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| Home > Hatha Yoga and our Body > Multilayered Human Body
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| | Multilayered Human Body
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 It will already have become clear from the above discussion that underlying the practice of hatha-yoga is a conception of the human body that is highly complex. It is also considerably at odds with the standard western materialist model.
Central to the yogic conception does the notion of the human being`s comprise a series of layers` of substance, from the `gross` and `external` through to the `subtle` and `internal`. The personality matrix is also described in terms of progressively rarefied `bodies` (Sariras) or `sheaths` (Kosas), a brief account of which is given below.
The notion of three bodily levels is described as:
The sthula-sharira is the gross external form, corresponding roughly to the physical body known to materialist science. This sharira is shed at the point of physical death, although the personality continues to exist, operating through the sukshma-sharira.
The sukshma sharira comprises an `inner` (Antahkaran) and an `outer` (Bahyakaran) instrument. Bahyakaran is the collective term for the five `sense capacities` (buddhindriya) plus five `action capacities` (karmendriya). This `subtle body` is capable of migrating from one Sthula-sharira to another, thus engendering the process of reincarnation, the world can only be experienced when both sthula- and sukshma-sharira are present.
The Karana-sharira or `causal body` is so-called because of its status as `the original embryo or source of the body`." It is not even remotely `body-like`, but may, rather, be equated with prakriti as the unmanifest potential for embodiment. It can also be called as mahat or buddhi, the initial evolutes of this unmanifest potentiality.
The verbal root of sharira is sri meaning "to fall apart", while `support or supporter`, is another possible source. Both roots are suggestive of secondariness. Each sharira is held to constitute a covering or form. In other words, its an upadhi that masks the true nature of the Self (atman), and must therefore be successively misidentified with.
The Second Model
 The second model of the multilayered human being which is also shared by Samkhya-Yoga and Vedanta, is known as pancha-kosa due to its distintinguishing five (pancha) `sheaths` or `coverings` (Kosha, which are said to overlay the atman like a sheath encases a sword.) Probably the earliest extent source of this doctrine is the Taittiriya-Upanishad wherein the human being is described as a conglomeration of five `selves`, each composed of a particular substance, principle or faculty. Each of these selves is characterised as an atman, although they should not be combined with the supreme parama atman, of which they are merely veils. In later texts the lesser` or `conditional` modes of self became known as koshas and are referred to respectively as:
(1) Annamaya-kosa
(2) Pranamaya-kosa.
(3) Manomaya-kosa.
(4) Vijnanamaya-kosa.
(5) Anandamaya-kosa.
Anna literally means `food`, but may be taken to refer to all the substances ingested for the maintenance and sustenance of the physical body, including the physical gas particles of the air. Maya means simply `made of` or `constituted by`; So the Annamaya-kosa is `the sheath constituted by food`, i.e. the `gross` physical body corresponding to the Sthula-sharira.
The Pranamaya-kosa is `the sheath constituted by prana`. The Anna- and prana-maya-koshas should be thought of as occupying the same bodily space and form, only the latter is of a more subtle nature, Prana, about which more will be said in the following chapter, is the `vitality` or life-force` that infuses the body, giving it life and maintaining its organic structure. This sheath, in combination with the following two, corresponds to the sukshma-Sharira.
The Manomaya-kosa is the `Manas-constituted sheath`. Manas being the lower mind`, the organizer of sense data and `caretaker` of memories. Manas forms a `sheath` around the Self in the sense that, by attributing mental activity to the Self, one obscures its true nature and becomes falsely identified as a `thinking thing`. The reality being that the Self is transcendent of all mental states and processes.
Vijnana denotes the higher operations of intellect, and has been variously translated as `wisdom`, `understanding`, `ideation`, `awareness`, etc. Taittiriya-Upanishad states that vijnana permeates the functions of Manas, and thus the vijnanamaya-kosa may be regarded as prior to the Manomaya-kosa as it is `closer` to the Self. It discriminates or `shift` the subjective from the objective reality; yet, since vijnana is not itself Purusha, it remains a mistaken medium of self-identity which is a thing to be cautious about.
Anandamaya-kosa is said to be contained `within` the vijnanamaya-kosa, and has `joy as the head, Contentment as right arm, and delight the left, Bliss is the heart, and Brahman the foundation.` While the term ananda often refers to the state of absolute bliss, which stands outside of conditional emotions, it may also signify a lesser mode of enjoyment. When self-identity is placed in the anandamaya-kosa, `the self, by nature devoid of the dichotomy of pain and pleasure, is mistaken to be happy or unhappy, suffering pain or enjoying pleasure.` Ananda sheath is actually the appearance of a limited ecstasy, existing only as the opposite pole of unhappiness. Taking up this viewpoint, the ananda sheath veils the true nature of the Self-which is entirely self-sufficient.
Beneath these coverings lies the source of all.
The principal purpose behind the bodily schematics of shariras and koshas is to specify various `spheres` or `loci` of misidentification. Rather than being pictured literally as so many kinds of `bodies` or `sheaths`, they are best regarded as qualities or faculties that are ordinarily falsely attributed to the Self, and which therefore tend to obscure the selves true nature.
In the process of yoga and systematic refining of one`s sense of self-identity that occurs through the successive `stages` of samadhi relieves the assiduous practitioner of all false conceptions of the Self.
"To `peel away` the sheaths that cover the Self like the layers of an onion: to allow the shariras to `fall away` or `disintegrate`, leaving only the true Self remaining in its absoluteness."
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