Understanding Purusha and Prakriti in Consciousness

The consciousness has a Purush tatva and Prakriti. Be it a man or woman every one has Purusha and Prakriti in it .

Consciousness or Brahman was unmanifested matter, Prakriti helped it to manifest in it’s evolutes.

  1. Tri Gunas i.e. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are the evolutes of Prakriti
  2. The ego ( self identity) is the evolute of Prakriti
  3. The Cognitive Sense i.e. Jnanendriyas like hearing,touching,seeing tasting smelling is all evolutes of Prakriti.
  4. The Active instruments i.e. karmendriyas i.e speaking, holding, moving, procreation,eliminating are evolutes of Prakriti.

Prakriti or Shakti allows us to exhale and inhale …. We usually think it’s the breath which is the prana. But, it’s the prakriti or Shakti that allows the air to fill the lungs. This is why we breathe.

Anything in motion, behind it is the Shakti. The voice from the throat is Shakti in various forms: Para, Prashanti, Madhyama, and Vaikhari. Behind sleep is Shakti which allows us to feel sleepy.

Behind thinking is Shakti which allows us to think.

Without Shakti the cosmos cannot operate … Anything in motion in this Universe is Shakti … If we follow the Shakti/Prakriti we will reach the Purusha or consciousness.

Draupadi: The Fireborn Catalyst of Mahabharata

Many people say that Mahabharata happened because of a women “Draupadi” . Does a women like Draupadi born out of fire which is considered to be the purest elements ( pancha tatva) could become a cause of such a huge war ???? 🤔

  1. BHISHMA PITAMAH : The eldest son of the kuru dynasty is the son of goddess Ganga. He was trained in all sorts of weapons and righteousness (dharma) by none other than Parashuram. He surrendered to Dhritarashtra an unrighteousness king …. that became the basis of all sins by kuru son’s or kauravas.
  2. KARN : Karn was the son of the Sun. He was well trained in bow and arrow 🏹 and righteousness by Parashuram. He also surrendered to Kuru Son “Duryodhan”. Karn powers were the basis of all sins performed by Duryodhan.

When a strong and powerful person who has a capability of changing the society surrenders to a unrighteous , unethical, and corrupt minds, the exploitation of people and resources increase and the basis of this exploitation is always powers of that person who is capable but in the wrong side”

3. GURU DRONACHARYA: Guru Dronacharya was very attached to his son, Ashwathama. His love for his son covered Ashwathama’s sins. During the episode of Draupadi disrobing, Ashwathama abused the women. Love for a child is good but when love turns into attachments then it becomes unrighteous.

Fire is considered the purest element in our sanatan tradition. Marriages are usually conducted around fire as it burns all impurities. Rituals like yagya are performed with fire because it is the purest form. Draupadi was born out of this fire. How could such purity cause massive destruction and a war like the Mahabharata?
It was Yagya Saini Draupadi powers which dissolved all the impurities in itself and purifies the outside world!

One who desires to know oneself!!

About Vedas & Upanishads

Shravanam – Hear the knowledge!

Mananam – Reason the knowledge!

Nidhi-Dhyasanam – Then meditate!

Introduction 

“Vedanta Nama Upanishad Pramana ~”. (Vedanta’s are the teachings of the Upanishads’s . The Philosophy based on the teaching of the Upanishads is Vedanta. 

Most of you are familiar with the term Vedanta and the Upanishad to some extent . The Upanishad presents the highest philosophical teachings of the Vedas. These are among the most ancient text known to the mankind. 

There is a long list of Upanishads . In fact , in one of the Upanishads called “Muktika Upanishads” we find a list of 108 Upanishads . 

But among all of these Upanishads there are around 10 or 11 “major ” Upanishads .

Why major??? Because Adi Shankaracharya  some 1200 or 1300 years ago chose these Upanishads to write his commentary  (“Bhashyam”) on these Upanishads and since then these Upanishads have become the central text of “VEDANTA”

Adi Shankaracharya interpreted these Upanishads in a non-dualistic fashion , So his teaching are called as “Advaita Vedanta” . 

Among all these Upanishad there is a one Upanishad which is the smallest and also regarded as the toughest and i.e. called as the “Mandukya Upanishad “. 

There is a saying – ” mumukshunam vimuktaye Mandukyam ekam eva alam 

For the liberation of those who want spiritual Enlightenment ‘ for them Mandukya Upanishad alone is sufficient. In the ‘Atharva Veda’ this Upanishad can be found with 12 mantras. 

In this Mandukya Upanishad the central Mantra is the 7th Mantra , which is the core mantra of the entire Upanishad which gives the highest possible and sophisticated answers. 

Mandukya Upanishad was commented by “Gaudpadacharya ” and he wrote verses on the Mandukya Upanishads called Mandukya Karikas !!

How the Mind Functions: Manas, Buddhi, Chitta, Ahankar

The mind has 4 components :

  1. “MANAS” is the Cogitative aspect of the human mind . It keeps modifying and thinking considering pros and cons of everything. Normal thinking .
 Sanskrit definition : "sankalp vikalpatmika antahkarna vritti"

2. “Buddhi” is specialized way of thinking and is the determinative aspect of the human mind i.e. It is the mind which has come to decision , the determinative aspect .

Sanskrit definition : "nishchayatmika antah karna vritti" . 

3. “Chitta” is a memory bank. Mind is loaded with lot memories which is called the chitta aspect of the human mind . i.e. It means it is a memory bank loaded with all experience of past , some of it has come out and some are yet there as memory . MOST of the HUMAN thoughts are memory ( Chitta)

Sanskrit definition : "Anusandhanatmika antah karna vritti"

4. “Ahankar” It is the self referential aspect of the human Mind . We could call it ego or I i.e. MIND Functions through these 4 Functional Aspects of mind

Sanskrit definition : "Ahamatmika antah karna vritti "

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What is a thought?

A thought consist of two things

  1. Vrittis : Modifications of the Mind
  2. Pratya : Content of the mind

Whenever we are in state of thinking Vritti are generated . Suppose if we are thinking of buying a house then :

  • Buying a house is the Content i.e. Pratya in the thought
  • Consistently thinking again and again of buying house is Vritti in a thought.

So, now we know our thought is created out of two things :the content of the thought + modification of the content

How is the Content of the thought created ?

A human perceives information from its sense organs . These Sense organs act as faculties for intake of information in the mind . These help is creating the “Pratya” or ( Content of the Mind)

” Sense organs should be exposed only to the right people and environment so that we intake only positive and good Pratya in pure mind . The repetitive Pratya creates Vrittis . If the Pratya is good the Vrittis will also be good which would help us in having a healthy mind “

Verse 1.18: Eliminating Distinctions-A Journey to Self-Realization

Verse 1.18

विकल्पो विनिवर्तेत कल्पितो यदि केनचित् ।
उपदेशादयं वादो ज्ञाते द्वैतं न विद्यते ॥ १८ ॥

vikalpo vinivarteta kalpito yadi kenacit |
upadeśādayaṃ vādo jñāte dvaitaṃ na vidyate || 18 ||

Gaudapadacharya says – all this differences would disappear guru-shishya (Student-Teacher), Knower and known ” I am the illiterate who has now realised turiya” , these differences would disappear

उपदेशादयं वादो ज्ञाते द्वैतं न विद्यते (upadeśādayaṃ vādo jñāte dvaitaṃ na vidyate) – all these distinctions have been set-forth by the Upanishads for purposes of instructions. The reason is because we feel it this way , but once we realise turiya , the feeling of Oneness arises ….satchitdanand roop arises ! sat chit and anand !!

न मे मृत्युशंका न मे जातिभेदः पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्म।
न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्यः चिदानंदरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥५॥

At last Ashtavakra Muni said to King Janaka! I will give you advait Gyan but you give me guru daskhina first , because after the gyan there wont be any guru or shishya … as oneness arises!!

Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham !!

Verse 1.16: The Awakening from Maya

Verse 1.16

अनादिमायया सुप्तो यदा जीवः प्रबुध्यते ।
अजमनिद्रमस्वप्नमद्वैतं बुध्यते तदा ॥ १६ ॥

anādimāyayā supto yadā jīvaḥ prabudhyate |
ajamanidramasvapnamadvaitaṃ budhyate tadā || 16 ||

I ( the viswa “waking state”) am asleep in Ignorance due to Maya since Beginningless!!

When did the Ignorance started??? Gaudapadacharya says ! it is from beginningless ….

Infact , all the ignorance is Beginningless !! How??

If I ask you - "Do You know German?", suppose you don't know German then you will say , "No , I don't Know German". 
So, You are ignorant about German!

Now again , If I ask you "Since when you are ignorant about German" ??

You say " since my birth I do not know German ! oh so, before your birth you knew German...? NO!! Hence You are ignorant about German from (अनादि) Beginningless..!!

But , Ignorance has an end … When does it end ??When we take up a book and start learning German!.

Similarly, Ignorance is actually Beginningless (अनादि ), but It can end . When knowledge comes it Ends !

अनादिमायया सुप्तो (anādimāyayā supto) – You cannot say since when you are in Ignorance!

यदा जीवः प्रबुध्यते (jīvaḥ prabudhyate) – when the jīvaḥ (जीवः ) awakens (प्रबुध्यते ) {Buddha came from here }

अजमनिद्रमस्वप्नमद्वैतं बुध्यते तदा ( ajamanidramasvapnamadvaitaṃ budhyate tadā ) – Then I realise

  • I am अजम (Ajam) i.e Unborn
  • I am anidram (अनिद्रम ) i.e Sleepless (without sleep) —-> referring that I am not prājñaḥ
  • I am asvapnam ( अस्वप्नम ) i.e. without dream —-> referring that I am not the Taijasa
  • I am advaitaṃ (अद्वैत) i.e. there is no second reality apart from me , I am the Viswa in waking state , I am the taijasa in the dream state and I am the prājñaḥ in the deep sleep state. Where “Viswa” , “Taijasa” and “prājñaḥ” are all appearances but the reality in all is “Turiya”

Another big questions comes in Mind is after realisation ,will this world disappear ??? will there be body after realisation?? will the body live after realisation ??

Refer next blog for the answer…..

Verse 1.15: Understanding Dreams in Spiritual Contexts

Verse 1.15

अन्यथा गृह्णतः स्वप्नो निद्रा तत्त्वमजानतः ।
विपर्यासे तयोः क्षीणे तुरीयं पदमश्नुते ॥ १५ ॥

anyathā gṛhṇataḥ svapno nidrā tattvamajānataḥ |
viparyāse tayoḥ kṣīṇe turīyaṃ padamaśnute || 15 ||

What is a dream (Svapna) ? Its a wrong understanding or mistake (अन्यथाग्रहण )! { a rope is mistakenly seen as a snake }

I donot know the reality (Turiya) and I see an Error or the ‘Dream world’

निद्रा तत्त्वमजानतः / nidrā tattvamajānataḥ – Here , Nidra means doesnot know the reality (तत्त्वमजानतः )

विपर्यासे तयोः क्षीणे (viparyāse tayoḥ kṣīṇe) – It means when Ignorance goes away … how?? By knowledge then ….

turīyaṃ padamaśnute‘ (तुरीयं पदमश्नुते ) : i.e. you realise yourself as the pure consciousness “Turiya”.

Verse 1.14: The Concept of Turiya in Spiritual Awakening

Verse 1.14

स्वप्ननिद्रायुतावाद्यौ प्राज्ञस्त्वस्वप्ननिद्रया ।
न निद्रां नैव च स्वप्नं तुर्ये पश्यन्ति निश्चिताः ॥ १४ ॥

svapnanidrāyutāvādyau prājñastvasvapnanidrayā |
na nidrāṃ naiva ca svapnaṃ turye paśyanti niścitāḥ || 14 ||

It means “Viswa” the waker & “Taijasa” the dreamer they have swapna (dream) & nidra (sleep) i.e. they have ignorance and error!

‘prājñaḥ’ has only nidra ( the deep sleep or sleep blankness) without dream i.e. A sleep without a dream or “Ignorance without Error“! However,

“Turiya” the pure consciousness has niether sleep nor dream i.e. niether Ignorance nor Error!

Verse 1.13: Understanding Dvaita and Turiya

Verse 1.13

द्वैतस्याग्रहणं तुल्यमुभयोः प्राज्ञतुर्ययोः ।
बीजनिद्रायुतः प्राज्ञः सा च तुर्ये न विद्यते ॥ १३ ॥

dvaitasyāgrahaṇaṃ tulyamubhayoḥ prājñaturyayoḥ |
bījanidrāyutaḥ prājñaḥ sā ca turye na vidyate || 13 ||

It means , “Dvaitam” a separate reality or Error is not seen by the ” prājñaḥ ” the deep sleeper and “Turiya” the pure consciousness. But, the ” prājñaḥ ” or the one who is in deep sleep is associated to Nidra (i.e Ignorance / blankness), where as, “Turiya” doesnot have ignorance (or deep sleep blankness) .

” prājñaḥ ” donot see dvaita (seperate reality) niether turiya see any seperate reality apart from it . But , ” prājñaḥ ” is covered in darnkness or blankness of deep sleep whereas , Turiya illumines everything!

Verse 1.13 mantra 7th, mandukya upanishad