Changes

Thus, the entire universe is created by these five great elements viz. water, fire, air, sky and earth. And their properties are continual.<ref name=":2" />

Thus, the entire universe is created by these five great elements viz. water, fire, air, sky and earth. And their properties are continual.<ref name=":2" />

== Puranic Encyclopedia ==

== जीवात्मन् ॥ Individual Self ==

JIVATMAN (The individual life or soul). The Aparabrahman (which is next to the highest Brahman) that is so minute and subtle is called Jivatman. Parabrahman is God almighty. It is mentioned in Taittiriyopanisad about this aparabrahman as follows :  

The Taittiriya Upanishad states that from the Atman came into existence ether possessing the quality of sound. From ether came air, possessing the qualities of sound and touch. Then came into being fire with the qualities of sound, touch and colour. From fire, water having the qualities of sound touch, colour and taste came into being. And from water came into existence earth with the qualities of sound, touch, colour, taste and smell. Then vegetation grew from earth. From vegetation came food and from food, Purusa came into existence.<ref name=":6" /> <blockquote>तस्माद्वा एतस्मादात्मन आकाशः संभूतः । आकाशाद्वायुः । वायोरग्निः । अग्नेरापः । अद्भ्यः पृथिवी । पृथिव्या ओषधयः । ओषधीभ्योऽन्नम् । अन्नात्पुरुषः । स वा एष पुरुषोऽन्नरसमयः ।...॥ १ ॥<ref name=":5" />

"Tasmad va etasmadatmana akasah sambhutah, akasad vayuh vayoragnih, agnerapah adbhyah prthvi prthivya osadhayah osadhibhyo annam annat purusah sa'va esa puruso annamayah."

tasmādvā etasmādātmana ākāśaḥ saṁbhūtaḥ । ākāśādvāyuḥ । vāyoragniḥ । agnerāpaḥ । adbhyaḥ pr̥thivī । pr̥thivyā oṣadhayaḥ । oṣadhībhyo'nnam । annātpuruṣaḥ । sa vā eṣa puruṣo'nnarasamayaḥ ।...॥ 1 ॥ </blockquote>Parabrahman is the Supreme being while aparabrahman is next to the Supreme being. The minute and subtle form of Aparabrahman is called the Jivatman that dwells in the materialized form of aparabrahman ie. the body. So, the body which is made of the five elements is the dwelling place of the Jivatman. It sits in the miniature lotus of heart in the miniature ether.  

Meaning: 'From this Atman came into existence ether possessing the quality of sound. From ether air, possessing the qualities of sound and touch, came into existence. Fire with the qualities of sound, touch and colour came into being from air. From fire, water having the qualities of sound touch, colour and taste came into being. From water earth with the qualities of sound, touch, colour, taste and smell came into existence.  

The Jivatman or individual Self exists in every living being. The body originated from food is the outer covering of the Jivatman. This materialized body is also called 'Annamayakosha'. Inside this annamayakosha there is the Pranamayakosha (the chest of the life breaths). It is stated in the Taittiriya Upanishad that this Pranamayakosha is separate from and existing inside the annamayakosha. It has the shape of man. The life breath which appears as the inhaling and exhaling breath is the head of the Pranamayakosha. The life breath Vyana is its right wing, Apana is the left wing, ether its atman and Prthvi (the earth) its tail.<ref name=":6" /><blockquote>तस्मादन्नं तदुच्यत इति । ... अन्योऽन्तर आत्मा प्राणमयः । ... स वा एष पुरुषविध एव । तस्य पुरुषविधताम् । अन्वयं पुरुषविधः । तस्य प्राण एव शिरः । व्यानो दक्षिणः पक्षः । अपान उत्तरः पक्षः । आकाश आत्मा । पृथिवी पुच्छं प्रतिष्ठा । ... ॥ १ ॥<ref>Taittiriya Upanishad, Brahmananda Valli, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%80#%E0%A5%A5_%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8A%E0%A4%BD%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A5 Anuvaka 2].</ref>

Vegetation grew from earth, and from vegetation food, from food semen, and from semen Purusa came into existence. The materialized form of aparabrahman is the body. Its subtle form is the soul. Jivatma or the individual soul is the subtle form of soul dwelling in the materialized form of the aparabrahman. This soul sits in the miniature lotus of heart in the miniature ether. The body which is made of the five elements is the dwelling place of this Jivatma. The individual life exists in every living being. The body originated from food is the outer covering of the Jivatma. This materialized body is also called Annamayakosa (the cask of food). Inside this annamayakosa there is the Pranamayakosa (the chest of the life breaths) . It is stated in the Taittiriyopanisad that this Pranamayakosa is separate from and existing inside the annamayakosa. The Pranamayakosa which exists inside the annamayakosa has the shape of man. The life breath which appears as the inhaling and exhaling breath is the head of the Pranamayakosa. The life breath Vyana is the right wing and Apana is the left wing, ether its soul and '''Prthvi''' (the earth) its tail. 2 Inside the Pranamayakosa, there exists the Manomayakosa (the chest of mind), but it fills the entire interior of the Pranamayakosa. The Vijnanamayakosa(the chest of knowledge or understanding) exists inside the Manomayakosa. The Jivatma or the individual life dwells inside this Vijfianamayakosa and pervades the entire body. It is by the activity of Vijnanamayakosa that the Jivatma feels its individuality. Inside the Vijnanamayakosa there exists a fifth kosa (chest) called the Anandamayakosa, which is the immediate covering of Jivatma, and which has no sense of individuality. The three Kosas, Anandakosa, Vijnanakosa and Pranamayakosa together is called Suksmasarira (the subtle body). It must be remembered that Suksmasarira is different from Susuksmasarira (the minute subtle body) .  

tasmādannaṁ taducyata iti । ... anyo'ntara ātmā prāṇamayaḥ । ... sa vā eṣa puruṣavidha eva । tasya puruṣavidhatām । anvayaṁ puruṣavidhaḥ । tasya prāṇa eva śiraḥ । vyāno dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ । apāna uttaraḥ pakṣaḥ । ākāśa ātmā । pr̥thivī pucchaṁ pratiṣṭhā । ... ॥ 1 ॥</blockquote>Inside the Pranamayakosha, there exists the Manomayakosha (the chest of mind) that fills the entire interior of the Pranamayakosha. And inside the Manomayakosha exists the Vijnanamayakosha (the chest of knowledge or understanding) inside which the jivatman or individual Self dwells and pervades the entire body. It is by the activity of the Vijnanamayakosha that the jivatman feels its individuality. And inside the Vijnanamayakosha exists a fifth kosha known as the Anandamayakosha, which is the immediate covering of jivatman, and which has no sense of individuality. The three Koshas viz. Anandamayakosha, Vijnanamayakosha and Pranamayakosha together is called Sukshmasharira (the subtle body).  

 

It must be remembered that Suksmasarira is different from Susuksmasarira (the minute subtle body) .

Heart is the abode of the Jivatma. Hrdi (in heart) ayam (this being Jivatma exists). So the name 'Hrdaya' (heart) is meaningful. 1 The Purusa (male being),which sits inside the heart or the Jivatma is as big as the toe according to the Kathopanisad. The Jivatma or the Aparabrahman is without beginning. Even from the past which is beyond our thinking crores and crores of Jivatmans had got into individuals and when the Annamayakosas of the individuals decayed due to death, they abandoned them and entered into new individuals. The author of the Brhadaranyaka gives an explanation to the question why this Jivatma which is as free as air enters the body of man, beast, bird, tree, rock etc. and subjects itself to misery and hardship. "Where does the Jivatma originate from? how does it enter this body?" Jivatma originates from Paramatma (the soul of the universe) . As the shadow pervades the body of a man this Jivatma overshadows this body." Sri Sankaracarya expounds it in another way; he says that the Jivatma is tied to the body by the imagination or desires of the mind.

Heart is the abode of the Jivatma. Hrdi (in heart) ayam (this being Jivatma exists). So the name 'Hrdaya' (heart) is meaningful. 1 The Purusa (male being),which sits inside the heart or the Jivatma is as big as the toe according to the Kathopanisad. The Jivatma or the Aparabrahman is without beginning. Even from the past which is beyond our thinking crores and crores of Jivatmans had got into individuals and when the Annamayakosas of the individuals decayed due to death, they abandoned them and entered into new individuals. The author of the Brhadaranyaka gives an explanation to the question why this Jivatma which is as free as air enters the body of man, beast, bird, tree, rock etc. and subjects itself to misery and hardship. "Where does the Jivatma originate from? how does it enter this body?" Jivatma originates from Paramatma (the soul of the universe) . As the shadow pervades the body of a man this Jivatma overshadows this body." Sri Sankaracarya expounds it in another way; he says that the Jivatma is tied to the body by the imagination or desires of the mind.

-- Above text from Page 358-359, Puranic Encyclopedia - Vettam Maṇi<ref>Vettam Mani (1975), Puranic Encyclopaedia, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/358/mode/2up?view=theater See Pg.no.358]</ref>

-- Above text from Page 358-359, Puranic Encyclopedia - Vettam Maṇi<ref name=":6">Vettam Mani (1975), Puranic Encyclopaedia, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/358/mode/2up?view=theater See: Jivatman]</ref>

== References ==

== References ==

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[[Category:Vedas]]

[[Category:Vedas]]

[[Category:Rigveda]]

[[Category:Rigveda]]