Summary:

Atma Bodha, Verse 21-22: Due to ignorance (aviveka), attributes of the three bodies (gross, subtle, causal) are superimposed on pure Atma, creating the jiva (individual). Doership and enjoyership belong to the mind (manas upadhi) but are falsely attributed to the Self, like a reflection of the moon appears to move with rippling water. The true understanding is “I (Brahman) have a satya-mithya relationship with the individual.”

Atma Bodha, Verse 23: Through anvaya-vyatireka analysis, we see that emotions (raga, dvesha), pleasure, and pain exist only when mind functions (waking) and are absent in deep sleep, while “I” continues through all states. Therefore, these belong to the mind, not to Atma.

Atma Bodha, Verse 24: Atma's intrinsic nature (svabhava) is existence (sat), consciousness (cit), limitlessness (ananda), eternality (nitya), and purity (nirmala). Through drg-drsya analysis, we understand limitlessness means Awareness and objects have a satya-mithya relationship – not two different things but one reality (Brahman satya, jagat mithya). Time-space themselves are relative manifestations of Ishvara, while Atma transcends both.

Verse 21: Attributions of body and senses on Ātmā

देह इन्द्रिय गुणान् कर्माणि अमले सच्चिद् आत्मनि ।
अध्यस्यन्ति अविवेकेन गगने नीलता आदिवत् ॥
deha indriya guṇān karmāṇi amale saccid ātmani |
adhyasyanti avivekena gagane nīlatā ādivat ||

The attributes and functions of the body and senses are superimposed upon the pure self whose nature is existence and consciousness – due to lack of discrimination. Just as attributes of blueness, (concavity), etc. are superimposed upon the sky.

Definition of Jiva:

Right now there is gross-body (“deha” per verse), subtle body (“indriya” per verse), and causal-body (“karmani” per verse). When your sense-of-I is confined to all this (due to ignorance), that entity is called Jiva. So jiva is due to ignorance, “I take self to be physical, subtle or causal body”.

Real nature of Jiva:

Upon inquiry if you are really as good as 3 bodies, the jiva discovers it’s nature to be Brahman, having a satya-mithya relationship with the bodies.

When don’t know reality, you are jiva. When know reality, you are Brahman. “I (Brahman) have a satya-mithya relationship with Andre”.

Thus if person says, “I am jiva”, what they’re saying is, “Due to ignorance, I am identified with physical, subtle and causal body”. Is this how you want to understand yourself? No.

Summary:

Attributes of 3 bodies are imputed on Atma, and real nature of Atma is amale (never affected). Just like erroneously attributing blueness to sky (due to non-discrimination or interest to investigate). The sky is colorless, and unaffected by erroneous attributions.

Verse 22: Doership belongs to the mind, not Atman

अज्ञानात् मानस उपाधेः कर्तृत्व आदीनि च आत्मनि ।
कल्प्यन्ते अम्बु गते चन्द्रे चलन आदि यथा अम्भसः ॥
ajñānāt mānasa upādheḥ kartṛtva ādīni ca ātmani |
kalpyante ambu gate candre calana ādi yathā ambhasaḥ ||

Due to ignorance, the doeship, (enjoyership), etc. which belong to the mind are (falsely) attributed to the self. Just as the movements, tremblings, etc. which belong to water are attributed to the moon reflected in water.

You’re seeing reflection of moon in a vessel. When water moves in vessel, seems like moon is moving. Similarly, due to ignorance of satya-mithya relationship between mind and Awareness, when mithya-mind changes, since person has no cognitive framework to understand what’s going on, he helplessly accepts “I am changing”. Therefore Self seems to take on roles of doership, enjoyer, suffering, knower -while obtaining in the mind.

Verse also shows an example of error when try to understand Atma:

You want to stop the moon (self) from moving, so you try to stop the water (mind) from moving.

Other examples:

1. “Brahman has becomes maya”. Impossible else Awareness wouldn’t be available now.
2. “My mind experienced limitlessness”. Impossible as it happened in a limited mind.
3. “Atma is the ultimate seer” ^{(although can say this if carefully explain what “seer” refers to)}. Entails atma is doing the seeing.  Correction: Atma is of nature of Existence, which is nature of Awareness.

Verse 23: Emotions belong to the mind

राग इच्छा सुख दुःखादि बुद्धौ सत्याम् प्रवर्तते ।
सुषुप्तौ नास्ति तन्नाशे तस्मात् बुद्धेः तु न आत्मनः ॥
rāga icchā sukha duḥkhādi buddhau satyām pravartate |
suṣuptau nāsti tannāśe tasmāt buddheḥ tu na ātmanaḥ ||

Attachment, desire, pleasure, pain, etc. are present only when the mind functions. In deep sleep, when the mind is resolved, they too are absent. Therefore, they belong to the mind alone and not the ātman.

Intro:

We’re not trying to stop anything (like desires, pain, pleasure), because it’s not your creation. Only put things in the right place. How? Through…

Anvaya-Vyatireka Prakriya:

Anvaya = what is present. Vyatireka = what is absent.

Example:

• • Break pot and clay remains. Thus clay is anvaya, and pot is vyatireka since it’s absent.

Waking & Deep Sleep:

• • Waking: When buddhi is there, Raga/dvesha is there (felt as I want, or I don’t want).
  • Deep sleep: When buddhi is resolved, Raga/dvesha is not there.
  • Logic: Therefore Raga/dvesha belongs to buddhi and not I (who is there in waking and deep sleep). I am there when I’m awake, and I am there when asleep.

How to prove I was there in deep sleep?

1. • There is continuity of I upon waking.
   • If I went out of existence, then it would never come back.
   • If I won’t be there in deep sleep, I wouldn’t joyfully go to sleep. Noone joyfully looks forward to anything if it means end of one’s existence.
   • Logic: If raga/dvesha belonged to I, then it should be in deep sleep.

Nyaya philosophers attributed emotions are intrinsic to Self. Anvaya-Vyatireka shows emotions are dependent on mind, and mind dependent on a Conscious being.

Verse 24: Atma's nature is existence, knowledge, and without a second.

प्रकाशः अर्कस्य तोयस्य शैत्यम् अग्नेः यथा उष्णता ।
स्वभावः सच्चिदानन्द नित्य निर्मलता आत्मनः ॥
prakāśaḥ arkasya toyasya śaityam agneḥ yathā uṣṇatā |
svabhāvaḥ saccidānanda nitya nirmalatā ātmanaḥ ||

Just like the sun’s nature is luminosity, that of water is coolness and that of fire is heat. So too, the nature of ātma is existence, knowledge, limitless, eternity and purity.

Sun doesn’t have to do anything. It’s effortless nature is luminosity. Fire’s helpless nature is to be hot. Atma's intrinsic nature is to be eternal and pure. Even during ignorance, Atma remains untainted, just as rope remains rope despite it mistaken for a snake. Meaning…

When studying atma, you’re not making atma limitless, but discovering it’s already limitless. When listen to means of knowledge, you discover atma is existence (sat) of nature of awareness (cit), and limitless (Ananda).

Limitless means it’s not confined to any one location or form. As mentioned earlier, first step is to recognized space in bottle is as-though confined, and second step is to recognize it’s all-pervading space, free of location (limitless).

To cognitively arrive at true meaning of Limitless, We'll Use Drg-drsya Prakriya:

Definition:

Drsya (includes time-space and all objects, including your body-mind). And Drk is Awareness.

Logic:

If Awareness was different from drsya, then it’s not limitless. As one limits the other. Limitless means it has to be One. Meaning relationship between drk and drsya aren’t two different categories, but satya (independent reality) – mithya (dependent reality). 

EG: There are two names, pot and clay, but in reality there is only clay. Similarly, forms within forms resolves into intelligence, and truth of intelligence is Awareness. Forms aren’t a real edition.  Don’t say form + form + Ishvara = Awareness. In terms of substance, nothing is added. Satya pervades mithya, and is free of mithya. This relationship is summarized in: Brahman satya, jagat mithya.

Pure (Nirmala):

Atma is pure because all attributes belong to forms and not the substance.

Nitya (eternal):

• • Intro: What we haven’t seen is relationship of Awareness with time and space. Classical physics thought time-space was absolute, while modern physics says it’s relative.
  • How is time-space relative?
    1. Time:
       • What is time now? 11pm made of 1 + 1 + 1 + 1, etc. 1h = 60 min. After 60 min, it gains new name called 1 hour. After 60 seconds we give it a name “1 minute”. Etc. Same story as forms. Time reduces into infinite divisions. Can’t come to final building block of time just as can’t find building block of objects. There is knowledge-power from which tiniest measure of time comes, organized to become millisecond > second > organized to become 1 min > 1 hour. 1 day organized to become year. Year into centuries. 
    2. Space:
       • Measurable between 2 points. EG: Distance (space) is different relative to objects.
       • 1 meter made of 100 cm, and 1cm made of 10mm. Units of space organized to become larger distances.
       • Any distance has infinite points in between. Mystery: How from infinite points comes finite distance!
  • Conclusion:
    • Ishvara is also truth of time-space, meaning it’s not within time-space, meaning it’s nitya (eternal).
    • And since Ishvara is eternal, it means creation is cyclical; not linear.
      • Unmanifest > manifests as time-space-objects > goes into unmanifest, etc. How do you know unmanifest was there? Because time-space is an effect (big-bang). It must have a cause. Vedanta says cause is unmanifest knowledge-power. What is the proof it was in unmanifest knowledge-power? It’s also here now, thus not a belief, but knowledge.
      • Meaning this question is invalid (coming from linear thinking): What came first, Karma-phala or body?

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Recorded 12 Jan, 2025