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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.<ref name=":0" />

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.<ref name=":0" />

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 this ignorance arises the mistake of superimposition (adhyasa) at all times. Now, this is generally personal, psychological and a basic universal mistake. 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.<ref name=":0" />

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.<ref name=":0" />

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.<ref name=":0" />

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.<ref name=":0" />

# '''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.

# '''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.

# '''Pancha-kosha viveka''' - The three bodies, as mentioned above, are divided into five layers, Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya and Anandamaya koshas. The layers are from the standpoint of our own experience, and we find there are five common levels of experience which we mistake for Atman. To sort this out we have the process of discerning the koshas from Atman.

# '''पंचकोश-विवेकः ॥ Pancha-kosha viveka''' - The three bodies, as mentioned above, are divided into five layers, 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.

# '''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.

# '''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.

# '''Karyakarana viveka''' - The knowledge about cause and effect of this srishti also helps one resolve about what is Atman.

# '''Karyakarana viveka''' - The knowledge about cause and effect of this srishti also helps one resolve about what is 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.<ref name=":0" />  

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.<ref name=":0" />  

'''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.<ref name=":0" />  

'''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.<ref name=":0" />

 

== अवस्था-त्रय-विवेकः ॥ Avastha-traya viveka ==

== अवस्था-त्रय-विवेकः ॥ Avastha-traya viveka ==

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.<ref name=":1">Swami Dayananda Saraswati (2012) ''Tattavabodhah.'' Chennai: Arsha Vidya Research and Publication Trust (Page 217 - )</ref>  

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.<ref name=":1">Swami Dayananda Saraswati (2012) ''Tattavabodhah.'' Chennai: Arsha Vidya Research and Publication Trust (Page 217 - )</ref>  

Are sharira-traya and avastha-traya connected with each other?  

'''Are sharira-traya and avastha-traya connected with each other?'''

Karana-sharira has no beginning, it is anadi, without a beginning, and doesn’t exist by itself. Avidya (also called ajnana) in Karana-sharira is of 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.<ref name=":1" />

Karana-sharira has no beginning, it is anadi, without a beginning, and doesn’t exist by itself. Avidya (also called ajnana) in Karana-sharira is of 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.<ref name=":1" />

=== Drshtanta for Avidya and Atman ===

=== Nature of Avidya ===

Here in the explanation of Avidya, we come across the phrase - yat kinchit bhavam asti (as per Vedantaparibhasha). Avidya is 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 truth and error, this coupling of the real and unreal (मिथ्याज्ञाननिमित्तः सत्यानृते मिथुनीकृत्य <ref>[https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/brahmasutra_content?language=dv&field_chapter_value=1&field_quarter_value=1&field_nsutra_value=0 Brahmasutra Bhashyam] by Sankaracharya</ref>) is called superimposition (अध्यासः) error (भ्रमः), illusion (माया), ignorance (अविद्या).<ref name=":2" /> 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.  

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.  <blockquote>तुच्छानिर्वचनीया च वास्तवी चेत्यसौ त्रिधा । ज्ञेया माया त्रिभिर्बोधैः श्रौतयौक्तिकलौकिकैः ॥ १३०॥ (Panchadashi. 6.130)<ref>Panchadashi by Vidyaranya Swami ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%9E%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%80/%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A0%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_-_%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%83 Prakarana 6])</ref>  </blockquote>Meaning: A learned of the Shruti (Shrouta) regards Maya as unreal (तुच्छ), an intellect (learned in Shastras such as Nyaya, tarka) maintains that it is neither real or unreal (अनिर्वचनीय) and a common man (लौकिक) considers the world of Maya to be real (वास्तवी).<ref>Mahadevan, T. M. P. (1957 Revised Edition) ''The Philosophy of Advaita with special reference to Bharati-tirtha Vidyaranya.'' Madras: Ganesh & CO. (Madras) Pvt. Ltd. (Pages 253)</ref> 

 

In the context of this article, since the analytical process is intellectual, here we discuss the indescribable nature of Avidya - that it is 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 <ref>[https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/brahmasutra_content?language=dv&field_chapter_value=1&field_quarter_value=1&field_nsutra_value=0 Brahmasutra Bhashyam] by Sankaracharya</ref>) is called superimposition (अध्यासः) error (भ्रमः), illusion (माया), ignorance (अविद्या).<ref name=":2" /> 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.<ref name=":0" />     

== References ==

== References ==