Chapter 9 - Description of the Body (deha-svarūpa-nirṇaya)

9.1 Nature of Human body.

Lord Śiva continued his teaching to Rāma, further on the nature of human body. The whole universe is born, sustained and merged in the Lord. He is both the Upādāna and Nimitta kāraṇa i.e. material cause and efficient cause. The Lord, the changeless Brahman sets about the act of creation only in association with nescience or avidyā which alone is called Abhijñāna Śākuntala māyā. Māyā is Lord’s power only and is the transfigurative cause ie. Vivarta-upādāna-kāraṇa and is undeterminable Abhijñāna Śākuntala real or unreal. It is not unreal because it appears Abhijñāna Śākuntala the world and it is not real because it is cancelled by right knowledge of Brahman. It consists of three qualities of sattva, rajas and tamas. Only a man transcending these qualities could claim to be a Brahma Jñāni.

9.2 Evolution Of human being.

Ākāśa originated from the Lord and from Akāśa, vāyu, from vāyu agni, from agni āpa, and from āpa, pṛthivī.^[1] cf. Taittirīya Upaniṣad —Brahmānanda Vallī—Lesson 1. These get intermixed through a process of Pañcīkaraṇa (quintuplication) and form the warp and woof of creation. From earth the plant kingdom and from plant kingdom food and from the food the human beings are evolved. From the food taken by the father the body with five sheaths are born. Thus tendons, bones and marrow are derived from the father. From the mother are born the skin, flesh and blood.

9.3 Past deeds govern.

Likes and dislikes, pleasure and pain, right and wrong, effort, knowledge, life span and sense organs, these factors are the results of one’s own past deeds or Prārabda Karma.

9.4 Antaḥkarana.

Human beings are endowed with the five sense organs and five organs of action. The function of the mind is both these put together. The internal organ (antaḥkarana) is four fold according to different functions Abhijñāna Śākuntala i, mind; ii, intellect; iii, egoity and iv, memory power.^[2] cf. Śrīśivagītātātparyaprakāśikā .

9.5 Prāṇas and upaprāṇās.

The body is identified with the soul that is the knower. That’s why; it has the qualities of hearing, speaking, acting, doing things with ease and determination. The five vital airs are Prāṇa, Apāna, Vyāna, Samāna and Udāna and the Upaprāṇas are Nāga, Kūrma, Kṛkala, Devadatta and Dhanañjaya. These allow man to perform vital functions.

9.6 Mind formed of food.

The food eaten by human beings^[3] is digested by the Jaṭhara fire becomes three fold. The most gross part of it turns into faeces. The medium becomes flesh. The last subtle part turns into mind. Hence, mind is constituted of food.

9.7 Vital airs from waters.

The grossest part^[4] of water taken in becomes urine. The medium becomes blood. The last subtle part turns into vital air. That is why vital air is of the nature of water.

9.8 Speech from fire.

From the grossest^[5] part of fire element, bones are produced. From medium part marrow and from subtle part speech arises. That is why the world is of the nature of fire, water and earth.

9.9 Fall of human life.

Lord Śiva, then, vividly narrates elemental humours, about bones, joints and formation of hair and concludes that people do not think of the sovereign means to liberation due to attachment to this body which is artificial and brittle, instead of taking revulsion towards the same. Due to this body attachement and sin of egoity the fall of human life is imminent. So, the wise should learn the nature of the body.

Thus ends the ninth chapter of Śiva-gītā.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vide Taittirīya Upaniṣad - Brahmanandavallī - Prathamonuvākaḥ

[2]:

Vide Śrīśivagītātātparyaprakāśikā p 33

[3]:

Vide Śiva Gītā IX-38

[4]:

Ibid IX-39

[5]:

Ibid IX-40