Vedanta Basics - A step towards the Divine!

Source: Internet

Adi Yogi



Omkara - The primordial sound

Who are we? - MANUSHYA – 7th Manvantara (Shraddhadeva)

Manu (Manana meaning contemplation + Shraddha meaning faith)
Why are we here on earth?
Prarabda karma (poorva janma vaasana) to attain sat + chit + Ananda
in other words, spiritual beings in human form

Birth - vama or dakshina bhagam dominant - journey to strike a balance - for some, left is dominant, for others, right is dominant and accordingly his or her attitude to life!!

What is yoga? Para vidya vs apara vidya
What is the yoga that we are doing?
Where will this path lead us?
Why do we need holistic approach?

The scientific approach – recall geometry approach to solution at school – cosmic geometry indeed!! – cosmic rhythm and aligning oneself there. Man gifted with discrimination, why?

Our journey - pashu bhava, manushya, eshwara, brahma (animal-animal, animal-man, man-god, god-god)

Jnani sees water in waves and an ajnani sees waves in water

Our body is called shareera because the body decays (Sheeryate) on account of old age, it is called Sarira. Because it is cremated or burnt (Dahyate) it is called Deha. In Sanskrit, the word 'purusha' primarily means 'one's own self.' The etymology of this word itself serves as the proof – पुरि शेते इति पुरुषः (puri shete iti purushah) – that which dwells in this body, i.e., the consciousness. Artha is only a means to understand this absolute self. Again, as per the semantic etymology – पुरुषः येन अर्थ्यते इति पुरुषार्थः (purushah yena arthyate iti purusharthah) – the meaning is thus established.

Four purusharthas – dharma, artha, kama, moksha
Five muktis - salokyam, sameepyam, sarupyam, saarshti, sayujyam
Two margas - pravritti (swarga) marga or nivrutti marga(moksha) - accordingly shreyas and preyas takes over
Triune brain - reptilian, mammalian and frontal cortex(deiveeka)
Philosophy - dvaita, vishishta dvaita, advaita - mango and hanuman example
Trikarana shuddhi - mana shuddhi - sushumna nadi, vaak shuddhi - chandra nadi, kaya shuddhi - surya nadi
Four ashramas – brahmacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha, sanyasa

Antah karana chatushtaya - manas, buddhi, chitta, ahankara
Loka traya, avastha traya, shareera traya

Pancha kosha - Modifications or can also be called functions -

Modifications of Annamayakosha - Existence, birth, growth, change, decay and death. (Asti (existence), Jayate (birth), Vardhate (growth), Viparinamate (change), Apaksheeyate (decay), Vinashyate (death)

Modifications of Pranamayakosha - Hunger and thirst, heat and cold.
Modifications of Manonmayakosha - Sankalpa-Vikalpa (thinking and doubting), anger, lust, Harsha (exhilaration), Soka (depression) and Moha (delusion), etc. There are sixteen modifications of the Manomaya Kosha.

Modifications of Vijnanamayakosha - Discrimination and decision or determination (Viveka and Adhyavasaya or Nischaya), Kartritva and Bhoktritva (agency and enjoyership)
Modifications of Anandamayakosha - Experience of happiness - Priya, moda, pramoda
Priya is the joy you experience when you look at an object you like.
Moda is the great joy you feel when you possess the object you like.
Pramoda is the greatest joy you experience after enjoyment of the object you like.

Adhyaroopa(Adhyasa) is superimposition. Just as the snake is superimposed on the rope, the five Koshas are superimposed on the Atman.
Apavada-yukti - is sublation or negation of the five sheaths through neti-neti doctrine

Shad-Urmis (6 waves) - Birth and death (for the physical body), hunger and thirst (for the Pranamaya Kosha), grief and delusion (Soka and Moha) for the Manomaya Kosha.
Pancha prana – Udana, Prana, Vyana, Apana, Samana
Note - Udana helps deglutition or swallowing of food. It takes the Jiva to rest in Brahman during deep sleep. It separates the astral body from the physical body at the time of death.

Pancha upa-prana – 
1. Naga – Burping - Eructation and hiccup
2. Kurma – Blinking - eyelids – closing and opening
3. Krikara – sneezing causing hunger
4. Devadatta – Yawning, thereby expels gas and tiredness after eating
5. Dhananjaya – opening and closing of heart valves, Nourishing the body, decomposition of the body after death and ejection of the child out of the womb in women

Ari-shad-vargas
Dushta chatushtaya
 

Four marga/ four paths of yoga

Yoga marga	Jnana yoga	Bhakti yoga	Karma yoga	Raja yoga
Description	People who are devoted and with unconditional love to god.	People who want to seek knowledge.	People who are action oriented, not resulted oriented.	People who follow ashtanga yoga.
Followers/Pioneers	Adishankaracharya	Madhvacharya	Krishna/Arjuna	Maharishi patanjali

Note: analogy - seeds - one can’t see the magnificent tree in seed form. Seeds disintegrates/dissolves to become the tree and again regains its seed form when the tree reaches a maturity level, only to disintegrate again for a new journey.

The chatur vyuha –

Heya	2.16      – suffering – dukham – misery because of 3 karmas – trividha dukham – tapa traya
Heya hethu	2.17      – cause of suffering – avidya, aviveka
Haanam	2.25 - solution – kaivalya – dissociation of purusha and prakriti, thanks to dispersion (disappearance) of avidya – real remedy
Hanopaaya	2.26  – methods of solution – viveka khyati  –  discriminating capacity to know the real self Sat vs asat – real vs unreal Nitya vs anitya – eternal vs ephemeral Aatma vs anaatma   – self vs non-self               Sukha vs dukha       – pleasure vs pain

Macrocosm and microcosm - all within us

Let us take a quick look
1) sun – right
2) moon – left
3) fire - third eye
4) shivaratri - bahya kumbhaka
5) ekadashi - (5 + 5) indriyas + manas(Manas is referred to be ekadashi)
6) manasa-sarovara - cerebro spinal fluid(CSF)
7) ashwini kumaras - breaths - prana and apana
8) apastamba sutra - marma point
9) amritha kalasha - pineal gland
10) tenth opening dwara - (usually only nava dwara in body) - behind vulva