SAT-CHIT-ANANDAM

SAT-CHIT-ANANDAM

According to Vedantins, Brahman is the ultimate Truth. There is nothing beyond that. Sankhya system starts their philosophy with Purusha and Prakrithy and visishtadwaida (a branch of Vedanta) claims Shriman Narayana as the Supreme. Adwaita vedantha accomodates both the above concepts of sankhya and visishtadwaida. Brahman is beyond explanation ; once we talk about Brahman we are bringing that Truth down to the level of Consciousness (bhodam) . The term Sat-chit-ananda is a popular one among vedantins to describe the nature of Brahman. As said supra, Brahman cannot be explained since the same is beyond explanation. This term Sat-chit-ananda can at best be applied to describe the nature of Consciousness. Consciousness is the life power in every animate beings. Even in inanimate beings like mountains and trees, which are stationary, Consciousness is dormant. There is growth for the trees and the mountains as well.

Sage Ramana says that we describe the Reality as 'Sat-chit-ananda' (existence, Consciousness and Bliss); Even this is not quite a correct description. It cannot really be described. There is a tamil saying: "urai atta thontai urai cheyyum oomarkal; karai attat thontai karai kanalogumo" conveying that our attempt to explain the Ultimat Truth is like the blaberings of a dumb man; How can we decide the boundary of that Truth which has no boundary at all.


Sat-chit-anandam is one unit. When shadowed by Maya, it appears as Asat-jadam-dukkam. Maya is anirvachaneeyam for the common man and there is no maya for the realised men. A lay man's attempt to explain Maya is similar to a man standing in darkness attempting to explain the darkness. When light enters there, darkness atomatically disappears. A man in complete darkness doesnt bother about that; a man in shadow observes a ray of light and he is inquisitive to find out its source.We, majority of us, belong to this second category and hence we do this tatwa-vicharam.


"I exist" - this declaration has come out of consciousness. Even the "I" can be removed and only Existence remains in its purity. This Existence is Sat. Similarly when sankalpas - concepts are wiped off from the chittam, it shines in its purity as "Chit"The synthesis of Sat and Chit brings in Anandam - Shanty. So from the Existence" I" should be removed and from the subsistence, sankalpas should be removed to experience Happiness.


Sage Ramana asks us to analyse "Who am I?" By analysing the same, all the conditionings will go away and finally,"I"would merge in Consciousness - Heart-- Consciousness, as termed by the Sage. He has put it in simple terms - "Mind; Heart Consciousness and Unmanifest". In the descending order - Unmanifest; Heart-- Consciousness; Mind. This is explained as Brahman; Consciousness and Prapancham The prapancham when individualised is 'anthakaranam' i.e. a unit of mind, intellect, chittam and ahamkaram.This anthakaranam only forms as a shadow and covers the Heart Consciousness resulting in our experiencing pleasure and pain instead of Happiness. We, the Pure Consciousness, are in the shadow of ahamkaram (phantom I) and chittam with sankalpas (concepts) To get rid of this shadow of concepts and ahamkaram, we have to depend on intellect which only sheds a ray of light from Consciousness. An intellect with determination can take us out of the shadow. Tatwa-vicharam, trust on the existence and development of satwa guna go a long way in this respect.


Consciousness is Existence; Consciousness is Bhodam; Consciousness is God; Consciousness is Brahman; Consciousness is Atman. The mahavakyas" Pragnanam Brahma; Ayamatma Brahma " convey this idea. "Satyam, Gnanam, Anandam Brahma" "Om Tatsat" and "Satyam Shivam and Sundaram" all these are derived from Sat-Chit-Anandam. Consciousness is conscious of itself. To believe "I exist", there need not be an outside agency to point out the same. Trust in ourTrue Existence is the Trust in God. "Come out of the shadow of egoism and sankalpas"' Live from moment to moment and be in Happiness".