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The word Anand in Sanskrit and other Indian languages (e.g. Hindi) translates to bliss. In vedanta philosophy there is a discussion of 5 koshas where the innermost kosha is Anandmaya kosha. So firstly why is this (Anandmaya) a separate 5th kosha? Isn't bliss also a state of mind (part of Manomaya kosha)?

Then the atman/ purush/saakshi resides within the panch-kosha as in the koshas are external to atman. This creates further confusion since atman is same is brahman which is sat-chit-ananada. Now is ananda in sachchidananda same or different from the anandmaya kosha?

Edit : My real query is about the understanding of the true meaning of word 'ananda'. The suggested links don't discuss that explicitly I think.

Dhiraj Madan
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  • Bliss isn't a state of mind. Infact bliss is the nature of Atman/Brahman as per advaita vedanta. When this Atman shines on the mind (or in other words, animates/enlivens the inert mind) it feels like that bliss is a state of mind, but actually it is the Atman who is reflecting its ananda properties on the inert mind. – The Crimson Universe May 30 '21 at 16:33
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  • Yes, Atman is same as Brahman. Its just that, the portion of Brahman which is residing within the 5 koshas is called Atman (or 'adhyatma' as Lord Krishna mentioned in Bhagavad Gita) ... Upon videha mukti (liberation on the death/destruction of the 5 koshas), the brahman within the koshas merges with the brahman outside, just like on the destruction of the pot, the air inside the pot merges with the air outside the pot. – The Crimson Universe May 30 '21 at 16:38
  • The reason the 5th kosha, is called anandamaya kosha is because its nearest to the blissful Atman. Since this anandamaya kosha is very thin, the ananda properties of Atman shines through this kosha. Due to this reason, when the meditating man looks inside and penetrates all the koshas one by one, in search of the Atman within, he comes across this final anandamaya kosha and mistakes it for the Atman, since this kosha borrows or absorbs the blissful properties of Atman ... – The Crimson Universe May 30 '21 at 17:11
  • ... But as Shankaracharya said, that even the anandamaya kosha is prone to destruction (upon videha mukti) and so it CANNOT be the Atman itself, no matter how blissful it might seem to the meditating man. The REAL blissful thing is the original saakshi Atman within the 5 koshas. That is the real you. Thou Art that. :) – The Crimson Universe May 30 '21 at 17:14
  • see https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/6758/where-does-a-soul-attach-to-the-body/6787#6787 and https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/10738/what-is-turiya-and-how-can-we-realize-it – Swami Vishwananda May 31 '21 at 10:53
  • Does this answer your question? What is Turiya and how can we realize it? – Swami Vishwananda May 31 '21 at 10:53
  • Both are same but different school of thoughts. Ananda is the state of Self, like experienced in deep sleep which is the immortal Self or Brahman, hence layman use word 'Sat Chid Ananda' to explain Brahman. Koshas are in body(actually in subtle body aka Atman) and therefore body rots after death i.e. Atman leaves body. Anandamaya kosha is the causal body. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Bodies_Doctrine . But this is all yogic path and need Guru to explain practically and part of Maya, better to study Upanishads and follow Gyan Marg if doing spirituality on own and using intellect. –  Jun 03 '21 at 17:57

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