Nirvana Shatakam - Verse Two

Continuing where we left off, the second verse of the Nirvana Shatakam continues like the first one to describe how the Atman is far removed from the gross material body and all the elements that make all else that exists in the world, including the Jiva or the individual Soul - can not be used to define the eternal soul or the Atman or the Brahman or Shiva.

न च प्राणसंज्ञो न वै पञ्चवायुः
न वा सप्तधातुः न वा पञ्चकोशः ।
न वाक्पाणिपादं न चोपस्थपायु
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्

Literal translation : 

I am not the essential Prana, nor the five vital breaths 
Not the core material elements that make the body, 
Nor the five sheaths that every Jiva is made of
I am not the organs of actions not the object of the senses 
I am Shiva, the supreme consciousness and pure bliss / joy

In this verse, the author goes one step further to call out all the components found inside of a living being and picks up each aspect and tells us - you can't find me through this, or this does not make me. 

He first talks about Prana - the vital energy that flows through all of us enabling all bodily functions as well our mental faculties - without Prana we are just empty shells. Next, we are told about the five vital breaths or vayu (air/wind). There's many different kinds of winds inside the body, but Yoga divides the breath into five essential different categories, depending on the function they are performing or energies they are responsible for. These are prana, apana, samana, udana and vyana - between these 5 energies, the body is kept running and healthy. Any disturbance in any one of these, will cause physical as well as mental troubles. Yogis through their various practices strive to keep these vayus in check and in balance. You can read more about the pañcha vāyu in my post here.

Next, Adi Shankracharya speaks about the core material elements that make the Jiva and almost everything else that exists in the Cosmos - earth, water, fire, space/ether, wind. The Atman identifies with none of these.  Neither is the Divine made up of the seven tissues that build a body : rasa (plasma), rakta (blood), mamsa (muscle), medas (fat), asthi (bones), majja (marrow/nerve), and shukra (reproductive tissue). 

Then comes the five sheaths, a complex concept that deserves a post in it's own right. But very briefly, the human being is said to be divided into five (pancha) sheaths (koshas) - annamaya kosha (the physical body), manomaya kosha (the mental body) , pranamayakosha (the energy body), vignyanamaya kosha (the intellectual end extra sensory body) and anandamaya kosha (the bliss body).  The Divine is free of these sheaths and you can't bind the Brahman in any one of these or define his/her personality through these shells. 

Lastly he says, neither am i the five organs of action (speech, grasping, moving, procreation, excretion). Thus in this way the highest Brahman or Consciousness is not related to the gross body at all - in physical, internal or mental make up. The Jiva is dependent on many things for his/her survival, Adi Shankracharya by rejecting all of these above dimensions, is freeing the Supreme being from any of these restrictions or dependencies. 

I read a blog, long back which described how Annamaya Kosha makes the Jiva (human being) dependent on food for survival. Called the Stula Sharia (Gross Body) it's existence is always subjected to illness, death, disabilities etc. Similarly, the Pranamaya kosha is made up of the Pancha Vayus and the Karmendriyas (organs of action). The Manomaya Kosha comprises of the Manas and Jnanendriyas, The Vignyanamaya Kosha is made up of the Buddhi and the Jnanendriyas. Hence the Pranamaya and Vignyanamaya Kosha keep the Jiva attached to subtle limitations of fear, sorrow, illness - thus trapping it within the Suskshma Sharira (Subtle Body).  Lastly the Anandamaya Kosha represents the karmas and is the storehouse of all memories and karmas -and so the Jiva is limited by it's Karmas in this dimension, this is called the Karana Sharira (Casual Body)

Adi Shankracharya is thus  again ending the verse with " I am Supreme Consciousness (Shiva) and Bliss and Knowledge", freeing the Atman or Brahman from these bondages. A Jiva might identify themselves with the gross, subtle and casual body - but an enlightened soul or the Atman is free from all limitations, sheaths and bodies.