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PARA 7230 Studies in the Upanishads

Jim Ryan

Shrii Shrii Anandamurtis view on Onm, Turiiya and Kosa in the Upanishads

by Chien Hui Liu


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Vedas is the oldest scripture of India that was first composed about 15,000 years

ago1. Upanishads can be considered as the philosophical part ofVedas that provided

human beings with meaning to the sacrificial rituals and hymns.Upanisadrepresents

mens continuous search for God (Brahman), the meaning of life and creation and

discusses ways to attain final goal of salvation. There are more than 200 known

Upanisads. But only 14 or so are held to be orthodox and Vedic. They are all passed

down from oral tradition and attributed to several authors (seers). The term

Upaniadderives from upa- (nearby), ni- (at the proper place, down) and ad(to

sit) thus: "sitting down near". The literal meaning ofUpaniadimplies sitting near a

teacher to receive instruction. Anandamurti also gives his interpretation of the term

Upaniad. According to Anandamurti, upa means near, ni means closely and

ad means to sit. So Upaniadmeans that which leads us close to the Supreme

Entity, the bow takes human beings toParama Purua2. Although Anandamurti

himself did not write a complete commentary on Upanisad, he referred to selected

parts ofUpanisadin various speeches, and also spoke on some of important terms

that have been widely discussed in Upanisad. In this paper, I will focus on three main

terms the divine soundAum,Turriya and lastly I will talk aboutKosa in brief. I will

discuss Anandamurtis description on these terms with reference to different

1Sadvipra, Traka Brahma, Sadshiva and Shrii Kra in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 8

2Religious dogma in Prout in a Nutshell Part 16


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Upanisad.

The sound Aum qd

The sound aum has been commonly used in Indian scriptures or mantras.Aum

can be seen in the example ofVedic hymns andBhagavad Gita as the beginning

sound of a line. Upanisadis also not an exception to this usage. The sound aum has

been attributed with Divine significance in Indian philosophy.Aum Namah Shivaya

is apanchakshara (five- syllable mantra) commonly used in Shaivism from the Lord

Shiva andHari AumTatsat from the Lord Krsna.

Not only limited in India, the sound aum has its Divine power on a universal

level across culture. We can find other cultures which use the sound aum as well. It is

found in Tibetan script written in Trii script - Onm mane padme hum3 and this

mantra is also used in Vajraynii Buddhism4

. Several Upanishads have extolled the

power ofaum to reach the state ofBrahma and sometimes aum is equated to Brahman

or the self. Shrii Shrii Anandamurti has several discourses speaking about the sound

aum. Here, I will talk about the aum sound from the Ananda Marga Tantra Yoga

point of view in relation to selected passages ofUpanishads and other scriptures.

In Ananda Marga philosophy, the Supreme Subjectivity creates the sound aum

while creating the universe. Therefore, aum is the acoustic root of entire creation.

3The fundamental of language in A Few Problems Solved Part 4

4Shiva Throughout the Ages in Namah Shivya Shntya


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Anandamurti indicates that this is the reason that the aum sound is placed preceding

many Vaedika hymns5. Anandamurti discusses different acoustic roots of the Sanskrit

alphabet in relation to the creation of the universe. Since the sound aum is considered

the acoustic root of creation, I will include the meaning of some other Sanskrit

acoustic roots here.

While the Supreme Subjectivity creates the universe, He isAum.Aum is referred

asKraa Brahma (Causal Brahma)6. The Supreme Witnessing Entity creates the

sound aum when the objectivized world is created. The objectivated world means

the expressed universe, thepaincabhaotika jagat, and is referred to asKrya

Brahma (Effect Brahma). Ka is the acoustic root of this objectivated world (the

expressed universe).Anandamurti noted that this is why ka7 is the first letter of the

Indo- Aryan consonantal alphabetical order. We can find that inBrhadaranyaka

Upanisad,Aum is referred to as Brahman, which reflects Anandamurtis notion that

the Supreme Entity isAum.

V. 1

1. Aum is Brahman, the ether, the primeval ether, the ether that blows.8.

5Devotion and the realm of Intellectuality in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 5

6Cause means seed, root or origin. Hence, aum is called the acoustic root of creation. Mantra and

Incantation in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 5/ Discourses on Tantra Volume I7

Anandamurti explains that there are three meanings to the acoustic root ka. The first is that it is

the first consonant. The second is that this is the objectivated world and the third meaning is water. in

Mantra and Incantation in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 58

The Principal Upanisads by S. Radhakrishnan, p. 289


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In Chandogya Upanisad,we can see that aum sound was created while Prajapati

brooded/created the world.

II. 23.

2. Prajapati brooded on the worlds. From them, thus brooded upon, issued forth the

threefold knowledge. He brooded on this. From it, thus brooded upon, issued forth

these syllables, bhuh, bhuvah, svah.

3. He brooded on them and on them, thus brooded upon, issued forth the syllable Aum.

As all leaves are held together by a stalk, so is all speech held together by Aum. Verily,

the syllable Aum, is all this, yea, the syllable Aum is all this9.

Every syllable ofaum carries distinct acoustic meaning. A + u + ma = Aum. A

is the acoustic root of the generating faculty, u is the acoustic root of retaining

faculty, and ma is the acoustic root of the destroying faculty10

Anandamurti noted

that this is why that a is the first letter of the Indo-Aryan alphabetical order. This

leads to an interesting theory of the word Brahma and Brahm from Anandamurti.

The Supreme Brahma creates the sound a while creating the entire universe

Therefore, Brahma plus a becomesBrahm (as per Sanskrit grammatical rule a + a

= ). Supreme Consciousness is calledBrahm as the progenitor in the creation phase

of universe, It is called Viu while performing the function of maintenance and

9The Principal Upanisads by S. Radhakrishnan, p. 375

10 Mantra and Incantation in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 5


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Maheshvara while it destroys11. This notion also reflects the inherent meaning of the

sound aum. A-u-ma represents creation, preservation and destruction. Thus, the

meaning of G-O-D, G is Generator, O as Operator and D as Destroyer 12.

While a means the first phase of creation, u means the faculty to maintain,

nourish and sustain the created beings. In turn, ma as the last latter, signifies

the final phase of destruction. Anandamurti links the meaning of ma to the

Sanskrit alphabet order and states that this is the reason ma is placed as the last

letter of the vargiiya varaml. As the last varga is pa-pha-ba-bha-ma and ma

is the last letter of the group13

In the above paragraphs, we can see Anandamurti correlates the meaning of the

sound aum to the entire Cosmological order - creation, maintenance, and

destruction exist within the Sanskrit alphabet order. To summarize from his view, A

is the first letter of Indo-Aryan Sanskrit order, which indicates the creation of universe.

Ka is the first letter of Sanskrit consonantal order, which indicates the acoustic root

of the objectivized world. Ma is the last letter ofvargiiya varaml , which

indicates destruction. Anandamurti states that every sound in the Sanskrit alphabetical

order is an acoustic root of the cosmic manifestation. This is also in line with the

common notion in Tantra.

11Praava in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 34

12The Glory of Pranava and Savitr in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 1

13Mantra and Incantation in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 5


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There are fifty controlling acoustic roots in Sanskrit, and this creates many

complex combinations of word roots. Aum is the controlling word of the entire

universe according to Anandamurti.14 Behind every action there is a supporting sound

in the universe, the supporting sound is called the acoustic root. For the entire

universe, the acoustic root sound (biija mantra) is aum, which includes work in all the

spheres of the expressed universe.Aum is the collection of all sounds, and all the

work of the world. Therefore, aum represents the mundane expression ofParama

Purusa15 In Ananda Marga philosophy, aum represents the manifested aspect of

Brahma- Saguna Brahma.

The commentators often interchange the usage ofaum, onm orom in the

Upanishads. As a + u = o (per sandhi rule) and g(a) + k(u = oo) + (ma) = om

(q)16

. According to Anandmurti, onm (qd) consists of five symbols: a, the

acoustic root of creation; u, the acoustic root of preservation; ma, the acoustic

root of destruction; the sonic dot, symbol of the unmanifested universe; and the

Bengali crescent symbol orcandrabindhu which signifies the process of

manifestation17.

14Pranava and Sanskrit nanda Vacanmrtam Part 5

15Acoustic root in Baba in Taiwan/ nanda Vacanmrtam Part 14

16Desire and detachment in Subhita Samgraha Part 3 and 19

17The Acoustic Roots of the Indo-Aryan Alphabet in Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 8/

Tantra Volume I


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From the Ananda Marga point of view, the sonic dot18 signifiesNirgua Brahma

and the first three letters a, u, m signify Sagua Brahma. A indicates the

predominance ofSattvagua (the sentient principle), the state of wakefulness. U (oo)

indicates the predominance ofRajagua (the mutative principle), the state of dream,

and Ma indicates Tamogua (the static principle), the sleep state19. The dot

indicates the fourth state or the state of non-duality Nirgua Brahma (Pure

Consciousness)20. The Bengali crescent symbol represents the process of

manifestation. Therefore, onm is the acoustic root of creation, preservation and

destruction, plus the principle of transmutation from the unmanifested (Nirgua) to

the manifested (Sagua). Onmkra denotes both Sagua andNirgua Brahma. It is

a unifying link betweenNirgua and Sagua Brahma as a term of expression21.

In Mandukya Upanisad, the sound aum indicates the manifested world and the

unmanifested Brahma.

1.Aum, this syllable is all this. An explanation of that (is the following). All that is the

past, the present and the future, all this is only the syllable aum. And whatever else

there is beyond the threefold time, that too is only the syllable aum.

18Anandamurti explained the reason to use a sonic dot to indicate Nirguna Brahma- A dot cannot be

described properly; it has a position but no magnitude: and that is why it has been used to representNirgua Brahma. from The Intuitional Science of the Vedas 5 in Subhita Samgraha Part 219

Anandamurti further described that the letters A, U, Ma, in Sagua Brahma indicate respectivelyKsiirabdhi, Garbhodaka and Krarava.20

The Intuitional Science of the Vedas 4 in Subhita Samgraha Part 221

Desire and detachment in Subhita Samgraha Part 3 and 19


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There are four states that described in the Mandukya Upanisadthat are similar to the

description given above from Anandamurti. InMandukya Upanisad, the first state is

a as Vaisvanara, the waking state; the second is u as Taijasa, the dream state; the

third is ma,Prajna, the sleep state. And the last one is a non-dual aspect, often

refereed as Turiiya, which reflects the meaning of the sonic dot asNirgua Brahma,

the non-dual statedescribed previously.

Mandukya Upanisad

II.

9. Vaisvanara, whose sphere is the waking state, is the letter a, the first element

10. Taijasa, whose sphere is the dream state, is the letter u, the second element

11. Prajna, whose sphere is the state of deep sleep is the letter m, the third element

12. The fourth is that which has no elements, which cannot be spoken of, into which

the world is resolved, benign, non-dual. Thus the syllable aum is the very self. He who

knows it thus enters the self with his self22.

In Anandamurtis speech, Onm can also be called by other names-praava or

Shabda-Brahma as commonly used in scriptures. The word praava signifies

zealous devotion (nu means to worship). By Anandamurits definition, praava (pra

+ nu + al) means the entity that guides you unto the supreme status, unto the supreme

22The Principal Upanisads by S. Radhakrishnan, p. 695- 701


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rank23. Anandamurti gives an example in Tripdavibhtinryaa Shruti to

demonstrate this view.

InPraavtmakam Brahma:

[Brahma is in the form ofpraava]24 In Mundaka Upanisad:

Praavo dhanuh sharohytm Brahma tallakyamucyate;

Apramattena veddhavyamsharavattanmayo bhavet.

[The praava is like a bow, ones unit consciousness is like an arrow, and Brahma is

the target. One must aim without any inaccuracy and must oneself be like an arrow25.]

Mundaka UpanisadII. 2

3. Taking as a bow the great weapon of the Upanishad, One should put upon it an

arrow sharpened by meditation. Stretching it with a thought directed to the essence of

That, Penetrate that Imperishable as the mark, my friend.

4. The mystic syllable Om (pranava) is the bow. The arrow is the soul (atman).

Brahma is said to be the mark (laksya). By the undistracted man is It to be penetrated.

One should come to be in It, as the arrow (in the mark).

From the previous discussion, we can see that onmkra is the combined

23 Onmkra and Ita Mantra from nanda Vacanmrtam Part 23

24Elsewhere it has been said,

Etaddhyevkaram Brahma etadevkaram paramEtadevkaram jintv Brahmaloke mahiiyate.[This is the immutable Brahma, this is the supreme sound. After knowing this supreme sound, one

attains the divine realm of Brahma.]

(The Acoustic Roots of the Indo-Aryan Alphabet in Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 8/

Tantra Volume I)25

Praava in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 34


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acoustic sound of the entire process of creation, preservation and destruction26 as the

initial phase of manifestation. Onm is the seed of all alphabets, and can be identified

as Brahma. Therefore it is also called Shabda-Brahma or Sonic Consciousness27

Anandamurti proposed in different developmental stages ofsdhan, one is able

to hear the divine sound ofonm by the physical ear, also known as the sound of

silence28. In the first phase, one will hear a hissing sound similar to the sounds of

crickets. In the second stage, one will hear the sound similar to ankle bells

(ghunghur). Next, one will hear the sound of flutes, as if someone is playing a flute.

Therefore, onmkra is also called the flute sound ofVraja Kra, continuation of

eternal flow without break or pause. Then, it is sound of the ocean. The fifth phase is

tam, tam, like the sound of bells. And finally, the sound is like oonnn the

onmkra in pure form. In the course of sdhan, one will hear this divine sound

emanating from the Cosmos in different developmental stages both internally and

externally. After the last sound, there is silence, with no sound; this is the end of the

expression ofSagua Brahma. Then, it gets to the realm ofNirgua, which is

formless and soundless29.

Adypi sei klcnd bnsharii bjy;

26Questions and answers on meditation from Yoga Psychology

27Vibration, Form and Color in Subhita Samgraha Part 3

28The sound of God in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 30

29The sound of God in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 30


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Kona kona bhgyabn shuibre py.30 [Even to this day Lord Kra plays His flute.

Only the blessed few can hear that holy sound.]

In a different phase ofsadhana, one hears the sound ofonm. Anandamurti

holds that onmkra is not a sound for utterance but for hearing. He maintains that

human voice cannot produce the proper form for this mystic sound. One with

ceaseless effort insadhana hears the divine sound ofonm in different phases and

realizes the inherent meaning of a, u and ma from direct knowing. At final stage, one

goes beyond Saguna and reaches the objectless Nirguna Brahma (represented by the

sonic dot)31.

In Ananda Marga philosophy, the divine sound, onm, is not the Supreme

Brahma. In Anandamurtis point of view, onmsignifies Sagua Brahma, the

qualifiedBrahma, which is constrained within time, place and person. It is the sound

seed of manifestation- creation, preservation and destruction- as a, u and ma32. Onm

is a sonic manifestation of Brahma, Vk Brahma (an expression of Brahma in a sound

form), but, Brahma cannot be limited as a sonic expression. (As noted here, in Ananda

Marga philosophy, Saguna Brahma and Nirguna Brahma are merely two states of the

same Brahma, so which Brahma as a single entity is superior than the other does not

arise here.)

30 Kra Imparts Six Stages of Realization fromNammi Krasundaram

31The Intuitional Science of the Vedas 5 in Subhita Samgraha Part 2



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From the scripture,

Yacchrotea na shroti yena shrottramidam shrutam

Tadeva Brahma tvam viddhi nedam yadidamupsate.

[You should know as Brahma that Entity whom the ears cannot hear, yet from whom

the ears acquire the capacity to hear.33]

Anandamurti quotes several Vedas and scriptures to further explicate the

functions ofSagua Brahma denoted in Onmkra that beautifully illustrate the

inherent meaning of the three syllables- a, u and ma. I will list a few of them here for

reference.

From RgVeda:

Yato v imni bhtni yyante

Yena jtni jiivanti

Yat prayantyabhisamvishanti

Tad vijijinsasva tad Brahma.

[The entity from whom all created beings emerged,

By whom they are sustained

And in whom all are finally dissolved.34]

From Mahirva Tantra:

33The Supreme Question 1 in Subhita Samgraha Part 6

34 The Intuitional Science of the Vedas 5 in Subhita Samgraha Part 2


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Yato vishvam samudbhtam

Yena jatainca tishati

Yasmin sarvni liiyante

Jineyam tad brahma laksaaeh

[The entity from whom the entire universe has been created

By whom all created beings are maintained

And in whom all entities finally dissolved

These are the characteristics of Brahma.35]

Turiiya

In Mandukya Upanishad36, the verses denote to the power of the divine syllable

Omn, and describe the four states/quarters of consciousness designated to each

syllable, a, u, ma and the sonic dot- Vaisvanara, Taijasa, Prajna and Turiiya. The state

ofTuriiya has a special importance beyond the other three states. It is described as a

non-dual state which cannot be spoken of. The description can be seen in the

following verse ofMandukya.

7. (Turiiya is) not that which cognizes the internal (objects) not that which cognizes

the external (objects), not what cognizes both of them, not a mass of cognition, not


36The Principal Upanisads, p. 698-701, S. Radhakrishnan


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cognitive, not non- cognitive. (It is) unseen, incapable of being spoken of,

ungraspable, without any distinctive marks, unthinkable, unnamable, the essence of

the knowledge of the one self, that into which the world is resolved, the peaceful, the

benign, the non-dual, such, they think, is the fourth quarter. He is the self; He is to be

known.

Mandukya discussed the four quarters, namely Vaisvanara, Taijasa, Prajna and

the last one Turiiya in the following verses.

9. Vaisvanara, whose sphere is the waking state

10. Taijasa, whose sphere is the dream state

11. Prajna, whose sphere is the state of deep sleep

12. The fourth is that which has no elements, which cannot be spoken of, into which

the world is resolved, benign, non-dual

The three quarters of consciousness are not separate from the fourth state of

Turiiya. In Anandamurtis view, the three states are referred aspurusas and are

contained within Turiiya. Anandamurti has discussed the four states/quarters of

consciousness in his speech. I will describe each state from his point of view in the

following paragraphs.

The first quarter Vaisvanara

The first state is Vaisvanara, the waking state. In this waking state, the mind


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deals mainly with the external world, apprehending tanmtras (sensible and

supersensible inferences), desiring things and materializes them. The material world is

its pabulum, its food. The thought-wave is primarily materialistic/crude in nature.

However, the source of its materialistic acts/longings is from the subtle mind, the

mental sphere. The mind experiences the pleasure and pain (bhaga) of the outer world

internally. In this waking state, the other states of dream, sleep and turiiya are latent

(exist simultaneously, merely not expressed). Therefore, the tm or soul is called

catupada (four-phasic)37.

In psychological terms, during this waking state, both the conscious and the

sub-conscious38 minds are functioning. Thought-waves originate in the sub-conscious

mind and are translated into action through the medium of the conscious mind. This

state is also called jgrata, which means the state when the conscious mind is

predominant39.

The function of the state is concerned with the cognizance of the external world.

Its manifestation are in nineteen directions ten sensory and motor organs, five vyus,

citta (mental plate), Mahatattva (knower I), and Ahamtattva (doer I) and Mla Prakrti

(the primordial Prakrti in equilibrium). In this waking state, all objects are food for the


38According to Anandamurti, The conscious mind controls external actions, such as drinking, eating,

etc.; and the basic desires. The subconscious controls the functions of thought and memory. Theunconscious mind is omniscient, all-knowing. It only needs to be developed by dint of our sdhan.Everything Is Vibrational in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 3139

Mind and Cognitive Faculty in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 2


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mind. It is the first pda or phase of the soul. In Microcosm, the witnessing Purua of

the waking state is called Vishva. In Macrocosm, thePurua is called Vaeshvnara or

Virta40. A is the seed or primary cause ofVishya orVita in this state41.

The second quarter Taijasa

The second phase is called taijasa, the dream state. In the dream state, the

objects of enjoyment and endurance exit at the domain of psyche and thought. The ten

organs and limbs are not disturbed by the external world. The mental objects do not

depend on tammtras received from the senses at the time but remain the reactive

momenta (or seeds) previously acquired tammtras from the waking state.

In psychological terms, in this dream state, the subconscious mind is vigilant and

playing the witnessing role whereas the conscious and unconscious minds are at a

dormant stage. It is called svapna. At this state, the other three states- waking, sleep

and turiiya are latent. The unit soul witnessing its dream state is termed Taejasa and

the Supreme Consciousness is termedHirayagarbha orViu42. U is the sound

seed ofTaejasa andHirayagarbha43

The third quarter Prajna

In this third state, sleep state, the conscious and sub-conscious minds do not



42According to Anandamurti, it is important to note that the word Hiranygarbha, is also

comprehensively used for Sagua Brahma. The Intuitional Science of the Vedas 5 in SubhitaSamgraha Part 243



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function and remain dormant. There is not any action or movement externally (actions

in the world) and internally (thoughts, imagery or desires in the mental plate). The

subconscious mental activity in the dream state has become inactive as well as the

physical body. There only remains the unconscious or casual mind termed by

Anandamurti44. The third state is also called suupti

Inprajna, conceptual or external expressions are absent. It is a type of absolute

cognition. In the absence of conscious or subconscious functions of the mind, one

does not experience happiness or sorrow in this state. As a result, one enjoys a special

kind of bliss in this state due to this absolute cognition. In the state of sleep, since the

functions of the mind (external or internal) are absent, material divisions are also

non-existent. All worldly objects become one, thus the subject enjoys a special type of

joy in sleep. However, this state of unison is not the same as absolute identity with the

Divine Essence45. The unit soul at this state is calledprajna and the Macrocosm

Purusa is calledIishvara in this state. M is the sound seed or primary cause of

Prjina and Iishvara46

The fourth quarter Turiiya

The forth state is turiiya, when conscious, subconscious and unconscious- all

44The causal mind consists ofAtimnas Koa, Vijinnamaya koa and Hiranyamaya Koa. Mind has

five layers (koas) of existence kmamaya, manomaya, atimnas, vijinnamaya and hiramaya.Theexpression of mind, whether crude or subtle, depends upon the different koas. Our PhilosophicalTreatise in Tattva Kaomudii Part 245




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three states of mind remain inactive and take shelter in Macrocosmic mind47.

According to Anandamurti, the state ofturiiya is neither omniscient nor the Lord of

all (Ishvaratva) since the act of knowing (or controlling) requires the presence of

knowledge (control), knower (controller) and the knowable (the controlled). One can

become all knowing only when the sense of I am remains, when one endowed with

omniscient ability is calledprjina instead ofturiiya.

The state ofturiiya is a non-dual state while one completely loses/surrenders the

self and merges with the Cosmic Consciousness. Only one entity remains in this state,

that is the Supreme, therefore, the state ofturiiya, can be also called kevala. There

remains no distinction between Brahma and the individual unit consciousness. The

I-feeling is absolutely nilin this state. There is no seed or acoustic root in this state.

Anandamurti maintains that seed represents the cause of origination, since there is no

distinction of origination or non-origination, creation, preservation or destruction in

the state ofturiiya, the presence of seed does not arise. The knowledge, knower and

known, the contemplator, contemplated and contemplation all become one in the

state ofTuriiya. Therefore, in this final beatitude, it is represented by the sonic dot-

Nirguna Brahma. It is calledIishvaragrsa, which means the state even Ishvara (the

Lord of the universe) is devoured. The other three states also merge in the Nirgua

47Mind and Cognitive Faculty in nanda Vacanmrtam Part 2


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Brahma (the Supreme Non-attributional Entity)48Turiiya is the state of eternal bliss

without any external expression49.

Kosa in brief

In the section ofTuriiya, we have looked on different states/consciousness of a

person. I find it interesting to take further investigation into different sheaths of a

person as presented in the Upanishad.

In Taittiriiya Upanishad, it talked about the five bodily sheaths (panca-kosas).

II. 2-5

Within this physical body which is made of food, there is another body composed of

the vital force; the former is filled with the latter which is like the form of a person.

Within the vital body there is another body consists of mind; the former is filled with

the latter, which is like the form of a person. Within the mental body there is another

body which consists of intelligence; the former is filled with the latter, which is like

the form of a person. Finally within this intellectual body there is another body

consists of bliss; the former is filled with the latter, which is like the form of a

person.50

There are five bodily sheaths described in Taittiriiyaannamaya kosa, the


49Shiva's Teachings 2 inNamah Shivya Shntya

50Indian Psychology, p. 2, Jadunath Sinha


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physical sheath, pranamaya kosa, the vital force sheath, manomaya kosa, the mental

sheath, vijnanamaya kosa, the intelligence sheath, and finally ananadamaya kosa, the

blissful sheath. In Ananda Marga philosophy, there are also five sheath have been

talked about which have some similarities and differences of that described in

Taittiriiya.

The five sheaths in Ananda Marga are: annamaya koa, the physical body;

kmamaya koa, the crude mind; manomaya koa, the pure mental sphere; atimnas

koa, the supramental sphere; vijinnamaya koa, that beyond the supramental

sphere which does not have English equivalent for translation; and hiramaya koa,

that state without the I feeling and beyond comprehension (hiramaya means made

of gold the state as pure and radiant as gold). According to Anandamurti, koa

means dhra or base. The base is bigger than that which is based upon it. Therefore,

the Kmamaya Koa is bigger than the Annamaya Koa. Then the Manomaya Koa

is bigger than the Kmamaya Koa. The Atimnas Koa is bigger than even the

Manomaya Koa. The Vijinnamaya Koa is larger than this. The Hiramaya Koa

is bigger than the Vijinnmaya Koa and the biggest of all is the Satyaloka.51 This

description reflects the description in Taittiriiya.Atman is situated in the five kosas.

At the same time, It is the aggregate of all the kosas. Below, I will do a brief

51The Call of the Supreme in Subhita Samgraha Part 1


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comparison between the two systems.

Annamaya kosa (the physical sheath)

Anandamurti described this as the realm of physicality, the layer that is

composed of food, which represents the physical body. This is similar to Taittiriiya.

Pranamaya kosa (the vital force sheath)

This consists of the five vital breaths that have talked about more in depth in

Chandogya Upanishad52 Anandamurti also gives explanation to the functions of each

breath. Vital energy53 is generated in the unit body through the media of five Vayus

(airs). The five vayus are-Pra, Apna, Samna, Udana and Vyna. According to

Anandamurti,Pra is situated between the navel and the throat. It controls the

functions of lungs, heart etc. Apna is situated below the navel (between the navel

and the anus). It controls the excretion of stool, urine etc. Samna is situated within

the navel. It maintains the equilibrium between Pra andApna. Udna is situated

in the throat which controls the vocal cord (power of speech). Vyna is permeating the

entire body, which controls the circulation of the blood, vital secretions etc54.

Manomaya kosa (the mental sheath)

Anandnamurti describe this as the pure mental sphere where pleasure and pain

52The Principal Upanishad, p. 441-444, S. Radhakrishna

53According Anandamurti, the word Prn or life, when used in singular number, means functional

energy, and when used in plural, means vital energy.54

The intuitional science of the Vedas 4 in Subhita Samgraha Part 2


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are experienced. The corresponding state is the subconscious of the human mind.

Vijnanamaya kosa (the intelligence sheath)

Anandamurti thinks that this is a state beyond the supramental realm and hence

there is no equivalent word in English to translate the state. In this realm, viveka and

vaergya are dominant. It is translated as the sheath of intelligence in Taittiriiya.

Ananadamaya kosa, the blissful sheath.This may relate to Satya Loka (of the Cosmic

Mind) that described by Anandamurti. In this loka onlyParama Purua exists.

In conclusion, the notion of Brahma and Atma has been extensively discussed in

the entire Upanisad. The phrases, "I am Brahma" (ahambrahmsmi) and "thou art

that" (tat tvam asi) are the essential themes that the Upanisadconveys to its readers.

The concepts ofAum, Turiiya andKosa in this paper are also closely associated to the

notion of Brahma and Atma.Aum is the divine syllable represents the entire creation

(Saguna Brahma). Turiiya is the final state, the transcendental Brahma. The

understanding ofkosa leads men on the path ofsadhana towards liberation. Upanisad

is not only a philosophical treatise but contains practical means brings men to the state

of Brahma.

Chien Hui Liu is a Ph.D. student at California Institute of Integral Studies


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