Episodios

  • Vivekachudamani 28 Anatman vs Atman - By Swami Tattwamayananda
    Jan 23 2026
    Vivekachudamani is a text on fundamental tenets of Vedanta and has 584 verses.

    The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman?

    The teacher answers the 5th question first – “What is anatman?” He addresses it from three angles: Sthula sarira (gross body), sukhshma sarira (subtle body, the personality behind the gross body) and karana sarira (lack of understanding of our true nature).

    The subtle body (Sukshma-Sarira) has eight units (Puri-ashtakam): (1) Five organs of perception (2) Five organs of action (3) Five pranas (4) Five subtle elements (5) Antahkarana – mana, buddhi, chittam, ahamkara (6) Avidya (7) Kama and (8) Karma.

    Shankaracharya includes avidya, kama and karma in his definition of subtle body. Avidya means ignorance of our true nature. Kama means desire. Karma means action. When we are ignorant of our own real nature (avidya), we have kama, or desire for enjoyments, which compels us to be engaged in all kinds of activities (karma) to satisfy the desire.

    When referring to the five organs of perception and action, Shankaracharya refers to the subtle dimension of these instruments that leave impressions in the chittam.

    Starting from the 126th verse, the teacher takes up the 6th question: “What is the supreme Atman?”

    127th verse: “There is one reality (Atman) that is present in all three states of consciousness as the witness – waking state, dream state and deep sleep state. It is the foundation of the “I” feeling. This
    Atman is distinct and different from the three states of awareness and the five sheaths of consciousness.”

    132nd verse: “It is the eternal knowledge. It knows all, from our body, mind, intellect to emotions, but whom no one knows. Everything in this world that we experience – it is revealed by the presence of the Atman.”

    King Janaka asked Sage Yajnavalkya: “Endowed with what light does a person live in this world”.

    The first answer was sunlight. As each option provided in previous answers was eliminated, subsequent answers were moonlight, agni, and sound. When all four of these options were eliminated, the final answer was Atma-Jyoti, which is in all of us and that is self-revealing. It is the light of all lights - that enables all other lights, such as sunlight, moonlight, agni to function.

    133rd verse: “Our senses of perception and senses of action are able to work only due to the presence of the Atman. The human body is compared to a city with nine gates. Within this city resides the Purusha (Atman).”

    Purusha is eternal and it is of the characteristic of eternal, infinite bliss.

    Whatever we come to know using tools of perception and understanding or any kind of awareness, they all reveal a spark of the supreme truth within us.

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  • Vivekachudamani 27 The Nature of the Supreme Reality - By Swami Tattwamayananda
    Dec 20 2025
    The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman?

    126th verse: “Now, I shall teach you about your true nature, the nature of the Absolute Reality, by knowing which, we get spiritual liberation.”

    Bondage is our sense of attachment to the inherent limitations of empirical experiences. This happens because we identify with the physical body. The moment we identify with our true nature, we become liberated.

    Illness, bad health, loss of job or money – these are inescapable problems. Problem free life is only a myth. Problems themselves are not a problem. Our worry about problems is the real problem. If we have a health problem, it should not become the cause of a great worry – instead, our focus should be on solving the problem. Such worries go away when we identify ourselves beyond the body.

    In Vedic literature, there is an evolution of Hindu godhead from Pantheism (God is equated with nature and its grandeur) to Panentheism (God is the spirit within the external world) to Polytheism (God is the divine power regulating nature) to monotheism (there is only one God) to monism (non-duality).

    Advaita Vedanta accommodates all ideas of God but aspires for the highest idea of God, as one Absolute Reality, that is all-pervading, that exists in everyone and in everything, that is transcendental, that can have a personal aspect but also goes beyond it. As we evolve, our idea of God also evolves.

    Advaita is a matter of inner experience. There is no end to doubt if we try to understand it as a philosophical system.

    The 127th verse describes this highest idea of God.

    127th verse: “There is one reality (Atman) that is present in all three states of consciousness as the witness – waking state, dream state and deep sleep state. It is the foundation of the “I” feeling. This Atman is distinct and different from the three states of awareness and the five sheaths of consciousness.”

    128th verse: “In the three states of consciousness, there is one witness who is aware of everything that is happening. It is aware of the presence and absence of buddhi and action.”

    This Atman knows everything.. The very concept of awareness is this reality. Even to say, “I did not know”, there has to be an awareness.

    “Awareness” minus “what it is aware of” equals “Pure awareness”. It is also known as Prajna.

    130th verse: “It is the light by which this whole universe is enveloped and which is never enveloped by anything. It is the supreme effulgent one that gives light to everything in this world.”
    Light here means knowledge, existence and awareness. Everything that is effulgent, gets its effulgent from this Supreme Reality. Atman does not do anything, but all actions are possible only due to the presence of the Atman.

    132nd verse: “It is the ternal knowledge. It knows all, from our body, mind, intellect to emotions, but whom no one knows.
    Shankaracharya says that this Reality is beyond all verbalization. It is beyond "shabda pravirti nimittani" means it is beyond the five conditions necessary for us to be able to explain anything by words. The first condition is sambandha. Sambandha means relationship. The second condition is dravya. Dravya means something which is obvious. The third condition is jati. Jati means species. The fourth condition is kriya. Kriya means action. The fifth condition is guna. Guna means characteristics.

    133rd verse: “Our senses of perception and senses of action are able to work only due to the presence of the Atman.”

    Atman is everywhere. Inanimate objects do not have Antahkarana, the reflecting medium. Animate beings have an antahkarana – the reflection of the Atman in these beings depends on the purity of the reflecting medium.
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  • Vivekachudamani 26 What is Paramatman? - By Swami Tattwamayananda
    Dec 13 2025
    The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman?

    In response to the student’s questions, the teacher starts by answering the 5th question first: “What is anatman?” This is because the Absolute Reality (question 6) cannot be defined or explained. We can only indirectly indicate it. The teacher explains the nature of the empirical world, which is non-eternal and non-Atman. Once we understand this, whatever is left out is the Atman.

    The teacher then takes the 6th question: “What is the Supreme Atman, our true nature?”

    127th verse: “There is one reality (Atman) that is present in all three states of consciousness as the witness – waking state, dream state and deep sleep state. It is the foundation of the “I” feeling. This Atman is distinct and different from the three states of awareness and the five sheaths of consciousness.”

    “I” can refer to the physical body, ego sense, emotions and mind. The real “I” is behind and distinct from the ego. It is the real witness.

    The awareness of the real “I” helps us detach from the problems of life and live life wisely. This “I” goes through a refinement process across several lifecycles. The spiritual practices described in the

    19th verse (Sadhana Chatushtaya Sampatti) enable this refinement. Two conditions have to be satisfied for anyone to be a witness: (1) You have to be aware of what you are witnessing and (2) You have to be non-involved in what you are witnessing. Atman is present as the witness in waking, dream and deep sleep states.

    It is a fact that the highest idea of God is one all-pervading reality that is present everywhere and in everything. However, for a beginner, it is just an idea. The scriptures discuss how to convert that idea into an actual experience. The seeker has a long road to travel from idea to experience.

    Vedanta accommodates all concepts of God. Swami Vivekananda said that all of us are trying to manifest the divinity within, depending on our own temperaments and spiritual progress. According to Vedanta, everyone is moving towards the same spiritual destination. The person who has reached the highest stage is a good human being – he cannot harm anything in creation.

    128th verse: “In the three states of consciousness, there is one witness who is aware of everything that is happening. It is aware of the presence and absence of buddhi and action.”

    129th verse: “This Atman knows everything. But that Atman is not known by anything. It cannot be known in the empirical sense of using mind and senses of perception. It is the one who sees everything but the one whom nobody can see, perceive, verbalize or objectify. It is the one who enlightens our emotions and intellect, but which is not enlightened by something else.”

    This Atman is our true nature and is a matter of our inner experience. The journey towards this Atman is explained by the four Mayavakyas. The first mahavakya comes in Chandogya Upanishad. It is an instruction to the student: “The truth that you are seeking is non-different than yourself.”

    When we read a scripture or hear a spiritual instruction, we understand and take home only what we are ready for. In Hinduism, there is freedom in spiritual/religious life but less freedom in social life. In the west, there is more freedom in social life, but less freedom in spiritual/religious life.
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  • Vivekachudamani 25 Divine Discontentment - By Swami Tattwamayananda
    Dec 6 2025
    The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman?

    These questions are triggered by “Divine Discontentment” – The realization of the imperfections of worldly enjoyments brings about the pursuit of something higher and transcendental. This divine discontent is called Parinama Dukkha in Patanjali Yoga Sutras, and it is the springboard of spiritual wisdom.

    Divine discontentment makes us look for a higher meaning of life. We develop divine discontentment when we look at life from a higher perspective. Divine discontentment gives us a kind of blissful satisfaction because our lower motives are gone. The higher desire helps us go beyond lower desires.

    Without such discontentment, the world would not have produced great musicians, poets, painters and so on.

    When Buddha had four visions (sick man, old man, dead man, and a sage), he developed this divine discontentment. It triggered his ambition to find the higher meaning of life.

    In response to the student’s questions, the teacher starts by answering the 5th question first: “What is anatman?” He explains the nature of the empirical world, which is non-eternal and non-Atman.

    Once we understand this, whatever is left out is the Atman. The teacher then takes the 6th question:
    “What is the Supreme Atman, our true nature?”

    126th verse: “Now I will explain to you the nature of Paramatma. Once you understand this, you get liberation from worldly bondages.”

    127th verse: “There is one reality (Atman) that is present in all three states of consciousness as the witness – waking state, dream state and deep sleep state. This Atman is distinct and different from the three states of awareness and the five sheaths of consciousness.”

    Two conditions have to be satisfied for anyone to be a witness: (1) You have to be aware of what you are witnessing and (2) You have to be non-involved in what you are witnessing. Atman is present as the witness in waking, dream and deep sleep states.

    In waking state, mind and senses are active. In dream state, mind is active. In deep sleep state, all the activities of the sense organs, mind and intellect get dissolved - we do not experience any duality. Mind gets complete rest in deep sleep.

    In deep sleep, we transcend duality without being aware of it. In Samadhi, one transcends duality and reaches the state of witness with full awareness.

    The farther we go beyond our body awareness, the more we have a feeling of inner blissfulness, because we begin to transcend duality.

    When we identify ourselves with our true nature as the Atman, we are not fatigued. We feel: “This body is working, not I.” Once reaches this level through experience – a mere philosophical understanding is not good enough.

    Atman is beyond the five sheaths and transcends them all. The five sheaths are: Anamaya Kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, Vijnanamaya Kosha and Anandamaya Kosha. These five sheaths don’t actually exist – they are a metaphor to represent the five levels of our spiritual evolution.

    Vedanta discusses three levels of reality: paramarthika-sat, vyavaharika-sat and pratibhashika-sat. Paramarthika-sat is linked to the highest concept of God. Vyavaharika-sat is linked to monotheistic concepts of God. Vedanta accommodates all concepts of God, from creator God to the highest concept of God as the Absolute Reality. As we progress, we move from plurality to oneness.
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  • Vivekachudamani 24 What is Anatman? - By Swami Tattwamayananda
    Oct 18 2025
    The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman?

    The teacher starts by answering the 5th question first: “What is anatman?”

    The teacher addresses this question by discussing different sarira (body). There are three sariras: Sthula sarira (gross body), sukhshma sarira (subtle body, the personality behind the gross body) and karana sarira (avidya or lack of understanding of our true nature). All of these are non-eternal – they come and go.

    122nd verse: In this karana-sarira, the three gunas stay in as avyaktam in their seed state. It is also called avidya or maya – absence of awareness of our true nature. Sushupti is a distinct aspect of karana-sarira, characterized by dissolution of all mental and physical activities.

    During Sushupti, all the activities of the sense organs, mind and intellect get dissolved. We do not experience any duality in Sushupti.

    Dreams cannot be completely disassociated with waking state. The background for dreams gets created in the waking state. However, there is continuity in waking state and no continuity in dream state.

    Our thoughts and actions in the waking state leave an impression in the mental system which affects our states of sleep. We cannot have deep sleep if our mind is disturbed. We can reduce the intensity of the impressions in the waking state by keeping in mind that all experiences of the waking state are transient – they come and go.

    123rd verse: “All pramanas – knower, knowledge, process of knowing – disappear in Sushupti. When we come out of Sushupti, we recollect the experience by saying: “I did not know anything.”
    Mind gets complete rest only in Sushupti, as we withdraw ourselves into ourselves. All aspects of our personality remain in seed form in Sushupti. Even for animals such as lions, their violent tendencies remain in seed form during Sushupti. When they wake up, the causal form comes into effect.

    Samadhi or Nirvana has a lasting effect. In Sushupti, we don’t. In Sushupti, we just get a taste of the highest spiritual experience. This is the time when we get close to our spiritual home.
    124th verse: “The body, sense organs, pranas, mind, sense of egoism, sense objects, the entire universe – they all come under the category of anatman.”

    Anything that can be perceived is not Absolutely Real, from the Vedantic definition of Absolute

    Reality. It is only relatively real, not Absolutely Real.

    125th verse: “Whatever you see in this world is the effect of Maya.”

    This ends the discussion on the 5th question: “What is anatman?”

    In the text, the teacher will next address the 6th question: “What is the supreme Atman?”
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  • Vivekachudamani 23 Characteristics of a Sattvic Person - By Swami Tattwamayananda
    Oct 10 2025
    The 120th verse describes someone whom we consider a cultured human being in the world. Sattva is the dominant guna within him. He has some rajo-guna and very little tamo-guna.

    The person endowed with highest level of sattva guna is contemplative in nature. A normal cultured human being endowed with sattva guna will have a mix of rajo-guna that helps him be active.

    The 7th-11th verses of 13th chapter of Gita describe the characteristics of such a person. These characteristics are: (1) Humility – not being too proud of oneself (2) Not pretentious – respects others but does not demand respect from them (3) Non-violence in thoughts, words and deeds, as he instinctively feels spiritual affinity with entire creation (4) Forbearance (5) Uprightness (6) Service mindedness (7) Mental purity (8) Steadiness (9) Self-control – the spiritual energy from his noble actions gives him steadiness and self-control (10) Sense of renunciation towards sense pleasures (11) Absence of egoism (12) Ability to look upon birth, death, sickness and old age as imperfections of this empirical life. (13) Non-attachment (14) Not being obsessively attached to near and dear ones (15) Equanimity of mind in happiness and unhappiness (16) Constant, unwavering devotion to the spiritual ideal (17) Inclination for solitary places (18) Aversion to mundane society (19) Constant reflection of spiritual knowledge (20) Realizing the ultimate purpose of knowledge.

    The 10th verse of the 13th chapter of Gita expounds the idea that the highest devotion, unwavering dedication to one spiritual ideal, is the same as highest knowledge.

    Shankaracharya says that in spiritual literature, whenever a list of characteristics of a spiritually enlightened person is provided, there is only one purpose. These characteristics constitute the road by which we should travel to reach the goal that the enlightened person has reached.

    The 120th verse says that such a person is established in yamas, niyamas, shraddha, bhakti and Sadhana Chatushtaya Sampatti.

    The 121st verse states that such a person enjoys chitta-prasada, inner serenity. He has successfully turned his mind into a friend.

    Sattva guna refines our energy, activities, emotions and desires. It gives a higher purpose in life.
    If we don’t have sattva guna, mind develops non-spiritual qualities. Sattva guna can be developed by practicing yamas and niyamas (yoga philosophy) or navadha bhakti (bhakti tradition). Noble, unselfish deeds also produce spiritual energy.

    Shankaracharya emphasizes the importance of tenacity and steadiness in spiritual life in the 326th verse. “Imagine a child playing with a ball at the top of a staircase. If the ball falls, it does not stop until it reaches the bottom. Similarly, in spiritual life, we should be very vigilant not to make mistakes.”

    In the 126th and 127th verses, the teacher begins to answer the sixth question “What is the supreme Atman?” The absolute reality remains as the supreme witness in all three states of awareness – waking state, dream state and deep sleep state.

    There is a difference between non-mind (amani-bhava) and deep sleep. In amani-bhava, we transcend the mind and all three states of awareness. In deep sleep, the mind is there but benumbed. One does not come out of deep sleep transformed into a saint.
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  • Vivekachudamani 22 Sattva Guna - By Swami Tattwamayananda
    Oct 2 2025
    Rajo guna and tamo guna are considered to be levels where we are not aware of our true nature. Tamo guna conceals the truth, Rajo guna projects a false idea.

    Under the control of rajo guna, we are driven by activity, desire and ambition, which can lead to restlessness. We swing between experiences of success and failure.

    The 117th verse explains Sattva guna. It implies spiritual level headedness. A person endowed with sattva guna does his actions but is not affected by success or failure.

    The verse says that sattva guna is pure like water. It frees us from the cycle of samsara. Rajo-guna and tamo-guna keep us caught in the cycle of samsara. Every action leaves a residual effect (vritti) in our mental system. Many identical vrittis – from similar, repeated actions – solidify a distinct memory block called Samskara. Samskaras express through our determination to act in a certain manner which leads to further actions. This wheel continues across life cycles.

    Our true nature is beyond the three gunas but it is nearest to sattva-guna. We have to evolve from tamo-guna to rajo-guna to sattva-guna. Sattva-guna can be developed through karma-yoga. Noble, unselfish actions generate spiritual assets. Bhakti, towards a God of all humanity, also develops sattva-guna.

    Gunas can be detected through people’s interaction with others. Bhartrhari, a philosopher from India, classifies humans into four types:
    1. Those who are endowed with sattva guna. They give up their own interests and try to help others.
    2. Those who are somewhat sattvic. They take care of their own interests first and then help others.
    3. Those who are like demons in human shape. Every action of theirs is to exploit others.
    4. Those who are of the lowest type and always want to harm others.

    Bhartrhari gives another example from nature. When the sun rises in the east, lotus flowers begin to blossom. Some other flowers blossom when the moon rises. It is the innate nature of clous to bless the world with rain. Similarly, a person endowed with sattva guna, by his innate nature, is engaged in doing good for others.

    Shankaracharya offers a strong warning in the 116th verse. A theoretical understanding of sattva-guna is not enough. We have to stay alert and vigilant. He says: “Even one who is intellectually advanced, who knows scriptures, who understands the subtle truths and who is convinced of his learning – even such a person is caught by the crocodile of tamo-guna and looks upon the unreal as the real and the real and unreal.”

    Shankaracharya emphasizes the importance of tenacity and steadiness in spiritual life in the 326th verse. “Imagine a child playing with a ball at the top of a staircase. If the ball falls, it does not stop until it reaches the bottom. Similarly, in spiritual life, we should be very vigilant not to make mistakes.”

    The mind is constantly dragged by the senses towards sense objects – some good and some toxic. Sattva-guna works as an internal filtering mechanism and filters out toxic materials.

    In the 78th verse, Shankaracharya uses examples from the animal kingdom to explain how one reaches destruction when guided by the senses - Deer (sense of hearing), Elephant (sense of touch). Moth (sense of seeing), Fish (sense of taste), Bee (sense of smell). Each of these creatures reaches death as they are guided by one of their senses. What to speak of humans who have five senses active all the time. If these senses are left unrestrained, they lead to spiritual death.

    Only way to live free from the dangers of the world, to live with contentment within and with harmony outside, is to develop sattva-guna.

    Nirguna, also known as Triguna-atita, is a state where one transcends the three gunas. Sattva-guna is the door to this highest level. Enlightened beings reach this highest level but operate in the world at the level of sattva guna. They can never descend below sattva guna.
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  • Vivekachudamani 21 Recap of Previous Classes and Verses - By Swami Tattwamayananda
    Sep 19 2025
    Title: Recap of Previous Classes and Verses

    Vivekachudamani is one of the introductory texts on Vedanta – it focuses on the natural urge of any human being in search of the truth. It has 584 verses. Its author is Shankaracharya.

    The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman?

    The teacher starts by answering the 5th question first: “What is anatman?” The Absolute Reality cannot be defined. If we can understand and remove all that is not the Absolute Reality, what remains is the Absolute Reality. This is why the 5th question is addressed first.

    The teacher addresses this question by discussing different sarira (body). There are three sariras: Sthula sarira (gross body), sukhshma sarira (subtle body, the personality behind the gross body) and karana sarira (lack of understanding of our true nature). All of these are non-eternal – they come and go.

    Karana-sarira is the actual cause of bondage. We forget our true nature (ignorant) and mistakenly identify ourselves with the physical body. It is called Avidya or Maya.

    110th verse describes Maya. We feel it to be real when we are within it. We understand that it is not the Absolute Reality, when we go beyond it.

    In the statement “Brahma Satyam, Jagad Mitha”, the first part (Brahma Satyam ) describes the highest idea of God. The second part describes the world. It is neither absolutely real, nor is it absolutely unreal. It is only relatively real. This world of name and form is the creation of Maya.

    111th verse: Maya is not “sat” not “asat” nor a combination of sat and asat. Maya is neither different from Brahman, nor non-different from Brahman, nor a combination of difference and non-difference.

    Maya is neither endowed with parts nor devoid of parts, nor a combination of the two. All of us experience Maya in our everyday life. It is beyond logical comprehension, cannot be explained in words or cognized with the mind, and is a great wonder.

    113th verse: Maya functions at the level of three gunas: Sattva guna, Rajo guna and Tamo guna. Tamo guna functions as Avarana or concealment. Rajo guna functions as Vikshepa or false projection. Sattva guna functions in the form of our natural interest to explore higher truth.

    Sri Ramakrishna describes the three gunas with the story of three thieves. Three thieves ambush a traveler in a forest. The thief representing Tamo guna says: “Let’s kill him and take all his belongings.” The second thief representing Rajo guna says: “Let’s give him some blows and bind him to a tree.” The thief representing Sattva guna takes the traveler to the road and shows him the way to the village.

    The sattvic aspect of Maya is called Jnana-shakti. It helps us take us beyond Maya.

    114th and 115th verses: Maya operates with two powers: Avarana-shakti, which conceals the reality and Vikshepa-shakti, which projects something false. Avarana-shakti is the cause of Vikshepa-shakti . These two together keep us bound to the world. The 115th verse describes concealment and the 114th verse describes false projection.

    116th verse: “Even one who is intellectually advanced, who knows scriptures, who understands the subtle truths and who is convinced of his learning – even such a person is caught by the crocodile of Maya and looks upon the unreal as the real and the real and unreal.”
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