Essence of Vedanta - Part 6

Three bodies

The Acharya beckons his fired up disciple to know about 3 bodies and then about 3 states of consciousness and then about 5 sheaths or 5 koshas, before introducing the Grand TRUTH about BRAHMAN, which is the essence of Vedanta and essence of all Upanishads.

Three bodies

Human is identified in terms of 3 Bodies, 3 States and 5 Koshas or Sheaths.

They are given below:

·       Gross Body  or Sthula Sharira

·       Subtle Body or Astral Body or Linga Sharira

·       Causal body or Karana Sharira

Gross Body or Sthula Sharira

The "Gross body" is one of the three bodies which is dense in nature and is known as the physical body. It is made up of the "Basic Five Elements of the Nature" or the "Panchabhutas".

They are Earth, Sky, Water, Air and Fire.

This body is subjected to change in 6 stages i.e. Birth, Existence, Growth, Disease, Decay and Death.

Expressing through the physical body or the Gross body, the Jiva or the individual gathers his quota of pleasures by indulging in sense objects.

Adi Sankara explains beautifully in Vivekachudamani about Gross body in a verse:

He says, "Know the gross body to be the shelter for the individual to conduct all his dealings with the world outside just as a house is to a householder".

Man resides in his house and then goes out daily into the world to strive for his livelihood. After earning his means of existence, he returns to his house to enjoy what he has earned and then to rest for a while.

Similarly, the ego moves out of the physical body to conduct the sense of objects and with senses, the ego accumulates karma, only to return to its physical body to suffer / enjoy the earnings the ego gathered with its sense objects.

The physical body is born out of earth. How?? The body is born out of the strength gathered by parents with the food they have partaken.

At the end, the gross body returns to the earth, after death. Either it is cremated or it is buried and in both cases, it merges and ends into the earth.

And, How much we glorify such a physical body in our life???

The author often narrates story of a king who used to love his wife so much, who was mesmerized by the physical beauty of his wife so much that he preferred to be in her company 24/7.

One day, his wife dies. After the death, the king is unable to bear the foul smell of the same body of his wife which he used to adore and admire!!

Does it not call for a serious contemplation on how we have to rise above glorifying our physical existence????

However, this does not mean that we have to condemn our body. The body is a vehicle, an instrument which has to be used by us to progress in our sadhana, to reach the ultimate Goal. To that extent, the body needs to be cared and protected and thus far and no further!!!

Hari Aum Tatsat.