Concept of 5 Kosh

“Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can be transformed from one form to another.”

We have all read this First Law of Thermodynamics in Physics. It has been proven, accepted and adopted by all.

I tell you that this is the spiritual law which has been mentioned in the Hindu sacred texts ‘Vedas’ thousands of years ago.

The Upanishad says that we are souls covered by 5 layers or ‘Kosh’ namely:

 Anmaya Kosh, Pranmaya Kosh, Manomaya Kosh, Vigyanmaya Kosh and Anandmaya Kosh

  • The physical body includes - skin, flesh, fat, bones, filth etc which is made of food
  • Pranmaya Kosh is made of ‘Prana’ or vital force and includes energy centres/chakras, outer and inner aura, 72000 nadis
  • Manomaya Kosh is made of mind and includes emotions, feelings and cravings. This kosh consists of sankalp and vikalp
  • Vigyanmaya Kosh includes intellect, determination (the decision-making sheath)
  • Anandmaya Kosh is associated with ceaseless joy (anand), peace
  • Soul-the real self, infinite and supreme energy

Annamaya Kosam

‘Annam’ means food and ‘maya’ means modifications. The body is the result of modification of food and hence called ‘Annamaya’. The food eaten is digested. Its very essence becomes the source of new life. The child grows up and develops in strength and size due to the food eaten. Finally, we die to merge into food (Earth). The earth itself becomes the food we eat. So, we are born from food (earth) and go back to food (earth). When we identify with the Annamaya Kosa, we say-“I am tall, fair, healthy, beautiful, strong etc.” Annamaya Kosam is our Gross Body (Sthula Sariram).

What is Real Self?

Pranamaya Kosam

The Vital Air Sheath pervades the Food Sheath. It is subtler than the food sheath. The five modifications of air, which control the main physiological functions of the body, are called ‘Pranas’. They are: a) Prana b) Apana c) Vyana d) Udana and e) Samana. The five Pranas and the five organs of action together are called the ‘Pranamaya Kosam’. Identified with it, a man says-” I am hungry, thirsty etc.”

Manomaya Kosam

The Mind and the five sense organs of perception together form the mental sheath. The mind is the seat of emotions like anger, love, jealousy, compassion etc. It is constituted of thoughts in a state of volition. It is the mind that perceives the objects of the world through the senses. If the mind does not back the sense organs, they cannot receive any stimuli. My eyes may be open; but I miss to see the object in front of me if my mind is elsewhere. It is only through the mind that the organs of action also respond to the world. Identified with the mental sheath, I say “I am happy, I am sad, I cannot hear etc.”

Vijnanamaya Kosam

The intellect and the five sense organs of perception together are the Intellectual Sheath. It is subtler than the former three sheaths. It controls and pervades them as well. The five senses are common to both mental and intellectual sheaths, as perception involves both the mind and the intellect.

The Pranamaya Kosam, Manomaya Kosam and the Vijnanamaya Kosam together form our Subtle Body (Sukshma Sariram).

Anandamaya Kosam

The subtlest and the most pervasive of the five sheaths is the Bliss Sheath. It is otherwise called the Causal Body (Karana sariram). It is of the nature of ignorance of the world and the Self, yet endowed with the bliss of the Self.

When night falls, the world is covered by darkness. All objects and their distinctive characteristics merge into it. The objects are not destroyed. Only they are not perceived. As the day dawns, the distinctions manifest. Similarly, in deep sleep when only the causal body is at play, all dualities, the ego, anxiety, agitation, the world, the subtle and gross bodies etc. merge into total ignorance. Due to ignorance, it is said to be of impure nature.

Real self

 

The five sheaths are known by the Self as ‘my body’, ‘my prana’, ‘my mind’, ‘my intellect’, ‘my bliss’ and are, therefore, not the Self. The fact that ‘I am not the five sheaths’ is simple. But the most simple facts are the most difficult to grasp and accept. Our mind is so complicated and the habits of the past are so over-powering that one does not see the Truth. Even if the Truth is appreciated, it is not accepted. Even if it is accepted, it is not owned up to. Therefore, through continuous discrimination and firm resolve, one must uncover the Self and get liberated from the bondage of the five sheaths. Self, Consciousness, Atman, and Brahman are some of the terms used to refer to this One Ultimate Reality, the Self.

The Self is neither happy nor unhappy. It is always of the nature of pure bliss. We are thus different from the five sheaths.
The five koshas, five tattvas, three gunas and various forms of yoga should be studied in conjunction with each other because they are related to everyone. Even animals have koshas, but the nature of evolution is different. Animals have a well-developed annamaya kosha and pranamaya kosha, but their manomaya kosha is in a rudimentary state of evolution, while their anandamaya kosha is not at all manifest. In little insects, annamaya kosha is there but pranamaya kosha is not fully developed and manomaya kosha is unmanifest there.

So the five koshas are not the sole property of human beings. Anything in this universe which has a body has five koshas, but as it goes on evolving then the later koshas become more and more prominent. A yoga practitioner has a developed vijnanamaya kosha while one who has achieved the result of yoga has anandamaya kosha fully developed. But beyond these five koshas is the absolute self. The purpose of existence is to experience that cosmic self and in order to understand and experience that cosmic self, you have to first understand these five koshas and then separate them.

The essence of 5 Kosh yoga is to realize self and at the same time educate on health perspective. If we deeply understand this knowledge we understand the manifestation of ‘Jeev’ in God / Soul and the working of 5 Kosh or 3 Sharirs.

As an electric machine requires electricity to work similarly our Annamaya Kosh or visible physical body requires ‘Prana’ to live. Parts or organs of our body don’t have their own power to work. It is the Pranmaya Kosh that controls the functioning of our body. This can be seen by GDV cameras or Kirlian photography that there is an energy field around our physical body. Today Science also accepts that our body comprises of

      • Visible physical body
      • Invisible energy body

But without emotions, feelings and intellect, this body (Anmaya Kosh and Pranmaya Kosh ) is just like an electric machine. It is the Manomaya Kosh and Viganmaya Kosh which makes the complete human anatomy. It is the Manomaya Kosh and Vigyanmaya Kosh who are the controller of our bodies (Annamaya Kosh and Pranamaya Kosh).

Now as Annamaya Kosh(gross body) requires Prana to live similarly Manomaya Kosh requires anand and peace but due to avidya (knowledge of self), we only realize it in deep sleep. When we are in a sound sleep, Jeev reaches the state of Anandmaya Kosh. This is the importance of sound and regular sleep which we need daily to let our Manomaya Kosh feel joy and peace and gets recharged for the next day.

The role of Anandmaya Kosh gets activated in deep sleep when the mind and senses cease functioning, it still stands between the finite world and self.

There is a veil (of avidya) between Anandmaya Kosh and God who is SAT CHITTA ANAND SWAROOPA and Anandmaya Kosh is near to god therefore in deep sleep, samadhi or meditation, we feel peace and joy.

Hinduism is often associated with idol- worship. Contrary to popular belief, Vedas have talked about an infinite, nirakar energy. This is the primordial energy that is behind the creation of this universe. The earth, the sky, the stars, celestial planets, trees, animals and humans are manifestations of this energy.

Time and again, people have gone beyond the dualities of life that how this great energy of the universe can be harnessed and put to better use.

These people are referred to as Saints, Gurus, Masters, Healers or Practitioners.

Ishwar Mohan calls himself neither; he says, “I am just a mechanic who tries to fix the right screw”.

Annamaya Kosam

‘Annam’ means food and ‘maya’ means modifications. The body is the result of modification of food and hence called ‘Annamaya’. The food eaten is digested. Its very essence becomes the source of new life. The child grows up and develops in strength and size due to the food eaten. Finally, we die to merge into food (Earth). The earth itself becomes the food we eat. So, we are born from food (earth) and go back to food (earth). When we identify with the Annamaya Kosa, we say-“I am tall, fair, healthy, beautiful, strong etc.” Annamaya Kosam is our Gross Body (Sthula Sariram).

Pranamaya Kosam

The Vital Air Sheath pervades the Food Sheath. It is subtler than the food sheath. The five modifications of air, which control the main physiological functions of the body, are called ‘Pranas’. They are: a) Prana b) Apana c) Vyana d) Udana and e) Samana. The five Pranas and the five organs of action together are called the ‘Pranamaya Kosam’. Identified with it, a man says-” I am hungry, thirsty etc.”

Manomaya Kosam

The Mind and the five sense organs of perception together form the mental sheath. The mind is the seat of emotions like anger, love, jealousy, compassion etc. It is constituted of thoughts in a state of volition. It is the mind that perceives the objects of the world through the senses. If the mind does not back the sense organs, they cannot receive any stimuli. My eyes may be open; but I miss to see the object in front of me if my mind is elsewhere. It is only through the mind that the organs of action also respond to the world. Identified with the mental sheath, I say “I am happy, I am sad, I cannot hear etc.”

Vijnanamaya Kosam

The intellect and the five sense organs of perception together are the Intellectual Sheath. It is subtler than the former three sheaths. It controls and pervades them as well. The five senses are common to both mental and intellectual sheaths, as perception involves both the mind and the intellect.

The Pranamaya Kosam, Manomaya Kosam and the Vijnanamaya Kosam together form our Subtle Body (Sukshma Sariram).

Anandamaya Kosam

The subtlest and the most pervasive of the five sheaths is the Bliss Sheath. It is otherwise called the Causal Body (Karana sariram). It is of the nature of ignorance of the world and the Self, yet endowed with the bliss of the Self.

When night falls, the world is covered by darkness. All objects and their distinctive characteristics merge into it. The objects are not destroyed. Only they are not perceived. As the day dawns, the distinctions manifest. Similarly, in deep sleep when only the causal body is at play, all dualities, the ego, anxiety, agitation, the world, the subtle and gross bodies etc. merge into total ignorance. Due to ignorance, it is said to be of impure nature.