The Supreme Brahman is the basis of all creation and to
realise the Atma Tatva is the purpose of human existence,
say the scriptures. They also try to guide humanity in this
search and show that the subtle essence of Atma and Brahman, though not perceptible to human senses, mind and
even the intellect, can be realised as an inner experience.
Each human being, each object in creation is a blend of the
subtle atma and a physical form that gives it an appearance
and constitutes its individual entity. It is only through
vichara or deliberation that the atma swaroopa encased in
the physical covering can be realised, said Sri B. Sundarkumar in a discourse.
Generally a valuable gift is carefully packaged by layers of
covering so that it remains safe; and unpacking the wrappings to obtain the gift is done with great care. Likewise, sastras explain that Pancha kosa vichara helps to unravel the
subtle essence of the atma swaroopa that is believed to be
the essence of sat-chit-ananda. It is shown that the atma is
carefully held within the five kosas or sheaths that constitute
the human body. The body itself is an outer cloak within
which the atma resides. Just as many layers of clothing such
as the vest close to the body, the shirt, the waistcoat, coat
and the overcoat cover the body, the atma is enveloped in
the five sheaths known as the Pancha kosas. The outermost
is the annamaya kosa that is visible because it is gross. Further deliberation shows that other kosas also make up the
physical form.
The pranamaya kosa is the life sustaining breath, the
manomaya kosa is the mind or antakarana in each one of us
and the vigyanamaya kosa is the intellectual potential in the
human being. The atma swaroopa being most subtle is deep
within and is known as the anandamaya kosa. It pervades
the entire being and all other kosas.
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