As I said earlier, the universe with all its sentient and insentient (cetana & acetana) beings is composed of tattva-s or basic elements. Just as the basic elements of a building on its demolition is segregated separately into brick, wood iron etc etc, so also at the time of pralaya this universe is deconstructed back into these basic elements and are re-absorbed in the Brahman without perishing and again come forth during the next cycle of creation. It is also evident from the previous posts that in essence the manifested beings are nothing but a transformation of the pancabhUta-s. So this human body is also made up of those 36 tattva-s. This body is in itself composed of 3 bodies one within the other. They are called as the gross body or sthUlasharIra, subtle body or the sUkShmasharIra and causal body or kAraNasharIra.
The kAraNasharIra is made up of the first five tattva-s of shiva, shakti, sadAshiva, Ishvara & shuddhavidyA. The sUkShmasharIra is made up of the next 7 tattva-s namesly mAyA, vidyA, kalA, rAga, kAla, niyati & puruSha. The sthUlasharIra is made up of the remaining 24 tattva-s viz prakRti, ahaMkAra, buddhi, mana, tvak, cakShu shrotra, jihvA, ghrANa, vAk, pANi, pAda, pAyu, upastha, shabda, sparsha, rUpa, rasa, gandha, AkAsha, vAyu, vahni, salila & pRthivi as detailed above.
The above 36 tattva-s when in their appropriate measures & qualities constitute the three bodies of kAraNa, sUkShma & sthUla, there is homeostasis of the three bodies. However when there is fault in the AhAra-vihAra i.e. due to external factors like food and activities or prajJAparAdha doSha or conscientious transgression due to manodoSha etc, an imbalance is created in the functioning of the 3 bodies in sync. Then the need for restoration of the homeostasis arises. This homeostasis is achieved by what is called as “tattvashodhana” or purification of the tattva-s.
The basic concept of Ayurveda which attributes any disease of the mind or the body to the imbalance in the 3 humors is also indicative of this concept and in a grosser sense, Ayurvedic treatment is also in a way, tattvashodhana or purification of the tattva-s only:
“rogastu doShavaiShamyaM doShasAmyamarogatA”
Meaning, Disease is nothing but an imbalance of the three humors of the body namely vAta, pitta & kapha. In the balance (homeostasis) of these is the disease free existence.
“sharIramAdyaM khalu dharmasAdhanaM” says Ayurveda – the body is the first means of dharma. i.e. without this body the implementation of dharma is not possible. Hence, the need for maintaining perfect homeostasis with reference to the body & mind as well as the tattva-s and thereby the three bodies, cannot be over emphasised.
In today’s world, there is so much of transgression from nature which has become unavoidable. The aim of upAsanA being svasvrUpajJAna in the state of Ananda, it is essential that atleast during the course of one’s yajana, the upAsaka should achieve such a state of homeostasis. Only then is it possible to achieve the svarUpajJAna. Tattvashodhana is the means to it.
The kAraNasharIra is made up of the first five tattva-s of shiva, shakti, sadAshiva, Ishvara & shuddhavidyA. The sUkShmasharIra is made up of the next 7 tattva-s namesly mAyA, vidyA, kalA, rAga, kAla, niyati & puruSha. The sthUlasharIra is made up of the remaining 24 tattva-s viz prakRti, ahaMkAra, buddhi, mana, tvak, cakShu shrotra, jihvA, ghrANa, vAk, pANi, pAda, pAyu, upastha, shabda, sparsha, rUpa, rasa, gandha, AkAsha, vAyu, vahni, salila & pRthivi as detailed above.
The above 36 tattva-s when in their appropriate measures & qualities constitute the three bodies of kAraNa, sUkShma & sthUla, there is homeostasis of the three bodies. However when there is fault in the AhAra-vihAra i.e. due to external factors like food and activities or prajJAparAdha doSha or conscientious transgression due to manodoSha etc, an imbalance is created in the functioning of the 3 bodies in sync. Then the need for restoration of the homeostasis arises. This homeostasis is achieved by what is called as “tattvashodhana” or purification of the tattva-s.
The basic concept of Ayurveda which attributes any disease of the mind or the body to the imbalance in the 3 humors is also indicative of this concept and in a grosser sense, Ayurvedic treatment is also in a way, tattvashodhana or purification of the tattva-s only:
“rogastu doShavaiShamyaM doShasAmyamarogatA”
Meaning, Disease is nothing but an imbalance of the three humors of the body namely vAta, pitta & kapha. In the balance (homeostasis) of these is the disease free existence.
“sharIramAdyaM khalu dharmasAdhanaM” says Ayurveda – the body is the first means of dharma. i.e. without this body the implementation of dharma is not possible. Hence, the need for maintaining perfect homeostasis with reference to the body & mind as well as the tattva-s and thereby the three bodies, cannot be over emphasised.
In today’s world, there is so much of transgression from nature which has become unavoidable. The aim of upAsanA being svasvrUpajJAna in the state of Ananda, it is essential that atleast during the course of one’s yajana, the upAsaka should achieve such a state of homeostasis. Only then is it possible to achieve the svarUpajJAna. Tattvashodhana is the means to it.
