Elusive Consciousness

Author(s): Narendra Bhandari, Surendrasingh Pokharana, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Yogeshwarananda Saraswati says,
"This astral (subtle) body is devoid of nerves, veins, arteries; of flesh and bones, it is made up of extremely subtle vapor-like elements, it is even devoid of limbs, but pervades the whole physical body."
According to Indian psychology, this subtle body is constituted of Nineteen elements, namely; Five Senses of perception (of sound, touch, color, taste, and smell- Senses of cognition) Five_Senses of action (speech, Handling, foot movement, evacuation and generation) Four Internal Organs (mind (manas), intellect (buddhi), memory (chitta)and ego (ahamkar) & Five Subtle elements (Tanmatras). As further explained, this subtle body is one for each self. (STK-40). It is relatively permanent as opposed to the gross body which is perishable (STK39). Vascaspati says that,
"Because subtle body is devoid of experience, that is to say, because subtle body, by itself, is incapable of experience without the physical body, it migrates(STK-40),occupying one physical body after another. Kapila says. that subtle body composed of seventeen elements (ego and chitta are included in intellect as Vijnanabhikshu comments - SPB-3.9) is one (SS3.9), i.e. it is one and the same in every birth till emancipation. Thus, although subtle body is "permanent" (Nitya) in the sense that it does not quantitatively or materially change as the birth changes, it is one for one self which is eternal. That is every self is enveloped by one constant subtle body and different physical bodies in different births till the emancipation, which means the realization of the eternal blissful nature of self. Subtle body can also be said to be Mind which is not conscious but material in nature.
3. Causal Body:
According to Indian psychology, the subtle body accompanies the soul (self) in all its migrations. At the time of death, physical body dissolves but self, covered by the subtle body, migrates to assume another physical body according to the dispositions stored in Chitta or Causal Body which is structurally a part of subtle body only. This process of assuming one physical body after the other as per the dispositions of causal body, is known as 'Samsara' in Indian psychology which continues till the Self - realization occurs. Vacaspati says,
"Just as a dramatic actor playing different parts, acts like parasuram, or Yudhisthira or Vatsaraja, so does the subtle body, occupying various
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