इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्य: परं मन: | मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धे: परतस्तु स: || 42|| |
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Commentary
The outer layer is the physical body, called annamaya kosha (sheath/layer). Superior to the body is the indriyas – sensory powers animated by life forces (pranas) that interact and engage with matter. For example, the first interaction of sight on an object. This is the pranamaya kosha. The third inner layer is the manas (thoughts and feelings), called manomaya kosha. The fourth layer is buddhi or intellect, called vignyanamaya kosha. The fifth layer beyond intellect is bliss filled with wisdom, called anandamaya kosha. This is not really a sheath but the final truth of existence beyond which there is no other boundary.
Inert and dead physical body does not perceive anything. There is no power in the body. This is the annamaya kosha made of five elements.
When life forces (pranas) enter the body, indriyas become active and form the pranamaya kosha. The sense of sight for example can see a rose now but does not know anything. Ears can hear the sound of words like ‘walk’ or ‘love’ when somebody says it aloud but mind and heart are unable to link the sound to its meaning or feel the word.
When manas enters the body, the person can now link the word to its meaning. When someone says, ‘walk’ or ‘love’, the person can stand and move legs to ‘walk’ and feel the word ‘love’. The domain of animals is till this layer of manomaya kosha.
When Buddhimaya kosha, commonly known as Vignyanamaya kosha and superior to Manas, is wrapped around the consciousness, the person will develop intellect that has the power to reason, imagine, think, infer and conclude. The power to differentiate between cause and effect, true and false, safe and unsafe, good and bad develops. Human species are created within this spectrum of consciousness.
Finally Aanandamaya kosha is the supernal and divine consciousness superior to Buddhi. It is a pure state of realisation filled with wisdom, true knowledge and experience of Truth.