Panchadasi – Chapter 3 – Reference Notes – Volume 2

Introduction

Chapter 3 is titled “Pañca-Kośa Viveka Prakaraṇam” (Discrimination of the Five Sheaths). In the first 25 verses the text analysed the five sheaths (kośas) and established that they are not the Self. Verses 26-43 deepen the enquiry: they move from what the Self is not to what the Self is, clarify the Self’s nature beyond the sheaths and objects, discuss how the Self is known (or not known), and resolve subtle objections about knowledge, objecthood, limitation, and duality.  Click Here To Access more other text.

Benefits

Studying these verses (26-43) brings important benefits:

• A clearer understanding of the Self’s nature: beyond even the five sheaths, beyond objects, non-objectifiable.
• Clarity on how Self-knowledge differs from object-knowledge, inference, sense-knowledge — freeing the seeker from false methods.
• Insight into how the Self is ever-present, untouched by change, limitation and ignorance.
• Strengthening of conviction: the Self being beyond all opposites leads to steadiness and fearlessness.
• Preparation for living non-dual awareness: when the Self is truly known, the limitations of the sheaths, roles and identifications fall away. Click view PDF.

Verses 26-43: Bullet-point Summary

Here are the verses 26-43 in bullet form with short translation, meaning and a brief explanation.
(Based on class-notes for Chapter 3, Vol 2.)

Verse 26

• • Translation: “If you ask what sort of thing the Self is, it cannot be described as ‘this’ or ‘that’; so take it as your own real nature.”

  • Meaning: The Self is beyond all description.

  • Explanation: We cannot objectify the Self; not “this” nor “that”.

Verse 27

• • Translation: “That which the senses perceive is ‘like this’; that which is beyond the senses is ‘like that’. The Self cannot be an object of sense.”

  • Meaning: The Self is the subject, not an object.

  • Explanation: The Self is aware, not perceived.

Verse 28

• • Translation: “Though the Self cannot be made an object of knowledge, it is still directly felt; Existence-Consciousness-Infinity are present in it.”

  • Meaning: The Self is self-evident awareness.

  • Explanation: You do not need sense-proof for “I am”.

Verse 29

• • Translation: “If the witness were perishable, who would witness its perishability?”

  • Meaning: The witness (Self) must be eternal.

  • Explanation: Observing change implies an unchanging observer.

Verse 30

• • (Note: some numbering may vary)

  • Translation: “If you say nothing remains, then what you call ‘nothing’ is the Self itself.”

  • Meaning: The Self is what remains beyond all that passes.

  • Explanation: After negation of all else, only the Self remains. Click view PDF.

Verse 31

• • Translation: “Whatever is finite by name or form cannot be the infinite Self.”

  • Meaning: Self is not name-form limited.

  • Explanation: Names and forms change; Self doesn’t.

Verse 32

• • Translation: “Since the Self is unborn and free from change, it cannot be associated with birth or death.”

  • Meaning: Self is birthless, deathless.

  • Explanation: The Self persists while bodies come and go.

Verse 33

• • Translation: “The Self is present in all beings; by recognising this, the wise become free from the bonds.”

  • Meaning: Universal identity of Self.

  • Explanation: Realising “I-am-That” dissolves limitation.

Verse 34

• • Translation: “The Self is all, yet remains one; the manifold arises through adjuncts alone.”

  • Meaning: Oneness behind multiplicity.

  • Explanation: Distinctions are due to limiting adjuncts (upādhis).

Verse 35

• • Translation: “When names and forms vanish, the Self remains alone; the wise abide in that.”

  • Meaning: Beyond adjuncts you abide as Self.

  • Explanation: Meditation on absence of limitation. Click view PDF.

Verse 36

• • Translation: “Even though covered by the sheaths and adjuncts, the Self remains pure and untouched.”

  • Meaning: Self is unaffected by coverings.

  • Explanation: Like space within a pot remains space.

Verse 37

• • Translation: “Because of ignorance one imagines difference where none exists; when knowledge dawns, non-duality appears.”

  • Meaning: Ignorance creates apparent duality.

  • Explanation: Knowing removes cover of ignorance.

Verse 38

• • Translation: “Just as a man is only ‘father’ in relation to a son, so Brahman is only jīva or īśvara in relation to māyā or sheaths; in itself It is none of these.”

  • Meaning: Roles depend on relation.

  • Explanation: Remove relation, the role disappears.

Verse 39

• • Translation: “It is clear that name and form are not real in themselves, for they arise and pass; the Self is the substratum of all.”

  • Meaning: Name/form are impermanent, Self is enduring.

  • Explanation: Identification with name/form is mis-identification.

Verse 40

• • Translation: “Some hold the Self is atomic, some small, some medium, some large — such views are all wrong.”

  • Meaning: Erroneous theories about size of Self.

  • Explanation: Self is beyond spatial limitation. Click view PDF.

Verse 41

• • Translation: “Because of upādhis (limiting adjuncts), one is called jīva; because of māyā, one is called īśvara; remove adjuncts and only Self remains.”

  • Meaning: Self ≠ jīva or īśvara intrinsically.

  • Explanation: Upādhis create roles.

Verse 42

• • Translation: “As a man is neither father nor grandfather when viewed apart from son/grandson, so Brahman is neither īśvara nor jīva when viewed apart from māyā or the five sheaths.”

  • Meaning: Self beyond roles.

  • Explanation: Without adjuncts no roles exist.

Verse 43

• • Translation: “He who knows Brahman thus becomes Brahman. Brahman has no birth; hence he (the knower) is not born again.”

  • Meaning: Knowledge leads to identity with Self, ends rebirth.

  • Explanation: Liberation through right knowledge. Click view PDF.

Why Study

• Because this section deals with the non-objectifiable Self — a shift from examining layers (the “not-this”) to examining the nature of the One that remains.
• Because it resolves subtle philosophical obstacles: how can the Self be known, what is its relation to the sheaths, what is its size, what about difference between jīva/īśvara.
• Because it deepens your discriminative enquiry (viveka): moving beyond body/mind until only the Self remains.
• Because it strengthens your sense of security: realising “I am unborn, unlimited, witness” gives freedom from fear of death, change, limitation.
• Because this segment prepares you for the living realization of the Self — moving from knowledge to abiding identity. Click view PDF.

How to Study

• Śravaṇa (Listening/Reading): Read Verses 26-43 with translation and commentary (Volume 2 PDF). Focus on key terms: neti-neti, witness (sākṣī), upādhi, māyā, jīva, īśvara.

• Manana (Reflection): After each verse ask:

  1. In what way am I still treating the Self as object?

  2. What upādhis (limiting adjuncts) am I identifying with (body, mind, roles)?

  3. How does this verse challenge that identification?
     Write reflections in a journal. Click view PDF.

• Nididhyāsana (Meditative Assimilation): Sit 10-20 minutes focusing on phrases like: “I am the unborn, infinite witness beyond sheaths and adjuncts.” Whenever thoughts of “I am body”, “I am mind”, “I am limited” arise, observe and float back to the “I am”.

• Repetition Schedule:

  1. First reading: once thoroughly.

  2. Second reading: after ~1 week — deeper reflection on the nature of witness-Self vs object-self.

  3. Third reading: after ~1 month — observe shift in your identification and sense of limitation.

  4. Then: review weekly for next 3-6 months; thereafter monthly.

• Discussion / Teacher Support: Discuss tricky verses like 40-42 that deal with theories of the Self’s size and roles (jīva/ īśvara) — often these are confusing without guidance. Click view PDF.

• Daily Application:

  1. When you feel limited, small or separate → recall verses 32-33 and rest in “I am unlimited”.

  2. When you feel identified with role or label → recall verses 41-42 about upādhis and roles being relational.

  3. Use verse 43 as affirmation in your day: “Knowing Brahman, I become Brahman; I am free from rebirth.” Click view PDF.

Conclusion

Verses 26-43 of Chapter 3 mark the movement from structural analysis (the five sheaths) to deep ontological enquiry: what is the Self, how is it known, how do roles/identities arise, and what happens when knowledge dawns. When these verses are deeply assimilated, the seeker begins to live not simply with understanding, but with recognition: “I am not the body, mind or adjunct; I am the unborn, infinite witness.” This section thus acts as a bridge from differentiation to identity, preparing the ground for full non-dual realisation.