WITNESS-CONSCIOUSNESS

Brahmān (Eternal or Supreme Being, or Ultimate Reality) is Original, Eternal Existence-Consciousness-Bliss (Sat-Chit-Anānd). In His original role, He is a silent Witness and Consciousness. He has been in that state since eternity and will remain so for infinity. The only difference from the mortal being is that the Supreme Being is a silent witness to all that has happened, is happening, and will happen, and in doing so, He is very aware and conscious of the events and developments.  It is because He pervades every being, transcendent, immanent, omnipotent, and omniscient, to ascribe a few from a limitless infinite. While in creation, Purusha (Consciousness, Spirit or Enjoyer) in conjuction with Prakriti (material nature), creates the cosmos in its manifold dimensions. The Prakriti does not manifest singlularly; rather, it moves in concomitance with three gunas, or modes or qualities: sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance). Purusha, through involvement with Prakriti, tries to relish the gunas and, by doing so, gets entangled in the relishment. The Srimad Bhagavad Gita aphoristically states that Brahmān (Supreme Being or Supreme Self) is the Supreme Goal of all beings. He is also their Sustainer, Master, Witness, Abode, Shelter, and Friend. He is the Origin, End, and Resting Place of creation, and the Repository and Eternal Seed.

 gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣhī nivāsaḥ śharaṇaṁ suhṛit

prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaṁ nidhānaṁ bījam avyayam

In this passage of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, the Supreme Being manifests His potencies in various dimensions and signifies the all-pervading dimensions of God. The all-pervading dimensions, according to Swami Krishnanda, are that He is the final resort of all people. Everything finally comes to Him. He is the ultimate destination, the final abode, the final resort, the succour, the home, and the resting place of everybody. He is the supporter, the sustainer, and the nourisher of all beings. He is the overlord of all beings, and none is equal to Him. He is the witness and yet not involved in any activity of creation, notwithstanding the fact that nothing can move without Him. Everything proceeds from Him. Everything is dissolved in Him. Everything rests in Him. He is the very root of all things, the essential seed of creation, and He is the imperishable one.

1. Outline

Our problems in Samsāra (birth and death) are ignorance veils, says Drg Drsya Viveka. It highlights that Sakshi (Witness) Inside and Existence outside are one and the same, Brahmān.

The Paramātmā, the Supreme Personality, seated beside the individual soul, by virtue of its akshara and eternal reality, is the witness of the individual soul's activities and is the source of consciousness. The Supreme Bing gives the jiva (living being)an opportunity to act freely, and He witnesses his activities.

On the other hand, the material body or object is kshara and subject to birth, growth, and decay. According to Swami Sivananda, there are six Bhava-Vikaras or modifications of the body: Asti (existence), Jayate (birth), Vardhate (growth), Viparinamate (change), Apakshiyate (decay), and Vinasyati (death).

 Witness (Sākshi) and Consciousness (chaitanyaḥ) are in relation to Brahmān, the Supreme Being or Ultimate Existence. He pervades every realm and dimension, from microcosm to macrocosm. He, as witnesses and consciousness, is beyond attachment, involvement, time, space, experience, and experiencing the cosmos. He is a witness and conscious of all that has happened, that is happening, and that will happen in thought, action, and deeds without ever being interfered with or affected. The Srimad Bhagavad Gita aptly describes this as everywhere being His hands and feet, eyes, heads, and faces. His ears too are in all places, for He pervades everything in the universe.

sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat sarvato ’kṣhi-śhiro-mukham

sarvataḥ śhrutimal loke sarvam āvṛitya tiṣhṭhati

In Adi Shankaracharya’s description, Brahmān, as a silent witness and consciousness, is not an object and is beyond the description of any finite creature. He is all-full, infinite, changeless, self-existent, self-delight, self-knowledge, and self-bliss. He is Svarupa, essence. He is the essence of the knower, the Drashtā (seer), Turiya (transcendent), Silent Witness (sakshi), and Chaitanyah (consciousness). Brahmān is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirākara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal, and Akartā (non-agent). He is above all needs and desires. He is always the witnessing subject, beyond the distinction of substance and attributes. He is beyond the reach of the senses—non-dual, one without a second. He has no one beside Him. He is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahmān cannot be described because description implies distinction. Brahmān cannot be distinguished from anyone other than Him. Sat-Chit-Anānda constitutes the very essence, or Svarupa, of Brahmān, not just His attributes.

In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna emphatically declares that the Supreme Being as Paramātmā dwells in every being as the Witness, the Permitter, the Supporter, the Transcendental Enjoyer, and the ultimate Controller.

puruṣhaḥ prakṛiti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛiti-jān guṇān

kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

upadraṣhṭānumantā cha bhartā bhoktā maheśhvaraḥ

paramātmeti chāpy ukto dehe ’smin puruṣhaḥ paraḥ

(The Bhagavad Gita with the Commentary of Sri Sankaracharya; Translated from the original Sanskrit into English, By Alladi Mahadeva Sastry, Madras, 7^th Edition, 1977, pp359-360)

 Purusha that is situated in or lodged in Prakriti appears to appreciate Prakriti's attributes. Purusha enjoys three modes of Prakriti by interacting with them. The ātman (soul, self, or spirit), considering the body to be the self, energises it into activity that is intended to enjoy body-mind-intellect pleasures. The ātman pursues enjoyment of the three modes (gunas) of virtue, passion, and ignorance while being unaware of the transience of the body-mind-intellect complex. The ego is what causes the body, mind, and intellect to identify as the doer and the enjoyer of such combinations. All actions are carried out by the body-mind-intellect system, but the ātman (also known as the soul, self, or spirit) is nevertheless responsible for all of the outcomes that result from those actions. It is because the atman powers and directs the body-mind-intellect machinery, which functions as its agent. Consequently, the ātman accumulates the karmas for all activities performed by the body-mind-intellect system. This stockpile of karmas, accumulated from innumerable past lives, causes atman’s repeated birth in superior and inferior wombs. Attachment to the Gunas due to ignorance caused by previous Karma is the cause of the birth of jiva (living beings) in good and evil wombs. Paramātmā (the eternal being or supreme soul) in the body is also called the witness, the guide, the supporter, the enjoyer, and the Supreme Self. Within the body also resides the Supreme Lord. He is said to be the Witness, the Permitter, the Supporter, the Transcendental Enjoyer, the ultimate Controller, and the Paramātmā (Supreme Soul).

 2. Scriptures

The scriptures in the Sanātana Dharmic (eternal order and righteousness) tradition are prolific on the witness and consciousness aspects of Brahmān. Drg Drsya Viveka asserts the self-luminous character of the self-witness-onsciousness of the Brahmān. "When form is the object of observation, or drshyam, then the eye is the observer, or drk; when the eye is the object of observation, then the mind is the observer; when the pulsations of the mind are the objects of observation, then Sākshi, or the Witnessing Self, is the real observer; and it is always the observer, and, being self-luminous, can never be the object of observation." When the notion and attachment that one is the physical body are dissolved and the Supreme Self is realised, wherever one goes, one experiences Samādhi. Sākshi inside and Existence outside are one and the same.

The non-dual and resplendent Lord is hidden in all beings, says Svetasvatara Upanishad, VI-11). All-pervading, the inmost Self of all creatures, the impeller to actions, abiding in all things, He is the Witness, the Animator and the Absolute, free from gunas (Svetasvatara Upanishad, VI-11)

He is the Eternal among the eternal, the Conscious among the conscious and though non-dual, fulfils the desires of many. He who has known Him, the luminous Lord, the Great Cause, to be realised by Knowledge (Sāmkhya) and yoga, is freed from all fetters. (Svetasvatara Upanishad, VI-13)

 The non-dual and resplendent Lord is hidden in all beings, says the Svetasvatara Upanishad (VI–11). All-pervading, the innermost Self of all creatures, the impeller to actions, abiding in all things, He is the Witness, the Animator, and the Absolute, free from gunas. (Svetasvatara Upanishad, VI-11).

He is the Eternal among the eternal, the Conscious among the conscious, and, though non-dual, fulfils the desires of many. He who has known Him, the luminous Lord, the Great Cause, to be realised by knowledge (Samkhya) and yoga, is freed from all fetters. (Svetasvatara Upanishad, VI-13)

 The Srimad Bhagavad Gita is quite aphoristic in describing and illustrating the witness and consciousness parts of the Ātman, Purush, or Self.

 nādatte kasyachit pāpaṁ na chaiva sukṛitaṁ vibhuḥ

ajñānenāvṛitaṁ jñānaṁ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ

The Bhagavad Gita says that the omnipresent God does not involve Himself in the sinful or virtuous deeds of anyone. The living entities are deluded because their inner knowledge is covered by ignorance. In ignorance, some souls do not even realise that they possess the freedom to choose their actions and hold God responsible for their mistakes. Others realise they possess free will, but they harbour the pride of doership in the egoistic notion of being the body. This is again a sign of ignorance.

bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava chārjuna

tānyahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa

The Gita describes God, as the ultimate reality, is a witness and conscious of all that has happened, is happening, and will happen. He is aware of everything.

adhibhūtaṁ kṣharo bhāvaḥ puruṣhaśh chādhidaivatam

adhiyajño ’ham evātra dehe deha-bhṛitāṁ vara

Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita declares, O best of the embodied souls, the physical manifestation that is constantly changing is called adhibhūta; the universal form of God, which presides over the celestial gods in this creation, is called Adhidaiva; I, who dwell in the heart of every living being, am called Adhiyajna, or the Lord of all sacrifices.

The soul is spoken of as invisible, inconceivable, and unchangeable. The material body is its opposite, says Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

The Upanishads also perspicuously elaborate on the self as the subject, witness and consciousness aspects.

The Prashna Upanishad states: eṣa hi draṣṭa spraṣṭā śrotā ghrātā rasayitā mantā boddhā kartā vijñānātmā puruṣaḥ । sa pare'kśara ātmani saṃpratiṣṭhate (4.9)[v3]. It is the atman that is the seer, toucher, hearer, smeller, taster, the thinker, the knower, the doer, the intelligent entity, Purusha. He becomes merged in the Supreme, undecaying Ātman.“

The self which has entered here, like the sun in the water, etc., with the attributes of enjoyer and doer; this is the seer, toucher, hearer, smeller, taster, thinker, knower, doer, the intelligent self (Vignana means the intellect being the instrument by which things are known). Here, it means, he who knows, i.e., the knower. Vignanatma, of the nature of knower. The meaning is that he is a knower by his nature. Purusha, because full of, i.e., subject to the conditions above described, i.e., the nature of effects and instruments. And he enters into the supreme undecaying Ātman, the supporter of the universe, as the reflected image of the sun, etc., in water enters into the sun, etc.

Swami Krishnananda, in his commentary on the Mundaka Upanishad, tersely says that the freedom of the individual consists in the vision of the Lord Supreme, Who is co-existent with it and, in fact, inseparable from it as its very Self. The realisation of Isvara is the same as the raising of the individual consciousness to the consciousness of Isvara. The Jiva ceases to exist the moment it realises Isvara. The glory of the real essence of the individual is known only when the veil covering it is removed. This is achieved through the realisation of God. The ultimate realisation is in the form of the identity of the Self with the Supreme Being. Here, the whole universe is realised to be the same as the essence of the spiritual infinite. This realisation puts an end to all kinds of imperfections and sorrows.

The Brahma Sūtra also states: jño’ta eva (2.3.18)[v4] “It is truly the soul that is the knower.” Again, the Brahma Sūtra states: kartā śhāstrārthavattvāt (2.3.33)[v5]. Brahmān is intelligent. Intelligence is its very nature, and is never altogether destroyed, not even in the state of deep sleep or swoon. Hence the intelligence of the Self is never lost under any condition. The soul is the doer of actions, and this is confirmed by the scriptures.

Similarly the Brihadāranyaka Upanishad declares that “yadvai tanna paśyati paśyanvai tanna paśyati, na hi draṣṭurdṛṣṭerviparilopo vidyate'vināśitvān | na tu taddvitīyamasti tato'nyadvibhaktaṃ yatpaśyet || 4.3.23 ||

That it does not see in that state is because, although seeing then, it does not see; for the vision of the witness can never be lost because it is immortal. But there is not a second thing separate from it that it can see. Self is a witness in the primary sense, as it has no other method of seeing. Therefore, we can only understand it as a witness in the primary sense, not otherwise. Just as the sun and the like reveal things through their constant, natural light and not through one produced for the time being, so is the self a witness through its eternal, natural intelligence, and that is its function as a witness in the primary sense, for there cannot be any other witness besides it. Therefore, there is not the least trace of self-contradiction in the statement that the vision of the witness is never lost.

3. Remarks

It is now clear from the declarations of scriptures and saints that atman is witness-conscious, transcendental, eternal, and pervades all dimensions and realms. Swami Sivananda, while responding to a question on how I can transcend the three bodies, categorically states that you identify yourself with the all-pervading Eternal Ātman. Stand as a witness (Sākshi) of all experiences. Know that the Ātman is always like a king—distinct from the body, organs, vital breaths, mind, intellect, ego, and Prakriti—the Witness of their attributes.

Ātman, as witness-consciousness, is never affected by any turbidity or morbidity. Swami Krishnananda explains that the sun that is reflected in the water appears to move as well. The sun's reflection in stable water appears to be stable, whereas in turbid water, the reflection looks to be turbid. However, the sun, which is what causes this reflection in the water, is actually unaffected. The sun does not tremble or turn murky. Likewise, this interaction between awareness and matter The sun does not tremble or turn murky. Similar to this, it appears as though there is delight and that there is an agent at work when consciousness comes into contact with matter (purusha with prakriti). Because it is delight in and of itself, Purusha cannot enjoy it, but Purusha's misery appears to be the result of its touch with Prakriti.

-Asutosh Satpathy