.

etheshaam samashtirajasaamshaath panchapranaah samBhoothaah
From the total Rajas aspect of all these five elements, the five vital airs are born.

The five subtle elements are Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. From these five subtle elements, the subtle body is formed. From the satvic part of the five subtle elements organs of knowledge and mind is formed. Now from the Rajasic part of the five subtle elements, 5 organs of action are formed. From the rajasic part of space are formed the organ of speech. From the rajasic part of Air, the hand is formed. From the rajasic part of Fire, the leg is formed. From the rajasic part of Water, organ of genital are formed. From the rajasic part of earth, the organ of excretion is formed. Thus from the rajasic part of subtle elements the organs of action. The rajasic part of the subtle elements in total forms Pancha Prana or the five vital air. Prana is one only but based on the functionality of Prana it is known in five aspects. We already learned about the Pancha pranas when we were learning the Pancha kosas. To recap, the five pranas are

1. Prana - this is responsible for respiration
2. Apana - this is resposible for excretion
3. Vyana - this is responsible for circulation
4. Udana - during jumping, floating and at the time of death
5. Samana - responsible for digestion

etheshaam panchathatvaanaam taamasaamshaath pancheekrithapanchathatvaani bhavanthi
From the Tamas aspect of these five subtle elements, the grossified five elements are born

Pancheekaranam katham ithi cheth. etheshaam panchamahaaBhoothaanaam taamasaamshasvaroopam ekamekam bhootham dvidhaa vibhajya ekamekamardham prithak thushneem vyasThaapya aparamaparamardham chathurdhaa vibhajya svaardhamanyeshu ardheshu svabhaagachathushtayasamyojanam kaaryam. thadhaa pancheekaranam bhavathi. ethebhyah pancheekrthapanchamahaabhoothebhyah sthoolashareeram bhavathi.
If it is asked how this panchikarana (grossification) takes place, it is as follows:
1. The Tamas aspect of each of the five elements divide into two equal parts
2. one half of each remains intact.
3. The other half of each gets divided into four equal parts.
4. Then, to the intact half of one element, one one-eighth portion from each of the other four elements gets joined.
5. Then Panchikarana (the process by whihc the subtle elements become the gross elements) is complete.
From these five grossified elements the gross body is formed.

evam pindabrahmaandayoraikyam sambhootham
Thus there is the identiy between the pindanda and the brahmanda i.e., the microcosm and macrocosm.

From the tamasic part of the five elements the gross body is formed. The gross body is formed through a process called Pancheekaranam.
The process is as follows:
1. Every element is not a pure element like that of the subtle body but combination of all the other elements.
2. Each element is divided into two halves.
3. First half by the element and second by the other 4 elements.

Space = 1/2 Space + 1/8 Air + 1/8 Fire + 1/8 Water + 1/8 Earth
Air = 1/2 Air + 1/8 Space + 1/8 Fire + 1/8 Water + 1/8 Earth
Fire = 1/2 Fire + 1/8 Space + 1/8 Air + 1/8 Water + 1/8 Earth
Water = 1/2 Water + 1/8 Space + 1/8 Air + 1/8 Fire + 1/8 Earth
Earth = 1/2 Earth + 1/8 Space + 1/8 Air + 1/8 Fire + 1/8 Water

Thus the pancheerkaranam process and thus the gross body is formed. The individual gross body is called Pindanda, the gross world is called Brahmanda. There is identity between the individual physical body and the gross world as both are made of the five elements.

Thus Shankara completes the theory of Creation. Next Shankara explains about Jiva and Isvara which we will see the next day.

Prostrations to All.

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Comments:
Hari Aum,

I have a small doubt.

Isnt Udana the Faculty of thinking.

But in the below mail u have mentioned Udana to be used while jumping, floating etc,., I am not telling that Tattva bodha is wrong but I am listing down my level of understanding about Udana. Kindly clarify my doubts.

This is my understanding: Udana helps in assimilation of new information. The thinking power is sharpened and qualified. There is no memory or stored events for udana, its just development of knowledge. (Memory is chitha). Udana enhances the ability to learn more and learn quickly. As we grow old Udana also starts fading because of which we become less capable of learning anything new or fast. Udana has nothing to do with budhi or chitha.

(Memory is chitha which has the function of recording things in mind. As we enter a mothers womb we forget everything that happened before. Also, Udana is not to be confused with Intellect which means budhi. Intellect is the discrimination faculty. Budhi discriminates between good and bad, pious and evil, etc.,.)

Someone Kindly clarify my doubt.

Hari Aum,
Bharadwaj.S
 
Hari Aum

Prostrations to All. Prostrations to Guru

Pardon for the late reply.

The dictionary meaning of Udana is the Vital Air which move upward starting from Throat.

Sri Sadananda Yogindra Saraswati in his work called Vedanta Sara explains Udana as

"Udano naama kanTasThaaneeya urdvagamanavaan uthkramanavaayuh"
Udaana as the ascending vital force which helps the passing out from the body and has its seat in the throat.

So the above quote says that Udana is for the upward movement (urdva gamanam) and at the time of death when Jiva leaves the body (uthkramanam).

Swami Chinmayananda mentions in his commentary on Vivekachoodamani and other places as well explains Udana as that which aids the thinking faculty.

Pranas are created from the Rajasic part of the subtle elements, which aids the activities of the body by giving vital force to the organs of action, whereas mind or the anthahkaranam is created from the Satvic part of the Subtle elements. Hence it looks appropriate that, Prana controls the external activities of the body.

We shall do more analysis on this before finalizing the same.

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh
 
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