MP - 1-Jāgratsvapnasuṣuptiṣu

Notes from Swami Paramarthananda’s talks

That one Consciousness which shines ever evidently in all beings in Wakeful, Dream and Deep-Sleep states, right from Brahma to the ant, that one consciousness which is witness to all the worldly activities, I am that, and not what I perceive. Whoever so has this firm conviction whether he is a chandala or a dvija, he is as adorable as my Guru, this is my firm conviction.

In the first four verses Shanakaracharya brings out the essence of the mahavakyam occurring in the four vedas.
We choose one Mahavakya from each Veda as a sample to show that all the Vedas are uniform in their teaching.
1. From Rigveda – Prajnanam Brahma, this occurs in Aitreya Upanishad.
2. From Yajurveda – Aham Brahma Asmi, this occurs in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 11
3. From Samaveda – Tat Tvam Asi, occurring in Chandogya Upanishad
4. From Atharvanaveda – Ayam Atma Brahma, occurring in Mandukya Upanishad.
Commentators state that each of the first four verses of the Maneesha Pancakam was written keeping in mind the above for Mahavakyas.
The fifth verse is a conclusion, phala shruthi.
Each verse is a deep and significant verse, bringing out entire Vedantic teaching.
This first verse is based on the Mahavakya, Prajnanam Brahma from the Rigveda Vedantic learning has to take place in stages:
The first stage of learning (PRAJNANAM) is understanding the nature of the consciousness, due to which the body is alive or sentient.
The lessons from the scripture are
– Consciousness is not a part product or property of the body
– Consciousness is an independent entity which pervades and enlivens the body
– This consciousness is not limited by the boundaries of the body and is thus formless
– This consciousness continues even after the body is destroyed, is eternal- This surviving consciousness cannot interact with the world due to the lack of a reflecting medium

Non transaction is not the end of consciousness, at death the transaction ends but not the consciousness. This chaitanyam is called Prajnanam.

The second stage of learning (CHAITANYAM SARVAGATAM) is that this consciousness not only enlivens this body but all beings. Same consciousness enlivens all beings. There is one all-pervading consciousness which enlivens all the beings. This is Chaitanyam Sarvagatha

The third stage of learning (CHAITANYAM SATYAM) is that this Chaitanyam alone is real and that there is no matter other than this chaitanyam. Entire matter is non-substantial Mitya. The only Satya is Prajnanam. Chaitanyam Satyam: Consciousness alone is. Non tangible consciousness itself appears as matter just as non-tangible energy appears as matter in science. The third stage is the culmination stage in which alone Advaita Siddhi takes place.
In the first verse Adi Shankara is confining to the first two stages, Consciousness is different from the body and is all pervading.

Lesson 1 – There is consciousness in all the three states of experience and it is different from body-mind complex.
Samvid Uchrum bate – Samvit is consciousness. This consciousness is evident in the body in our every day to day experience. Every experience is possible due to consciousness alone. Even during sleep the non-availability / absence of any experiences is evident because of consciousness. You cannot talk about nothingness without witnessing nothingness. Nothing always means there is nothing other than me.
Jagrat Swapna Susupti su Sputathara – It is very clearly/prominently evident in wakeful state, dream and sleep state also. We need not work for the experience of the atma since it is very clearly evident.
All other experience in life we need to work for, but not for the experience of the Consciousness, atma anubhava. We need not work for the experience of the Brahman we only have to work for the understanding of the ever experienced Brahman.

Lesson 2 – This Consciousness which is in my body is the same consciousness which is in every body.
Ya – the same consciousness
Prota – is inherent / pervades
Where?
Brahmadi Pipeeleekanta Tanu Shu – In all the bodies beginning from Brahmaji (not Brahman) to the smallest ant.
Jagad sakshini – the consciousness is not only the witness of the microcosm, the same consciousness is also the witness of the macrocosm also.
Consciousness as a witness of the microcosm is called Jivatma. The very same consciousness as a witness of macrocosm is called Paramatma. Consciousness is one.
Therefore,
Sa Eva Aham – this is a Mahavakya, Sa – that consciousness which is the witness of the entire creation Aham Asmi – that I am.
Na Cha Drista Vastu – I am not anything that is experienced. I am ever the see-er never the seen. I am ever the experiencer never the experienced. The world, the mind and every thought come under the experienced category. None of that I am.
Eti – this particular fact one should know. If there is something worth knowing in this life, this is the fact that one should know
Drida Prajna – with firm conviction.
Shankara says, whoever has this conviction is great irrespective of his Jati. This knowledge makes one adorable.
Yasya asti – which ever person has this conviction
Saha Mama Guru – I consider that person to be my Guru, I revere that person. I will not enquire what gotram? What sutram? If you have Brahmana Guna whatever be your jati it does not matter.
Satu Dvija Astu – I revere him irrespective of whether he is a dvija.
Iti Esa Mama Maneesha – this is my Nischaya, my conviction.

Thus, in the first verse by way of explaining Veda Mahavakyam Prajnanam Brahma, Shanakaracharya has made two fundamental points of Vedanta very clear:
First – Consciousness is independent entity separate from body. This is similar to the light falling on an object. The light is intimate with the object alright, but it is not of the object.
Second – This independent Consciousness, not only pervades the body but it extends beyond the body also. The sun light falling on the hand extends beyond the hand also. Beyond the hand the sunlight ‘is’, but is not visible due to lack of a reflecting media. Thus the light is manifest on the hand and un-manifest beyond the hand. If there are two reflecting media, experientially it appears as though there are two lights one on each reflecting media due to light being un-manifest in-between. But, the fact is that there is only one, non-dual, undivided sunlight. There is no plurality of sunlight.

Similarly, the consciousness is manifest in all the bodies and in-between it is un-manifest and not absent. Non manifestation should not be mistaken for non-existence. Thus superficially it appears that there are two consciousness’s in two bodies with a gap in-between. Plurality and division of consciousness is an error born out of our experience. Vedanta corrects this error and says that there is only on undivided consciousness.

Then Shanakaracharya says, learn to own up that consciousness as ‘I’, which is undivided, all pervading and therefore formless. Not only is it important to own up what you are, equally it is important to dis-own what you are not. Dis-owning is more difficult since it has become a habit. Deha abhimana is a habit, which is with us for many births and is so difficult to disown. Vedanta asserts, “I’ the experiencer is the conscious principle and whatever I experience is inert or jadam. Drik Chetanaha Drishyam Jadam. World is jadam. Body is Jadam so is mind. Body and mind have the capacity to appear sentient by virtue of borrowed consciousness, just as the moon appears luminous by borrowed sunlight.

The content of the work thus far is incomplete since there is still a duality, between the consciousness and the inert matter. We are in dvaitam. This is Samkhya philosophy and not Vedanta. We have to reduce the onsciousness matter duality into one non dual entity. This is the next and final lesson.

Links
<Manisha Panchakam PDF – Commentary by Swami Paramarthananda