Tattva means to understand 'that, because tattva is "thatness." Tat means it's a demonstrative pronoun—there's something you can point to that exists. There are categories that are distinguishable, and when one relegates—that is, puts in the proper perspective—what the material body is, what its purpose is, and to whom it belongs, then one is properly situated. One should relegate his body to the illusory world through his reason. So, using our reason, we can understand that "I have nothing to do with my body. My body is part of the Mahatattva, just as all the elements that are in the world are in this body, but I am not of that." Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ means, "I have no connection with it." It’s not "part of my thing," as I used to say; "it’s not my bag, man." So, relegating the body to that position, and one who has successfully done that is described in the Gītā (BG 5.8-9): naiva kiñcit karomīti yukto manyeta tattva-vit paśyañ śṛṇvan spṛśañ jighrann aśnan gacchan svapañ śvasan pralapan visṛjan gṛhṇann unmiṣan nimiṣann api indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu vartanta iti dhārayan Such a person never considers this body and all its workings—whatever it's doing—as his own. All those words were about how the body is interacting with the material world: receiving, giving, opening, closing the eyes, evacuating. That person, naivakiñcit—not even a little bit; kiñcit means "something," and naiva kiñcit means na-eva kiñcit, "not even a tiny bit"—does he think, "Oh yeah, that's me." He thinks, "The body is acting, and I am aloof," therefore that is the proper relegation. The other relegation was expressed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to Sanātana Gosvāmī, who felt so unworthy of being in the presence—not just of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but of anybody in Jagannātha Purī—because he thought, "My body with this disease is so abominable; what to speak of me in general? If anybody like a pūjārī bumps into me, then I'll be cursed, I'll commit an offense, and Mahāprabhu is embracing me out of love, but my skin is full of oozing sores." Therefore, he thought in his mind, "When the Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā starts, I'll throw myself under the wheel in the presence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu." He didn't tell anybody; he just had that plan incubating in his mind. And then, when Mahāprabhu visited Haridāsa Ṭhākura, where Sanātana Gosvāmī was staying, He one day abruptly said, "I do not approve of your idea to commit suicide by jumping in." He said to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, "What is the character of this person? He has already surrendered his body to Me, and now he's thinking of destroying it. What do you think of that? "My Lord," Haridāsa replied, "we cannot ascertain what You intend or not unless You tell us." ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 https://vaisesikadasayatra.blogspot.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 https://thefourquestionsbook.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality
