In plain words
The meaning of breaking a coconut for the people of Bhārata
Breaking a coconut is a chief sign of the people of Bhārata. But we must enquire well into the principle of this coconut. It is in three layers. Outside, the hard, thick fibre; inside it, the still harder shell; and inside that, the white, pure kernel. These three each depend on the other. If you want to take off the fibre outside, it cannot usually be taken off. We must take off the outer fibre with effort, with a sharp knife. When it has been removed, there is a hard shell. We cannot break that shell with our hands. For this we must use a hard stone or a blade. Only after it is broken do we see the pure white kernel. But what do we buy this coconut for? Are we buying it for the fibre outside? Or are we buying it for the shell inside? No, no. We buy it for the kernel, which is the support of all. So the support of these two lies in the principle that it holds.
Our body is like a coconut. This outer body is Prakṛti, made of the three guṇas. That is the gross body. Next there is another, the subtle body, made of avidyā, ignorance. To take off the fibre called the body, Vairāgya is needed. We must take up Vairāgya in the matter of the body. Then, the subtle one is the principle of the mind. For this we must do good deeds. We must enter into good habits. We must think good thoughts. The first is the annamaya prāṇa; that is the gross body. To compare this with what is subtle, there are 5 kośas. Among these five kośas the very first is the annamaya kośa, and it is gross. Then prāṇamaya, manomaya and vijñānamaya. The joining of these three is this vijñānamaya. Then the causal body: that is the ānandamaya kośa.
The gross body is like the fibre. The subtle body is just like the shell, and the causal body is like the kernel. That kernel is the form of the Ātma. It is stainless and unmoving. For the sake of the kernel called the Ātma, we have had to protect these shells called prāṇamaya, manomaya and vijñānamaya to some extent. We have had to keep safe the fibre over them, called the gross body. But unfortunately our gaze goes to the shell and the fibre, and does not go to the kernel within.
In our ancient tradition, what does breaking a coconut mean? We break the coconut as a reminder that only through these two, Vairāgya towards the body and a sāttvic way of conduct in the mind, can we attain the pure thing called the Ātma. If we wish to reach the level of the Ātma, we must first remove the shell called the vāsanās for sense objects.