Sharing my knowledge about Vedanta – Karana Sarira

Definition of terms:

Susupti-avastha (state of deep sleep) it is the unique state of experience enjoyed by the individual due to identification with the karana-sarira.

Words Ajana Y Avidya (both meaning ignorance) are also synonymous with karana-sarira.

vasanas they shape the temperamental contours of the personality and determine the nature of the individual. We often say, ‘it is poor janma vasana/karma’

This philosophical position where something cannot be described as ‘sat’ or ‘asat’ is technically called anirvacya or anirvacaniya.

karana-sarira is described as ‘anadi’

Karana-sarira is the cause of sthula-saria and suksma-sarira.

Furthermore, the karana-sarira is the collection of vasanas (Past unfulfilled wishes and current births) and ignorance (ajana or absence of the knowledge of the ‘Self’) which is beyond the realm of the mind.

Only in the waking state and in the dream state do we experience time with the mind. In the deep sleep state, when the mind is absent, there is no concept of time. Since ‘karana-sarira’ is the cause of the mind and is beyond the concept of time, the representation as ‘origin’ or ‘beginning’ does not apply to it.

The word ‘anadi’ (an-adi) means ‘without beginning’, that which has no beginning. We cannot hypothesize when the ignorance of time began, because karana-sarira is beyond the realm of time and has no probability of beginning, no beginning.

For example: darkness. One cannot describe darkness, but one can only experience darkness, which is nothing more than the absence of light. So too, ignorance is the absence of knowledge and it has no beginning and it has an end.

Karana-sarira is called ‘nirvikalpa’ – why?

‘Vikalpa’ means ‘thought’. ‘nirvikalpa’ is ‘beyond thought’. The mind is a stream of thoughts. Avidya is the absence of knowledge (ignorance of the ‘Self’) and vasanas, which is beyond the realm of the mind.

Vikalpa also means – differentiation or distinction. The sthula-sarira has several parts and each part is distinctively different from the other. Suksma-sarira also has different thoughts and each thought can be differentiated from the other, but karana-sarira is a set of vasanas, they cannot be differentiated because they are in the unmanifested level. The example is that of a seed, which has the potential to have the trunk, the branches, the stem, the leaves and the flowers. All of this can be seen on the gross level, but not when it is a seed, the subtle level.

Karana-sarira is therefore called ‘nirvikalpa rupam’, that which appears without distinction.

The three sariras (sthula, suksma, karana) are divided into five kosas.

The five things are:

• Annamaya kosa
• pranamaya kosa
• manonmaya kosa
• vijanamaya kosa
• anadamaya kosa

Annamaya kosa refers to Sthula-sarira (gross body), Pranamaya kosa, Manonmaya kosa and Vijanamaya kosas refers to Suksma-sarira (subtle body). Anandamaya kosa refers to Karana-sarira (causal body), which is the cause of the other two bodies.

Karana-sarira described as anandamaya-kosa – Why?

Karana-sarira is described as Anandamaya-kosa (happiness) because although an individual is ignorant of the Self, he/she when identified with Karana-sarira, experiences bliss in the state of deep sleep (Susupti-avastha).

Anandamaya kosa is not really blissful by itself; it borrows the bliss of ‘Being’. Just as the moon reflects the light of the Sun, Anandamaya kosa only reflects the bliss of the ‘Self’.

We also experience this state of bliss for temporary periods of time when we like an object, desire it, and possess it. These are modifications of the ecstatic state in the waking state and in the dream state. Therefore, Karana-sarira mainly refers to Anandamaya kosa.

When we are in solitude, facing water, mountains and nature, we experience this bliss even in the waking state (Jagrud avastha) and in the dream state (Svapna-avastha) and those are just a glimpse of the Ananda, which we experience in the state of deep sleep (Susupti-avastha).

Karana-sarira is described as ‘inexplicable’ (anirvacniya).

Inexplicable – means unfathomable, incomprehensible, mysterious

Karana-sarira or avidya is described as inexplicable because it has no shape, size, color or personality. One cannot describe it with any specific dimension.

In Vedanta ‘anirvacya’ has a deeper meaning and is a technical term in a Vedantic context. It cannot be explained as ‘sat’ or ‘asat’, ‘real’ or ‘unreal’. ‘Sat is something that exists in all three periods of time: past, present and future. Only Atman is Sat. Since Karana-sarira is ‘avidya’ (absence of Self-knowledge) and can be destroyed with knowledge (about self-realization), it does not have a permanent existence. Therefore, not ‘Sat’.

Karana-sarira (Avidya) cannot be considered as ‘asat’ (one that doesn’t exist) as the – ‘rabbit’s horn’ or ‘sky flower’. These two just don’t exist even though we can use them in words. But Karana-sarira or ignorance does exist, because otherwise we would not have this cycle of birth and death. The very fact that we pass through this samsara is an effect of the cause of the existence of ignorance. Therefore there is a cause, which is karana-sarira/avidya. That proves it exists!

Since we cannot say that it exists and we cannot say that it does not exist, philosophically avidya is inexplicable, incomprehensible.

Comparison and distinction of the three states of experience. –

Jagrud-avastha (waking state),

Svapna-avastha (sleep state) and

Susupti-avastha (state of deep sleep).

In the waking state, all three sariras are functioning and the individual identifies with all three sariras.

The waking state (jagrud avastha) is said to be experienced when identification with Sthula-sarira, does not negate the individual’s identification with Suksma-sarira or Karana-sarira but in the waking state/jagrud avastha, only an individual identifies with the sthula-sarira. All three exist, both the inner and outer worlds are functioning.

Similarly, in the dream state, although both suksma-sarira and karana sarira are functioning, but in the dream state/svapna-avastha only an individual identifies with the suksma-sarira. There is only suksma-sarira and karana-sarira, sthula-sarira does not exist in the dream state. Only the inner world is working.

In deep sleep state karana sarira only exists and is functional and in deep sleep state only an individual identifies only with karana-sarira. In this state of deep sleep, sthula-sarira and suksma-sarira do not exist. Both the inner world and the outer world do not work.