I am the master of the body

This section begins with the purpose of ascertaining the nature of brahman through an alternative method, since it is very subtle to comprehend.

puramekādaśadvāram ajasyāvakracetasaḥ |

anuṣṭhāya na śocati vimuktaśca vimucyate | etadvai tat || 2.2.1||

The city with eleven gates belongs to the birthless ātmā, which is of the nature of

undistorted consciousness. Having contemplated on (ātmā), one does not grieve. He is free while living, and continues to be free (after falls of the body). This is indeed that.

In this mantra, śruti describes the nature of the individual self (jīvātmā). Here, the

jīvātmā is depicted as the master of the body. For this purpose, the body is likened to a small kingdom or a city which has eleven gates - puramekādaśadvāram. In the same way, our physical body has eleven openings, seven are on the head: two each of ears, eyes and nostrils and one mouth. Furthermore, there are three openings down below: two for evacuation and one navel, which was operational when we were in our

mother’s womb. This gate is sealed after birth. The last opening called brahmarandhram is at the crown of the head; it opens only when the meditator (upāsaka) dies. This is the special passage that leads to brahmaloka.

A city is used as a simile to the body because of the observation that a city is endowed with many constituents together with their accessories, wealth, etc, are there for the purpose of serving the king/master of the city, who is not part of the assembly. In the same way, our body, which is an assemblage of many constituents, exists not for the sake of the body itself, but for the master of the body, which is jīvātma. Who is that jīvātma? ajasya - one who is birthless, means free from all six modifications. Even though birthless ātmā is having the same locus as born body, but they are different in nature. Just like the king is not endowed with the condition of the city, similarly, ātmā is free from the qualities of the body. avakracetasaḥ - of the nature of consciousness which remains uniform, without distortion. It means ātmā is not the mind which varies all the time.

This simile tells us that I should claim that I am the master of the body and not the

body. And the primary means to achieve this vision is by śravaṇa-manana-

nididhyāsanam. anuṣṭhāya - having meditated on that ātmā (nididhyāsana), which can be done only after proper śravaṇa and manana, one owns up the nature of this master of the body (ātmā), na śocati - he doesn’t grieve. Since most of the sorrow is caused by calamity that happens to the body and that which is related to it. When one understands that he is different from the body which serves him as its master, he would manage it well, and not get attached to it. This master of the body is the one who is free from sorrows in life - vimuktaśca and continues to be free after death of the body - vimucyate, because he will never born again. This is the master of the city that naciketa wanted to know - etadvai tat.