ATMA BODHAM : 14 - (68 verses, 9 Chapters) - “KNOWLEDGE of the SELF”

ATMA BODHAM : 14 - (68 verses, 9 Chapters) - “KNOWLEDGE of the SELF”

18/04/2019
Chapter-4.
Verses 10-14  ( 4.nos ) :
VERSE 14: The Causal Body

"Anaadi avidya anirvaachyaa  kaarana upaadhih uchyate;

upaadhi-tritayaat anyam - aatmaanam avadhaarayet."


1 Anaadi avidya anirvaachyaa - Ignorance is beginningless and inexplicable;

2 kaarana upaadhih uchyate; - it is said to form the Causal Body.

3 upaadhi-tritayaat anyam - Other than these three conditioning bodies,

4 aatmaanam avadhaarayet. - we should understand the Self to be.


The reference is to verse 6.5 of Tattva Bodha, which defines the Causal Body. This is one of the few verses without a simile.

The “Desire-Lineage”:

Here, the new point brought out is on the subject of “The Consequences of Desire”. 1 Ignorance is said to be the form of the causal body. The causal body is just pure Ignorance. We do not know the cause of Ignorance. Logically there can be no cause for it. It is said to Causeless. Acharyaji  elaborated on the details of this Lineage as follows:

1. IGNORANCE
 2. DESIRE
 3. Entry into SAMSARA
 4. Performance of ACTIONS
 5. Reaping of PUNYA/PAAPA (merit and demerit)
 6. Accumulation of KARMA
 7. Entry into another BIRTH/DEATH Cycle
 8. Reaping of JOY/SORROW
 9. Endless TRANSMIGRATION.

This lineage, from Step 1 to Step 9, is the vicious cycle spoken of in the scriptures, and from which the Rishis have been trying their utmost to save us.

There is a link between Causeless and Beginningless. Ignorance is considered to be beginningless. Logically, it is first found to be causeless. We cannot posit any cause for ignorance. And because it is causeless, it has to be beginningless.

However, we do know from logical analysis that its first “effect” is seen as Desire. Desire is born due to ignorance of the Truth. It arises from the alienation of our true identity. From desire there arises a train of consequences, which is like a “desire-lineage”, and is appropriately known as the Anartha Parampara or “Inauspicious Lineage”. Knowledge of this Lineage helps us to trace back to our original identity beyond Ignorance.

By saying that Ignorance does not have a cause, Vedanta is not being escapist in its approach. It is not hiding away from the problem. It is actually merely stating a logical fact. It is by facing the bare fact that Vedanta has established its credentials to provide the most flawless philosophical model to explain Reality.

The final outcome of these three verses is to teach us what the Self is NOT. Hence, we can now once again go back to the discussion of what it is…

*****