Pancadasi - Chapter 1

August 02, 2020

Table of Contents

source

01: Introduction

Like nobody can take your medicine, nobody but you can help you with moksha. Artha, kama, dharma one cat get through a proxy. Not moksha. First three can be attained by karma. Moksha only through jnanam.
Everything in the three periods of time but you exists conditionally.
Three obstacles: 1) lack of preparedness 2) obstacle pertaining to the interpretation of the sastra itself (different schools) 3) logical problems.
Ad 1) If I give less value to the attainment of moskha, then I am deficient in qualification. The greater the spiritual hunger the greater sadhana chatustaya sampati. No worry, listening to scriptures sadhana chatustaya sampati grows.
Ad 3) Vedanta: What is never experience and still there is the reality and what is experienced all the time is not the reality. How come?
Conviction: knowledge free from doubts.
Prasthana traya (basic texts): Gita (smruti), Upanishads (shruti), Brahma Sutra (yukti or nyaya).
Texts to remove interpretional and logical doubts are called Prakarana grantas. One of the popular is Pancadasi.
Pancadasi because 15 chapters.

02: Chapter 1: 1 - 2

Subject matter of the scriptures: jiva brahma aikyam.
What I love is my nature. Existence, happiness, survival, knowledge. Independence. What I don’t love is not my nature.
Pada comes from padayati/pAdayati - makes us reach the destination. Feet cause us to reach the destination. Shankaracharya is called Bhagavatpada.
Sastra wants to make you free from the notions regarding you.
Distance between me and brahman is in terms of ignorance.
Mahamoha - ignorance of the limitless.
Being free from the hold of raga-dvesha is all that is required. You can keep them. You cannot be free from them completely.
To acquire qualification there is thousands of way. Karmayoga. Once qualified, there is one to get the knowledge. Jnanayoga.
Jnanam itself is moksha. There is no time involved between jnanam and moksha “happening”.

03: Chapter 1: 3 - 4

Tatvajnanam: jiva brahma aikyam. Essence of the teaching.
Plurality of external objects is proven through internal plurality of experiences. Each experience, even though is seems like one, consists of thought and consciousness. Thought appears, gets associated with consciousness and becomes perception. Both are needed for experience, like electricity and bulb for it to shine. Thus diversity of perception is due to diversity of thoughts.
Waking state experiences, cognitions, are called vishesha jnanam. Consciousness common in all existent at all times is called samanya jnanam.
Thoughts arrive and go. Consciousness is all the time there.
In sushupti (deep sleep) two things are experienced: anandavrti (sukham - I slept well) and ajnanavrti (ignorance).
I love myself unconditionally. I love every other thing in the creation conditionally. Anything which you love conditionally is not your nature - because there is a condition.
Object of the unconditional love (myself) is a source of joy. Cit = Ananda. Unconditional means all the time there. Cit = Existence.
How to separate consciousness from thoughts in experiences? Through discriminative analysis. There is no question of physical separation - nothing is basically separated from consciousness.
1. consciousness is not part, product nor a property of a thought.
1. consciousness is an independent principle which pervades every thought and turns in into experience.
1. consciousness is not limited by the boundaries of the thought. Thought is located, consciousness is not.
1. consciousness continues to exist even when all thoughts resolve. Absence of the thoughts is revealed by the consciousness.
1. consciousness is not available for transaction in absence of thought.
In waking state objects are long-lasting (due to outside objects made of pancha bhutas), in swapna objects are momentary because they are made of thoughts only.

04: Chapter 1: 5, 6, 7

There are for things in every avasta: object of perception, thought, perception, consciousness. In dream state the objects are made just of thoughts.
If perception doesn’t work, make use of inference.
Perception (=experience) is made up of thought and consciousness.
If memory is there, I must have undergone an experience. Based on memory of the deep sleep state, I can say that in sushupti I experience tamaha (ignorance) or ananda. As subtle body is absent, this vrti takes place in the karana sharira.
Whatever is unmanifested you take as absent. Whatever is unmanifested you’ll not be able to experience. Like butter in yogurt. Only after you wake up (during waking state) the experience of ignorance gets realised in the form of thought.
Object of memory is identical with the object of past experience. Anubhava gives rise to smrti.
Every perception has name and form. Remove intellectually and what remains is the one consciousness.
Names and forms are called upadi(s).
Conscious is used as adjective (depending on a substantive) in the language - corresponds to the view of the science that consciousness is attribute of the brain.
Electricity needs a bulb for expression. It doesn’t need a bulb for existence. It’s independent.
What is unmanifested you’ll not be able to experience, it doesn’t mean it is not there. Like butter in the jogurt.
For expression in the form of life the consciousness needs a body and a mind. But not for its existence.
Everything else needs consciousness to be proven, consciousness does not - it is self proven.
What is self-revealing is self-existent.
Existence is always proved by knowability and to know you require consciousness.
Anavasta dosha - infinite regression - would happen if consciousness would need something else to prove it.
You don’t need nobody else to know that you are and that you know.
If consciousness can prove itself there would be a problem. The prover and the proven must be different.

05: Chapter 1: 5, 6, 7

Thoughts are innert in nature. They need consciousness in order to be converted into experience.
Because of mulaavidya (upadi of brahman, maya, shakti, avyaktrtam, avyaktam) alone brahman is called jiva. It is the cause and therefore not available for direct experience, only the product is experiencable. What you experience in the waking state is called tulaavidia. That’s ignorance pertaining to the world.
In the sleep the object of the thought is tamaha (=mulaavidya).
Innert things cannot experience anything. Because you have experience in deep sleep (of ignorance and bliss) it proves consciousness is there.
Shunyam (nothingness, zero) of Buddhists - total nothingness. Vedantic nothingness (mulaavidya) is infinite and is the cause of entire creation. Cause of everything in potential state.
In potential form you cannot find any differences and therefore it is called avyakrtam. All names and forms come to unmanifested and therefore it is called avyaktam.
Scientist are attempting to study consciousness as matter (as part, property or product), not as a distinct principle. That’s why it is not available for scientific study, which can examine only energy (abstract form) or (concrete form) of matter.
I use the same “I” as adult and as child even though the bodies are totally different. That proves that “I” is something different from the body.
To say “time begins” you need already some time.
Universe will be always made of five elements in every srsti. So the objects of experience will match the karmas from previous srsti.
If the medium of reflection is absent you will not be able to say if light is there or not. Same for consciousness.
Life has to do with prana. Life has nothing to do with consciousness. It is a product of maya and mithya. Consciousness is just present all the time. Arrival of life is not arrival of consciousness but an expression of it (which requires a conducive medium of a subtly body for manifestation).
Consciousness is one. Plurality belongs to the forms.
What is self-revealing is self-existent and requires no proof of its existence. Like sun. Like you not needing anybody to tell you whether you are in the class or not. To prove your existence you should already be existent.
Light of lights. Ear of ears, eye of eyes, prana of prana …
Once anything becomes becomes an objects of consciousness it becomes/is automatically inert. If a consciousness needs another consciousness to be revealed the first one becomes (is) inert.

06: Chapter 1 Verse 8

What is temporary, is not my nature.
Recognition is connecting of past and now/future. You need to remove the incidental features. Same for body and atma. I’m the consciousness with incidental body, sense organs, mind, prana, intellect, karma…
Who you are should be your understanding. For transactional purposes use the “I” you had before the knowledge.
Wherever there is object of love it is the source of the joy. Atma is the object of love for everyone, thus it is the source of ananda. Shown in everyone taking care of himself/herself very much.
Love for the self is instinctive and universal.
Your whole activity is centered around the care of yourself.
Suicide: his intention is not to end his life, his desire is to end the suffering. And she/he sees no hope.
Atma is the only source of joy.

07: Chapter 1 Verse 8, 9, 10

A changing thing cannot be the intrinsic nature of a thing. What is incidental comes and goes. Heat in water vs. heat in fire.
Body/mind is not intrinsic to the “I”. That we see in the analysis of the three states. Jiva is intrinsically satchitananda.
Logic means inference.
Quality of love towards an object is of different quality than the love to the self. Love towards an object is based on conditions. No one loves any person nor any objects nor god unconditionally. Only the love of self is unconditional. It is instinctive (we’re born with this, animals as well - manifestation: resistance slaughterhouse). It is universal.
One never want to get rid of the self, only of problems/suffering.
Conditional love is as good as no love. You don’t love the person (or object), you love the condition. Atma is the source of greatest joy as there is no condition involved.
Vedanta: You should be able to arrive logically at what the shruti says. Sanhyas, Vayshyeshikas, Nayayikas give up shurti when their logical conclusions (tarka) contradict shruti.
Puja Swami: Whatever has parts will fall apart. It is anitya.
Vedanta: Akasha has also parts, because shruti says so. You will not be able to arrive at the nature of yourself using logic only. By yukti (reasoning) you arrive at the conclusion that jivatma is paramatma. To know that Isvara is paramatma you need shruti. So basically they are one and the same.

08: Chapter 1 Verse 11 - 14

Charasteristic of samsara: attachment (ragah), sorrow (shokah), delusion (mohah). That is the suffering caused due to ignorance. Life itself becomes a kind of prison due to ignorance. That’s why Upanishads teach us.
Both total ignorance and total knowledge are a bliss and no problem. Partial knowledge about oneself is a problem. Example: rope-snake.
Samsara: sense of individuality, sense of limitation, sense of discomfort. See oneself as karta, bhokta, victim of prarabda, etc. Leads to hurt and guilt.
Habitual looking into shining surfaces to see oneself demonstrates self-love.
Daily I go and search for objects that give me happiness - that shows my ignorance.
This knowledge you gain in the buddhi.
Partial knowledge is a problem. Many voices in the chorus prevent the father from recognising his son’s chanting (partial knowledge prevents discrimination).
A wise man loves the world for the sake of the world. He loves unconditionally - knowing that everything is me. A samsari loves the world for the sake of himself.
Jnani identifies with everyone. He sees himself everywhere.
Evident = experienced (= known).
Light is the one which enables to see the hand. But you are taking notice only of the hand - it as though covers the light, even though the light is more pervasive. Experiencing the light most people miss the light, because they focus only on the hand.
The very cloud “covering” the sun is seen doe to the sun. It cannot cover the sun, yet it can cover out vision of the sun. It brings it out of your focus. Like in cinema we are so engrossed in the movie that we miss the screen and scream. (“En-grossed” that’s why missing the “light”).
Mulaavidiya is called karanaavidya. Tulaavidia is called karyaavidya.

09: Chapter 1 Verse 15

If atma is totally unknown to you, there will not be self-love. If it is totally known to you that atma alone is source of joy why should you have logging for a sense object? Attachment towards the world indicates that you are not fully aware that you are the source of joy.
An inert object is one which is incapable of revealing itself. It always needs a conscious being for that. It is not self-existent (because not self-revealing), thus it is mithya.
When did ignorance join the ever-blissful atma? Anadi. This is the one answer meaning “don’t ask”. If somebody asks further - we say anirvachaniya - it cannot be categorised (as sat/asat), mithya.
Vishistadvaiti book: Satadushani - 100 defects of Vedanta. Vedantins say those are 100 ornaments.
The only job of avidya: damage the person. It joins you in each life and creates samsara. Karta -> actions -> …
Words are meant to reveal the objects.
Before creation there is Purusha (Brahman) and Prakrti (Maya). Brahman has no desire, no power, no knowledge to create. Prakrti is mithya thus cannot be counted. Example: There is me and my reflection, how many are there? Thus advaita.
Brahman associated with sattvapradanaprakti (=Maya) becomes nimittakaranam. Associated with tamahpradanaprakrti becomes upadanakaranam. Brahman becomes creator through association. Satya-mithya sambandha. No relationship, as relationship needs two equals.
We don’t have any relation with anybody. Neither with the body, neither with my senses, neither with my mind. Neither with the world, neither with any person, neither with any object.
Brahman associated with rajapradanaprakrti becomes jiva. Total sattva or total ignorance - no problem. Intermediate thing - Brahman associated with avidya saying I’m jiva = samsara. There are many shades of rajapradanaprakrti therefore there are many jivas.
Brahman associated with sattvapradanaprakti becomes jnani. That’s why they tell you to increase your sattva and decrease rajas and tamas. More sattva means more knowledge, more clarity.
Rajoguna - action function. Sattva - knowledge function. Tamas - suppression of both action and knowledge function.

10: Chapter 1 Verse 16 - 19: Creation

Prakrti doesn’t poses the three gunas. They are not its attributes. They are Prakrti.
Vishudha sattva is Maya. With Brahman reflected in that it is called Isvara. Malina sattva is rajapradanaprakrti is avidya. Brahman reflected here is called Jivah.
Isvara is swami, Jiva a dasa. Iswara is a master of Maya, Jiva is a slave of avidya.
Iswara: Brahman + reflected consciousness (pratibimba) + Maya (sattvapradanaprakti) + tamahpradanaprakrti. Jiva: Brahman + avidya + reflection.
Vicitram = variated. Many kinds of karanashariras thus jivas are there. Jiva = pragnaha. We are prepared for creation now (creator and creature is there). Ishvara will provide another two bodies and objects to experience sukham/dukham.
tamahpradanaprakrti means predominance of tamas, not exclusivity.
Maya is not a product of Brahman. Both are anadi. Brahman reflected in the Maya or avidya is also anadi. All (Maya, ajnanam, Iswara, Jiva) except for Brahman have an end, thus are mithya.
Iswara is the adiguru and he initiates the brahmavidya. He’s got no ignorance. Jiva has partial knowledge (he knows only that I’m) but this leads to misconception which in turn to samsara.
Isvara is like the spider of Mundakaupanishad. Both nimittakaranam and upadanakaranam for the whole creation. From upadanakaranam he creates five elements … By the will of god (depending on jivas’ karma), not by the fancy - that would mean raga and dvesha. Otherwise there would be no order (action -> result experiences the same one).
Srshti is cyclic, not linear. There is no beginning and no end. Moksha is going out of the srshti cycle, once the merry-go-round becomes sorry-go-round.

11: Chapter 1 Verse 20 - 26

One antahkarana has two names based on the function: mind and intellect. Mind decides something (=sankalpa) and then immediately a question/doubt arises (=vikalpa). Mind decides and there is no doubt against it - buddhi. Like one person is called manager and householder.
Intelligent creation: if you see a pot, it is intelligent creation. A conscious being must be involved - nimittakarana. Without the blessing of Isvara the creation will not be intelligent.
Depending on the function prana is considered fivefold.
Once prarabda is exhausted and jiva (karanasharira, sukshmasharira with chitabhasa) wants to go udana shakti gets ready. All other pranas become weak so udana can “take off”.
Satvaamsha of five subtle elements gives rise to antahkaranam and sense organs. Rajasamsha of the five subtle elements gives rise to prana and organs of action.
Subtle elements, grossification

12: Chapter 1 Verse 26 - 28

Jiva identifies with one subtle body. Ishvara as Hiranyagarbha is identified with all subtle bodies created out of the five subtle elements. He has all sense organs. All organs of action. All minds. Identified with all still he’s not a samsari.
Sukshma shariram requires a sthula shriram for sukha/dukha anubhava. Without it it cannot function in the world to experience sense objects. There is no communication/TX/experience to/with jivas without a body.
Purpose for creation of jivas is experience of pleasure and pain (exhaustion of karma).
Raw material for creation: sthula mahabhutas - grossified subtle elements. These can be experienced and are used to create the world (bodies and objects).
Without identification with the karana shariram there cannot be identification with the subtle body. Jiva = identification with karana shariram.
From the gross elements brahmANDa (cosmig egg) is created first. Then in it the fourteen lokas. In the various lokas then a variety of sense objects and sthula sharirams. Isvara identifies with all sukshma shariras and becomes Hiranyagarbha. Then Hiranyagarbha identifies with all sthula stharirams and becomes Vaishnavara and all the gross bodies gain the status of Visva.
lok - to experience. What is experienced is called loka.
Vaishnavara - vishvesham naranam nayanat. Identified with all the physcal bodies. “I” in his mind will mean all gross bodies.
If you don’t identify with the gross body, you cannot experience pleasure and pain. You cannot get pleasure through sense objects - vishayaananda.
Vishva - jiva identified with the gross body (and the two others). Jiva although expanded. Got a full manifestation (in regards to his possibilities of experience).
When there is punyam predominance, the taijasa gets a celestial body (deva). Devas are eternally young.
When there is predominance of papam, they get a tiryam shariram (animal body).
If punam papam are almost equal - deva tiryam shariram (nara, human body).
Isvara, Hiranyagarbha, Vaisvanara <-> Prajna, Taijasa, Visva.
Isvara and Prajna have a joint venture. One contributes creating power through maya, the other karma.
Ajnana is cause of sukha/dukham and of samsara. Doesn’t apply to Isvara, only to Jiva.

13: Chapter 1: 29 - 33: Samsara

Subtle elements are born from the tamahpradanaprakrti of Iswara.
Karana shariram means sanchita. Jiva has got a specific subtle body born of his sanchita karma.
Virat, Hiranyagarbha, Iswara - there is dehaabhimana. But Iswara etc. knows deha is mithya. This identification with the body is also mithya. Just like a jnani. Example: actor playing a beggar. He speaks everything as for the role. He has to identify, otherwise there will be no next role.
Iswara (Virat) is like prime minister speaking for the whole country. He identifies with all gross bodies and sense objects as well.
Brahman identified with rajapradanaprakrti - I know myself and I don’t know myself. That is the misery. I’m bound because I consider myself a limited being. Dehaabhimana leans to sense of inadequacy -> desire to become adequate -> kartrtvama and bhoktrtvam -> karma -> punar janma.
Momentary happiness proves the misery.
Avidya -> kama -> karma.
Parag darshinaha - becoming extrovert. Objects are outside so you turn outside for happiness.
Ignorance leads to extrovertedness and extrovertedness supports ignorance. It is a self-sustaining cycle.
There is no time for self-inquiry.
Karma - karma phala cycle. Addiction to activity. Never becoming free, never getting peace.
Compassion without expectation.
Guru upadesha - rescue mission. Systematical consistent study for a length of time.
Sense of discomfort for everybody - uneasiness called samsara. Nobody except jnani accepts himself. You cannot accept yourself as a limited being.
You should never go to a guru who was never a sishya (never go to a self-taught one).
Absolute peace - videha mukti and jivan mukti. By knowledge - no other solution.
If the guru doesn’t know the lifting method, thi jiva will make the guru a samsari.
Annamaya - anatomical personality. Born from sthula mahabhutas - gross eements.
Koshas cannot cover Brahman physically, but by distracting attention. “Covering the vision”. Some people are obsessed with the weight, beauty, gender, food, emotions, knowledge (big egotrip - I show you how much I know)…
Know Brahman in the buddhi, where it manifests as sakshi, spreading to all the koshash.

14: Chapter 1: 34 - 39: sravanam; panca kosha viveka

Sukshma shariram - lingam.
Pranamajakosha is nothing but pancha prana along with panca karmeindriyani. Born from rajasamsha of all subtle elements.
Manomaya is one which has nature of doubting (mind). Five jnaneindriyam + antarkaranam. Born out of sattvaguna.
Vijnanamaya - faculty of determination, conclusion, decision. Five jnaneindriaym (common in manomaya and vijnanamaya) and decision faculty (buddhi).
Subtle body is split into three koshas because of different functions.
Anandamayakosha - karana shariram. Malina-sattvam (tamo misrita sattvam). Made out of priya, moda, pramoda.
Whenever (any) jnanam arises is because of sattva.
What is mine cannot be I. E.g. My car. Yet for physical body, mind etc. we sometimes use I and sometimes my.
Viveka: separate what is inherent, intrinsic and what is incidental, what comes and goes. This method is called anvaya vyatireka, which establishes cause-effect relationship or anuvrti (continuity - of atma) vyavrti (variability - of kosha) also. Example: pot and clay.
atma is invariably present like a thread.
Physically you cannot separate an object from an all-pervasive entity. Intellectually to cut mis-identification.
There is no necessity for a thoughtless state (samadi). Just understand that a thought is mithya. And it cannot bother you. Without a thought you can exist. A thought cannot exist without you. Presence of thoughts or they absence doesn’t make any difference to me.
I’m not related to them and they are not related to me. It is a mithya sambandha = no sambandha. Level of reality has to be the same.
Yoga has a philosophy of sankhya. They consider a thought as real and therefore they want samadi. Because they consider both Purusha and Prakrti independent and satyam.
If you don’t place the I in any of the limited koshas - you have no limitation.
When you have a pain and go to a dream you’re not experiencing the pain.
The gross body and whole sthula prapanca is not experienced in dream. You experience sukshma prapanca. In svapna there is a vyatireka of sthula shariram and I the consciousness is evident continuously (anvaya).
Ahamkara is part of the subtle body, of the mind. Ego - I sense. Ahamkara - I thought.
Physical body is - I’m. Physical body is not - I’m. Sukshma shariram is - I’m. Sukshma shariram is not - I’m… vyavrti - anuvrti.

15: Chapter 1: 40 - 42

Guru and shastra are complementary. One is not valid without the backing of the other. Ultimately guru imparts knowledge through atma-anatma viveka. Through this jivatvam is basically displaced.
The teaching is basically only one - you are the limitless Brahman, the association with three koshas is only incidental. They are not part of the self.
If I exist in the absence of gross body (etc.), then it proves I’m not the gross body.
You need TX, because you were born. Why should I be born? Well that proves the problem of ajnanam is there.
Sravanam and mananam gives one clear knowledge about oneself. It is a source of knowledge. Niddidhiasana is not. It is there to allow one the claim the status learned in sravanam and mananam.
In one who’s done niddidhiasanam jnanam is active. He knows he’s free from all gunas, he’s all-pervasive. There is no sushupti (karana sharira, ignorance) for him. He knows those are not his nature, as he knows who he is all the time. Thus vyavrti (absence) of andamayakosha / karana shariram / ignorance takes place.
When you study svapna, sthula sharira vyavrti takes place. When you study sushupti, sukshma sharira vyvarti takes place. In samadhi / niddidhiasana (having claimed the knowledge who I’m all the time) vyavrti of karana sharira takes place.
Chandogya upanishad 6. chapter towards the end: Gandhara desha drsthanta (~ Dante: Divine Comedy). A man was kidnapped and blindfolded and thrown into a forest. Blindfolding - ignorance and tying to samsara. Dumped into pancha kosha forest. Full of wild animals like raga, dvesha, etc. Ultimately he’s rescued by the guru and taken to his home, to Brahman. Home is one where you go after a lot of wandering (~ Odysseus).
If I see myself as a body, there will be comparison to other bodies.
Buddhist, Charvakas etc. - they have analyzed, not separated (ishika - sharp grass) properly and came to wrong conclusions.
The very thought of shunyam proves consciousness. Something must be there which is not shunyam and talks about it. You’d be non-existent to prove shunyam.
Kathaupanishad: atma is known by such people who are having a very sharp intellect thus are able to segregate in the mind (the self from three bodies).
Logic based on shruti, not independent logic, does the three bodies separation. Apply your brain to understand shruti statements (not to create new theories).
Chinmudra. Three fingers have beginning an end. Index finger and thumb forming a circle are a cycle, no beginning, no end. Purnam. We do chinmudra when we like something.

16: Chapter 1: 43

Kartrtvam and bhoktrtvam belong to the mind, anatma, not consciousness.
Ego is very ready to claim anything as its own. Associating it with I.
If you don’t separate (analyze) properly, samsara continues. You will not get central piece - ishika, but keep hurting yourself.
Pure logician are most illogical -> take help of shruti.
Sambhavita yukti: logic used to establish that Vedanta is not irrational.
Every meaning reveals its meaning by a particular method. This method is called vrtti - mode or matter. Mukhyaartaha - direct, primary meaning, which is the immediate meaning which occurs in your mind. Lakshiartam - secondary meaning. Lakshanavrti - method by which a word reveals secondary meaning. Gaunivrtti - a method by which a word reveals its meaning in a figurative way. Gaunaartaha - figurative meaning. Example: calling a swami a lion.
Mahavakya reveals oneness between Jiva and Paramatma through lakshanavrtti.
Jahati, ajahati, jahat-ajahat lakshana.
Jahati lakshanam (-) - primary meaning is totally given up and connected meaning is taken. Example: I read Vivekananda a lot (give up “person”, understand “works”). India plays against Russia. He drank a bottle.
Ajahati lakshanam (+) - primary meaning is retained and extra meaning is added. Example: Car is coming -> Car + driver. I ordered a pizza -> pizza + plate + cutlery is brought.
Jahatajahat lakshanam (-/+) - bhaga (portion) tyaga (giving up). From the primary meaning a part is given up. I ate three bananas (without the skin). He visited India.
Aham - primary meaning: physical, subtle, causal body and consciousness. Normally we use only partial meaning from all this. I’m lean. I’m emotional person… Why don’t you use “I” only for the consciousness? -> aikyam.

17: Chapter 1: 44 - 46

Unless you work on a word, it might not reveal its meaning. You’ve to do laksanah.
Isvara - creator. Jiva - created. There never can be oneness. Unless you give up part of the primary meaning -> do laksanah.
Praktrti is threefold. Sattvapradanaparkti is one not contaminated by the other two. Brahman reflected in sattvapradanaparkti is called nimittakarana, sarvagnaha, sarvashaktiman. Efficient cause of creating the universe, knowledge how to create and creative power. Associated in tamahpradanaprakti he becomes material cause of creation.
When you say reflected you need a consciousness.
Direct meaning of tat = Iswara = Brahman + reflected consciousness + sattvapradanaparkti + tamahpradanaprakti. Karanabrahman - creator. Swami.
Direct meaning of tvam = Jiva = Brahman + reflected consciousness + malina sattva (i.e. rajapradanaprakrti - kama, karma, karmaphala etc.). Karyambrahman - creature. Dasa.
Advaita Vedantis vs. Vishistaadvaitins: soham -> dasoham -> sadasoham
Any reflection (chitabhasa) is non-separate from the original (chaytanyam). You cannot separate.
If you remove the (reflective) medium, the reflection is gone too. Example: sun in the bucket of water.
tat tvam asi works only after bhaga tyaga laksana and keeping only Brahman.
Mithya - once you understand that a given thing is not there even though are experiencing it. Like sunrise. Only cognitively you are negating. Jiva, Jagat, Iswara will will not go. If it would go perceptually as well, it is asat - sunyam.
Sakshi moves in all the three states and does not carry anything from one into other. Therefore it is asangah. Consciousness stands independent of everything. Prakrti needs Brahman to proves its existence.
Division is mithya.
Example: recognizing a person after many years. The attributes (hair color, weight, status, height, health, ideas, knowledge…) are different. You have to drop them.

18: Chapter 1: 47 - 49

Recognition = memory (“that”, smrti) + perception (“this”, pratyaksha)
This (ayam) devadatta is that (sah) devadatta, if you drop non-essential attributes.
Working for moksha is a gross mistake. It will mean moksha it will come in future. Paramatma is free from attributes right now!.
Less attributes, more pervasive. No attributes = all-pervasive, limitless. If it is limitless, it covers the subject and object also. It covers both and transcends them, because subject are object are limited.
Once no attributes are there it cannot become object of your knowledge. You have to understand limitless in terms of subject. It cannot become an object.
Nobody can gain limitlessness (moksha). Any gain is limited in time and space. You are moksha. What you are working on is removing ignorance. You are free at this very moment.
Any kind of TX is only possible when the subtle body enters sthula body.
In a given life, you enter into several bodies. One gives up ID with the gross body and enters into a dream body. Therefore punar janma is possible. One cannot negate it. You can say I don’t care about it, but you cannot really say there is no punar janma.
Sravanam - systematic scriptural study for a length of time under an competent acharya. One should study until one understands the aikyam and claims the brahmanhood. Until I can say I’m brahman the jagatkaranam. Until I don’t see myself as a small speck in the creation but see the creation as a small speck in me. Kayvalya upanishad: Mayieva sakalam jatam. Mayi sarvam pratisthitam. Mayi sarvam layam jati. Tat brahmana advaya asmi aham.
Mananam is not over yet.
Every pramana has its field. Eyes - color and forms. Nose - smell. Ears - sounds… Vedanta sastra - atma. What one source of knowledge gives you cannot be known through any other source of knowledge (anadigatatvam - uniqueness). It should not be contradicted by any other pramanam.
Tatvamasi is reported nine times with different examples in Chandogya.
Science says there is no sunrise. Eyes say there is sunrise. Thus there is illusion, but no contradiction.
Job of mananam: we have to find out if Vedanta sastra pramanam is contradicted by any other pramanam or not.

19: Chapter 1: 49, 50: mananam

Your knowledge should be free of doubts. Doubtful knowledge is as good as ignorance.
What Vedanta gives you cannot be given to you by any other means of knowledge. Nor it can be doubted by any other means of knowledge. Example: can ears doubt what eyes reveal?
Subject cannot be revealed by the senses because senses are revealed by the subject.
Without any features try to see and then describe an(y) object.
Activity, function of the word is to reveal the meaning.
Nirguna brahman means totally free from features. There is no activity for words.
Vishesha = features in an object. Words can reveal only savishesha vastu.
Brahman is not revealed by the words Upanishads.
If you say Brahman is sagunaha, then he is mithya. Nirgunah Brahman one cannot speak about (and thus is not revealed) because there are no attributes.
Whenever and whatever you are experiencing, it is an object with features.
If I want to negate your philosophy then there must not be any logical fallacy in mine.
An attribute (guna) always resides in a substance (dravyam). It is never independent.

20: Chapter 1: 50, 51

Sastram: an individual has basically oneness with Isvara. There are two names, but not two entities. Mananam: now we’re checking if there are doubts.
Nirvishesha vastu cannot be there in the creation. How can anyone know and experience that? No attributes reside in it.
Knowledge is knowledge only when it is free from doubts.
Substance and attributes becomes savishesha.
Attributesless substance cannot be supporter of attributes - vadato vyagataha (contradiction). Nirguna supporting guna … Like telling a person I’m observing silence since 10 years. Also this would admit the existence nirguna substance.
Atmaasraya (self-dependence) is a dosha. A cannot be supporter of A. I cannot sit in my own lap. In any relationship there need to be two things. Supporting must be different from supporter.
Mutual dependence (anyonya ashraya) is a dosha. Person A cannot borrow from person B who is also about to ask to borrow from him.
Cyclicity (cakraatmakaha), e.g.: A -> B -> C -> A, is also a dosha.
Infinite regression (anavasta dosha): you keep on doing and doing what you’re doing and still not arrive at what is savishesham.
Any dvaita sastra which is not accepting nirvishesha vastu will have these five doshas. Because it has to accept attributes and substance independently.
Trying to understand saguna. If both, attributes and substance are real, you will have to come up with a relationship between them but you will only find the five doshas. The only explanation that makes sense is “mithya”.

21: Chapter 1: (repetition)

Basically Pancadasi is meant for mananam.
What I’m conscious of is changing that I’m conscious is not. The consciousness is the invariable factor in all experiences. (cit-sat)
Satyam - what is all the time there, what doesn’t come and go.
What I love is always changing. But there is one thing that I love all the time - I - the subject. If I love myself unconditionally, then I must be the source of happiness. (ananda). Source - all the time supplying.
In the deep sleep state (total ignorance) we don’t have a problem. In the waking state jnani doesn’t have a problem (total knowledge - no wrong notion pertaining to the self).
Samsara: having a natural desire to transform myself. I’m not happy with what I’m now. This is the product of avidya.
Trigunaatmika prakrti: 1) sattvagunaprakrti - maya 2) tamahpradanaprakti - prakrti 3) rajapradanaprakrti - avidya.
Rajapradanaprakrti is anadi. Thus Jiva (rajapradanaprakrti + Brahman) is anadi.
Birth is give for one purpose only: to get fulfillment. Easiest way is to study Pancadasi.
As a knower, doer, enjoyer you are limited. Thus you want more and more. And you look at yourself as an incomplete person. Until the time for this body is over, then Isvara gives punar janma and so on, until one is lucky (punyam) and comes to this teaching.
three things possible only through grace of Isvara: manusyatvam, mumuksutvam, association with a good teacher.
Effective sravanam means one has to study consistently for a long time under the guidance of a teacher. Giving up the identification with body and mind. Drg-drsya viveka through the method of anvaya-vyatireka.
To know yourself you have to go to somebody else. It is like to see your face.
Wrong notions are due toe avidya, thus anadi. Therefore to drop false notion which create a sense of limitation takes time.

22: Chapter 1: 50

If the doubts are not resolved, I cannot go further to niddidhiasanam.
Two kinds: interpretational doubts happen to people who are not learning from traditional teachers. These are more serious. The other are logical doubts. These can go away with repeated sravanam and approaching the teacher for clarification.
Logicians: there is no such thing as nirgunam. If Vedanta reveals Brahman, it must be saguna. It hast at least one attribute, that’s difference from what reveals it (Vedanta).
I want to make myself free from the process of becoming, because any becoming involves limitation.
Attributes always reside in substance. Therefore every substance is all the time saguna only. Thus you will never find a nirguna substance.
Saguna fallacy: What nature is the substance on which the guna (attribute) rests? See class # 20 for possible answers and their illogicality. -> mithya.
Anyonya asraya (mutual dependence) for peace, happiness, security never works.
Vedantins: since the creation is mithya, any model is good for me. Prasna Upanishad: no element. Chandogya: three elements. Taittriya: five elements. Upanishads themselves have no consistency. Ultimately the creation is not there at all, but a person entering into Vedanta will not understand this. He needs a lot of preparation before this can be assimilated.

23: Chapter 1: 50, 51

If an object has attributes, it becomes an object of knowledge. If atma has attributes, it can never be the subject. Anything that has attributes, will be subject to change, is born and will go.
Mananam deals with logical doubts. Doubtful knowledge can never be assimilated.
Difference between two things allows to distinguish between them. Difference is a properly (guna).
Samsaris have all the time complains, agony, suffering because what they want from the world they cannot derive. We are basically interested in peace, security and happiness. In nothing else, not in other people, charity, Isvara …
Nirguna brahman cannot be experienced nor logically derived, because logic requires words. If it could be revealed this revelation would automatically produce bheda.
Any substance with a property, any object can never be explained what it is. That’s why we call it mithya.
Movie cannot be separated from the screen.
Plurality has no independent reality. Trying to find relationships between appearances is full of logical fallacies. Give up the idea of saguna.

24: Chapter 1: 52, 53

Substance (dravyam) is that which supports attributes (guna). Analysis of their “relationship” leads to the five fallacies. They are not really two different things. You are seeing plurality because of Maya.
If you give reality to this dvaita prapancha it becomes cause of samsara.
There is no way out of samsara, plurality but to wake up.
Once prapancha has been negated, then where is the question of using the word “nirguna”. Like “adhisthanam”. Once you stop giving reality to the mithya, then there is no adhisthanam. Same for “sakshi”, it is introduced because people consider the three states as real.
For relationship you require at least one thing different than you. Where is the question of holding on to words like “asanga” once you understand there is nothing but “One” thing. Advaia, asanga … all words belong to the world, to vyavahara.
Mithya example: 17 elephants. 1/2 to elder son. 1/3 to second son. 1/9 to last son.
Atma is unconnected, not associated at all with either saguna nor nirguna. Since we perceive and give reality to the gunas, we say atma is nirguna so that you can withdraw reality given to the word (world).
Teaching itself is mithya. Brahmavidya is mithya. Teacher is mithya. Student is mithya. Na sasta na sastram na sishyo na siksha All this is in the realm of vyavahara. Brahman itself is not mithya.
Once you’ve understood that I’m Brahman no word is necessary and no word can reveal it also.
“Cit” is also vyavahara. Any word is. Why should I say “I’m consciousness?” All words pertaining to Brahman are parts of the teaching.
You’re not a karta yet you are working as a karta. You’re not a bhokta yet you become a bokta at 12:00am. Every triputi is mithya (karta, karma, karanam …) You like singing singing “Citananda shivovham…”. No worry, keep on singing. All vyavara is mithya.
We’re not obliged to answer to anybody. We’re not going to lose anything if we don’t reply. Whatever the other says is mithya. Our intellect should be free from doubts. We should convince ourselves, we might not convince others.
Mananam: One should go through one cycle: few Upanishads, Gita and if possible the four sutras of Brahmasutra. Then one should see if doubts are there.
Mananam addresses intellectual issues. It will not help with emotional issues. These are addressed by niddidhiasanam.

25: Chapter 1: 54 Niddidhiasanam

Meditation (niddidhiasanam) cannot give Moksha. Moksha is already my nature. Anything produced can give only what I don’t have yet and is finite.
Meditation cannot give Atmajnanam. It is not a pramana. Sravanam alone gives you aparoksha jnanam.
Meditation is not meant to give you (a mumukshu) a new experience. Any experience falls into the objective field, which is different than the subject. Moksha has to do with subject.
Vayragya: drop anything that is bound by time and space.
We’re not denying extraordinary experiences. We’re just questioning their utility for Moksha.
Vedanta analyses experiences but is not in search of new and extraordinary ones. The three states of experience are enough for us to arrive at the knowledge of the self and gain moksha.
Niddidhiasanam: (vedantic) meditation is meant to assimilate teaching received through sravanam. Goal: emotional issues gone.
All emotional issues are habitual. So consciously remove the subconscious notions through niddidhiasanam.
Moksha = emotional soundness. Samsara: emotional issues.
You’re ready for niddidhiasanam when you’re convinced that you’ve doubtless knowledge.
Niddidhiasanam is of two types: 1) constant alertness to every situation during waking state so that the response is based in keeping with the teaching, (BG 5.8-9: pasyan srvnam sprsan … naiva kincit karomiti yukto manyete tattva-vit) 2) BG 6: you sit and spend time exclusively with a specific deeper issue that makes you suffer a lot.
vicikitsa = samshaya = doubt.
Mananam: deals with the basic doubt “How can I be Brahman?”. Not some minor doubts like are there 17 or 19 parts of sukshma sharira etc.
We’re taking only the last three steps from Yogashastra. Dharanam - fixing the mind, letting the thought centered, on the Self, I. Ekathanatvam (dhyayam) - concentration. Having fixed, retain the flow of thoughts on the Self. Samadhi.
Mithya = non separate (from the real).
Just drop the notions about yourself and you’ll be left with what’s reality about you. Never think “my mind will illumine”. The mind will basically drop the notions.

26: Chapter 1: 55

Vedantic meditation (niddidhiasanam) = fixing the mind on Brahman -> dropping the wrong notion pertaining to the self. Example: What “I” is it that fears? The body/mind one. The real “I” is fearless.
Keep consciously dissimilar thoughts (=pertaining to anatma) away.
Not repetition “aham asangah” all over. We’re not particular about entertaining the same thought. But on similar thoughts pertaining to atma.
Pick a few words like ananda, nityam, suddham, buddham, muktam, asangam, advitiyam and write few lines about them and ponder about it.
You don’t require to sit for more than 15 minutes. 2-3x a day is good.
Other various types of niddidhiasanam: keep listening again and again, discussion with someone else, sharing - teaching.
Vedantic samadhi is possible consequence of niddidhiasanam. It means absorption and is normal, natural faculty of every mind. Has nothing to do with mysticism.
When you start thinking in a given line, mind can gradually absorb in that thing. Generally we’re absorbed in our own worries. Here the object of absorption is the self.
Samadhi = Total absorption (“being in flow”) with the object of meditation. Not the yogic “no thought” state, which is very similar to deep-sleep state.
If any kind of experience which removes self-ignorance (gives knowledge) is of benefit to us.
Autobiografy - all notions regarding the person… Remove notions to reveal the self.
Anything you gain in the life, you will not be free from suffering. You have to knock off the notion I’m not samsari. For reaching one’s own abode, one’s own home, comfort, there is no way. No marga.
Yogis - in the process of destroying the mind. Ashtanga yoga is ultimately to kill the mind. Vedanta says mind is required.
Yogic samadhi won’t give jnanam, nor will remove obstacles. Removing obstacles requires thinking. Resolving the mind is escapism from realism of life, not facing, resolving the problem.
Yogic samadhi - jada samadhi. Avidya vrtti is there. Experience is not knowledge.
Vedantic samadhi is like paddling the cycle. Initially will (=effort) is required, but then those thoughts remain in the mind by sheer habit. Without will based effort. Will means ahamkara is involved.
Vedantic samadhi: I’m right now dwelling on that, that kind of awareness is not there. Just similar thoughts pertaining to the self - the teaching - remain. Very effort of retaining is not there.

27: Chapter 1: 56 - 58

Effort is always based on the will. And will is based on the meditator. Drop the will and only object of meditation in which you’re absorbed remains. That is vedantic nirvikalpa samadhi. Like reading a book you love. You don’t know you’re a reader reading a book.
Even in nirvikalpaka samadhi vrttis are there. Yet their presence is not recognized because ahamkara does not function. When ahamkara is dormant and a vrtti raises it is called sukshma vrtti. Knower is not present. If he is, it is sthula vrtti.
In shusupti knowledge regarding to ignorance (tamovrtti, avidyavrtti) is there. You have memory of sleeping well, but not during the experience because the knower is sleeping.
Every memory is born out of experience. It is the proof thereof.
In yogic samadhi avidyavrtti are there.
Self-forgetfulness is the biggest problem of every seeker. Generally the problem is not absorption, but retention. Solution: just continue niddidhiasanam.
Our job is to drop all wrong notions pertaining to the self.
Sandal = pair. Raga dvesha = pair. Once you wear sandals …
Teaching should go to subconscious. Then you need not worry, it is always with you. Because in conscious mind only few things remain (5 entries, a lot of input and traffic) and go.
Bashyakara: In every janma acquire more and more of these samskaras pertaining to atma. You require initially conscious effort (a lot of) and then it becomes samskara. At this stage reduce worldly activity. Don’t engage too much in the world. This is why Jagnyavalkya has retired - to assimilate what he already knew.
This is a serious affair, yet nothing to be worried about. It is very time consuming. Every day until death, until you go to sleep entertain thoughts regarding to the self.
Constantly generate punyam. Pancha maha yagnyas. Have religious life. And constantly form vedantic habits through niddidhiasanam. Be like a flame in a breezeless room, let not the mind go into anatma.
Job and phalam of niddidhiasanam: bring everything out of subconscious mind. Certain thoughts might arise because of old habits, but you will be in charge of those because of niddidhiasanam.
Samadhi is a possible consequence but not a must. Like reading a book. You dn’t understand it only when you are totally absorbed in that.
A true character of a person can be only known by studying him in a provocative situation. Then subconscious personality comes into play, conscious one is overpowered.
We don’t give importance to formal meditation. But to being emerged in the teaching.
What is contrary to experience (anubhava), logic (yukti), sastra (sruti) we have to negate. Be careful around yogic sastras. For them samadhi is the pinacle, sravanam least important. Vedanta gives most importance to sravanam, mananam and niddidhiasanam.

28: Chapter 1: Verse 59 - 62

glorification of samadhi by yoga sastra:
1. samadhi destroys all sanchita karmas.
2. samadhi increases shudha punya karma. Any karma will cause punya and some papam as well. Even puja as we might not do it flawlessly. By samadhi punyam only will increase by huge amount, no papam.
3. samadhi dissolves all viparita bhavana - all emotional issues.
4. samadhi uprootes the tree of karma. Destroys the ignorance (root) and all sanchita karmas.
5. mahavakya becomes free of all obstacles and becomes capable of doing its job - giving aparoksha jnanam.
Vedantic standpoint:
1. We don’t accept. Knowledge, not samadhi destroys sanchita karmas.
2. We don’t accept. Punyam is result of karma.
3. Totally acceptably. Emotional freedom is the main benefit of samadhi.
4. and 5. Not acceptable. Only jnanam destroys punya papam. This is beautifully said in Mundakopanishad. Samadhi is state where no new knowledge is generated.
immediate knowledge - aparoksha jnanam = that brahman is myself -> mukti. Only mahavakya gives that. That’s the tatparyam of all upanishads.
When aparoksha jnanam is there in the intellect along with obstacles (emotional, intellectual) then we call it paroksha jnanam. Paroksha jnanam doesn’t give mukti.
Sravanam gives knowledge, mananam removes intellectual obstacles, niddidhiasanam emotional ones.
Getting angry, jealous etc. in a situation is a habit. All emotional issues are habitual errors that have the basis in taking the body mind as oneself.
Pratibhandas don’t go in one day. If you’re waiting for some kind of incident that resolves all obstacles - that day will never come. Removing obstacles is growing clarity. It’s a process, not a momentary event. Otherwise we’ll wait for something special to happen. This is a gradual process like braking the day. Or just like studying at the college - clarity grows slowly.
Create more and more space in understanding that I’m not the body/mind.

29: Chapter 1: 63 - 65

Paroksha jnanam will eliminate all the papa karmas of the sishya. Student’s ahamkara and mamakara are greatly reduces because he knows these are false identification with the body.
Interpretional obstacles give birth to new philosophies.
What is a relationship between pot and clay? Mirage water and desert? Body and self? Sathya-mithya relationship is no relationship.
Paroksha jnanam will eliminate agami papam. You will not not do deliberately do any papa-karma.
Until you get some maturity in your niddidhiasanam follow your sadhana chatustaya champati. So it will be your second nature and you are spontaneously dharmic. Deliberate papa karma is impossible. For what? There is no kama in his heart that compels.
If a person sees everything as himself where is the desire? You don’t have a desire for what you are but for something other than you…
Atma reveals its own existence. Light of lights - jotisham joti.
What is not self-evident and self-existent is mithya. And it should not be counted. Therefore there is one entity in the creation.
Apratibandhaka aparoksha jnanam (claming “I’m free here and now”). It gives you jivan-mukti. Thus one will not have punar janma. Subtle body was given to you to learn what you are, once you know, there will be no purpose.

Q&A

in vyavahara the reflected consciousness is involved but your nature is witness consciousness. I’m not waker - reflected consciousness, I’m witness of the waker. Waker is the direct meaning of the “I” - vachyarta. Lakshyarta is witness consciousness. Let the citabhasa do the vyavahara, but know (think) that your real nature, the real “I” is the witness consciousness.
I’m conscious of the body, the body is not conscious of myself. The two are distinct.
Jiva - individual - includes the body in the word “I”. Step 1: understanding I’m consciousness (through bhaga tyaga; atma anatma viveka). Step 2: understanding that that consciousness is limitless through mahavakya.
Experience is always in the form of the vrtti, impression of the mind. Depending on the presence of the knower (ahamkara), it will be a sukshma or sthula vrtti.
Sarvam kalvidam brahman. All names and forms (creation) are brahman. But brahman is not names and forms (creation). Water can exist without being a wave, but wave cannot exist without water. Beggar is actor, actor is not beggar at all.
Both deep sleep and yogic samadhi give experience of non-dual state. But samadhi-one can be described afterwards. Experience of non-duality is not knowledge of non-duality. People coming out of samadhi don’t know after it that whatever they experience is mithya. Their ajnanam continues. Experience of non-duality is not a good teacher thereof. What is needed is the understanding.