CHITTA

Chitta is a union of Chit (Cit or Chid = pure singular conscience owned by the aspect

Puruṣa) and Śakti (Energy or Vibration = a concept resulting in Prakṛti). Hence, Śiva is

addressed by the title “Chid:anandata rūpa Shivoham“, meaning He (Shivoham =

Auspicious) is the manifestation of Pure Bliss of the Supreme Singular

conscience/awareness which is me. Hence, one has to meditation on Viṣṇu (the

aspect of all pervasiveness) to realize the Nārāyaṇa (the one cumulative cosmic form)

such a realization will lead to a state called “Chid:anandata” (the pure blissful state)

which is Shivoham.

Chitta (Citta)

Chitta (Citta) is ‘THE’ support of all other aspects of antaḥkaraṇa. It is that cognizant

aspect of a being that is beyond any accumulated memory or senses. Hence, it doesn’t

reside in the physical brain, nor is it a product of the mind. It is an entity that

permeates the entire body, and also advances beyond the body after its dissolution.

Chitta is a union of Chit (Cit or Chid = pure singular conscience owned by the aspect

Puruṣa) and Śakti (Energy or Vibration = a concept resulting in Prakṛti). Hence, Śiva is

addressed by the title “Chid:anandata rūpa Shivoham“, meaning He (Shivoham =

Auspicious) is the manifestation of Pure Bliss of the Supreme Singular

conscience/awareness which is me. Hence, one has to meditation on Viṣṇu (the

aspect of all pervasiveness) to realize the Nārāyaṇa (the one cumulative cosmic form)

such a realization will lead to a state called “Chid:anandata” (the pure blissful state)

which is Shivoham. Maharśi Vaśiṣṭha in his Yoga explains to Śrī Ram as follows (the

word mind in the following refers to the psychological framework):

“O Rama, we see that there are holy ones who have overcome this! External objects

like space, etc., and psychological factors like ‘i’ etc., exist only in name. In reality

neither the objective universe, nor the perceiving self , nor perception as such, nor

void, nor inertness exists; only one is, cosmic consciousness (cit). In this it is the mind

that conjures up the diversity, diverse actions and experience, the notion of bondage

and the desire for liberation”

Śrī Śankaracharya says that chitta is what enables ‘Smarana’ (reminiscence of the

Supreme) in a being. He also says chitta in Yogadarshan is the bhūta:swarūpa (the

cumulative embodiment) of all the other three categories. Hence, chitta is de􀃨ned as

“Visaya:dyase yuktha cid:ātma tatva”. (Jagad Guru Shankaracharya Swami Shree.

2020)

The chitta’s reach and apprehension are not limited to the memory of the being nor

the limitation of the senses; it can perceive beyond the physical nature projected by

Prakṛti and so is not limited by a physical distance. Since the chitta shares a slice of

Prakṛti, the Guṇas (satva, rajas and tamas of Prakṛti) also occur within the chitta. The

Satva aspect of the chitta is the one that luminates the awareness of Puruṣa. Hence,

the Patanjali Yoga Sutra states that chitta is both consciousness and matter, meaning

a slice of both Prakṛti and Puruṣa, making the chitta function in this physical realm

with a link to consciousness. However, many misinterpret chitta only as matter

(Prakṛti), but one has to understand, for chitta to be a medium to consciousness, it has

to attribute Puruṣa as well. The means to reach this union with Puruṣa is called Yoga.

The other two Guṇas (Rajas and Tamas) allow it to operate within Prakṛti’s Shakti

(śakti). The cleansing of blemishes over the chitta are de􀃨ned with extraordinary

detail in the profound composition of Patanjali Yoga Sutra, translated by I.K Taimni in

the book, ‘The Science of Yoga’ as:

“Citta may be considered as a universal medium through which consciousness

functions on all the planes of the manifested universe”

“It is like an intangible screen which enables the Light of consciousness to be

projected in the manifested world”

“It is fundamentally of the nature of consciousness which is immaterial but a􀁷ected

by matter. In fact, it may be called a product of both, consciousness and matter, or

Purusa and Prakrti, the presence of both being necessary for its functioning”

The operational part of the chitta belongs to the physical body and so is limited to the

existence of the physical body, this is called Karyachita (Karya:chita). On the other

hand, the aspect of the chitta that permeates beyond the body (or a single life/jīva) is

called Karanachitta (Karana:chitta). The chitta’s Satva Guṇa is the aspect closest to

Puruṣa, so it requires one to unearth it from the dominance of Rajas and Tamo Guṇa.

These coverings that blemish the chitta are called chittavṛttis (chitta:vṛttis). A vṛtti

means some type of covering or a smokescreen that shields the chitta from its true

radiance. These vṛtti’s are categorized into 􀃨ve, they are:

Pramāṇa (factual basis or certainty),

Viparyaya (second-hand source, like belief),

Vikalpa (conscious fantasy or controlled daydreaming),

Smrti (subconscious memory leading to imagination or fantasy and tastes), and 􀃨nally

Nidra (temporary states of sleep and dream).

Both Pramāṇa and Viparyaya are outward and sensory bound, whereas the latter

three (Vikalpa, Smrti and Nidra) are imagination bound, and hence are a result of

mānas (from Manomāyā Kosha). So, if Chitta takes the highest stage in antaḥkaraṇa,

mānas takes the bottom-most stage. These vṛtti’s grasp the attention or awareness

of the conscience, diverting its focus from Chitta (pure awareness) to some blend of

memory – resulting in imagination and fantasy. Therefore Chitta is that aspect of

antaḥkaraṇa that is independent of any memory (even imagination or fantasy is some

mix of memory, one’s imagination is an over-exaggeration of memory). The

accumulation of memory as information or experience is to enlarge the boundary of

our memory bank; the larger the bank the more the buddhi has to traverse through it.

So, in a way, our comprehension of the world (world view) is bound by our memory.

Anything new we see, will be interpreted through the memory we already hold, so our

choices are at the mercy of what we can recollect. To see things in their true sense, is

to view without prejudice and discrimination, but our reasoning relies on our intellect,

which, in turn, relies on our memory. Even imagination and instincts are memory at

some level. Can we imagine an alien being? What we do is create something similar to

beings on this planet and diversify it with various combinations. Ashtanga:Yoga is a

means to overcome these a􀁃ictions caused by the lowest state (mānas) and

gradually rise above ahaṃkāra and 􀃨nally Buddhi. The process of cleansing the

blemishes over the chitta is called chittasuddhi (chitta:Shuddhi). The last limb of

Ashtanga Yoga called samādhi (Nirbija Samādhi) is where all the de􀃩ections of the

chitta are shed (dropped) to move past the in􀃩uence of Prakṛti, into the pure state of

awareness of reality, which is Puruṣa. Alongside Yoga, Vairagya is the second means

by which these chitta vṛttis can be overcome. Vairagya is to depart from one’s rāga

(like) and dveṣa (dislike), the root word of Vairagya is rāga. (I.K.Taimni. 1975.,

Shivashankar Rao. 2019., Jinasu 2. 2017., Jinasu 1. 2017., Jayaram. 2009)

It is through yoga that one has to unearth and touch the chitta, which is covered by

various other aspects of the antaḥkaraṇa. Hence, the sloka from Patanjali Yoga Sutra,

Chapter 1 Samadhi-Pada, Sloka 2 states:

yogas-citta-vrtti-nirodhah

योगि􀃦च􀃗तवृि􀃗त􀇓नरोधः

(I.K.Taimni. 1975)

Meaning, it is through Yoga (Ashtanga Yogam) that the coverings and de􀃩ections upon

the chitta (citta-vrtti) can be removed and avoided (nirodhah).

The root of chitta is Chit. Whereas Chit is pure awareness or absolute awareness (not

aware of something speci􀃨c), chitta is the awareness within an individual that is yet to

be touched or uncovered. A good analogy is a clear sky (Akasha) without any clouds;

this can be referred to as Chit or the singular conscience/awareness called

Chidakasha (Chid:akasha). But when an individual’s life/jīva fabricates shapes or

cross-sections in the sky (Akasha), focusing one’s awareness on this limited area of

the sky is called chitta; this is called Chidakasha (Chid:akasha). Say, if one forgets that

one has fabricated these shapes and boundaries in the sky and dwells in attachment

towards these boundaries, disregarding the sky as a whole, then this illusion is called

chitta:vartas. (Swami Venkatesananda. 1993)

Alongside Hinduism, from the Buddhist viewpoint, the chitta is a mental framework or

a cumulative mindset that manifests in thought, speech and actions. It is considered

as an object that is reached through meditation and is susceptible to blemishes like

attachments, delusions, uncertainty, hate, lust, greed and more. Hence, the chitta

needs to be cleansed of such impurities, resulting in a vision free from a􀁃ictions. This

state is known as the liberated state. (Citta Wikipedia. 2019)

In the literate compiled by Rishi Vaśiṣṭha, titled Yoga Vaśiṣṭha, he explains to Sri Rama

the threefold spaces of Chit, chitta and the physical space of Material Prakṛti. He

explains that the entire creation is a projection of the mind (within antaḥkaraṇa),

which is also both the source of further bondage and the source of liberation. (Swami

Venkatesananda. 1993)

Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev also profoundly explains that all that we see or hear or feel

through these 􀃨ve senses is actually projected in the mind and so it is not necessary

that our perception and the projected image is what the reality holds. He says the

entire human experience is outward bound as the sense objects are outward bound.

He further says:

“The fourth dimension of the mind is called Chitta which is pure intelligence. It is

unsoiled by memory, it has no trace of any kind of memory, its just pure intelligence. If

you touch this, then you have access to what you are referring to as the source of

creation”

(SadhguruScience, 2019., Sadhguru. 2012)