THREE BODIES (Sharir Trayee)
The ancient sages revealed that human body has three manifestations. These three bodies are used for experiencing the outside world of objects in various states of consciousness. These three bodies are:
Sthool Sharir or Gross Body
The gross or physical body is made up of five elements: space, air, fire, water, earth; ten senses, the five vital airs (Paraanas), and four subtle inner faculties namely mind, intellect, consciousness, and egoity. The gross body consists of two kosh (sheeth)
- Annamaye Kosh or food sheath
- Pranamaye Kosh or vital-air. It is made of five elements: space, air, fire, water, earth. Through this gross body we contact the outer world to gather stimuli for our experiences.
Suksham Sharir or Subtle Body
Suksham Sharir or Subtle Body is constituted together by two Kosh
- Manomaye Kosh or mental sheath
- Vigyanmaye Kosa or intellectual sheath. It is made up of thoughts. In other words, the mind, the intellect, consciousness, egoity, and five elements.
Kaaran Sharir or Causal Body
As the name implies, the causal body is the cause of other two bodies.
- Anandamaye Kosh or bliss sheath constitutes the causal body. It consists of vasnas in unmanifest form. The causal body is the Maya attached to the Jiva . Due to ignorance, the Jiva remains attached to it, whereby, becomes separated from its true Self. To put it otherwise, our actions constitute the causal body.
- Sookham asthool sagal Bhgawaan - The auspicious Master is contained everywhere including Suksham and Sthool .