vigyanamaya

Vigyanamaya kosha, sometimes transliterated vijnanamaya, is the fourth of the five sheaths (koshas) described in Vedantic philosophy. The term comes from vi-jnana, meaning knowledge or wisdom, and maya, meaning enveloping sheath. This sheath is said to lie within the mind and vital faculties, between the manomaya kosha (the mind sheath) and the anandamaya kosha (the bliss sheath), surrounding the true self (Atman) as a subtle layer.

The vigyanamaya kosha is associated with intellect and higher knowledge. It is traditionally identified with buddhi, the faculty of discernment and reasoning, and it encompasses memory, understanding, and intuitive insight. It enables discrimination between what is real and what is transient, allowing concepts, principles, and experiences to be organized into coherent knowledge. In this sense, it functions as a bridge between the sensory mind and deeper wisdom.

In spiritual practice, development of this sheath involves study, contemplation, and disciplined inquiry. Discrimination (viveka) and sincere inquiry into the nature of the self are often linked to refining the vigyanamaya kosha, contributing to clearer understanding and inner clarity. It supports but does not replace the larger goal of realizing the true self.

In Advaita Vedanta, realization is described as true knowledge of the Atman being Brahman, transcending all five koshas. The vigyanamaya kosha is thus understood as one layer of conditioning that can be known and mastered on the path toward that ultimate awareness, without being the final reality itself.