The Gross Body

In the Vedic system, the process of the formation of the gross elements from the subtle parts of the elements is technically called Pañcikaraṇa.^[1] It consist in a compounding of the elements in correct proportions. The entire universe is consist of seven upper worlds (Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ, Mahaḥ, Janaḥ, Tapaḥ and Satyam) seven lower worlds (Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Rasātala, Talātala, Mahātala and Patāla) and all the gross bodies of all living beings. There is a cosmic deity who is called Virāt, who presides over the combined physical bodies of all beings. There is also the person, the individual who presides over each one of the bodies, called Viśva.^[2]

The antah karaṇa is situated within the body, and is made up of the sattva parts of the five rudimentary elements, and being extremely transparent, comes in to touch with the sense objects through the specific senses and assumes their forms. The interior part of the antah karana is the ego or the agent. The interviewing part has the action of knowledge also called Vṛtti-Jñāna. The third part, at the time of cognition is transformed in to the form of the sense objects, has the function of making them manifested in knowledge as its objects. Pure consciousness is one, it manifests the three different part of the antaḥ karaṇa in three different ways. As the cognizes (pramātṛ) cognitive operation (pramāṇa) and the cognition, or the percept (pramiti). In each of the three causes the reality is the part of the pure consciousness, and it expresses itself through the three different modifications of the antakaraṇa. The sense objects in themselves are but the veiled pure consciousness, Brahman as forming their substances.