Ánanda Sútram (chapter 3)

This version is the Shrii Shrii Anandamurti's Ánanda Sútram chapter 3, 2nd edition, 2nd printing, taken from present Electronic Edition.

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Chapter 3

3-1. Paincakośátmiká jaeviisattá kadaliipuśpavat.

[The living being is the composite of five kośas (layers of mind), like a plantain flower (with its petals).]

Purport: In pratisaincara, after the citta comes into being, there ensues gradually the pervasive manifestation of mind. And in this manifestative flow we find in the unit-body that the crudest sheath or cell is the kámamaya kośa [conscious mind], subtler than this is the manomaya kośa [subconscious mind], subtler than this subconscious is the atimánasa kośa [supra-mental mind], yet subtler than this supra-mental mind is the vijinánamaya kośa [subliminal mind], and the subtlest of all kośas is the hirańyamaya kośa [subtle causal mind]. The crude receptacle of the unit is the annamaya kośa [physical body], which is the property of saincara. The kámamaya and manomaya kośas are called the crude and subtle minds, respectively, and the other three kośas, that is, the atimánasa, vijinánamaya and hirańyamaya, are called the causal [or astral, or unconscious] mind collectively. The witnessing puruśa of the crude mind is called Prájina, that of the subtle mind is called Taejasa, and that of the unconscious mind is called Vishva. Saincara’s annamaya kośa, the crude receptacle of the living unit, is called the sthula deha [crude body]. The five kośas, from the kámamaya to the hirańyamaya, are called the sukśma deha [subtle body], and the mahattattva and ahaḿtattva are called the sámánya deha [supra-causal body, i.e., the body between the hirańyamaya kośa and (till merger into) Puruśottama]. As with the plantain flower, in the case of these kośas also, subtle things are observed and understood only after removing their crude parts.

3-2. Saptalokátmakaḿ Brahmamanah.

[The Cosmic Mind is the composite of seven lokas (layers, worlds).]

Purport: The Cosmic Mind is held in seven lokas [worlds], namely bhú [physical world], bhuvah [crude mental world], svah [subtle mental world], mahah [supra-mental world], janah [subliminal world], tapah and Satya. Puruśottama Himself, who is the witnessing entity of the Cosmic Mahattattva and Ahaḿtattva, is known as the Satyaloka. He is also called the Causal Cosmic Body. The cognitive puruśa (knower) of Brahma’s hirańyamaya kośa [causal cosmic mind], is called Virát́a or Vaeshvánara, and the loka concerned is called the taparloka. The witnessing puruśa of Brahma’s vijinánamaya kośa [subliminal cosmic mind] is also called Virát́a or Vaeshvánara, and the loka concerned goes by the name of janarloka. The witnessing puruśa of Brahma’s atimánasa kośa [supra-mental cosmic mind] is also called Virát́a or Vaeshvánara, and the loka concerned is called the maharloka. The collective name of these three kośas is “causal cosmic mind” or “subtle cosmic body”. The manomaya kośa of Brahma is called the subtle cosmic mind, and its witnessing puruśa is called Hirańyagarbha. This also falls within the scope of the subtle cosmic body, and the loka concerned is called the svarloka. The kámamaya kośa of Brahma is called the crude cosmic mind, and its witnessing puruśa is called Iishvara. This may also be called the crude cosmic body. As per degree of expression of subtlety or crudity, this kośa is called partially bhuvah [crude mental world], and partially bhúrloka [crude physical world].

3-3. Kárańamanasi diirghanidrá marańam.

[Long sleep in the causal mind is death.]

Purport: In wakefulness all three minds, namely, conscious, subconscious and unconscious, remain active. In dream, only the crude or conscious mind remains asleep, and the other two minds remain active. In sleep, both conscious and subconscious minds remain inactive; only the unconscious mind remains awake and does the work of the other two minds. When there occurs a vibrational disparity in the psycho-physical parallelism, the unconscious mind also becomes inactive. This state is called death.

3-4. Manovikrtih vipákápekśitá saḿskárah.

[A distortion of the mind-stuff waiting for expression (i.e., a reaction in potentiality) is known as a saḿskára.]

Purport: Virtuous or non-virtuous, whatever the act be, it begets a sort of mental distortion. The mind, however, regains its normal composure through vipáka, that is, after undergoing the consequences of one’s good or bad deeds. Where action has taken place, but the consequences thereof have not been gone through or served, that is, the vipáka has been kept in abeyance, such suspended or deferred vipáka is called saḿskára [reaction in its potentiality].

According to the nature of the saḿskáras held in the causal, or unconscious, mind at the time of death, Prakrti, in order to get those saḿskáras served through vipáka, effects the contact of the bodiless minds with living structures(1) in the wombs of different beings – living structures that have parallelism with those bodiless minds’ saḿskára-determined mental waves. This we call the rebirth of the unit concerned. One generally goes away after death with saḿskáras in accordance with one’s deeds performed during one’s lifetime.

3-5. Videhiimánase na kartrtvaḿ na sukháni na duhkháni.

[In the bodiless mind there is no doership, no feeling of pleasure or pain.]

Purport: After the separation of the mind from the body, that is, after death, the sense of weal or woe cannot exist in the unit, because for perception of pleasure and pain cerebral nerve cells and, partially, nerve fibres are necessary (which the bodiless minds do not have after death); and so the popular dogmas and beliefs that So-and-so’s bodiless soul will be happy with such-and-such observances, or be unhappy and miserable with such-and-such acts, or will satisfy its revengeful propensities, are utterly and completely wrong.

3-6. Abhibhávanát cittáńusrśt́apretadarshanam.

[The sight of ghosts is created by the cittáńu (mind-stuff) in concentrated thought.]

Purport: Actually spirits and ghosts do not exist. When in a frightened or indignant or hypnotic state a person attains temporary concentration of the mind, his or her mind-stuff takes the form of the object imagined. In such a state one sees the vision of one’s thought without as well. Thinking about ghosts and spirits in solitude, he or she sees them also in the open. The external vision of the internal thought may be termed as positive hallucination. Conversely, in such a state of mind even the actually existent object may appear as non-existent. This we may call negative hallucination. Those that say that they have seen a ghost do not lie. Only the delusion of the mind appears to them as visual perception.

If hypnosis be thoroughly introspective, one may mistake one’s own entity for a spirit or ghost. In such an event the person behaves in such a manner that people start saying that So-and-so is possessed by a spirit. Theomania or theophanic possession is also of the same variety.

3-7. Hitaeśańápreśito’pavargah.

[The requital of an action is guided by the (divine) longing for welfare.]

Purport: Even behind the requital of an act (the fruits that follow the completion of an act) lies the divine desire of benevolence. The punishment for an evil act teaches one to keep away from evil doings. The reward for a good and benevolent act teaches people that they will never get such a reward if ever they commit an evil act.

3-8. Muktyákáunkśayá sadgurupráptih.

[Out of the intense desire for mukti (liberation), one attains one’s sadguru (perfect master).]

Purport: When a vehement desire for emancipation wakes up in a person, he or she attains his or her sadguru [true spiritual preceptor] on the strength of that desire.

3-9. Brahmaeva gururekah náparah.

[Only Brahma is the guru, no one else.]

Purport: Brahma alone is the guru. Brahma alone directs the units to the path of emancipation through the media of different receptacles or bodies. No one except Brahma conforms to the real significance of the word “guru”.

3-10. Vádhá sá yuśamáná shaktih sevyaḿ sthápayati lakśye.

[Obstacles are the helping forces that establish one in the goal.]

Purport: Obstacles in fact are no foes on the path of sádhaná [spiritual practice], but indeed friends. They only do service to a person. It is on account of these obstacles that the battle rages against them, and this counter-effort alone carries the sádhaka [spiritual aspirant] to his or her cherished goal.

3-11. Prárthanárcaná mátraeva bhramamúlam.

[Prayer and ritualistic worship become a source of confusion.]

Purport: It is useless to pray to God for something, for He is sure to give what is necessary. Solicitation or importunity in the name of worship is nothing but toadyism and flattery.

3-12. Bhaktirbhagavadbhávaná na stutirnárcaná.

[Devotion is ideation on God, not flattery of God or ritualistic worship.]

Purport: Being merged in the constant thought of God is devotion. Devotion is not related to the chanting of hymns or ritualistic worship with different paraphernalia. A devotee may perform these, but they are not an indispensable part of devotional sádhaná.


1962 published in: Ánanda Sútram; Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]; Supreme Expression Volume 1 [a compilation].

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[Footnotes: (1) “Living structures” did not appear here in the previous English edition. “With living structures” is a rendering of “jaevii dehe” in the original Bengali sentence. –Eds.]

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