Tattva-viveka Prakriyas in Vedanta (वेदान्ते तत्वविवेक-प्रक्रियाः)

Vedanta texts are the source of knowledge to understand Brahman and Atman. According to Advaita Vedanta, Brahman and Atman are one and the same and they are termed as Satyam (Real) and everything else is Mithya (unreal). That is tattva-viveka, a discriminative enquiry, viveka, for which the object is tattva, Satyam or the truth. Shruti terms Atman as Satya, thus tattvaviveka involves a discriminative enquiry about the Atman. This enquiry involves a process a procedure, a prakriya. In grammatical terminology we use the term Prakriya (Samskrit: प्रक्रिया) to derive various grammatical forms of words (rupa-siddhi). Here the term prakriya is used in a similar sense as a method of enquiry, an analysis, to help us understand a particular topic in Vedanta. These methods of enquiry are employed in Vedanta to understand Atman and Brahman. The ultimate aim of every human is to attain freedom, happiness, and overcome limitations of the body. However, the inherent problem of every human is the lack of knowledge (avidya) to distinguish between the Ahamkara (I-ness) and the Atman (Consciousness, Self). Ahamkara is when the Atman is wrongly superimposed with the attributes of the Sharira (body) - I am tall, I am angry, I am young etc., by the Buddhi (intellect).

To understand the nature of Ahamkara and Atman, various texts in the Vedanta tradition describe some methods of enquiry to help a sadhaka. A sadhaka engages in a discriminative enquiry to sort out Atma-tattva which is Satyam from everything else i.e., Mithya.

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

According to Advaita Vedanta school of philosophy, the concept of Satyam and Mithya (सत्यं मिथ्या च), is fundamental in the understanding of Brahman. Only when we perform a series of analytical steps of knowing Satyam and differentiate it from Mithya can we realize the Brahman or Atman. One importance for this whole pursuit is that these steps are cognitive in nature. Atman is distinct from everything else, and it is to be realized by a person, no amount of theoretical teaching would help if the sadhana part is not performed.

For example - the entire body can be viewed using different models. In a biological model, it can be reduced to a bunch of cells. But the bunch of cells themselves, as we see in a laboratory, cannot be called a body. But the body is nothing but a definite arrangement of cells and without the cells there is no body. So in this model the body is reduced to cells. From another standpoint, body is just minerals, calcium, carbon etc., - simple minerals, but minerals are not the body. It is very clear that the body, which seems to have its own existence, is reducible to all these minerals. And therefore, this body is mithya (unreal) and this kind of analysis continues until the level of molecules and atoms which cannot be seen with the naked eye as pratyaksha pramana.

Atman, also cannot be seen by the eyes and has to be comprehended by other pramanas (means of knowledge), namely Shabdapramana. In this process of understanding to dispel ignorance (avidya), the Vedanta Darshana, gives us some methods to reason and resolve the differences between what is real and unreal.

Defining Atman

Atman (आत्मन्), in Advaita Vedanta, is the same as Brahman, Pure Consciousness, immanent, transcendent and self-luminous. It transcends the subject-object (कर्त-कर्म) duality and trinity of knower, known and knowledge. Atman is the one who experiences everything, in whose presence alone and for whom all experiences take place. It is the only Reality. The tragedy of human intellect is that it tries to know everything as an object. Whatever can be presented as an object is necessarily relative and changing, for that reason it is Mithya or unreal. To resolve this inherent human problem, our seers have enumerated three ways to identify Atma and overcome ignorance through the process of enquiry (vichara).

In Tattvabodha, composed by Shri Adisankaracharya, we find the lakshana vakyas (defining words) of Atman as follows,

स्थूलसूक्ष्मकारणशरीराद्व्यतिरिक्तः पञ्चकोशातीतः सन् अवस्थात्रयसाक्षी सच्चिदानन्दस्वरूपः सन् यस्तिष्ठति स आत्मा ।

That which is distinct from the gross, subtle and causal bodies, beyond the five sheaths, the witness of the three states of experience, that which exists in the form of consciousness and of the nature of existence-consciousness-limitlessness is the Atman. In the Taittriya Upanishad, Brahmananda-valli, it is said

यो वेद निहितं गुहायां परमे व्योमन् । सोऽश्नुते सर्वान् कामान्सह । (Tait. Upan. 2.1.1)

He who knows Brahman located in the innermost recess (cavity), in the Supreme space, Avyakta akasha, or Chidakasha (not the akasha mentioned as one among the Panchabhutas), realizes all his desires with the omniscient Brahman. In this Guha (cavity) are hidden the three categories (knower, known and knowledge) in three kalas (past, present and future) because it is the cause and it is exceedingly subtle. Brahman is placed in this cavity.

Shariram is Atman - Confusion is Universal

Every human being is born with an inherent ignorance and confusion that each individual regards himself or herself, the body as such, as a person. If a person say's "I am tall," or "I am thin," it definitely conveys that "I am equal to the body." In saying that "I am tall", it means that "the tallness of the body is my tallness." Therefore the ‘I’, the atman, has the attribute of tallness or shortness, maleness or femaleness, which means that atman is equated to the body.

Such inability to discriminate between the I-principle and the Atman, exists at birth and is always present while we are going about in our activities of the daily life. From ignorance arises the mistake of superimposition (adhyasa) at all times. Now, this is generally a psychological and a basic universal mistake, not one person's private mistake in understanding. It is a universal mistake, because each individual has a physical body, each individual has a set of senses, each individual has a mind. And each individual is conscious of himself or herself as a person, and is born with self-ignorance, Avidya. This universal confusion about Atman is, I am a mortal, I am as good as this body. Attaching the attributes of the physical body, applying its limitations to the Atman is the Avidya or ignorance that each and every person (in the locus of karana-sharira) is born with.

Then again, the body being one and everything else being separate from this body, naturally, there is a conclusion about location also. So with reference to the pervasiveness of the body, every individual finds himself wanting. There is a sense of incompleteness with reference to pervasiveness. And again, there is inadequacy with reference to abilities, skills and so on. Thus we have varieties of limitations centered on the physical body. To overcome this sense of lack, inadequacies and limitedness, one has to go through the process of self-enquiry to recognize Atman, which is satyam.

Tattva-viveka Prakriyas in Vedanta

A viveka, a discriminative enquiry leading to the knowledge of Atma-tattva is called tattva-viveka. And what is tattva - this Atman, being ananta-sat, is the tattva, the reality, of everything. To resolve the confusion about Atman, to perform the tattva-viveka, there are particular analytical processes, which like prakriyas in grammar, when applied in Vedanta lead us to recognizing the Atman. Here the term prakriya is used to represent a method of enquiry, analysis, to help us understand what is what. In the definition of Atman given in the previous section, we can identify three prakriyas to discern the Atman. We can summarily present the processes to identify Atman as follows.

1. शरीर-त्रय-विवेकः ॥ Sharira-traya viveka - The analysis of the three shariras - स्थूलसूक्ष्मकारणशरीरा । Sthula, Sukshma, and Karana shariras. A prakriya wherein the process of the distinguishing of the Atman, or recognizing the Atman, as independent of the three shariras, bodies is elaborated.
2. पंचकोश-विवेकः ॥ Pancha-kosha viveka - The three bodies, as mentioned above, are divided into five layers, Panchakoshas (पञ्चकोशाः), Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya and Anandamaya koshas. The layers are from the standpoint of our own experience, and from the panchakoshas we find there are five common levels of experience which we mistake for Atman. Clarifying and excluding each of them is the process of discerning the koshas from Atman.
3. अवस्था-त्रय-विवेकः ॥ Avastha-traya viveka - Every individual has these three states of experience, waking, dream and deep sleep and the proper way to analyze them to find out what is Atman and what is not is discussed here.
4. Karyakarana viveka - The knowledge about cause and effect of this srishti also helps one resolve about what is Atman.

Avidya (अविद्या) or Maya (माया)

Before discussing about ways to inquire about viveka, one should understand the cause and nature of ignorance. Any ignorance, whether it is ignorance of an object or ignorance of oneself, does not exist independently, but depends upon conscious, sacchidananda-atman. Therefore this Atman is the ashraya for Avidya. An ashraya is the basis, that which gives reality to this very ignorance.

And this Avidya is also, without a beginning, (anadi) but we cannot say it is Ananta (endless). It is mithya, because it is dependent on Atman for its existence. It is neither independently existent (Sat), nor is it nonexistent (Asat), but it has some kind of existence, yat kinchit bhavam asti. It is indescribable and indefinable for it is neither real nor unreal nor both (sadasadanirvachaniya). This Avidya is also called Maya (माया) as per some schools of thought and characteristically covers, conceals or projects another thing effectively leaving the true nature of the Self or Atman hidden to the person (maya avarana or maya vikshepa).

Nature of Avidya

Here in the explanation of Avidya, we come across the phrase - yat kinchit bhavam asti (as per Vedantaparibhasha). This Avidya or Maya can be studied from three different standpoints by three kinds of people as described in Panchadasi.

तुच्छानिर्वचनीया च वास्तवी चेत्यसौ त्रिधा । ज्ञेया माया त्रिभिर्बोधैः श्रौतयौक्तिकलौकिकैः ॥ १३०॥ (Panchadashi. 6.130)

Meaning: A learned of the Shruti (Shrauta, revealed experience) regards Maya as unreal (तुच्छ), an intellect (learned in reasoning, in Shastras such as Nyaya, tarka) maintains that it is indeterminable, neither real or unreal (अनिर्वचनीय) and a common man (लौकिक) considers the world of Maya to be real (वास्तवी).

In the context of this article, since the analytical process is intellectual, here we discuss the indescribable nature of Avidya - that it is indeterminable, neither real nor unreal. Yet it is the natural and common practice of people that they wrongly superimpose the object and its attributes upon the subject and viceversa. This co-mingling of the subject and the object, this mixing up of the Satyam (Truth) and Mithya (Error), this coupling of the real and unreal (मिथ्याज्ञाननिमित्तः सत्यानृते मिथुनीकृत्य ) is called superimposition (अध्यासः) error (भ्रमः), illusion (माया), ignorance (अविद्या). All definitions maintain that it is the superimposition of one thing on another, e.g., the superimposition of silver on the shell or the illusion of many moons on a single moon. This transcendental Avidya is the presupposition of all practices in this phenomenal world.

शरीर-त्रय-विवेकः ॥ Sharira- traya viveka

Sharira-traya-prakriya is where there is distinguishing of the atman, or recognizing atman, as independent of the three shariras, or bodies. This is one locus of error which can be sorted out to resolve the confusion about Atman.

Atman was defined as स्थूलसूक्ष्मकारणशरीराद्व्यतिरिक्तः । sthūla-sūkṣma-kāraṇa-śarīrād-vyatiriktaḥ; Atman, according to the author, is distinct from the physical, subtle and causal bodies. Sharira means body, and sthūla-śarīra means the physical body, as sthūla means gross, visible. Negation (of locus of error sūkṣma-kāraṇa-śarīram) is required and addressed using the term vyatiriktaḥ. Because the common universal error is that the Atman is referred to as sthūla-śarīra, and the reason for such a misidentity to arise is that Atman is not totally unknown entity. For example - svargaloka is totally unknown to anyone and Shruti's reference to it is believed. But because Atman is self, and whatever one knows about oneself is what atman is taken for granted, while in the vision of the Shruti, atman is other than what is commonly taken for granted, we require such a sentence. Everyone considers atman to be as good as the body (gross body), to be mortal. So is the case of mind and intelligence (subtle body) and ignorance (causal body). Atman is neither ignorance, nor a mental condition nor does it have any physical attributes.

Drshtanta of a Wave and Ocean: Atman is like water in association with a wave. Water is associated with a wave, verily present in a wave. If the wave is self-conscious, and takes itself to be just a wave, being completely ignorant of water, which is the Atman, the truth, satya, of the wave, the wave is the loser. Why? Because if the wave is enlightened in this area, there is no small wave, no big wave, no born wave, no dead wave. There is only water. Moreover, upon further application of the Advaita siddhanta, there is no wave, not even another wave, but there is no wave and ocean (everything is water or Brahman). The satyam in this analogy is water for both the wave and ocean.

पंचकोश-विवेकः ॥ Pancha-kosha viveka

Atman is distinct from the five sheaths (Panchakosha) vested in the Jiva. According to this viveka prakriya, Atman is within covered by five sheaths, and understanding the nature of each sheath uncovers the Atman. Atman is satyam and every kosha is a mithya.

Vidyaranya Swami in his Panchakosha viveka prakarana of Panchadasi, establishes through a subjective analysis that the Self is not a psycho-physical organism, and that the sight of Atman should not be lost in the sheaths that seem to encase it. Atman is beyond the Panchakoshas (पञ्चकोशातीतः).

Taittriya Upanishad seeks to show with the help of knowledge that the individual Atman (Self) is Brahman which is within and beyond the five sheaths beginning with that made of annam (food) and ending with that made of pure ananda goes on to extract the substance within by divesting it of the five sheaths formed by ignorance, just as we should remove the many chaff-coverings from a "kodrava grain.”

Summary of the five koshas, their nature, and reasoning of why they are Mithya or Maya and not Atman is given in the following table.

Koshas	Constituents	Identifying the Maya factor
Annamaya Kosha	Born of food assimilated by the parents and sustained by food alone.	- Modification of food - it has birth and death (does not exist in the three kalas) - it grows, reproduces etc (undergoes changes with food) - Enjoys results of past karma from previous births and leaves before enjoying future results (influx and destruction of the acquired)
Pranamaya Kosha	Vitalizer of the physical body, gives strength and impetus to Indriyas	- Modification of Vital force - it is inert - devoid of intelligence - arises and perishes with the physical body - depends on consciousness for activity to take place
Manomaya Kosha	Manas, Thoughts, Emotions, Moods	- Modification of Manas - Passions (likes and dislikes) are polar and changing in nature - Thoughts and Emotions are temporary, do not exist in the three kalas - seat of desires (kama) which drive karma. Atman is desireless.
Vijnanamaya Kosha	Buddhi, intellect, cognition center	- Modification of buddhi - it is not ubiquitous (like Atman) - Periods of non-functionality or non-existence (as in abnormal minds or during sleep) therefore does not exist in three kalas.
Anandamaya Kosha	Conditional Ananda	- Modification of Ananda - effect of previous karma and knowledge (Atman is not an effect) - temporary experience hence exists only during certain times

अवस्था-त्रय-विवेकः ॥ Avastha-traya viveka

In the process of enquiring and understanding about the avastha-traya (अवस्था-त्रयम्) we are lead to the knowledge of Atman. Tattvabodha, Gaudapada Karikas, and the Mandukya Upanishad are good sources to explore the avastha-traya-viveka prakriya and their relation with the three shariras in detail. One can deduce whether Atman has the attributes of the waking state to assume the status of being a waker, whether it has the attributes of the dream to become the dreamer, or sleep to be the sleeper, or is free from all these attributes. As defined in Tattvabodha, Atman is अवस्थात्रयसाक्षी i.e., it is free from all the attributes of these states, and is a witness to all three states of experience, called as avastha-traya-saakshin. It is distinct from all the shariras, and all three states of experience.

अवस्थात्रयं ॥ Avastha-traya

अवस्थात्रयं किम् ? जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्त्यवस्थाः । (Tattvabodha)

What is avastha-trayam? What are the three states?

They are the waking, dream, and deep sleep states.

Mandukya Upanishad starts with the exposition of the Pranava, the Om and describes the Vaishvanara Vidya or Brahman using the analogy of dreams. The second mantra, is

सर्वं ह्येतद् ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोऽयमात्मा चतुष्पात् ॥ २ ॥ (Mand. Upan. 2)

Meaning – All this, verily, is Brahman. The Atman (Self) is Brahman. This Self, has four quarters.

The three quarters are depicted here with their characteristics. It should be noted that Atman (the fourth quarter) here is present in all other three states also, which is the Sat that is required as a base (an ashraya) for all other three states to be displayed.

जाग्रदवस्था ॥Jagradavastha - The Waking State

Tattvabodha gives us the explanation of the three states of experience as follows

जाग्रदवस्था का ? श्रोत्रादिज्ञानेन्द्रियैः शब्दादिविषयैश्च ज्ञायते इति यत् सा जाग्रदावस्था । What is Jagradavastha? What is the waking state?

The waking state is that in which the sense objects, beginning with sound are known by the sense organs, beginning with the ears.

स्थूल शरीराभिमानी आत्मा विश्व इत्युच्यते । Then the atman, identified with the gross physical body is called Vishva, a complete one.

In the Jagrit or Waking state all three shariras, sthula, sukshma and karana shariras are integrated and active. Here the view is directed towards the sthula prapancha; because it is not part of one’s experience in the other two states, hence sthula sharira is highly expressed. There is high awareness of the physical world and identification with the body in this state. And the kartrtva bhava of the Jiva is also verily available only in this state. The actions in the world and their responses are included in this avastha, but the one who experiences the waking state is the Atman in the form of the experiencer. When the Atman is in the waking state, the Jiva (embodied Atman) is called Vishva, or complete because in this state alone there is complete expression of the free will. Only when the free will is used, will there be Kartrtva, doership, or an agency of action. Purusharthas are possible only in this state. In this state the complete person may or may not be purna – not having a sense of lack, i.e., experiences a sense of lack even though he is called complete.

स्वप्नावस्था ॥ Svapnaavastha – The Dream State

स्वप्नावस्था केति चेत् ? जाग्रदवस्थायां यद्दृष्टं यद् श्रुतम् तज्जनितवासनया निद्रासमये यः प्रपञ्चः प्रतीयते सा स्वप्नावस्था । What is svapnaavastha when asked – The world which appears/is projected while in sleep, from the impressions (vasanas) born of what was seen and heard in the waking state, is called a dream state.

सूक्ष्मशरीराभिमानी आत्मा तैजस इत्युच्यते । Then the Atman, identified with the subtle body, is called Taijasa, an effulgent one.

In the Svapna or Dream State – Only the sukshma and karana shariras are active and are present in the Dream state. The identification with the body and awareness of the sthula-prapancha (physical world) is not present. All bodily aspects such as the physical, anatomical, physiological, and sense-organ aspects are not prominent in the dream state, they are subtle. The senses and experiences here are different without the anatomical aspects. A dream is always the experience of what a person goes through in his waking state, thus the bhoktr bhava is most prominent here. The effects of the waking state, experience of sukha and dukha are also present in the dream and everything is an appearance (Mithya), nothing is really accomplished or done. There is no real agency, Kartrtva, because the doing is also a part of being an experiencer, bhoktrtva. There is no free will here, mind plays the complete part in experiencing state. So, this sukshma sharira abhimani, is called taijasa, because it is purely in the form of thoughts. One’s own experiences and thoughts are analyzed in order to know the Atman.

सुषुप्त्यवस्था ॥ Sushupta-avastha – The Deep Sleep State

अतः सुषुप्त्यवस्था का ? अहं किमपि न जानामि सुखेन मया निद्राऽनुभूयत इति सुषुप्त्यवस्था । It is the state about which one says (after waking up) later, ‘I did not know anything, I enjoyed a good sleep’ is the deep sleep state.

कारणशरीराभिमानी आत्मा प्राज्ञ इत्युच्यते । Then the Atman, identified with the karana-sharira is called Prajna (also called Prajnanaghana).

The Sushupta or Sleep state - is a state where there is no comprehension of a given thing, no inputs from the sense organs (vastu-agrahana), absence of the functionality of mind. In this deep sleep, there is no kartr and bhoktr actions or experiences, such a state is called avastha (avastha is a word meaning ‘state’ which applies to all three states), a condition, in which the individual is in an un-manifest form. It is like a seed which has the specific whole tree inside it in an unmanifest form. This is called avyakta or karana sharira. Therefore, there is an un-manifest form, and that experience of unmanifest individuality, called nirvikalpa, is the experience called deep sleep. There the experience is a happy one; there is no problem because there is no subject-object vikalpa. All samsara is based on this subject-object relationship.

Atman with reference to the Three States of Experience (Avastha traya)

Each state is called an avastha, a condition. Atman is that which is present in all three states of experience, and without which these states of experience are not possible. And again, it is unaffected by the state of experience, and therefore, never sleeps, and never wakes up, either partially or fully. And it never goes to sleep, atman is called alupta-drk. Drk is a witness, here with reference to the states of experience, and alupta means that it is never disappearing; it never goes to sleep. It is something like having eyes which have no eyelids at all.

Atman is present in all three states of experience, but unaffected by any state. That is the atman referred to by the word ‘I’. That ‘I’ is sakshin, the witness. When you say, “I slept,” that ‘I’ is sakshin. In “I dreamt, I am awake,” that ‘I’ is sakshin, falsely given the attribute of being a waker, a dreamer, or a sleeper. It is only the waker or observer from the standpoint of these three shariras.

How do we know Atman is Sakshi in sleep?

Because there is an experience which is recollected after waking up. It is an experience of witnessing that is in past tense, मया अनुभूयते । maya anubhuyate. This is always so because it is a statement made after waking up, not during the deep sleep. It is neither a waker, a dreamer nor a deep sleeper, therefore we say the Atman is a sakshin of all three avasthas. When the individuality is limitless, it is a complete condition of Ananda, that is why the deep sleep state is also called samadhi. It is a state where even the wholeness of Atman is not perceived, because the mind is non-functional. It is just Ananda (not equal to Bliss or Happiness).

Why is Atman called Prajna in deep sleep state?

While in the waking state, the Atman is associated with the outer world and he is enveloped in ajnana. The shariras are the upadhis which bring about an apparent change to something, here the Atman. In the lack of this Upadhi in the deep sleep state, the Atman is sat-chit-ananda and this state of knowing limitlessness makes one a Pra-jna (with knowledge). Atman is always sat-chit-ananda in all states, but is not recognized so. This is the purpose of the teachings — to make one recognize that one is, always has been and always will be Sat-Chit-Ananda.

Connection between Sharira-traya and Avastha-traya

It may be noted that the Sthula-sharira being gross, is tangible and visible. The Sukshma-sharira is not visible but cannot be missed. It can be comprehended but is not a tangible object like the sthula-sharira. The sukshma-sharira is that in whose presence the body is alive, and in whose absence the body is dead. Now, third sharira is the Karana-sharira, and is the cause of the other two shariras. This is more of an adjunct than the body itself, it is the karana, the cause, for Sacchidananda-Atman to be a Jiva, an individual who has the sense of doership, and therefore does actions, gathers karmas, and because of that is born again and again.

In the following explanation we can see how the shariras and the three dream states are connected with each other. Sthula-sharira has the following characteristics. According to Mandukya Upanishad, it constitutes the

•प्रथमः पादः ॥ वैश्वानरः First pada called as Vaishvanara

•जागरितस्थानम् – It is the waking sphere of activity

•बहिःप्रज्ञः – Here the Consciousness is turned outwards

•स्थूलभुक् – It enjoys gross things

Sukshma-sharira has the following characteristics.

•द्वितीयः पादः ॥ तैजसः - It is the second pada called as Taijasa

•स्वप्नस्थानम् – It is the dream sphere of activity

•अन्तःप्रज्ञः – Here the Consciousness is turned inwards

•प्रविविक्तभुक् – It enjoys subtle things

The Karana sharira has the following features

•तीयः पादः ॥ प्रज्ञा - It is the third pada and called as Prajna

•सुषुप्तस्थानम् – It is the dreamless deep sleep state

•एकीभूतः प्रज्ञानघन – Characterized by Undifferentiated Consciousness

•एवानन्दमयो ह्यानन्दभुक्  - Abounds in and enjoys Ananda

Karana-sharira has no beginning, it is anadi, without a beginning, and doesn’t exist by itself. Avidya (also called ajnana) in the Karana-sharira is associated with Reality, Sat-svarupa-ajnana. An object is not known to a person, and therefore, ignorance always resides in a conscious person, and itself is not real. There is no ignorance, as such, independent of the consciousness which is Atman.

Psycho-spiritual uses of Tattva-viveka

Vedanta has many answers to the psychological aspects and working of the human mind. Understanding tattva (Atman) is for finding answers to a fundamental question raised by every human being - that of having a sense of lack.

This is an important question in that it addresses the worldly problems of feeling of despair, want and lack and in this aspect unfortunately, reflection on the life and personal experiences is wanting in many people. The Advaita tradition shows us a way to reflect on our lives and realistically identify the central limitations and the transient nature of sensual pleasures. Everything is mithya, as all sense-objects are subject to time and change, the relevant sense organ deteriorates with age and indulgence, and the mind gets saturated with repetitive experiences. Any human being addicted to sense gratification is thus caught in this viscous circle and boredom. A search for an enduring happiness through some fleeting and impermanent experiences is futile and the sooner one reflects and realizes this fact, the faster one gets closer to realizing Satyam. The problem is not in the nature of the sensual pleasures in themselves, it is the unrealistic expectation of gain from it. Although dissatisfied, one turns again and again to these momentary forms of pleasure, and before long becomes hopelessly addicted and dependent on them. The psychological transformation that a person undergoes in the process of understanding such siddhanta leads him closer to maturity and wisdom. His attitude towards dualities such as pleasure and pain, hot and cold etc, changes his perspectives and he takes on life’s events with equanimity.

The Advaita siddhanta reveals that if we live our lives thoughtfully and reflect with detachment, on our experiences, like Narada and Nachiketa, each of us will experience that the achievement of wealth, fame, pleasure, and power still leaves us dissatisfied and unfulfilled. This awakening may be sudden or gradual and has nothing to do with the biological age. It depends entirely on how we exercise our human intellectual capacity for self-critical reflection. A human being who engages in reflection on the nature of actions and their outcomes, discovers that such karma only leads to finite and limited results. At the heart of every human quest is a search for what it calls the uncreated (unmanifested). This is limitless, expansive, boundless and absolute, referred to in Indian siddhantas as Brahman. Behind every finite search and action is a quest for the infinite and this is one of the reasons why the finite will always fail to satisfy. Understanding the finite nature of human karma causes an attitude of detachment (nirveda) from finite efforts and achievements. It is important to note that actions are not condemned but their limits are defined by Dharma. Identifying the limits leads to an intellectual and emotional detachment that protects from despair and anger. Dissatisfaction with the finite, is the beginning of the conscious journey to the infinite. Nirveda and vairagya are thus the fundamental qualities for an aspirant in this path.

Viveka and the process of analysis, laid down in the Upanishads and shastras, along with a Guru’s support, further helps him to overcome despair as he explores the ways given to overcome the human predicaments. He grasps the deficiencies of artha, kama and in him is awakened the necessity to strive for freedom from ‘becoming,’ to attain moksha that will free him from the constraints of the finite. Its all in the manas and buddhi that such viveka and prakriya take place to resolve the Avidya in the karana-sharira. This understanding is important for every person to know why he is limited and experiences sorrow in the midst of pleasure, want in the midst of plenty, giving no reasonable meaning to any of his actions. It is dissatisfaction with the finite and the desire to be free from sorrow that brings one to the door of a teacher and an interest to learn about Atman.