05. Who Am I Really? Atma, Three Bodies & Three States of Consciousness

Introduction: Who Am I Beyond This Physical Body?

Who am I?

Am I merely this physical body? Am I my thoughts, emotions and experiences? Or is there something deeper within me that remains unchanged throughout life?

These questions form the foundation of some of the most profound teachings of Vedanta and the Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

In Session 5 of our Bhagavad Gita series at Sambhasha | Divine Dialogues, we begin Chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga, by exploring the fundamental difference between Sharir (Body) and Atma (Self).

After witnessing Arjuna’s sorrow and confusion at the end of Chapter 1, we now enter the chapter where Bhagwan Shri Krishna begins revealing the spiritual knowledge necessary to understand life, death, Dharma and our true identity.

Before studying these teachings in greater depth, we explore two important foundational concepts of Vedanta: the three Sharirs and the three Avasthas.

Understanding these concepts helps us examine the relationship between our physical body, our inner experiences and the eternal Atma.

From Arjuna Vishada Yoga to Sankhya Yoga

Chapter 1 of the Bhagavad Gita is known as Arjuna Vishada Yoga, the Yoga of Arjuna’s Despair.

Standing on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna becomes overwhelmed by sorrow when he sees his relatives, teachers and loved ones prepared for war.

His emotional attachments create confusion about his responsibilities as a Kshatriya.

Unable to resolve this conflict, he lays down his Gandiva bow and refuses to fight.

Chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga, marks an important turning point.

Bhagwan Shri Krishna begins addressing Arjuna’s confusion through spiritual wisdom.

The discussion gradually moves beyond Arjuna’s immediate emotional distress towards fundamental questions concerning the Atma, the physical body, duty and the nature of existence.

To understand these teachings, we must first examine the difference between Sharir and Atma.

Sharir and Atma: Understanding the Fundamental Difference

In Vedantic philosophy, Sharir refers to the body, while Atma refers to the true Self.

The physical body is constantly changing.

From childhood to youth and old age, our appearance, physical strength and bodily abilities undergo continuous transformation.

The body experiences hunger, illness, comfort, discomfort and eventually death.

The Atma, however, is described in the Bhagavad Gita as eternal and distinct from the temporary physical body.

This distinction encourages us to question our ordinary understanding of identity.

We commonly identify ourselves through our names, appearances, relationships, possessions and personal experiences.

But are these changing aspects of our existence our ultimate identity?

Vedanta encourages us to examine this question through spiritual inquiry.

One important framework for understanding our embodied existence is the concept of the three Sharirs.

What Are the Three Sharirs in Vedanta?

Traditional Vedantic teachings describe three bodies:

Sthula Sharir: The Gross Body
Sukshma Sharir: The Subtle Body
Karana Sharir: The Causal Body

These three Sharirs represent different levels of embodied existence and experience.

Understanding their nature helps us distinguish between the changing aspects of our existence and the eternal Atma.

1. Sthula Sharir: The Gross Physical Body

Sthula Sharir (स्थूल शरीर) refers to the gross physical body.

This is the visible body through which we interact with the external world.

It includes our physical organs, bodily structures and the instruments through which we perform physical activities.

The Sthula Sharir undergoes birth, growth, ageing, illness and death.

It requires food, water, rest and physical care.

Through this body, we perform actions and experience the physical world.

However, Vedanta teaches that the physical body is temporary and should not be confused with our eternal identity.

The body changes throughout life, while the spiritual inquiry of Vedanta directs our attention towards the Self beyond these changes.

2. Sukshma Sharir: The Subtle Body

Sukshma Sharir (सूक्ष्म शरीर) refers to the subtle body.

In Vedantic analysis, it includes the subtle faculties associated with Prana, the senses, the mind, the intellect and inner mental functioning.

Through these faculties, we experience thoughts, emotions, desires, perceptions and mental activities.

Unlike the gross physical body, the Sukshma Sharir is not directly visible to our physical eyes.

Consider the experience of thinking about a person who is not physically present.

You may remember their face, recall a conversation or experience an emotion associated with them.

These activities do not require the person to be physically standing before you.

Such examples help us appreciate that our experience of life involves more than visible bodily activity.

The concept of Sukshma Sharir provides a philosophical framework for understanding these subtle aspects of individual experience.

3. Karana Sharir: The Causal Body

Karana Sharir (कारण शरीर) refers to the causal body.

In traditional Vedanta, it is associated with the deeper causal condition underlying individual experience.

It is commonly explained in relation to Avidya, or ignorance of the true nature of the Self.

The causal body is not a physical structure that can be observed through the senses.

Rather, it belongs to the Vedantic explanation of the conditions underlying the manifestation of the subtle and gross bodies.

The study of Karana Sharir helps introduce deeper questions concerning ignorance, individual existence and Self-knowledge.

Together, the Sthula, Sukshma and Karana Sharirs provide a framework for examining our embodied experience.

However, Vedanta distinguishes the Atma from all three bodies.

Why Is the Atma Different from the Three Sharirs?

The three Sharirs help explain different levels of our individual existence.

The gross body is associated with physical activities and experiences.

The subtle body is associated with mental and vital functions.

The causal body is associated with the deeper causal condition of individual experience.

Yet all three are distinguished from the Atma in Vedantic teaching.

The Atma is the true Self, understood as the conscious principle beyond identification with these bodies.

This distinction becomes essential for understanding the teachings of Bhagwan Shri Krishna in Sankhya Yoga.

Arjuna’s sorrow arises partly because he identifies individuals with their physical bodies and relationships.

Shri Krishna gradually directs his understanding towards the eternal nature of the Self.

What Are the Three Avasthas?

Alongside the three Sharirs, Vedanta discusses three important states of ordinary experience, known as the three Avasthas.

These are:

Jagrat Avastha: The Waking State
Swapna Avastha: The Dream State
Sushupti Avastha: The Deep Sleep State

We experience these states in everyday life.

Yet their philosophical significance is much deeper than the simple distinction between being awake and asleep.

Vedanta uses these states to examine the nature of experience and our identification with the body and mind.

1. Jagrat Avastha: The Waking State

Jagrat Avastha (जाग्रत अवस्था) refers to the waking state.

During this state, we experience the external world through our physical senses.

We see objects, hear sounds, interact with people and perform various activities.

We experience our surroundings through the gross physical body, together with the functioning of our subtle faculties.

For example, while reading a book, the eyes perceive the written words, while the mind and intellect participate in understanding their meaning.

Jagrat Avastha is the state in which our ordinary physical and worldly activities take place.

The Sthula Sharir is especially prominent in this experience.

2. Swapna Avastha: The Dream State

Swapna Avastha (स्वप्न अवस्था) refers to the dream state.

During dreams, we experience situations, people, places and emotions without directly interacting with the external world through our waking physical senses.

A person may dream of travelling to another city, meeting relatives or experiencing happiness and fear.

Yet the physical body remains asleep.

The experiences arise through mental activity.

In Vedantic analysis, the dream state is closely associated with the functioning of the subtle body.

This raises an important question.

If we can experience an entire world within a dream while the physical body remains asleep, what does this reveal about the relationship between the mind, experience and our sense of identity?

Vedanta encourages us to reflect upon such questions.

3. Sushupti Avastha: The Deep Sleep State

Sushupti Avastha (सुषुप्ति अवस्था) refers to the state of deep, dreamless sleep.

During deep sleep, we do not experience the external world in the ordinary waking manner.

We also do not experience the mental images and events associated with dreams.

The differentiated experiences of waking and dreaming are absent.

In traditional Vedantic analysis, Sushupti is associated with the causal condition of the individual.

The study of deep sleep introduces profound questions about consciousness, the absence of ordinary mental activity and the continuity of the Self.

These questions become important when examining the distinction between the Atma and the changing states of experience.

How Are the Three Sharirs Connected with the Three Avasthas?

The relationship between the three Sharirs and the three Avasthas is an important part of Vedantic study.

During Jagrat Avastha, we experience the external world through the physical body and the functioning of the subtle faculties.

During Swapna Avastha, the external physical senses are withdrawn from ordinary waking activity, while mental experiences continue.

During Sushupti Avastha, ordinary waking and dream experiences are absent, and Vedantic analysis associates this state with the causal condition.

These relationships help us understand how our experiences change across different states.

However, the central question remains:

Who is the true Self beyond these changing experiences?

The study of the three Sharirs and three Avasthas prepares us to examine this question more deeply.

How Do Our Experiences and Tendencies Change Across Different States?

Our experience of life is not identical in every state.

During the waking state, we respond to the external world through physical actions, thoughts and sensory experiences.

During the dream state, impressions and mental tendencies may appear as dream experiences without direct participation of the waking physical senses.

During deep sleep, these differentiated experiences are not manifest in the ordinary way.

This variation reveals the changing nature of our experiences.

The body and mind do not function identically in all three states.

Vedanta encourages us to examine these changes and distinguish them from the deeper nature of the Self.

This inquiry becomes an important foundation for spiritual knowledge.

What Is Sankhya Yoga in the Bhagavad Gita?

Chapter 2 of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita is traditionally known as Sankhya Yoga.

In the context of the Bhagavad Gita, Sankhya Yoga introduces profound teachings concerning spiritual knowledge, the eternal Atma, the temporary physical body and the importance of right understanding.

The chapter also develops essential teachings concerning Dharma, Karma and Buddhi Yoga.

The word Sankhya is associated with philosophical discrimination and knowledge, while Yoga refers to a disciplined spiritual path.

Within Chapter 2, Shri Krishna begins guiding Arjuna from emotional confusion towards spiritual understanding.

The knowledge of the Atma becomes an essential foundation for this transformation.

Understanding the true nature of the Self helps prepare us for Shri Krishna’s further teachings about duty, detachment and right action.

Why Does Shri Krishna Begin by Teaching About the Atma?

Arjuna’s emotional crisis arises from his attachment to his relatives, teachers and loved ones.

He fears the destruction of their physical bodies and the suffering that will follow the war.

Shri Krishna begins addressing this confusion by introducing a deeper understanding of existence.

The Bhagavad Gita explains that the physical body is temporary, while the Atma is eternal.

This distinction changes the way we examine life, death and identity.

It also prepares Arjuna to understand his responsibilities from a spiritual perspective rather than through emotional attachment alone.

The knowledge of the Atma therefore becomes one of the foundational teachings of Sankhya Yoga.

Why Is Understanding the Self Important for Spiritual Growth?

Most people identify themselves primarily with the physical body, personal relationships, thoughts and emotions.

We become concerned about changes in appearance, health, possessions and circumstances.

We also experience happiness and sorrow according to the events taking place around us.

Vedantic inquiry encourages us to look beyond these changing conditions.

Understanding the distinction between the body and the Atma can help us reflect more deeply on attachment, impermanence and the purpose of human life.

It also encourages us to examine our thoughts, emotions and experiences without assuming that they represent our ultimate identity.

This does not mean neglecting our physical body or worldly responsibilities.

Rather, spiritual understanding encourages us to perform our duties while developing a deeper awareness of the true Self.

Such knowledge forms an important foundation for understanding Dharma, Karma, detachment and liberation.

What Do We Explore in Session 5?

In this session of our Srimad Bhagavad Gita series, we explore the foundational concepts necessary for understanding Chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga.

We examine the distinction between Sharir and Atma and discuss the nature of the three bodies: Sthula, Sukshma and Karana Sharir.

We also study the three Avasthas: Jagrat, Swapna and Sushupti.

Through these concepts, we explore how our experiences differ across the waking, dream and deep sleep states.

We then introduce the meaning and significance of Sankhya Yoga and the opening teachings of Bhagwan Shri Krishna as He begins addressing Arjuna’s confusion.

These subjects prepare us for a deeper study of the eternal Atma and the spiritual wisdom revealed in Chapter 2.

Continue Your Bhagavad Gita Journey with Sambhasha

At Sambhasha | Divine Dialogues, our Srimad Bhagavad Gita series explores the teachings of Bhagwan Shri Krishna through simple explanations, practical examples and meaningful spiritual discussions.

In Session 5, we begin Chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga, by studying the three Sharirs, the three Avasthas and the fundamental distinction between the temporary body and the eternal Atma.

This session establishes the philosophical foundation for the deeper teachings that follow.

As we continue through Sankhya Yoga, we will explore Shri Krishna’s explanation of the Atma, the nature of life and death, Dharma, Karma and spiritual wisdom.