Remembering Who You Really Are: A Cosmic Self-Discovery

“Hum sab Ishwar ke ansh hai” — but wait, really?

We’ve heard this phrase growing up: “We are part and parcel of God.” Or in more poetic terms, “Hum sab uss Ishwar ke hi ansh hai.” It sounds beautiful. Comforting. Hopeful.

But let’s be honest—hasn’t it always felt… a bit abstract? Even unreal?

Because when you look around at the stress of deadlines, the chaos of relationships, or just your own inner battles—this idea that you are somehow “divine” seems far-fetched.

And it’s not your fault.

We’ve been conditioned to read, believe, memorize—but not to experience, question, or dive deeper. We recite verses from the Bhagavad Gita but rarely pause to let them rewrite our wiring.

That changed for me when I was re-reading Chapter 13 of the Gita—the one about the field and the knower of the field. Something clicked. Or maybe, un-clicked.

It started a journey that took me far beyond concepts—and deep into cosmic truth. A truth that isn’t mystical nonsense. A truth that is you.

Let me take you with me on that journey. Let’s start before everything began.

Before Creation – The Stillness of Brahman

In the beginning, there was no beginning. There was no “when,” no “where,” no “why.” There was no time to tick, no space to stretch, no form to grasp.

There was only Brahman—pure, absolute, formless consciousness. Nirguna, without qualities. Akarta, the non-doer. Abhokta, beyond experience. Brahman existed, not as something to be known, but as being itself—infinite, indivisible, and untouched by change.

This is not some distant deity. It is the Self beyond all selves. As the Brahma Sutras say:

“Janmādyasya yataḥ” – “That from which the origin of all this [world] is.”

Before the dream of creation began, there was no duality. No gods, no galaxies. No light, no darkness. No sound. Not even silence. There was only the One—whole, eternal, unknowable by the mind, yet the very source of the mind itself.

The Mandukya Upanishad describes this state as Turiya—the fourth, beyond waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. Turiya is not a state you enter. It is what you already are, beneath the layers of experience. It is the background of everything. It is the screen upon which the cosmic drama is projected, yet untouched by any of it.

This unmanifest Brahman does not act, yet from it arises all action. It does not move, yet it is the root of all motion. Like the ocean before the waves, it simply is.

In the Vedic vision, creation is not a one-time event. It is cyclical. Universes arise and dissolve in endless rhythms. When the cycle ends—during pralaya, the cosmic dissolution—all form returns to formlessness. All motion returns to stillness. All vibration ceases. What remains is Sat-Chit-Ananda—being, consciousness, and bliss—in their purest, undivided state.

This is the silence before AUM, the stillness before the storm of creation. A state beyond thought, beyond duality, beyond becoming.

To meditate on this is to begin the real sadhana—not seeking something new, but remembering what always was.

In that stillness, the seeker becomes the seen.

The knower dissolves into knowing.

The drop realizes it is not separate from the ocean.

The Self remembers Itself.

AUM – The First Vibration

Before time began, before space stretched out like an endless canvas, there was nothing but the Supreme—Nirguna Brahman, the formless, attributeless reality. In this vast, immeasurable silence, nothing stirred. Not even the concept of motion existed.

Then, in that infinite stillness, a pulse emerged—not from outside, but from within the Supreme itself. It was not a sound in the way we know sound. It was more subtle, more primordial. This was AUM—the first vibration, the breath of the Infinite.

According to the Mandukya Upanishad, AUM is not just a sound; it is the whole of existence:

• ‘A’ represents the waking state—the external world, gross consciousness.

• ‘U’ symbolizes the dream state—the inner world of light and thought.

• ‘M’ denotes deep sleep—the subtle realm of formless, undisturbed potential.

• And the silence after AUM points to Turiya, the fourth state, pure awareness—beyond all states.

This AUM is not separate from you. It vibrates in every cell, in every breath, in the atoms of your being. It is the hum of the universe, the cosmic heartbeat. All things—planets, elements, thoughts, bodies—arose from this primal vibration, just as waves rise from the ocean and merge back into it.

In the Bhagavad Gita (8.13), Krishna says, “Uttering the one-syllabled AUM, and remembering Me, one who departs, giving up the body, attains the Supreme Goal.” This tells us that AUM is not just the origin of creation but also the bridge back to the Source.

In meditation, when your mind becomes quiet and thoughts dissolve, you may begin to hear this sound—not with your ears, but within your being. It comes like a distant conch, a gentle roar, or the soft hum of bees. This inner sound, called Nada, is the call of the Infinite. It is the whisper of your original home.

The yogis of ancient India taught that listening to this cosmic vibration can dissolve the ego, open the spiritual eye, and lift the seeker from identification with the body into identification with the soul.

So when you chant AUM, you are not merely reciting a syllable. You are tuning yourself to the original frequency of existence. You are aligning with the rhythm that created galaxies. You are remembering what you were before your name, your body, your identity.

You are becoming that sound. You are becoming That.

From thought to matter - The descent of creation

Creation does not explode into being—it unfolds. It blossoms from subtle to gross, from idea to image to embodiment. What we experience as the material world is the final ripple of a much deeper vibration.

The ancient Sankhya philosophy lays out this descent with stunning clarity. At the root of everything is the dynamic interplay between Purusha (pure consciousness) and Prakriti (primordial nature). When Prakriti is in perfect equilibrium, nothing stirs. But in the presence of Purusha, this balance is disturbed, and the cosmic machinery begins to move.

The first manifestation is not matter. It is Mahat—cosmic intelligence. Like a divine blueprint, Mahat contains within it the potential for all things. From Mahat arises Ahamkara, the sense of “I,” the cosmic ego that says, “I am the universe.”

This ego, when filtered through the three gunas—sattva (purity), rajas (activity), and tamas (inertia)—gives rise to everything:

• The sattvic aspect births the mind and the deities of the senses.

• The rajasic aspect energizes the sense organs and karmendriyas (organs of action).

• The tamasic aspect condenses into the five tanmatras—the subtle essences of sound, touch, form, taste, and smell.

These tanmatras then become the pancha mahabhutas, the five great elements:

1. Akasha (ether) – from sound.

2. Vayu (air) – from touch.

3. Agni (fire) – from form and light.

4. Apas (water) – from taste.

5. Prithvi (earth) – from smell.

Each step is a further contraction of consciousness, a thickening of vibration. Thought becomes energy. Energy becomes light. Light becomes matter.

So what we call “solid” is not separate from the subtle. It is just the final layer of a long journey from the unmanifest. The Upanishads whisper this truth again and again: “Everything is born of thought. The world is “thought condensed”.”

Just as a sculptor envisions before chiseling, Ishwara, the cosmic architect, first dreams the universe into ideation. Then the astral forms emerge—worlds of light, color, and vibration—moved by Hiranyagarbha, the cosmic mind. Finally, Virat, the cosmic body, lays the framework of stars, planets, and living beings.

You too are part of this descent. You are not just your body. You have an astral body, made of energy and emotion. You have a causal body, made of thought and soul-light. And at the core, you are the Self—untouched, pure, eternal.

The journey of yoga and self-realization is not about denying the world. It is about tracing your way back—from gross to subtle, from sound to silence, from form to formlessness.

To see the divine behind the dust. To know that this body is made of star-stuff, yes—but also of consciousness-stuff.

The Illusion of Separation – The Role of Maya

Once creation begins, something strange happens. What was One starts to appear as many. The infinite looks finite. The indivisible appears divided. This transformation—this cosmic magic—is the work of Maya.

In Sanskrit, Maya means “that which measures, limits, or deludes.” It is the veil that hides the truth of Oneness and makes us see duality where there is none. It is not evil, nor is it a mistake. It is Shakti, the creative power of Brahman, playing the divine game of hide and seek with itself.

As the Upanishads declare,

“Brahman, though unborn, appears to be born through its own Maya.”

That which is beyond form takes form. That which is beyond time enters into time. Like a spider weaving a web from its own body, Brahman projects Maya and then enters its creation.

But don’t mistake Maya for mere illusion. It is real as long as we are bound by it—just like a dream feels real until we wake up. Maya operates on two principles:

• Avarana Shakti – the power to conceal the truth.

• Vikshepa Shakti – the power to project the false.

Because of Maya, we forget that we are the eternal Self and identify with the body, the mind, the name, the story. We think, “I am this,” “You are that,” “This is mine,” “That is not.” We move from unity into division, from peace into craving, from silence into noise.

This is the dream state of samsara—a world of names and forms, bound by karma and driven by desire. And yet, behind all of it, the Self remains unchanged.

The Bhagavad Gita (7.14) says:

“This divine Maya of Mine, made of the gunas, is difficult to cross. But those who take refuge in Me alone can cross it.”

This “crossing” is not a rejection of the world, but a right-seeing or the prospective. The world remains, but your relationship with it changes. You begin to see through the play of opposites—pleasure and pain, success and failure, birth and death—and recognize them as waves on the surface of the One ocean.

The yogi, through deep meditation and viveka (discrimination), learns to pierce the veil. The mind becomes still. The senses lose their grip. The identification with the body dissolves. And what remains is pure awareness—beyond time, beyond fear.

Maya no longer binds such a one. The rope is no longer seen as a snake. The actor remembers he is not the role. The soul awakens from the dream.

And then, even Maya is revered—not as delusion, but as Leela, divine play. The game of hide and seek is over. The seeker and the sought become one.

The Architects of the Cosmos – The Seven Builders

Creation is not random. It is not the result of chance or chaos. It is an exquisitely organized unfolding—a cosmic architecture, guided by divine intelligence. Just as a city is not built by one hand but by many coordinated forces, so too is the universe constructed by a council of divine intelligences that arise from the One.

In the Vedic cosmology, when Brahman wills to create, it projects itself as three primary aspects:

1. Isvara – the supreme overseer, the causal blueprint.

2. Hiranyagarbha – the cosmic mind, source of all subtle forms.

3. Virat – the cosmic body, the gross manifestation of the universe.

But this trinity alone does not do all the building. Each level of creation is administered by cosmic forces—seven deities or intelligences—which are differentiated aspects of Brahman’s own consciousness.

These are the Seven Builders of the Cosmos, often hinted at in the Upanishads, Puranas, and yogic scriptures:

Macrocosmic Architects:

1. Isvara – Governs the causal realm, the seed of all ideas. It is pure will, divine intention. This is the level where creation begins as thought.

2. Hiranyagarbha – The cosmic mind, lord of the astral realm. It receives the ideas from Isvara and manifests them as subtle forms—tanmatras (sound, touch, form, taste, smell).

3. Virat – The cosmic body, ruler of the physical realm. From the subtle elements, Virat gives birth to the five gross elements—ether, air, fire, water, and earth—and thus, to all physical worlds and beings.

Microcosmic Counterparts in Humans:

4. Pragna – The intelligence behind the human causal body. It governs your deep impressions, latent tendencies, and superconscious thought.

5. Taijasa – The guiding force of your astral body, which includes your emotions, pranic energy, and mind. It links your will to your thoughts and dreams.

6. Vishva (or Vaisvanara) – Controls the gross physical body, managing the organs of perception and action, and the experience of the waking state.

The Seventh: The Soul or Atman

7. Atman – The spark of the Infinite that resides at the center of all these layers. It is not a builder, but the witness, the knower, and the goal. It remains untouched by any of the three realms, and yet, without it, none of them would have life.

Together, these six manifestations of cosmic intelligence, along with the Atman, orchestrate the descent and function of the universe—both outside and within us. As above, so below. As in the cosmos, so in your being.

When the ancient seers said, “You are the universe,” they weren’t speaking metaphorically. They meant it literally.

Every human is a walking temple—a microcosm of the macrocosm—constructed by these same divine forces. Your body, energy, and thoughts are not merely biological or psychological processes. They are spiritual architecture, shaped by the same blueprints that built stars and planets.

The yogi & a spiritual seeker who realizes this no longer sees himself as separate from the world or from God. He sees the divine engineer within. And through the inner work of yoga—concentration, meditation, and surrender—he aligns with these cosmic builders and begins to ascend the very staircase by which he once descended.

The soul returns home—not by climbing out, but by remembering that it never truly left.

Another simpler analogy to explain this is -

Think of the universe like a beautifully designed house. Before the house was built, someone had to:

1. Envision it (the idea stage),

2. Design it (the blueprint and energy flows),

3. Build it (the physical structure).

This is exactly how the universe came into being—but on a cosmic scale.

The Three Cosmic Builders

1. Isvara – like the architect who conceives the idea of the house. This is the causal level, where creation exists as pure thought or intention.

2. Hiranyagarbha – like the interior designer or planner who organizes the energy and layout. This is the astral level—where subtle energies and emotions are arranged like rooms, lighting, and flow.

3. Virat – the construction team who physically builds the house—the walls, bricks, and floors. This is the physical level, where the ideas take solid form as stars, planets, bodies, and matter.

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Now Imagine: That Same Structure Exists in You Too

You’re not just a body—you are a miniature universe, a living temple.

1. Pragna – is the inner witness or soul-intelligence that stores your deep ideas, impressions, and past-life seeds—just like a dream you can’t remember but still feel.

2. Taijasa – is your subtle body: your thoughts, emotions, and energy. It’s like the “you” that dreams when your body is asleep.

3. Vaisvanara – is your waking self, the one that walks, eats, works, and interacts. It deals with the physical world—what you see in the mirror.

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Atman: The Real You

Above and beyond all these layers is Atman, your true Self. It’s not the builder, it’s the one watching the whole process—like the homeowner who lives in the house but is not the house itself.

When you meditate or reflect deeply, you begin to experience that:

• You’re not just your body (Vaisvanara).

• You’re not just your thoughts and feelings (Taijasa).

• You’re not even just the subtle karmic seeds (Pragna).

You are Atman—pure, steady, eternal awareness.

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A Simple Analogy: Making a Film

1. Isvara – The screenwriter: writes the story (causal).

2. Hiranyagarbha – The director: brings the story to life in scenes (astral).

3. Virat – The actors/crew: shoot the film (physical).

4. Atman – The audience: watches it all without getting lost in the drama.

When you’re unaware, you think you are the actor in the film.

When you awaken, you realize—you’ve been the audience all along.

The Human Being – The Microcosm of the Macrocosm

The Rishis declared long ago:

“Yatha pinde tatha brahmande, yatha brahmande tatha pinde.”

As is the individual, so is the universe; as is the universe, so is the individual.

This is not poetry—it’s a precise spiritual insight. You are not just in the universe. You are a reflection of it.

Your body, mind, and soul mirror the entire structure of the cosmos. Every element that exists “out there” also exists “in here.” You are a microcosm, a miniature model of the macrocosm.

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Your Body Reflects the Universe

Just as the universe is composed of five great elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether), your body is built of the same:

• Earth – your bones, muscles, and skin.

• Water – blood, lymph, and all bodily fluids.

• Fire – your digestion, metabolism, and intellect.

• Air – breath, movement, circulation.

• Ether (Akasha) – the space within and around your organs, your subtle awareness.

And just as the universe has regions—the physical, astral, and causal—so do you.

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You Have Three Bodies: Physical, Astral, and Causal

1. The Physical Body (Sthula Sharira)

This is the body you see—made of food, subject to birth, aging, and death.

2. The Astral Body (Sukshma Sharira)

This is your energy, mind, emotions, senses, and prana. It’s what dreams, feels, and travels in meditation.

3. The Causal Body (Karana Sharira)

This is the body of deep impressions and karma, the seedbed of your personality and destiny. It stores your soul’s journey.

Each layer is a sheath or kosha, covering your true Self like garments over a flame.

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The Chakras: Cosmic Energy Centers Within You

The ancient yogis described seven chakras, aligned along the spine, which govern both physical functions and spiritual potential:

• Muladhara (Root) – survival, earth

• Svadhisthana (Sacral) – desire, water

• Manipura (Navel) – power, fire

• Anahata (Heart) – love, air

• Vishuddha (Throat) – expression, ether

• Ajna (Third Eye) – insight, mind

• Sahasrara (Crown) – pure consciousness

These are not imaginary—they are energy blueprints, just like the gravitational fields that hold planets in orbit.

The Spiritual Eye – Gateway to Higher Realms

There is a doorway in your body that does not open to the outside world. It opens inward—into vast, subtle realms beyond time and matter.

This is the spiritual eye, also known as the ajna chakra or Kutastha Chaitanya, located at the point between the eyebrows. The yogis call it the third eye, not because it sees more—but because it sees differently.

When your physical eyes close in meditation, the third eye begins to awaken. It is through this gateway that saints, sages, and advanced yogis have glimpsed the astral worlds, the causal planes, and even the formless Infinite.

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Why It Matters

The ajna chakra is not just another energy center. It is the command center of your consciousness. It governs:

• Willpower

• Clarity of mind

• Intuition

• Inner guidance

It’s called Kutastha, meaning the “unchanging One,” because it reflects the eternal witness within—the unchanging Self amidst all change.

When your energy is concentrated here, your awareness shifts from the lower chakras—those tied to survival, emotion, and identity—and begins to ascend toward unity, stillness, and bliss.

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The Yogic Path to the Eye

In meditation, especially in techniques like Kriya Yoga, practitioners are taught to focus gently on this point. Breath slows. Thoughts fade. A still, glowing presence begins to emerge.

The Nada (inner sound) becomes clearer. The light of AUM begins to appear. And slowly, as if waking from a dream, you begin to see that you were never just a body—you are awareness itself.

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A Portal Between Worlds

The spiritual eye connects you to:

• The physical realm (waking state),

• The astral realm (dream and energy),

• The causal realm (thought, soul, and divine ideas),

• And beyond all three—to Turiya, the formless state of pure being.

It is the pearly gate referenced in many traditions—the fine, luminous thread that links the individual soul (jivatma) with the Supreme (Paramatma).

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When the Eye Opens

When the spiritual eye fully opens—not physically, but inwardly—it’s as if the clouds have parted. The yogi perceives:

• The oneness of all beings,

• The play of maya as a divine dream,

• And the inner presence of God in all things.

Not in belief, but in direct, unshakable experience.

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The scriptures say:

“When the eye becomes single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

This is not a metaphor. It’s a call to open the inner eye, to sit in stillness, and to remember your true nature—light, not flesh; awareness, not ego; spirit, not separate self.

The Journey Back – Ascending Through the Bodies

Creation is not a one-way street.

Just as the soul descended—through causal, astral, and physical layers—to experience the world, it must now make the reverse journey. This is the essence of spiritual evolution: not adding anything new, but shedding everything false until only truth remains.

Think of the soul like a traveler who wore three layers of clothing for protection: a thick coat (physical body), a soft inner robe (astral body), and a radiant undershirt (causal body). Now, to return home, it must remove each layer—lovingly, consciously.

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The Physical Body – Gross Experience

This is the outermost layer. It’s made of the five elements—earth, water, fire, air, ether—and governed by Vaisvanara, the waking consciousness.

We identify with this body: “I am tall, short, strong, weak, young, old.” But in truth, this is only your vehicle, not your Self.

Through yogic practices like asana, breath control, and mindful living, the seeker learns to transcend bodily identification. The grip of the senses begins to loosen.

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The Astral Body – Energy & Emotion

Beneath the skin lies a world of vibration: emotions, desires, thoughts, and life force. This is the astral body, governed by Taijasa.

Here we experience the subtle pleasures and pains: ego, fear, love, jealousy, inspiration. But even this is not you.

Through pranayama, meditation, and inner silence, the seeker gradually gains mastery over this energetic realm. Emotions no longer pull you like tides. Instead, you become the stillness beneath the waves.

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The Causal Body – The Seed of ‘I’

This is the deepest layer, the blueprint of your karmas, memories, and mental impressions. Governed by Prajna, the causal body holds the sense of separateness—the root “I” thought.

When you go into deep, dreamless sleep, you rest here—but unconsciously. In deep samadhi, the yogi rests here consciously—and then moves even beyond.

The causal body is subtle, but it too is temporary. Through higher meditation and grace, the seeker learns to even release this.

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Beyond the Three – The Soul Realized

What remains after all these are dissolved?

Not blankness. Not nothingness.

What remains is the Self—the Atman—the pure witness, never born, never dying. The same light that shines in every being. The same flame reflected in every temple, shrine, and heart.

The soul ascends not upward, but inward—retracing its steps from matter to mind to essence. This is the liberation path, described in every spiritual tradition but fully mapped in yoga and Vedanta.

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The Six Realms and the One Light

In both the cosmos and in you, there are six levels:

• 3 macrocosmic: Isvara (causal), Hiranyagarbha (astral), Virat (physical)

• 3 microcosmic: Prajna, Taijasa, Vaisvanara

These are not hurdles but stepping stones. When the soul sees through all six, it becomes one with the seventh—Atman, the ever-free, ever-present light.

You don’t need to invent this light.

You only need to remember it.

As a spark flies from fire, so too the soul returns to Brahman, the Supreme.

Liberation – Returning to the Infinite

You began this journey as a spark of the Infinite.

To experience creation, your consciousness descended—layer by layer—into form. You wore the garments of mind, energy, and body. You forgot your vastness. You believed you were small, separate, and limited.

But the truth never changed.

The Atman, your soul, has always been one with Brahman, the Supreme. The purpose of life is not to become something new. It is to remember what you truly are, and to return—not in space, but in awareness—to that original state of oneness.

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The Prodigal Soul Comes Home

In the Upanishads, the soul is described as a swallow that flies far from the nest, only to return when the hunger for Truth outweighs the pull of the world.

And what is the world?

It is a divine dream, projected by the creative force of Maya, with all its beauty, pain, joy, and illusion. The yogi sees this not with sadness, but with awe—understanding that every experience was a part of the divine play (leela) meant to awaken him.

The game ends when the soul awakens from the game.

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The Final Dissolution

To become liberated—moksha, kaivalya, nirvana—the seeker must consciously dissolve the three coverings of the Self:

1. The Physical Body – Released through detachment and sense mastery.

2. The Astral Body – Released through energy purification and inner stillness.

3. The Causal Body – Released through deep meditation and realization that even the ego-thought is not the Self.

Then, even the sense of “I am meditating” vanishes.

Only being remains.

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No More Coming and Going

The Bhagavad Gita says:

“Having attained Me, the great souls do not return to this world of sorrow.”

The soul, now free, merges into the Infinite like a drop into the ocean—not lost, but become the ocean itself. No rebirth. No bondage. Only Sat-Chit-Ananda—existence, consciousness, and bliss—forever.

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The Liberated State – Jivanmukti and Beyond

Some souls, upon reaching realization, return to the body to serve the world. These are the jivanmuktas—liberated while living. They walk, speak, and teach, but nothing binds them. Inside, they are stillness. They are freedom.

Others dissolve completely into the Supreme, like camphor in flame—no trace remains.

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You Were Always That

The Chandogya Upanishad repeats the great mahavakya:

“Tat Tvam Asi” — You Are That.

Not after you purify yourself.

Not after a thousand lifetimes.

Right now.

All that remains is to remove the veils.

To stop clinging to the dream.

To sit still, breathe deeply, and look within.

The journey is not long—it is one shift in perception.

And when it happens, you will smile and realize:

“I never left.”

Just as rivers flow to merge into the ocean, the soul must rise back through the same channels it once descended—from the physical, to the astral, to the causal, and beyond all vibrations, into the unmanifested supreme.

This is the path of yoga, the science of union. Through dhyana, pranayama, chanting and surrender, we dissolve the illusion of separateness. The seeker or the yogi hears the inner AUM, passes beyond the gates of time and form, and reclaims their eternal identity.

This is the real homecoming—not to a place, but to a state of pure being. Above is topic-wise structure that flows logically from the unmanifest to the manifest, then guides the seeker back inward toward liberation. I have tried to explain the process in detail to understand our true relation and connection with the supreme; the source. After all “being a part & parcel” means something more than what we think :)