|| तत्वबोध -- 37||

Anandha maya koSam.. TB - 37

आनन्दमय: क:? Anandha maya: ka:? What is the Anandha maya koSam..

This is really a critical question.. I may dwell a bit longer on this.. This is ALWAYS defined in most ranslations I have seen as "Bliss", with an upper case" B.. so as to differentiate from "bliss", wiht a lower case" b..

The key difference here most authors and explainers STRESS is that 'Bliss" is the eternal AthmAnandha Bliss (as this is carefully hidden in the Anandhamaya sheath..!) as opposed to ordinary dosai bliss.. ice cream bliss, movie bliss.. experiential bliss which is really the sAmsAric or worldly bliss..

Perhaps the worst description that flows around is this wonderful "Bliss" to be experienced.. and experiential "bliss".. So we need to EXPERIENCE this AthmA Bliss? Who would not? hmm? But just wait.!

एवमेव EvamEva = In this manner कारणशरीरभूत kAraNa SarIra BUtha = that which is responsible for the formation of causal body.. अविद्यास्थ avidhyAsTha = that find is basis is ignorance मलिनसत्व malina sathva = having very little sathva guNam सहिथं सत् sahitham sath = having प्रियादि वृत्ति priyAdhi vRththi = very desirable feelings, etc.. यत् अस्ति तत् yath asthi thath = that which remainls (as explained here) आनन्दमय कोश: Anandha maya koSa = Anandha maya koSam..|TB-37|



A lot has been said here about Anandha maya koSam.. First and foremost is that it is from which the kAraNa SarIram is born. Understanding this correctly sets us in the path of avidhyA removal.. not knowing this properly keeps us bound to "bliss", believe itor not..! Causal body survives even the mahApralayam.. or the ultimate dissolution at the end of the kalpam.. where even brmhAji the SRshti karthA of the creation himself is dissolved in to brmhan.. that causal body ties each of of the agnAni jiva's sUskhma SarIram and allows it to enter another sthUla SarIram upon the next cycle of creation, and then several bodies to work out the puNya pApam from his own SK.!

Next of course is the dependence on avidhyA.. When guru says Anandha maya koSam is established in avidhyA.. it helps us focus on the fact that "this Anandha I derive from this worldly experiences is really ginding e.." and that is really waht the scriptures have been saying all along.. Accept avidhyA as normal.. we are samsAri for ever.. Then how to remove this avidhyA? we have two clearly defined routes to safety.. 

This means that we need to go to a guru who knows how to handle the scriptures as a pramANam or means of knowledge and thus remove our avidhyA and make us UNDERSTAND the true essence of Anandha maya koSam..

Now the guru moves on to the malina sathvam aspect of Anandha maya koSam.. Why only a little bit of sathvam? and why not a lot more..? sathvam is explained by scriptures to be synonimous with knowledge, seeking knowledge, and appraoching a guru with an attitude of servitude.. helping fellow being out of their suffering.. follow Dharmam NATURALLY. AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.. now we can see why this sathva guNam is malinam or NOT SO MUCH in its abundance in Anandha maya koSAm.. Though each jiva has this Anadha may koSa experience , if the understanding that "I am that" is missing, then the sathvam will be present to some extent only.. So when we are awake and experienceing Anadha we will take tht mithyA experience to be the "truthful" experience only.

now why the priyAdhi vRththi..? None of us can deny that IN SPITE OF all the miseries in the world, there is something or other in our life that makes us peaceful.. or laugh at a joke.. or smile at someone.. or recall a previous pleasurable experience (even if it ends up in a "lover's quarrel..) and so on and so forth.

This experience is called the vaishIyika suKam or a pleasure based on the external objexts.. but even this is a pleasure because IT MAKE ME HAPPY.. it is the experience of Athma suKam only but manifests itself in our search for pleasure in external objects. It is like a dog chewing on a bone tasting its own blood!

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