What is Panchakosha

The 2 word Pancha Kosha comes from Sanskrit. Pancha means five, while Kosha means covering. So the Pancha Kosha covers the five key elements of awareness, from outside to inside the body.

The concept has its origins in the Taittiriya Upanishad. This Sanskrit text has its roots in the Yajurveda and can be traced back to the Vedic era. The ancient science of Yoga says that our self or being has five layers. Each of these layers forms a “kosha,” or a sheath. These “koshas” are layers. They extend from the outermost layer of the physical body to the innermost layer of the spirit, which is the core. Let’s look into the five koshas in more details.

Annamaya Kosha or the Food Sheath

The body’s outermost layer that’s related to food is the “annamaya kosha.” We can see it and touch it. The five elements, namely, earth, water, fire, air, and space form this outermost “kosha” or layer. The food we digest forms the “annamaya kosha.” That is why it’s called the food sheath. Once we die, this layer goes back to its original form of food or other animals and plants.

This is the most basic of all the sheaths or layers. The pleasures the human body gains at this layer last only a short while. Yoga asanas help us go beyond the constraints imposed by this sheath.

Pranamaya Kosha or the Vital Sheath

The pranamaya kosha is known as the vital sheath. Ordinary mortals can’t see it, as it’s much finer than the more basic food sheath. Human beings express themselves through the pranamaya kosha and the more basic layer, the annamaya kosha. The pranamaya kosha is therefore the breath and the life that comes with breathing.

Our being alive and dead are separated by the pranamaya kosha. Prana brings us life, and its absence signals life ending, or death. The pranamaya kosha is closely tied with life and death. So its link with the annamaya kosha is very deep as well. The annamaya kosha falls apart as soon as prana leaves the body. In other words, we die.

The five pranas—prana, udana, vyana, samana, and apana form this layer of pranmaya kosha. These also create the five organs through which we perform actions. These are the “karmindriyas” or the mouth, the hands, the feet, the rectum, and the genitals. We nurture the pranamaya kosha with nutritious food. We also give it the other essentials of life, like sunlight and breath. Pranayama helps yogis move out of the confines of this layer or kosha.

Manomaya Kosha or the Mental Sheath

Manomaya kosha or the mental sheath forms the next layer. Along with the mind, the subconscious and the five organs of knowledge form this kosha or sheath. These five organs are called the jnana indriyas. They are the organs that help us feel sensations. These essential organs are the eyes, skin, nose, tongue, and ears. Our minds receive information through these five sense organs. These very organs are behind us feeling our desires.

Our thoughts, emotions, imaginations, feelings, and memories are embedded in our subconscious mind. They form the manomaya kosha. If we fail to control our minds, we may take destructive action that harms our wellbeing. To make ourselves strong, we need to follow the yamas and niyamas. We also need to practice selfless service, or karma yoga.

Vijnanamaya Kosha – The Intellectual Sheath

This is the layer of the intellect, even more refined than the mental sheath. We also refer to it as the knowledge sheath or the sheath of wisdom. This layer of wisdom gives us good sense and separates us humans from animals. Both man and animal have feelings, emotions, memories, and thoughts. But only man can tell right from wrong.

The vijnanamaya kosha also includes our egos. The ego makes us aware of our identities and makes us self centered. We can make this layer stronger through the pursuit of knowledge or jnana yoga. We have to understand our own selves through meditation and by studying scriptures and spiritual texts.

Anandamaya Kosha – The Bliss Sheath

This is the innermost layer, the final kosha or sheath. It is also the most refined of all the layers. This layer bears the vasanas or the desires our personalities nurture. It’s a manifestation of what our souls have experienced through the many rebirths.

It’s through this layer that we connect with the divine power. We remain trapped in the rebirth cycle until we successfully transcend this layer. Once we have attained that, we achieve self-realization, or the state of Samadhi. What lies beyond these five layers is our atma or the self. The anandamaya kosha does bring you close to the soul or the atma. Yet the atma still remains outside the five layers or koshas.

Knowledge of the pancha kosha helps in self realization. You make your way through the basic layers. As you reach the outer layers, you refine yourself and discover your real self.