Panchikarana

Scripted and edited by V.D.N.Rao

There is an interesting process of Panchikarana described by Paingala Maharshi a true disciple of Maharshi Yagjyavalkya the originator of the Taittireeya branch of Yajurveda as learnt from Surya Bhagavan himself!

‘Jagadsrashta’ having realised that at the very beginning, there was nothing except ‘tamas’ or inactivity, inertia and total sluggishness which might be as well be termed as a state of ‘sat-chit-ananda’. Then He initiated the srishti of subtle elements which eventually took to forms and the gross elements Now, dividing each of the gross elements- viz. from Aakasha to Vaayu to Agni to Water to Bhumi which were eventually named as the Pancha Maha Bhutas of ‘Prithivi- Aapas- Tejas- Vaayu and Aakaasha’ – is termed as ‘Panchikarana’. The process involves each of the five elements splitting into two halves and one half of each further spilling into four parts. Thus we have space splitting into two and one of the halves further splitting into four parts. Like that each of the elements undergoes divisions. The four of one-eighth parts are now distributed to other elements. Thus air, fire, water and earth each of them get one eighth of Aakasha. Similarly the other elements get distributed giving again one full for each of the units. Thus Akasha retains half of its own and one -eighth of other Elements. This process is called Panchikaranam or grossification of the five of the Elements in their subtle or fundamental nature. In other words, division of each of the Elements by two equal parts and futher into four equal sub parts with each of the other four elements and so on and such ‘quintipli -cation process’ is known as ‘Panchikarana’ or a systematic admixture of all the Pancha Bhutas into a warp-weft process of each formation of weaving a cloth!

Sa pancha bhutaanaam rajomsham chaturtha kritvaa bhaaga trayaat pancha vrityaatmakam praanam asrajat/ Sa tehaam turya bhagena karmendriyaani asrajat/

As the inherently interactive feature of the Panch Bhutas/ Five Universal Elements carry out the five fold actions, the principle of life becomes responsible for organ oriented actions of its existence . Thus the characteristic ‘tamas’ leads to ‘rajas’. On this analogy of ‘sthaanutva’ or inertia or inactivity which is the characteristic of ‘tamas’, activity or ‘rajasatva’ is energised. The Pancha Bhutas on the principle of ‘Panchikarana’ turn into four parts. In the process, three parts thereof of the four parts, Praanam or the life energy, gets initiated. This vital energy evolves itself into Panchaendriyas comprising further into a) Pancha Jnanendriyas viz. Ghrana-Rasa- Chakshu-Shrotra-Twak or smell, taste, see, hear and touch b) Pancha Karmendriyas viz. nose-tongue- eyes- ears- skin respecively and c) Pancha Tanmatras: Light, sound, taste, smell and consciousness. Thus the Virat Purusha in the process of Panchikarana, the fourth part facilitates the appearance of organs and action. Panchakaas constitute the chain like of Pancha Brahmas: Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Ishana, Sada Shiva- Pancha Lingas: Ekamreshwara at Kanchi-Bhu Linga; Jambukeashwar Linga-Aapas or Water Linga; Tiruvannamalai -Tejas or Fire Linga; Kalahasti: Vayu Linga; Chidambaram: Akasha Linga Representing the Pancha Bhutas or the Five Elements of Prithivi (Earth), Aapas (Water), Tejas (Radiance), Vayu (Air) and Akasha (Sky)- Pancha Koshas: or Five Sheaths of Human Body called Annamaya (Physical Energy), Praanamaya (Vital Energy), Manomaya (Mental Faculty), Vigyanamaya (Buddhi or Sharpness of Discrimination) and Ananda maya (Bliss)- Panchangas signify the following aspects comprehensively viz. Tithi, Vaara, Nakshatra, Yoga, Karana- Panchagnis are Garhyapatya Agni for cooking in homes-Aavahaniya to invoke Surya Deva-Dakshinagni or Atmosphric Agni in the form of Lightnings or that which is invoked in Dakshina disha, Saabya and Avaastya for Vedic Purposes- Pancha Shikhas or the five tufts on the top of the head ie is the Place of the Cerebral Nucleus (Sahasrara) representing intellect, memory, farsightedness, duty and knowledge- Pancha Naadaas: Naada or what caused the Union of Purusha and Prakriti; Naada variations are: the Panchamaya Naada or the Source of Subtle Sound, Sukshmamayi Naada or the Minutest Sound, Pashyanti Naada or the Perceptible Inner Sound or Voice, Medhyamayi or the Intellectual Sound and Vaikhari or the Articulated Sound; again Naada encompaasses Five Features viz. Samanyaya or Togtherness of Prakriti and Purusha-Maya and Reality, Sambandha or relationship, Kshobaka or Inducer / Activator; and Kshobhya or the Activated and Kshobana or the Activity or the nion referred to earlier. In brief, Naada is the resultant of Connection of Inducement, Exciter, Excited and Union – Pancha Vaktra Shiva or the Representation of Five Faces of Shiva : Aghora looking Southwards, Ishaana looking North East, Tat Purusha visioning East, Vamadeva who is North-Faced and Sadyojata facing the West. Sadyojaata represents Shrishti Shakti or of Creation, Vama Deva represents Sthiti Shakti or of Sustenance, Aghora represents Samhara Shakti or of dissolution, Tatpurusha represents Tirodhana Shakti or the power of Concealement and ‘punah srishti’ or creation again and Ishana represents Anugraha Shakti or of the Power of Blessing . Thus the rhythmic propertry of the Panchikarana process and converting the Five Elements into four parts out of the totality of its three portions and eventually the Inner Consciousness is constituted again with its five fold functionality thus the perceptional five organs are generated.

Pancha Bhuta Lingas: Ekambareshwara at Kanchi-Bhu Linga; Jambukeashwar Linga-Aapas or Water Linga; Tiruvannamalai -Tejas or Fire Linga; Kalahasti: Vayu Linga; Chidambaram: Akasha Linga Representing the Pancha Bhutas or the Five Elements of Prithivi (Earth), Aapas (Water), Tejas (Radiance), Vayu (Air) and Akasha (Sky), Five Lingas were manifested as follows:

Prithvi Linga called Ekambareshwara manifested on its own to enable Bala Kamakshi to perform Tapasya in the vicinity of a Ekambara Vriksha or a Mango Tree in Kanchi Kshetra. The Linga is of hand size of the shape of a Plantain Tree flower signifying the imprints of the bracelets of Mahadeva’s embrace of Devi Parvati! The legend of the manifestation of the Linga was that as crores of Shaktis who claimed equality to Parvati, Mahadeva smiled and all the Shaktis got disrobed and Parvati closed his three eyes so that he did not have to see their nudity. But when Mahadeva’s eyes were closed there was Pralaya and ‘Surya Chandradi Devas’ disappeared. Parvati was stunned and regetted her indiscretion which actually was an extraordinary sin as the entire Universe was extinguished! Parvati fell on Shiva’s feet and he asked her to take the Swarupa of a Bala and perform Tapasya in Kasi first as Katyayani the adopted baby of Katya Muni; at the time of famine in Varanasi, Bala provided food all the population of Kasi and gor the encomium as Devi Annapurna. Subsequently Bala shifted to Kanchi as directed by Mahadeva and did Tapasya under the Ekamara Vriksha at Kanchipura and grew up as Kamakshi; that indeed was the background of the Ekambareshwara Linga.The Jala Linga at Jambukeshwara manifested on its own under a Ja mbu tree in forest in Tiruvanai -kaval near Chandra Tirtha a tributary of River Kaveri. The legend was that there were two members of Shiva Ganas called Pushpadanta and Malyava who were cursed to become an elephant and a spider; they both worshipped the Jala Linga in their own ways; the elephant with flowers and bathing the Linga with its trunk while the spider ensured that tree leaves would not fall on the Linga by spinning a web . The elephant complained that the spider made the Place dirty above the Linga and the spider defended that the falling of tree leaves would convert dirtier. In the quarrel that followed both died and Shiva granted Kingship to the Spider in its next birth and the elephant was reborn again in the same form and the King built several Shiva Temples including the Jambulinga Temple in which the Shiva Linga was partly submerged in water. Arunachaleshwara Linga in Tiruvannamalai has the legend that both Brahma and Vishnu found an ‘Agni Stambha’or a huge Pillar of Fire and their efforts to know its beginning and end proved futile. Brahma performed Manasika Puja or worship in mind and so did Vishnu; pleased by their devotion granted them the boon to convert the endless Agni Stambha to a miniatured Linga which could be worshipped not only by Devas but human beings aslo. Interestingly, even at the Pralaya or the Great Dissolution the Land of Arunachaleshwara was in tact. The Arunachala Mountain Range has Pancha Mukhas or the Five Faces of Lord Rudra viz. Tatpurusha, Aghora, Sadyojata, Vamana Deva and Ishana. It is strongly believed that a full ‘Pradakshina’ or circumambulation of the fourteen km distance of the Mountain would be as good as a Pradakshina of Maha Deva himself. A huge mass of devotees push around the Mountain barefooted on every full moon night and the Pournami of Chaitra Month happens to be very special culminating into a ten day festival of ‘Kartika Deepa Darshana’ when a mammoth lamp is lit in an open vessel with three tonnes of ghee atop the mountain. Shri Kalahasteswara Linga too was stated to be a Swayambhu or Self-Generated on the banks of River Swarnamukhi some 36 km away from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. This is essentially a Vayu Linga and successive Kings of Chola, Raya, Pallava and Pandya Vamshas made enormous contributions of the Buildings of this famed Shiva Linga. The Temple has the Legend that Three Species of God’s creation viz. a Spider called Shri, a Snake called Kaala and an Elephant called Hasti were very devout followers of the Swayambhu Linga; Shri the Spider weaved cobwebs on the top of the Linga as Kala the serpent placed Gems on the Top of the Linga and the Hasti collected waters from the Sarovaras and by throwing sharp currents of water worshipped by way of ‘Abhishekas’or washings of water. Thus the Spider-Snake-Elephant trio worshipped Shiva on their own thus justifying their Actions. Another Story of Kalahasti to related to a legend of Bhakta Kannappa a hunter who offered his hunt as Naivedya or offering every day. One day the Linga showed three eyes weeping and bleeding blood. Kannappa had extreme anguish and cut and fixed one of his own eyes to that of Maha Deva. As the latter’s second eye too commenced crying, Kannappa never hesitated and fixed his second eye on Maha Deva’s face. That was the heightend faith of Kannappa. Maha Deva appeared and restored the eys of Kannappa and desired that he should be near to the Linga and eversince he joined the band of sixty three Nayanars in the vicinity of Kalahasteswara. The Kalahasti Temple is reputed to ward off Rahu-Ketu Doshas or deficiencies of Graha Dosha, Sarpa Dosha or of unmarried women or women of barrenness.

Shri Nateshwara (Akasha) Linga at Chidambaram in Tamilnadu is famed for the ‘Chidambara Rahasyam’ or the Secret of ‘Shunya’ or ‘Nothingness’ of the Universe signifying ‘Akasha’ and the Ever-Repetitive Cyclical Process of Srishti-Sthiti-Laya or Creation-Preservation-Termination. The legend is that Adi Sesha, the bed of Lord Vishnu, desired to witness the Cosmic Dance of Maha Deva and came down to Earth as Patanjali or the one who descended. A high devotee of Shiva called Vyaghrapada who prayed to Mahadeva to grant him the powerful paws of a tiger with which to pluck the leaves of BilwaTrees for worship also desired to witness Shiva’s Cosmic Dance. Maha Deva along with Devi Shiva Kami gave an appointment to Patanjali and Vyaghrapada to witness the Unique Shiva Tandava or the Cosmic Dance of Shiva. Lord Vishnu as well as Brahma and Devas went ino ecstacy as they were fortunate to vision the spectacle of the Tandava.

Now, Virat Purusha is in the further process of ‘panchikarana’; the self consciousness of the Beings is protected by the gross elements. In other words, individual consciousness is activised and the cycle of Pancha Bhutas- Panchendriyas- Pancha Koshas and so on gets into place. Paramatma the Avyakta with perhaps but a particle of Illusion or Maya thus rotates the Universe and Its Beings con verts into ACTION and thus the gross-subtle-and causal. Indeed THAT begets THESE- THIS-and THAT again and again. Each of the Beings of Three Forms of Gross and so on , Tri Gunas, Three Stages of Life of Birth- Death- and Birth again, and of Three ‘Avasthas’ of Jaagrat- Svapna- Sushupti are subjected to the potter wheel of the Cycle of Time, which keeps whirling-whirling-and whirl again endlessly! In other words, the concept of Maya the Illusion – the hard outer shell of the body hiding the Antaratma the Interior Soul basically anchored to Material Sources. This in turn is based on Tamas or Ignorance, Rajas or Passion, Sathva the Essential Goodness. The examples of firewood, smoke and fire are cited as Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Sustainer, and Ishvara the negation of Maya. The feature of Tamas is akin to material well being characterised by women, wealth, power and evil. The Rajas is akin to acquisition of knowledge, devotion, yoga and sacrifice and finally the Satva or Dharma and the release of Inner energy to align with the Supreme through the layers of Hiranyagarbha- Maha Purusha- the Body- Pancha Bhutas- Panchendiyas and the futher Panchikarana!

As the rhythmic pattern of the Panchikarana is continued , the inner consciousness gets constituted and alongside with mental calibre, thinking capacity, and self sense. Memory, resolve, affection, capacity to sift truth and untruth, decision making and such other judgments are the Mind. Mind is the key indicator of Reality and Falsity as the Wise extol Mind and sift Truth from Untruth: Among the various body attachments of the Individual Self with distinct features, back-up Devatwas, functional specialisations and so on, Mind happens to be the outstanding body asset. The Mind is considered as the interior -most chamber of the heart and is likened to the inner grain of say rice or barley. Mind reveals every thing and in fact the Individual Self is identified with it and its brightness. It is considered by Yogins as the prime commander of the various other body parts. Mental stamina and stability are the cause and effect alike of meditation to the Supreme; indeed mind is Brahman and identical since ‘ one becomes precisely as one meditates upon the Almighty’! Then follow the other physical components like the throat, the face, the heart, the ‘bhrumadhya’ the mid space of eyebrows are all the depositaries of thinking and of perception. Among the other seats of perception are of sound, vision, taste, smell. The adhishthaana Devatas controlling the perceptions include Digdevatas, Vaayu, Surya, Varuna, Ashvini Kumars, Agni, Indra, Upendra, Mrityu, Chandra apart from the Tri Murtis as the Creator-Sustainer and Terminator. The sharpness of Mind and the depth of Understanding are the essential inputs to access ‘Mahat’ / Bliss: No person with enlightenment is ever afraid of facing trying situations once he has realised Bliss which is Brahman. This situation follows due to the strength of mind even in the physical framework of a human being; more so when the internal self is buttressed with knowledge. In such a situation, faith is stated as one’s head, righteousness is the right side of the body, truth the left side and concentration is the body and Mahat or the First Born Intellect or the depth of absorption which is all-pervading named Satya Brahman (Praja pati) is the stabilising tail; Intellect as the varied form of Satya or Truth as the ‘hridaya’ too. Meditation is targetted to Prajapati Brahman who has been described as his ‘hridaya’ or intellect; further qualification of that Hridaya-Intellect-Brahman pertains to Truth as well. That Truth is Satya Brahman; the expression ‘tat’ or ‘that’ is repetitive since Hridaya-Intellect-Brahman and now the Truth all refer to just the same. The phrase ‘Satyameva’ also signifies the idioms Sat or Tyat viz. Murtha (Gross) and Amurta or Subtle, th gross body being ‘Pancha bhutaatmikaa’ or of Five Elements and is unconquerable by enemies like ‘Arishadvargas’ or Kaama-Krodha- Lobha-Moha-Mada Matsaras; indeed Satya Brahman is invncible, the very first born and all pervading!

Then at the receiving end of Pancha koshas of a Being: The Five Sheaths of Human Body are called Annamaya (Physical Energy), Praanamaya (Vital Energy), Manomaya (Mental Faculty), Vigyanamaya (Buddhi or Sharpness of Discrimination) and Ananda maya (Bliss). The sheath of Food is what Earth yields and that is the essence of the intake of the Beings. As that constitutes the gross body, the vital energy praana in the five principal forms of ‘praanopaana udaana vyaana samaana’ forms and that sheath of the pancha koshas is titled ‘praanamaya jeeva’ in the context of the vital principle. Then the Manomaya kosha is based on perception and of mental depth. These three ‘koshaas’ of food-life- and mind lead to discrimination arising from vigjnaana the knowledge. Now the causal body is Bliss which leads to ‘Chit or Ananda’. In the ultimate analysis, Brahman is Bliss; it is from bliss that the Universe is initiated from, preserved along and terminated into! This Ultimate Truth is realised after prolonged and intensified disclosure by Bhrigu as imparted by Varuna Deva in several stages and layers of revelations stating from ‘Annam Paramatma’ to ‘Praano Brahmeti’ to ‘Mano Brahmeti’ to ‘Vijnaanam Brahmeti’ to finally ‘Anando Brahmeti’!He who realises thus is totally saturated with bliss as the unique possessor and enjoyer of the essence of food, the best of the quality of Life, of progeny, cattle, auspiciousness, fulfillment of life and acme of glory! A step by step revelation of Paramatma the Embodiment of Ecstacy is a process of evolution from existence of Life supported by Food or nourishment, activised by ‘Pancha Pranas’, driven and reinforced by mental strength, strengthened and qualified by a strong base of knowledge an finally surfeited with an enormous mass of Ultimate Spiritual Ecstasy designated as Bliss! The analysis of Brahman is a balance of macrocosmic complex structure of Brahman/ Paramatma made of Pancha Bhutas or Five Elements, besides the Celestial Forms of Surya-Chandra Nakshatras, Indra, Prajapati and Brahman to the microcosmic mirror form of Antaraatma embodied by Nature with Panchendriyas, essence of food, praana, manas, vijnana, topped up by Mahadananda the Brahman! The gross body thus possesses five Panchendriyas comprising five jnaanendriyas and karmendriyas of each, Pancha Praanaas, Pancha Bhutas apart from Self Consciousness, besides antahkarana chatushtaya or mind- buddhi-chitta or store house of memory as applied to deep thinking and ahamkaara or self awareness which is loosely named ego. The totality of all these characteristics is called Ashtapura or the Subtle Body. As per the command of Paramatma, the gross body of Beings get directed to the state of Virat Atma or of the State of ‘Vishva’ or Self Consciousness named as Antaratma. That may be termed as Body Awakening.Subsequently, the Body envisages the next stage of ‘Taijasa’. This stage envisions the world of appearances which is what ‘dreams’ denote of. Then follows Paramatma’s directive His own conceptual and purely reflective SELF or the Antaratma -as self conditioned by Maya the Illusiuon – to attain the next stage of Pragjna the State of Indifference which is ‘en route’ to the quest of Truth. That indeed is what Vedas affirm as That Thou Art. Thus the Awareness or Consciousness as enlivened in an individual body is awakened from the pitch darkness of Maya the shrouded Ignorance quite in disregard of the material demands of Panchendriyas and a misdirected Mind continues the search for the road of Truth which after all right within the Self after crossing the hurdles of Awakenness- the Illusions- and Indifference defying the Illusions oe the empirical state and then and thus the Truth. The successive stages are of waking-dreaming-deep sleeping – faded awareness or of sub consciousness and then The Truth. All the Beings in the vast Srishti are blessed with the faculty of perception, barring some exceptions, as they could hear, see, smell, feel and touch, with the kindness of the respective Deities of the organs concerned. This is in the state of awakening.The individual’s Inner- Consciousness is known as being in the ‘bhru madhya’ or the mid point of one’s eyebrows as that awareness is able to watch all the body parts from top to bottom or from head to foot.Then like an emperor who keeps a vigil on his subjects, the person concerned keeps enjoying the benefits from his subjects and the acivities expected by them are in good place. Then the emporer gets tired with fatigue the sense organs are tired too and then shift over to another body afresh. This is denoted by shifting the perceptions from one body to another. Hence from the state of awakening to a dream stage. Then Vishva or the Inner Consciousness reaches the next state viz. Taijasa. That precisely coincides with the absorption of the body structure which thus become non functional with periodic rest and interrugnum. That is the time for rest of the Self and its esrtwhile busy activity.Like a bird gets tired with ever active day time activities of flying, hunt for food, and periodic ease all through the day, by performing activities of sniffing, tasting and grabbing its food even while supplying their nonflying kids too tend to return to the nest for rest, it reaches the nest awaiting for the next dawn’s day break, the body too is rested and the Individual Soul quite tired of the body’s activities enjoys bliss for a while. That indeed is the principle of Non interference of the Self quite disrespective of the body activities. The sleeping state is thus described as the state of ignorance experienced by the Self as of a temporary break of bliss free from the body activities.

The state of death is like that of loss of self consciousness, as caused by the sudden occurence of say the fusing of the flow of electricity or a breakdown of sense perception; this is like a striking of a hammer or a tremor. Thus the state of sleep , objectivity is obliterated and a sense of faded dimness sets in. As Lord Brahma manifested ‘srishti’ from a meagre grass root, the status of gross bodies thus generated are ever apprehensive of facing decay and death. The stages of life be described by the inevitability of death! These indeed are the ‘jagrat-svapna-sushupti-moorchaavastha’ or waking-dreaming-sleeping-and fainting stages, before the inevitability of death. This finality occurs as the organs of perception and action cease to function and the remote controls of the Five Basic Elements get severed. The body senses as wrapped up in the Elements disappear and the Inner Consciousness gets a temporary reprieve. Meanwhile, the plus and minus accounts are closed for a while and get re- initiated again with the carry forward of the body yet the consciousness gets a holiday and gets hinged once again. It might be the termination of the life’s journey of the ‘Mahatmas’ only exceptionally as with the nil accounts of ‘karma sanchaya’.

The remote possibility of bondage of the cyclical births-deaths-and births again and again is only under the tutorship of a co enlightened Teacher alone, backed solidly by spriritual knowledge, indriya nigrah, and lakshya saadhana. This Purusha is hidden in all beings from Brahma to bunch of grass but is covered by maya or cosmic illusion born of the mix of Satva-Rajas and Tamo Gunas. Only Maharshis and Great Seekers might perceive him as a subtle entity; the Paramatma is stated to reveal to none due to Yoga Maya or the Great Illusion as covered by Ignorance. Only through purified intellect as is available to Seekers, a hazy profile of Hiranyagarbha is perhaps seen by their mind’s eye! The discerning person needs to merge into the ‘Indriyas’ or the organs into the intelligent Self and then infuse the latter into the ‘Paramatma’. While so doing, the name-form-action of that particular Self is totally negated and there had to be a ‘tadaatmya’ or fusion of the two entities!

Conclusion: Self Conciousness or the Inner Self often referred to as Antaratma is the quintessence of Vedopa -shad Itihaasa Puraanas. Moola Prakriti is unknown. The Inner Self is surfiet with Mahad Buddhi, and is the total negation of Ahamkaara, Trigunas as the fall out of Pancha Maha Bhutaas, Tenfolded Jnaana- Karma Indriyas- Raaga Dveshas- Suhka Duhkhaas- all such typical characte -ristics which are submerged into the bodies of charaachara jagat. Further the Inner Self and its adhyatmika jnaana lakshanaas embrace certain positive features like durabhimaana raahitya-niraadambarata-ahimsa-nishkapatyata-guru seva- paarisudhya-chitta sthairya-mano nigrah- vishaya sukha vairaagya-nirahamkaarata- jeevita janana marana vyaadhi aadi duhkha kaarana darshanatva- putra bhaaryaa grihaadi mamakaara raahitya-priyaapriya praapta saamya sthitata- ekaagra ekaanta bhakti dhaarana- loukika jaana- vaahana ruchi raahitya and shadvarga kamakrodha moha mada matsarars too. This Antaratma is thus the reflection of Paramama who or what is unknown, everlasting-all pervasive- endless- unborn-and interminable!

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