1. Note from the Editor

Dear Bhagavatas,
I was away for a while and therefore there was some hiatus in the postings. I am glad to be back and further postings will continue.

I hope you have gone through the postings so far and a couple of questions have been put to me (one by Mr. Sudarsan and another by Mr. Vijay).I will be giving my answers shortly.

In the absence of a feedback from others, I wonder if all the postings have, in fact, been read by the rest. I will be grateful for a feedback with your comments and constructive criticisms on the contents thereof. Thanks.

Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy

2. From Chapter 7 of " Hinduism Rediscovered "

" WHO IS GOD? "

Our scriptures have answered this question in unambiguous terms. Our scriptures lay down that there are (three eternal realities)- (TATIVATRAYA) and a basic knowledge of these and their interrelationship is the starting point for answering this question as also the myriad other questions relating to the source, the maintenance and the dissolution of matter and life. 'Tattva' means 'that-ness', the verities that are self existent, eternal essential and natural entities. The three 'realities' are (i) the sentient (Chetana), (ii) the Non-sentient (Achetana) and (iii) the All-Sentient (Iswara).

SECTION 1 : CHETANAS (THE SENTIENT)
'CHETANA' means sentient. All living beings are sentient. They have two stages of 'awareness' Viz. Intrinsic consciousness (also known as DHARMI-BUTA-GNANA) and Extrinsic perception (also known as DHARMA-BUTA-GNANA).

1.1 DHARMI-BUTA GNANA AND DHARMA - BUTA- GNANA
Each living being whether human, animal or plant has a soul or Jeevatma. This Jeevatma has intrinsic consciousness or the cognition of the self as a living entity. Every living being understands that it is a living being as evidenced from the instinct of self-preservation. The hen runs away from the vulture; the rabbit from the dog; the deer from the tiger. This realization of 'being' and 'desire to continue to be' is the intrinsic consciousness (Dharmi buta gnana ). The ability to look out for what is around, to discern the means to 'continue life' by seeking nourishment, to sense dangers to life (and by extension to offsprings) and the like constitute 'External perception '(Dharma- buta-gnana).

While intrinsic consciousness is common to all in the same degree, the extrinsic perception or the awareness of not only things around but also things beyond varies in degrees - with humans having the greatest, animals to a lesser extent and plants with the least in the scale.

'Extrinsic perception' or Dharma-Buta-Gnana is conditioned by environment and is subject to expansion (Vikasa) and contraction (Sankocha). While plants draw sustenance from earth, water, air etc, grow and multiply they do not engage in any other activity; the animal kingdom involves itself in activity of a much higher order (e.g.) hunting, eating, mating, cognizing, sensing and avoiding dangers to life, seeking shelter, resting, sleeping etc.

Humans are endowed with a higher state of intellect and are able to observe, ponder over, contemplate, reason out and comprehend. This is known as the 'sixth sense' as distinct from the five senses of the animal kingdom. This sixth sense enables humans to understand things falling within one's comprehension and be prognostic about even those that are beyond comprehension.

It is said that the 'Devas' or divine beings (who are also Chetanas) have attained a much higher order in evolution and therefore have a higher level of intellectual activity with which they could perceive even those which humans are not able to comprehend.

Be that as it may, let us consider what we humans are supposed to understand with our present state of intellect. Our scriptures require us to understand the differences between the three entities and their inter-relationship.

When I say, "This is my book" - I mean that the book belongs to me. The book is obviously different from myself. Similarly, when I say, "This is my body" - the body is different from myself. Here, the word' myself' refers to the 'soul'. Otherwise, I will not say 'This is my body". So also, when I say, "My mind is clear" the mind is different from the entity called 'My" - which again refers to the soul which is different from the mind. So, it is clear that anything you claim as 'yours' is definitely not 'yourself'. The understanding of the Body - soul relationship (Sariratma bhava) is fundamental to Hinduism.

1.2 The Eternal Jeevatma or Chetana The body undergoes changes in form and size right from birth through childhood, adolescence, youth, old age and till death. The body grows, takes ill, gets well and is subject to so many changes whereas the soul remains constant and changeless. The soul or Jeevatma is eternal. Sastras say, that souls are infinite in number, atomic in size, blissful in nature. The souls are indestructible, eternal, unchanging, immovable, indefinable, unseen and omnipotent. Though infinite, the souls of all living beings are similar and do not differ from one another. As for size, they are so tiny that they cannot be seen, cannot be cut any further, cannot be burnt by fire, cannot be drenched by water and cannot be thrown about by wind. says Lord Krishna 1

By death is meant only the parting of the soul from the present body - on its future journey. Just like we change over to new clothes discarding the old worn out ones, the soul sheds the old body and assumes new ones. 2

Jeevatmas or souls are of 3 categories: Viz. BADDAS (Ever bound), MUKTAS ( Liberated) and NITYAS (Ever free); Baddas: are those who are 'bound' by 'Samsara' - through the cycle of births and deaths. They leave one body on death and are born again in some other body and go on rotating in the wheel of births and deaths. For the transmigrating soul, the 'hereafter' is only 'another here' - every reincarnation being either progressive or regressive.

The word 'SAM' means 'together' and 'SRU' means to flow. Hence, Samsara means 'Perpetual bondage' to universal flow - a continuum of all Karman. Samsara is the general condition of being steeped in the quagmire of vulnerability, perishability, ignorance, pain, unhappiness etc to which each successive body the soul assumes is heir to. It also means being inextricably interwoven into the vortex of births and deaths.

(1) BADDAS
The 'Badda' category includes right from the four faced Brahma to the smallest of plants like grass. The order of Baddas is more or less as follows:

1. The SURAS (or DEVAS) Or 'the shining ones' including Brahmas, Rudras, Indras, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Kimpurushas, Vidyadharas, Vasus, Rudras, Adityas, Maruts, Aswinidevas, Yakshas and all other celestial creatures which constitute the "Divine" Souls.
2. The NARAS or Humans including Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Sudras and others - which constitute the "human" souls.
3. The TIRYAKS or Animals (those that grow horizontally). They include those that live on earth like various animals, those that live in water like fish, whales etc, those that creep like snakes and those that fly with wings like birds - in short, the creatures that constitute the 'fauna'.
4. The STAVARAS or those that are immobile. They include trees of all categories big and small, plants, creepers, bushes, grass etc. - in short, the creatures that constitute the 'flora'.

(2) MUKTAS
Those who have secured liberation from the cycle of births and deaths on extinction of all karma (both good and bad) through means prescribed in the Sastras viz., Bhakti and prapatti. The goal of all Baddas is this emancipation for which a basic understanding of the nature of the self (Atmaswarupa) the nature of God (Iswaraswarupa), the means to attain God (Upaya), the bliss accruing on realizing Godhead (Upeya) and the obstructions that prevent the Badda from becoming a Mukta (Virodhi swarupa) - called the 'ARTHA PANCHAKA' is essential. We will discuss these also at a later stage.

(3) NITYAS
Those who are eternally free and were never born in the world as a result of 'Karma' (e.g.) ADISESHA, VISHWAKSENA, GARUDA and others. They are with ISWARA forever in his abode - PARAMAPADA and render service to God at all times and in all manners as per the will (Sankalpa) of God.

Characteristics of the Sentient JEEVATMAS The essential characteristics of all these souls are -

                GNANATVA        (Knowledge)
                ANANDATVA       (Bliss)
                AMALATVA        (Purity)

Till such release, however, the souls go through 'Punarmrityu' or Re-death and 'Punarjanma' or rebirth. Punar-mrityu means 'death of death' which means birth.

MAITRI UPANISHAD says
"In this cycle of existence, I am like a frog in a waterless well"3

The release from 'Samsara' and securing union with God is the basic concern of Hinduism and indeed of all religions, though they express the concept in different terms.

While some interpret this 'union' as 'unity' which means merging of Jeevatma with Paramatma indistinguishably, others hold that at best there can only be 'union' which means that even in integration, the two retain their individual characteristics.

According to the former, the words 'JIVA' and 'ATMA' have been interpreted differently. 'Jiva' is the principle of life but when applied to humans, it includes sensing, thinking, contemplating as well as living. The 'Jiva' is the individual self and the 'ATMAN' is the universal self. 'ATMAN' which denotes 'breath' came to be identified with both. 'atman' with the small 'a' is said to denote the soul in the individual and the 'ATMAN' with the Capital 'A', the Universal soul - or the Brahman conceived subjectively. In other words, the 'atman' is just a reflection of the 'Atman', the former the miniscule representation of the latter - so that the Jeevatma or the individual soul is in essence the same as Paramatma or the Universal soul.

Jiva , literally means ' That which breaths' from the root ' Jiv'- to breathe.- a biological phenomenon that goes on throughout one's life, in waking state, in dreaming state, in dreamless sleep and beyond. It is called ' Purusha ' since it is
' Puri- Saya '- that which dwells in the heart of the heart. Thus, the biological serves the purpose of another entity- the soul .

The other school, however, maintains that the two though ultimately integrated retain their individual characteristics. The Upanishadic example of two birds on a tree makes this point clear.

"Two birds, fast bound companions, clasp close the self same tree of these two, the one eats sweet fruit, the other merely looks on without eating"4

This means that the individual soul 'Jeevatma' enjoys or suffers the fruits of its past actions (Karma) while the universal soul 'Paramatma' is quite unsullied by any Karma and therefore does not have to experience the fruits of any 'Karma'. This is true even at the time of deluge when all souls get drawn to 'Paramatma', retain the potential fruits of their 'Karma' and on being released into the world again after the deluge proceed to experience the consequences of their karma while 'Paramatma' remains unaffected.

SECTION 2 : ACHETANAS (THE NON- SENTIENT)
When we distinguish the body as different from the soul, we arrive at the conclusion that the body is an 'Achetana' like any lifeless thing like wood, stone etc. The experience of Joy or sorrow, pleasure or pain, heat or cold arise in the body but are felt by the soul because it is sentient and is associated with the body. So long as one is alive (i.e.) so long as the jeevan remains in the body, we sense all these variations. When a person dies (i.e.) when the jeevan leaves the body - what remains is not called a 'person' but as a 'corpse' which cannot sense these feelings any more than a log of wood or stone. This leads us into the second entity called the 'Achetana'.

'ACHETANA' means Non-sentient (i.e.) it does not possess any knowledge, is not capable of thinking and cannot experience joy and sorrow and have no purity of their own either restricted on unlimited. In other words, the Anandatva, Gnanatva and Amalatva we spoke of in the case of Chetanas are absent in Achetana. ACHETANA consists of three categories viz., PRAKRITI (Matter), KALA(Time) and SUDDHASATVA.(Absolute purity)

2.1 PRAKRITI
This PRAKRITI is also called MOOLAPRAKRITI (primordial matter), AKSHARA ( Indestructible), PRATHAMA ( Primary), AVYAKTA ( Undifferentiated), TRIGUNA ( Triple quality)- in common parlance known as primordial matter or primary subtle elements. This primordial matter contains in itself inherently evolutes or categories in the evolution of the Universe and proceeding from subtle essence to the constitution of the material gross forms. All that exists, exists potentially inherent in the primordial matter.

This primordial matter undergoes constant changes due to the interaction of Satva (Lucidity), Rajas (Dynamism) and Tamas (Endropy) -also called the 'Trigunas' - and manifests itself in different forms and with different names (Roopa and Nama) as per the will (Sankalpa) of God. It is this primordial matter that evolves into Mahat (Universal mind) and Ahankara (Egoism) from which emerge the Gnanendriyas (sense organs) Viz. Eye, Ear, Mouth, Skin and Nose and the Karmendriyas (Motor organs) Viz. Tongue, arms, legs, execrative and the procreative organs, the Mind (Manas), the subtle elements called Tanmatras of Sabda (Sound), Sparsa (Touch), Rupa (form), Rasa (Taste) and Gandha (Smell) as also the Gross elements of Akasa (Ether), Vayu (Air), Teyu (Fire), Apah (Water) and Prithvi (Earth).

Dr S. Radhakrishnan explains this process very clearly in his "The Prinicipal Upanishads" thus:
" In regard to the development of the Universe, the Upanishads look upon the earliest state of the material world as one of extension in space; of which the characteristic feature is vibration represented to us by the phenomenon of sound. From 'Akasa', Vayu arises. Vibration by itself cannot create forms unless it meets with obstruction. The interaction of vibration is possible in air which is the next modification. To sustain the different forces, a third modification arises -'Tejas' of which 'light' and 'heat' are the manifestations. We still do not have stable forms and so the denser medium of
'water ' is produced. A further state of cohesion is found in earth. The development of the world is a process of steady ' grossening' of the subtle 'Akasa' or ' Space'. All physical objects, even the most subtle, are built up by the combination of these five elements. Our sense experience depends on them. By the action of ' Vibration ' comes the sense of 'Sound'; by the action of things in a world of vibrations the sense of 'Touch'; by the action of 'Light ', the sense of 'Sight'; by the action of 'Water,' the sense of 'Taste'; by the action of ' Earth ', the sense of "Smell'. "

The manner in which the evolution takes place may be figured out as follows:

1.       PRAKRITI (Primondial matter)
2.       MAHAT (Universal mind)
3.       AHANKARA (Egoism)*
SATVIKA AHANKARA                RAJASA  AHANKARA                
        TAMASA AHANKARA
 (VAIKARIKAM)                    (THAIJASAM)                            (BHUTADI)
GNANA           KARMA                           
INDRIYAS        INDRIYAS

4.  Eyes

9.  VAK (Tongue)

        (Touch)  
7.  Skin        12.  PAYU (Excretive

17.VAYU (Air)

13.  UPASTA (Procreative organs)

18. RUPATANMATRA (Form)

21.APAH (Water)
22.GANDHATANMATRA
(Smell)
23.PRITVHVI (Earth) The 24th entity is MANAS (individual mind) as distinct from MAHAT (Universal mind) and the 25th entity is identified as the JEEVATMA (Soul).

This 'AHAM KARA' or the 'I-Maker' manifests itself in various forms: like ABHIMANAM-'I-ness',' MADEEYAM'- 'Mine-ness',' MAMA SUKHAM'- My pleasure'', 'MAMA DUHKAM'- 'My Sorrows' 'MAMA IDAM'- 'My possessions' etc.,

By a process called 'Pancheekarana'( quintuplication) God creates the Universe. Hence, it is called 'PRAPANCHA" - the dimensions of which spread from the Satyaloka of Brahma through Bhuloka, the world we live in upto the Patalaloka, the nethermost space in the Universe.

The process of 'Pancheekarana'( quintuplication) may be understood approximately as indicated in the following diagram. This is merely by way of graphic illustration and does not purport to encompass the whole gamut which God only knows

1/2    Earth    1/2     ETHER    1/2    AIR     1/2     FIRE    1/2     WATER   
 +               +               +              +               +
1/8     AIR     1/8     AIR     1/8     ETHER   1/8     ETHER   1/8
        ETHER
1/8     FIRE    1/8     FIRE    I/8     WATER   1/8     AIR     1/8     AIR
1/8     WATER   1/8     WATER   1/8     FIRE    1/8     EARTH   1/8
        FIRE
1/8     ETHER   1/8     EARTH   1/8     EARTH   1/8     WATER
        1/8     EARTH
 = 1           =  1             =1              = 1             = 1

These compounds constitute the gross elements. They are named according to the element preponderant in each. Since ether is experienced as sound (Sabda), Air as touch (Sparsa) fire as color and shape (Rupa), water as flavour (Rasa) and earth as smell (Gandha) - each gross element (being a compound of all the five) affects all the senses.

Lord Krishna says:
"At the end of the life of the four faced Brahma, a great deluge (Mahaparalaya) takes place. During this time all inanimate things and all living beings get into the Prakriti which forms my body and lie in a subtle (Sukshma) state. At the commencement of the life of the next Brahma after the deluge, I again release them for another lease of life" - 6.

2. 2: KALA (TIME)
This has three main divisions viz., PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE. The subdivisions include such units like Varushas ( years), Ayanas ( Half years), Masas ( Months), Pakshas ( fortnights), Saptahas ( Weeks), Ahas (Days) , besides hours, minutes, seconds, microseconds, nanoseconds etc.,

2.3 : SUDDHASATVA ( Pristine Purity)
Suddhasatva is a reality which is devoid of Rajas and Tamas and this is said to relate to the Aprakrita loka (Paramapada) and the Sariras of Bhaghavan , the Nityas and the Muktas ( bodies of the Supreme Lord).