Kosh Philosophy

As per Shastras of the yore, they have referred to Panchkosha in human beings. They are Annmaya Kosh/ अन्नमयकोष, Pranmaya Kosh/ प्राणमय कोष, Manomaya Kosh/ मनोमय कोष, Vigyan Maya Kosh/ विज्ञानमय कोष and Anandmaya Kosh/ आनन्दमय कोष respectively. All these are inside our sanskars/ संस्कार. We undertake purification of our Sansakars. After this with the grace of the Guru knowledge arises in the Manomayakosh. As knowledge arises, inside the Manomayakosh, Vigyanmaya kosh develops. Till knowledge has not arises, Vigyanmaya kosh cannot spring. We can say that as soon as Vigyanmayakosh arises in some one, we can say with authority that knowledge has arisen in him/ her. It is not bound by Manomaya kosh. Vigyanmaya kosh’s opening means Pure Truth (शुद्ध सत्य), but in our mind Rajogun is also there. The effulgence of pure truth is burning piercing the sanskars of a person. This is known as the light of knowledge (seen in the chitakash in the form of jyoti mudra). This is also called self knowledge (स्वबोध) or super science/ Vigyan (विज्ञान). Whether the person in which this has happens, may or may not know.

When Vigyanmaya Kosh arises, inside it joy/ anand (आनन्द) appears which is in Anandmaya kosh. Sat-Chit-Anand, so first Sat/ सत then Chit/ चित्त and then Anand/ आनन्द. Inkling of Chit is experienced in Vigyanmaya Kosh, after this only Anandmaya kosh arises. There one tastes the anand. In the Koshas of nature, anandmaya kosh is the highest. The highest development of this kosh translates into a state called Jeevanmukt/ जीवनमुक्त. At that time the body itself becomes anandmaya kosh. Now Anand has arisen, after this it is tasted and then its transcended, this finishes the work of this kosh. After this one has to wait (prateeksha) till prarabdh gets exhausted, then one leaves the body.

Manomaya flow is known as overmind. Supermind, Inside us is a flow which is supported or fed by divine power of action. When it arises then you realize yourself as different from others. The natural flow in which panchkoshas are generated is different from this flow. The entity which which we refer to as lord or Bhagwan or Shakti, its effulgence is in all of us. That flow is developed in our mind. The mind when that flow develops in it is called Supermind. ITs above the normal mind. When we develop conscious force (sachetan mann) appears inside us which is on the level of Manomaya kosh. When manomaya appears at that very moment self realization. When self realization dawns then capacity of higher consciousness (ucchatar bodh) also comes. So the mind which is neither Atma, nor Ishwar/ ईश्वर nor Parmeshwar/ परमेश्वर, still inside it divine shakti is acting, is called Supermind. Chitt Shakti (चित्त शक्ति) opens up. Chit shakti plays here.

In Anandmayakosh and Vigyanmaya kosh there is no leela of Chitt Shakti (चित्त शक्ति). When chitt shakti awakens, mind depletes and is relegated to state of ‘witness/ दृष्टा’. Behind the ideas of our mind is our intellect (buddhi/ बुद्धि). This is Vigyanmaya kosh. Work of mind is sankalp (सङ्कल्प) and vikalp (विकल्प). Mind can not exist without thinking or without sankalp or Vikalp. When we talk of Vigyan then we talk of Sankalp but when we talk of lower realms its known as vikalp (विकल्प). Sankalp is idea without any doubt while in Vikalp we have doubt ingrained inside. Mind works both in Manomaya kosh and Vigyanmaya kosh, the major difference is that inside Vigyanmaya kosh all the kriyas are performed  without any doubt while in Manomayakosh it is enacted with ingrained  doubt. That which is called Sankalp or certitude (drid nishchaya/ दृडनिश्चय) comes under Vigyan maya kosh. Thus work of manomaya is sankalp-vikalp (सङ्कल्प-विकल्प) while work of Vigyan (विज्ञान) is only sankalp (सङ्कल्प). Thus in Vigyan there is nishchaytmak buddhi (निश्चयात्मक बुद्धि) and no confusion or opposite thoughts prevail there. Thus doubtless sure knowledge is called Vigyan or Pure knowledge (शुद्ध ज्ञान). Thus is vigyan maya kosh we get strong faith (bodh/ बोध) which is known as intellect (buddhi/ बुद्धि). When this intellect gets purified then in the back ground of anand which arises here, is ‘reflected’ by Dhyan (ध्यान). Its like sun light falling on a wave filled water surface. The reflection is not seen clearly but it keeps on dancing on the surface. This is manomaya and Vigyan maya kosh. Out of this will come anandmaya kosh, after this koshas will finish. Each kosh has its own work and respective vritti (वृत्ति)/ desire.

First mind (मन), then Intellect (बुद्धि) and after that Prakriti (प्राकृति) disappears. (we can say mind and intellect are tools for nature to work with.) At the first stage realization is not stable it wavers. Slowly it becomes stable, then peace appears and after that Anand or joy is experienced. After this Satva, it has two faces, one is pure Satva and other is Prakrit or Natural Satva. First one has only Satva inside it but second one is mixed with Rajasic/ राजसिक and Tamasic/ तामसिक attribute and hence called impure satva. Jeev/जीव is represented by it while Parmeshwar/ परमेश्वर is represented by Pure Satva/ शुद्ध सत्व. .........Om!.....Shaktanand. translated from Hindi work of Pt. Gopinath Kaviraj.