Ignorance-Knowledge: 13

In Vedanta, vasana (desire) denotes a subtle mental tendency or seed of consciousness that manifests in future thoughts, desires, and actions as an imprint of past experiences and deeds upon the mind. The term derives from the root "vas"—meaning "to dwell" or "to remain"; thus, vasana signifies what "lingers" in the depths of the mind.

When any action, thought, or feeling is not entirely completed, a deep impression remains within the depths of our mind—that is, within the chitta. This invisible yet powerful mark is called 'samskara.' It resembles the memory trace of an incomplete or unexpressed experience that can influence our future behavior and perception. These samskaras exist in the dormant layers of the mind; though we may not always consciously sense them, their influence is far-reaching.

When these latent samskaras become reactivated by specific stimuli or circumstances, they awaken within us a powerful longing to attain something, to gain some experience, or to enjoy some particular object. This active form is known as 'vasana.' Vasana is an active expression of samskara that impels us toward action and drives us toward various goals.

For instance, if some unfulfilled childhood dream remains in the mind as a samskara, then later, at some point, the intense longing to fulfill that dream may manifest as a vasana. Samskara arises as a consequence of past experience, while vasana rushes toward the future, adding momentum and purpose to our lives.

Vedanta declares—vasana is the root cause of birth and death, for vasana is that subtle force which propels the individual from one birth to another, from one experience to another. As long as vasana persists, the wheel of life (samsara) does not cease its motion.

Vasana means desire, longing, or the craving to obtain something. But it is not merely a thought—it is a deep mental impression that remains in the chitta. Every experience, every desire leaves a subtle mark upon the chitta—these are the samskaras. And when new desires or cravings arise from those samskaras, that is vasana.

Thus vasana creates an invisible current that binds the soul to the bondage of body and birth. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4.4.5) expresses this truth in an unforgettable phrase—"Yatha kraturasmiti tatha bhavati. Yat karma kurute, tad abhisampadyate."

That is—as a person thinks and desires, so he becomes; as he acts, so he reaps. Here the word 'kratu' means 'deep intention' or 'vasana.' This vasana determines the path of consciousness. If there is vasana for wealth, the mind will be drawn in that direction; if there is vasana for liberation, the mind will turn toward knowledge.

Vasana or desire never perishes with the body, because it belongs not to the body but to the chitta or subtle body (mind-intellect-chitta-ego). Just as an iron fragment rushes toward a magnet under its pull, vasana draws the soul (which is actually detached consciousness) toward its preferred experiences. The soul itself wants nothing—it is pure and desireless; but when the soul becomes associated with the inert mind under the veil of ignorance, the vasanas accumulated in that mind cast their shadow upon the soul and drive the soul toward enjoyment and action.

The body perishes with death because it is the gross body—composed of the five gross elements (earth, water, fire, air, space). But the subtle body—composed of mind, intellect, chitta, and ego—does not perish with death. This subtle body assumes a gross body again in the next birth, and the driving force of this rebirth is vasana.

Just as when one scene of a play ends the actor leaves the stage, but if the play remains unfinished he returns for the next scene—similarly, when the soul has not fulfilled all its desires, it takes a new body after death under the compulsion of those incomplete desires, as if to perform the "next scene" of fulfilling those desires.

This is why the Upanishads say—"Yathakamo bhavati tat kraturbhavati, yat kraturbhavati tat karma kurute, yat karma kurute tad abhisampadyate." (Katha Upanishad, 2.6.2) That is—as a person desires, so he thinks; as he thinks, so he acts; and as he acts, so he reaps.

As long as vasana persists, the soul cannot be freed from the cycle of birth even after abandoning the gross body. When vasana grows faint, the tendency toward birth weakens, and when one becomes free of vasana, the soul is liberated—then it no longer assumes any body but finds rest in union with Brahman.

Thus vasana gives birth to action, action gives birth to consequences, and consequences again give birth to new vasana—thus is created the endless cycle that Vedanta calls samsara-bondage.

The Gita (15.7) clarifies this truth further—"Shariram yadavapnoti yachchapyutkramatishvarah, grihitaitanisanyogi vayurgandhanivasayat." That is, when the soul abandons one body and assumes another, it carries with it the vasanas and samskaras of previous births—just as the wind carries the fragrance of flowers, so the chitta carries its vasanas along.

These vasanas are the cause of rebirth. As long as vasana exists, the soul returns again, assuming a new body, sowing the seeds of new actions. The subtler the vasana, the subtler the birth; the deeper the vasana, the firmer the bondage. This statement is very subtle in meaning, yet profound.

The subtler the nature of desire or craving, the subtler the level at which its result or manifestation occurs; and the more powerfully or deeply a desire becomes embedded within the mind, the more firmly the soul remains bound by that desire.

Gross vasanas—such as wealth, sensual pleasure, fame, bodily comfort—the results of these desires also manifest in the gross world. To fulfill these desires, the soul assumes a gross body and gains worldly experience through the senses. But when vasana becomes subtle—such as the desire for knowledge, purification of being, or divine love—then birth too becomes subtle; as a result of such vasana, the body and mind taken in birth become purer, like the birth of sages, yogis, or spiritual seekers.

On the other hand, the deeper a vasana is rooted, the less easily it dissolves. Just as the deeper a tree's roots, the more effort it takes to uproot it. Similarly, vasanas deeply embedded in the mind—such as pride, bodily attachment, or lust—these repeatedly drag the soul into the cycle of birth and death.

Vedanta says—vasana is the seed of action, and action again creates new vasana. The deeper this cycle becomes, the stronger the bondage. If vasana is subtle, pure, and God-directed, then birth too occurs at subtle levels, such as in divine realms or on the path of knowledge. But if vasana is gross, selfish, and desire-laden, then birth too occurs in the gross world, where suffering, want, and unrest are intense.

Therefore, subtle vasana means higher-level desire—which leads the soul toward liberation; deep vasana means intense attachment—which throws the soul into the deep whirlpool of rebirth. When all vasana dissolves, only then does the soul become one with Brahman—then there is no more birth or death, only eternal peace. Thus it is said in the Upanishads—"Yada sarve pramuchyante kama ye'sya hridi shritah, atha martyo'mrito bhavati." (Katha Upanishad, 2.3.14)
 When all vasanas of the heart dissolve, only then does the mortal person attain immortality.

When in the light of knowledge the seeker sees—"all vasanas are temporary, all desires ultimately empty"—then his mind naturally renounces vasana. This is called vasanakshaya. In his commentary on the Brahma Sutras, Shankaracharya says—"Vasanakshaye brahmajnananodayah"—when vasana is exhausted, self-knowledge dawns. Vasana is the seed of birth; vasana is the cause of death; and the state free of vasana is liberation. Where there is nothing left to desire, there is no birth, no death—only unwavering peace, which is the nature of Brahman.

"Yada sarve pramuchyante kama ye'sya hridi shritah, atha martyo'mrito bhavati, atra brahma samashnute"—this verse is part of the Katha Upanishad (Second Chapter, Third Section, 14th mantra). It expresses the ultimate state of liberation in a concise yet profound manner.

Yama, explaining the true nature of death to Nachiketa, says—the person who has completely released all desires or vasanas dwelling in his heart, that is, whose heart retains no wishes, longings, aspirations, or impulses, only then does that person become immortal. Here "pramuchyante" means to tear away completely, to become free. When desires remain, the mind stays in motion; when the mind stays in motion, consciousness becomes limited. Therefore the dissolution of desire means the stillness of the chitta, where the soul remains unwavering in its true nature.

In this state, a person no longer remains "mortal"—that is, confined within the limits of body and death. Then he does not experience himself as body, mind, or senses; rather awakens as consciousness-nature, as Brahman-form. Thus the Upanishad says, "Atra brahma samashnute"—atra meaning, here itself, in this very embodied life, in this very consciousness, he realizes Brahman, abides as Brahman-form. Liberation is not some post-death event; it occurs within present consciousness, when the thread of desire is severed.

Shankaracharya in his commentary on this mantra explains—when all desires are completely destroyed, then the chitta too becomes quiet; the quieting of the chitta is the dawn of Brahman-realization. In this state, there remains no duality between a person's mind and consciousness; knowledge and existence become identical. Then "Aham brahmasmi" is directly revealed as truth.

Liberation is not some new attainment, but merely freedom from the sense of limitation born of desire. When no longing remains in the heart, the soul manifests naturally in its true nature. Then a person becomes immortal—that is, he becomes one with Brahman, because within him there remains no sense of separation, feeling of lack, or wanting and getting. This state itself is the sign of jivanmukti—where consciousness awakens in its own bliss, transcending the limits of desire and death.

In Vedanta, the signs of jivanmukti or marks of the liberated state are very clearly defined in various scriptures—the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Sutra commentaries, Ashtavakra Gita, Yoga Vasishta. In this state, a person remains completely free from the bondage of ignorance, desire, and karmic results even while embodied. Jivanmukti means such a culmination of knowledge where the soul remains established as Brahman even while embodied.

The Katha Upanishad (2.3.14) says—"Yada sarve pramuchyante kama ye'sya hridi shritah, atha martyo'mrito bhavati, atra brahma samashnute." That is, when all desires seated in the heart are completely destroyed, then even in mortality a person becomes immortal and enjoys Brahman in this very body. Here the first sign of jivanmukti is mentioned—freedom from desire. When desire is absent, the chitta becomes still, and when the chitta becomes still, the soul manifests in its true nature.

The second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Jnana Yoga, describes the characteristics of the sthitaprajna, which represents an elevated state of self-realization. Verses 2.55-2.57 elaborate this concept in detail, presenting the mental and spiritual identity of a jivanmukta person.