hich is transformed into the shape of a body.
It wraps up like a sheath and hence so called. It is the transformation
of food and wraps up the spirit like a sheath--it shows the spirit
which is infinite as finite, which is without the six changes, beginning
with birth as subject to those changes, which is without the three kinds
of pain* as liable to them. It conceals the spirit as the sheath
conceals the sword, the husk the grain, or the womb the fetus.

Q. What is the next sheath?

A. The combination of the five organs of action, and the five vital
airs form the Pranamaya sheath.

By the manifestation of prana, the spirit which is speechless appears as
the speaker, which is never the giver as the giver, which never moves as
in motion, which is devoid of hunger and thirst as hungry and thirsty.

Q. What is the third sheath?

A. It is the five (subtile) organs of sense (jnanendriya) and manas.

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* The three kinds of pain are:--

Adhibhautika, i.e., from external objects, e.g., from thieves,
wild animals, &c.

Adhidaivika, i.e., from elements, e.g., thunder, &c.

Adhyatmika, i.e., from within one's self, e.g., head-ache, &c.
See Sankhya Karika, Gaudapada's commentary on the opening Sloka.
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By the manifestation of this sheath (vikara) the spirit which is devoid
of doubt appears as doubting, devoid of grief and delusion as grieved
and deluded, devoid of sight as seeing.

Q. What is the Vijnanamaya sheath?

A. [The essence of] the five organs of sense form this sheath in
combination with buddhi.

Q. Why is this sheath called the jiva (personal ego), which by reason
of its thinking itself the actor, enjoyer, &c., goes to the other loka
and comes back to this?*

A. It wraps up and shows the spirit which never acts as the actor,
which never cognises as conscious, which has no concept of certainty as
being certain, which is never evil or inanimate as being both.

Q. What is the Anandamaya sheath?

A. It is the antahkarana, wherein ignorance predominates, and which
produces gratification, enjoyment, &c. It wraps up and shows the
spirit, which is void of desire, enjoyment and fruition, as having them,
which has no conditioned happiness as being possessed thereof.

Q. Why is the spirit said to be different from the three bodies?

A. That which is truth cannot be untruth, knowledge ignorance, bliss
misery, or vice versa.

Q. Why is it called the witness of the three states?