Kevala Avastha

Kevala state of the self implies that it is not attached to any body or other evolutes like kala and other instruments of knowledge or actions etc. There is nothing but the bond of ignorance encircling the self. The self in this state is not able to perceive its own intelligence. Also it has no instruments of knowledge attached to it, thereby beingdisabled to pursue its own intelligence. Also it cannot sense the external world.^[1]

Umapati Shivam compares this state of the self to that of an eye that is wide open but immersed in darkness. The eye in this state can neither “see” nor understand nor does it know how to come out of the situation. Similarly, the self exists as though it is one with ignorance not willing to change it, nor knowing the way to get rid of it.^[2] State of kevala is akin to a lustrous jewel immersed in an ink bottle. The lustre of the jewel is totally obstructed by the ink but the former remains undestroyed.^[3] This state of the self being one with anavamala is explained by Umapati Shivam in Thiruvarutpayan.^[4] Umapati Shivam further describes the kevala state thus: the self is pervasive with anava and it is unaware that it is unassociated with the instruments of knowledge butis twined inseparably with anava .^[5] The author stresses the existence of anavamala with the self when it remains in kevalaavastha .