Satchitananda

Saccidānanda or Sat-cit-ānanda (Sanskrit: सच्चिदानंद) is a compound of three Sanskrit words, Sat (सत्), Cit (चित्), and Ānanda (आनंद) (the ā is of longer vocal length), meaning existence, consciousness, and bliss respectively. The expression is used in yoga and other schools of Indian philosophy to describe the nature of Brahman as experienced by a fully liberated yogi. Orthography may differ depending on whether the word is treated in its compound form and therefore subject to sandhi: saccidānanda, or split into its elements: sat-cit-ananda, sac chid ananda, etc. The compound always sounds like: Sach-chid-ānanda, regardless of spelling.

Saccidānanda may be understood as the energetic state of non-duality, a manifestation of our spiritually natural, primordial and authentic state (compare nirmanakaya) which is comparable in quality to that of deity.

Various Hindu schools impart different realisations and understandings of this philosophical concept and are herein included respectfully to endeavour to draw a comprehensive view while honouring differences.

Saccidānanda is also a monastic name for a number of Hindu gurus, sadhus and ascetics of different Hindu philosophical schools and lineages: for example Swami Satchidananda.

Vaishnava philosophy

Main article: Vaishnavism

For the Vaishnava (devotee of Vishnu), saccidānanda is the energetic state of being on the Vaikuntha planets. The Vaikuntha planets are eternally spiritual planets residing in the spiritual sky or spiritual world.

Brahma Samhita

Sloka 5.1 of the Brahma Samhita states:

īśvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahah anādir ādir govindah sarva-kārana-kāranam

Krishna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.

Vedanta philosophy

The Vedantic philosophy understands saccidānanda as a synonym of the three fundamental attributes of Brahman (formless God).

Sri Aurobindo

Murphy (2000) writes that in Sri Aurobindo\'s evolutionary vision of the soul and the Universe (of which saccidānanda is the principal term), even though the soul is incarnate in maya and subject to space, matter and time, it maintains an ongoing and eternal oneness with saccidānanda or divinity. This incarnating aspect or dimension of the human being, the spirit-soul, or the \'psychic being\' or chaitya purusha, is the staple essence that reincarnates from life to life. This essence is of the energetic quality of saccidānanda.

Aurobindo holds that there exists a supreme power, the \'Supermind\', which is the first emanation from saccidānanda and can be brought into play through the practice of yoga to yoke life, mind and matter with sublime states of consciousness, being, delight and power and thereby manifest more of our inherent divinity.

Comparative and collective understanding of Saccidānanda

A yogic understanding of saccidānanda is when the nadis and chakras are completely open and the subtle prana energetic systems of the body are in balance. Alternatively, that is when Shiva and Shakti kundalini have established union and are grounded in the body of the practitioner.

In yoga, saccidānanda may happen fleetingly or for short periods and may also happen spontaneously. Many Hindu sects share the understanding that through dilligent practice of spiritual disciplines these short states may be lengthened, with the goal to reside perpetually within saccidānanda. Manifestations of abiding in saccidānanda may be referred to as: bliss or divine ecstacy (ananda), contentment (santosha), peace (shanti), satori, samadhi, or nirvana.

See also

• Shaivism

Notes

References

• Murphy, Michael (2000). Sri Aurobindo\'s Model of the Soul in \'Survival of Bodily Death: An Esalen Invitational Converence\', February 11 - 16, 2000. Source: http://www.esalenctr.org/display/confpage.cfm?confid=9&pageid=120&pgtype=1 (accessed: Monday January 8, 2007)
• Prabhupada, A.C. Bhaktivedanta (undated). Bhagavad-Gita As It Is (Complete Ediiton). New York: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

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