Annamaya Kosha, the Food Sheath is made of food, represents the Sthula Sharira (gross body) consisting of skin, blood, flesh, bones, etc. The Vedic texts call them as Saptha Dhatu meaning Seven Tissues. They are Rasa (lymph), Raktha (blood), Mamsa (muscles), Medas (fat), Asti (bone), Majja (bone marrow) and Shukra (seminal fluid).
Annamaya Kosha is the first of the Pancha Kosha (five sheaths) and is the outermost sheath which is nothing but our physical or gross body.
“Anna” means food and “maya” means pervaded. The gross body pervaded by the modifications of food is made of Pancha Bhootas (five elements) and undergoes Shad Vikara (six transformations) namely:
- Asti (Existence) – formation of the fetus in a mother’s womb.
- Jayate (Born) – the arrival of the baby into the world.
- Vardhate (Growth) – the body grows being nourished by the food.
- Viparnamate (Matures) – the body matures into adolescence, youth and attains its peak vitality.
- Apakshiyate (Decays) – as the body ages, the decay sets in causing a reduction in its strength.
- Vinashyati (Death) – finally the body disintegrates and merges back into the Pancha Bhootas (five elements) at the time of death.
Whenever we say “I am tall”, “I am an engineer”, “I am son of so and so”, etc., we are referring to the Annamaya Kosha. The first sentence directly referred to the body. The second one referred to the profession done using the body (and the mind). The third sentence referred to the bodily relationship.
When we use our name, it is nothing but a label given to the body for the purpose of identification and transaction.
We wrongly identify "I" with the body which is made up of food. The wheat is not me, the flour is not me, the bread is not me, but then once it is eaten how could it become me?
The enquiry helps us to understand that we need not over-identify ourselves with the body and our name which is a label given to the body.
We need to take good care of the body which is the temple that houses the Self, Atman and we should use the body to perform useful and helpful actions.
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