Talk:Saptajnanabhumika

By Swami Harshananda

Saptajñānabhumikā literally means ‘seven preparatory stages for attaining knowledge’.

The Varāha Upaniṣad describes seven bhumikās or preparatory stages for obtaining knowledge. They are as follows:

1. Subhecchā - It means sincere desire. This is the sincere desire that arises in the mind of a seeker, as a result of the study of the śāstras and company of the holy, to know his real nature.
2. Vicāranā - It means enquiry. The enquiry that leads the seeker to be inclined towards good conduct is vicāranā.
3. Tanumānas - It means attenuation of the mind. The first two stages when practiced well, make the mind, thin or attenuated. Such a mind will not get attached to sense-objects.
4. Sattvāpatti - It means attaining sattva. This is the state of being established, though indirectly, in the ātman, who is sattva. This is attained as a result of practicing the earlier three stages.
5. Asarhsakti - It means non-attachment. In this state the sādhaka is completely unattached to experiences that come in life whether good or bad.
6. Padarthabhāvana - It means becoming aware of objects through others. When the seeker reaches this state, he is not aware of padārthas or objects and has to be made aware of them by others. The reason is that his mind is always dwelling on his Self.
7. Turyagā - It means entering into the ‘fourth’, the ātman. In this final state, the seeker’s consciousness transcends all duality and is well-established in the ātman or the Self. It should be noted that each stage leads to the next, if practiced properly.

References

• The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore