Unity of Antararma and the Elemental Self

1. Te hochuh, Bhagavan, yadi evam asyaatmano mahimaanam suchayaseeti anyo vaa parah; koyam aatmaakhyo yoyam sitaasitaih karma phalair abhibhuyamaanah sad-asad yonim aapadyataa iti avaan- chordhvaa vaa gatir dwandwair abhibhuyamaanah paribhramati/
Vaalikhilya Rishis then desired to realise from Prajapati Bhagavan as to whether the Antaratma or Inner Conscience is similar like Paramatma, then how about ‘Paramatma’ the Supreme Most! No doubt the Antatatma is a mute spectator of the bodily actions, but being right within noting the positive and negative actions and their reactions deciding on the subsequent births and their fortunes or misfortunes as the case that might be, then how about the Elemental Self!

2. Asti khalvanyoparo bhutaatmaakhyo yoyam sitaasitaih karma phalair abhibhuya maanaah sad-asad- yonim aapadyataa iti avaannchordwaa vaa gatir dwandvair abhibhuyamaanaah paribhramateeti asyopa- vyaakhyaanam, pancha tanmaatra bhuta shabdhenochyanchyante teshaam yat samudaayam, tat shareeram iti uktam, athaamritosyaatmaa bindur iva pushkraa iti uktam, ataamritosyaatmaa binduriva pushkaraa iti/ Athobhibhutaatvaat sammudhatvam prayaatah, sammudhatvaad aatmastgham prabhum bhagavantam kaarayitaaram naapasyad gunoughar uhyamaanaah kalusheekritas chanchalo lupya - maanah aspruho vyaagraschaabhimaanaanitwam prayaataa iti, aham so mamedamiti, evam manymaa nonibhadnaati atmanantamaanam jaaleneva kha charah kritasyaanu phalair abhibhumaanah sad-asad- yonim aapadyataa iti avaanchordhvaa vaa gatir dwandwair abhibhuyamaanaah paribhramati, katamaa esha iti taan hovaacheti/
This Elemental Self as distinguished from the ‘mute spectator’as the ‘Antaratma’ would indeed have to be distinguished from the Internal Self, since the former institutes the dispensation of ‘karma phala’ or the fruits of action of the earlier body to the new and prospective body by way of retuning to existence either to an earthly or even further worse or alternarively to a higher life. The body thus created would be the decision of the Elemental Self as the controller of the Five Elements but the ‘antaratma’ while continuing to be a drop of the Lotus leaf as the ‘Kshetrajna’ as distinguished by the ‘kshetra’ or the body which is that particular Being. Indeed that body is no doubt conditioned by the panchendriyas rooted to the Five Elements but the mind of the body has the liberty to perform acts of ommission or commission. Being inherent with floods of qualities- as arising from the interaction of ‘trigunas’of satvika-rajasika-tamasika mix- the body of the Being acts under the motivation of the ‘buddhi’ the mind and carries out actions shaded by one’s own ego distinguishing one’s own body vis-à- vis the selfish motivations of others as coloured by the feelings of ‘mine’ and ‘thine’. This is on the analogy of a caged bird in the snare of confusion and the fruits of the bird’s action get confounded on the positive and negative swings of the life’s pendulum!

3. Athaanyatraapi uktam, yah kartaa soyam vai bhutaatmaa karanaih kaarayitaantah purushah/ Atha yathaagninaayaspindo vaabhibhutah kartrubhir hanyamaano naanaatwam upaiti evem vaa va khalvasau bhutaatmaantah purushenaabhibhuto gunair hanyamaano naanaatvam upaiti/ Chatur jaalam chaturdashaavidham chatur aseetidhaa parinatam bhuta ganam etadvai naanaatvasya rupam/ Taani ha vaa etaani gunaani purusheneritaani chakram iva mrityaveneti/ Atha yathaayaspinde hanyamaane naagnir abhibhuyati evam naabhibhuyati asau purushobhi bhuyati evam naabhibhuyati asau purushobhibhuyati ayam bhutaatmopasamshlitatvaad iti
It is stated that indeed the Elemental Self is the Doer Himself as he motivates action as driven by the Panchendriyas which in turn act by the Inner Self! The simile is that when an iron ball if ignited and gets melted it could be beaten to different forms. Likewise, the elemental self could be converted to eighty four different patterns of the iron by a potter at the wheel say like ‘chatur jaalam’ four nets or sheaths viz. matter-life-consciousness-and intelligence; or ‘chaturdashaa vidham’ or fourteen bhuvanaas viz. Sapta Lokas (Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka, Swarloka, Maharloka, Janarloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka), and Sapta Patalaas ( Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talaatala, Mahatala, Rasatala and Patala) and a speculated ‘chatur aseetidhaaparinatam bhutaganam’ or eighty four fold Beings in srishti or say countless living species. Thus the Elemental Self is replete with the Live Beings!

4. Athaanyatraapi uktam, shareeram idam mithunaad evodbhutam, samvarddhyutupetam nirayetha mutra dwarena nishkraantam, asthibhischitam, maamsenaanuliptam charmanaavanaddham vin-mutra pitta kapha majjaa medo vasaabhir anyaischaamayair bahubhih pari purnam, koshaiva vasunaa

Indeed, persons with appropriate capacity to analyse are aware that the body of a Being, including of humans is the product of intercourse sexually. This body grows in the cover of ‘tamas’ or darkness out of a garbha and the impure urinary passage of a female, built up with bones, flesh, skin, full of faeces, urine, bile, phlegm, marrow, fat, grease, foul smell and diseases, considered as treasure house and fleeting joy for humans and other female species.

[Narayanopanishad however asserts in Section Seventy Eight vide stanza 7 that among the means of Liberation such as ‘tapas’- or deep meditation, ‘dama’ or detachment- shama’ or calmness by way of secluded or forest life - ‘daana’ of food, money, housing, kanya, or precious jewellery , vidya etc- and dhatmaacharana , procreation too is also significant path! The Upanishad states : Prajanaiti bhuyaah tasmaat bhuisthaah prajaayante, tasmaat bhuishtaah prajaanaam ramant/ or Several sections of Society strongly believe that procreation of large progeny by way of biological continuity is a means of Immortality and Liberation of their Souls. This concept may not be stressed in modern context but a full section of as many as 28 stanzas are devoted in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad; VI.iv.2) Sa ha Praja- patireekshaam chakre, hantaasmai pratishthaam kalpayaaneeti; sa streeyam sasruje; taam srisht - vaadha upaasta;tasmaat striyam adha upaaseeta, sa etam praanaacham graavaanam atmaanaa eva samuda paaraayat, tenainaam abhya srujat/( Prajapati, the Creator cogitated that since seed would be a precondition to procreation, he created a woman. Having created her as a fit receptacle to receive the seed that would need to push into) VI.iv.3) Tasyaa vedir upasthah, lomaani barhih, charmaadhishavane samiddho madhyatastau mushkau; sa yaavaan ha vai vaajapeyena yajamaanasya loko bhavati, (taavan asya loko bhavati) ya evam vidwaan adhopahaasam charati, ashaam streenam sukrutam vrinkte/ Atha ya idam avidwaan adhopahaasam charati, asya striyah sukrutam vrunjate/ (A woman’s lower part is the (Sacrificial) altar, with her hairs as the -sacrificial- grass, her deep skin as the place for dissemination, the two labia surround the fire pit in the body while the man does a seemingly vaajapeya sacrifice or a ritual performance. The quality of the good act would result in fulfillment leading to worthy and creditable conception).]

5. Athaanyatraapy uktam, sammoho bhayam, vishaado nidraa, tandri, pramaado jaraa,shokah, kshut, pipaasaa, kaarpanyam, krodho, naastikyam, agjnaanam, maatsaryam, naishkaarunyam, muudhatwam, nirvridattvam, niraakrititvam, uddhatatvam, asamatvam iti taamasaani, antastrashnaa sneho raago lobho himsaaa, ratir dvishtir vyaavritatvam irshya, kaamam, asthitatvam, chalatvam, vyagratvam, jijeesaartho- paarjanam mitraanugrahanam parigrahaavalambo nishteshvindriyaartheshu dvishtirishtesvabhishvan - gah suktaswaronnatamasta iti raajasaani etaih paripurna etair abhibhutaa iti ayam bhutaatmaan tasmaan nanaa rupaani aapnoteeti, aapnoteeti.

The body of a Being, with special reference to human beings is subject to innumerable and complicated characteristics such as panic and confusion, fear, depression, lethargy, sluggishness, heedlessness, old age, anguish, hunger, mental thirst, physical weakness, rashness, sacrilege and dissent, ignorance, revenge, envy, cruelty, stupidity, brazenness, meanness, recklessness, varying temperament, and such are of the fickleminded. With such inborn and inherent features, human beings become extremely self-opinionated always thinking of the self and his or her own like. Indeed, these are the effects of the arishad vargas of kaama-krodha-lobha-moha- matsaras as the fall out of selfishness and ego. These are the illustrations of pride-prejudice- and passion! The body is affected by these types of aberrations quite evedent among human beings. In fact this Upanishad is prominently motivated by Sankhya thoughts.

Gita states in Sankhya Yoga stanza 82-83: Dhyayato vishayaan pumsah sangaste -shuupajaayate, sangaat sanjaayate kaamah kaamaat krodhobhi jaayate, Krodhaat bhavati sammohah sammohaat smriti -bhramshah, smritibhramshaad buddhinaashah buddhi naashaat pranashyati
[Worldly affairs are the causes of desire; non fulfillment of desires leads to frustration and grief or discontentment; this mental state develops anguish and instability; this anger coupled with wrong judgment affects discretion and further failures].