BRAHMAVALLI

                                                       THIRD ANUVAKA

                                           Annamaya Kosa---An Explanation

Mantra:   Anna dwai prajaha prajayante yakaschapruthuvigum srithaha……

Meaning:   The whole animate and inanimate, mobile and immobile creatures depending on the earth are all born from and fed by the ‘rasa’ quality of Annam (food).They thrive and live by Annam. After their growth and existence they again merge and lose themselves into the same Annam.

Annam preceded the birth of living beings. So it is the cause of all the beings filled with Annam. Therefore all people are born of Annam. They merge and disappear into Annam. Annam is the medicine for all the beings on earth. In other words, it is Annam that satisfies the hunger (jataragni) and quenches the thirst of living beings. Those who perform upasana on Anna Brahma are able to realize everything. All creatures are born out of Annam. Those that are born grow and thrive because of Annam. Annam is consumed by all creatures. All creatures eat Annam. Because of this it is called Annam.

There is an inward atma which is entirely different from the body formed by the effect of anna rasa.This is full of prana. This becomes full or complete with ‘pranamaya  atma.’ In short  because of this the anna rasamaya atma swells like a bag and is full. This pranamaya atma has the form of purasha or man as it has parts like the head,sides, middle, and the lower parts.

But pranamaya atma, by itself, does not have parts like the head and others as in the case of annamaya atma. According to the form of annamaya  atma, pranamaya  atma lies as the idol in the die. He has no shape of his own. In other words annamaya atma reaches fullness through pranamayakosa; this attains fullness through manomayakosa; this again obtains fullness through vignanamayakosa and this gains fullness through anandamayakosa.

                How Pranamaya Atma becomes Purusha:

(1)    The breath that  comes out of the face and the two nostrils is considered as the ‘head’

(2)The movement of vyana vayu----dakshinapaksha

(3)The movement of apana vayu (renal part)  uttarapaksha

(4)The movement of  samana vayu  in the centre better than the other movements—Akasa.

Earth holds this pranamaya atma –the body to itself. If it were not so the body may go up in air due to the movement of udana  vayu or collapse because of heavy weight.So Earth fixes the body or the pranamaya atma to itself and is called ‘puchcha’.

Pranamayakosa has no form of Purusha,no head or other parts but for the sake of upasana these partshave been created by the Sruthi.                                       

                                                                        OM THATH SATH.