THE PRINCIPLE OF THE JIVA

The Atma has no beginning, middle or end! It is indestructible. Krishna describes it as “ nainam chindanti shastrani nainam dahati pavakah..” It cannot be injured by shastras nor burnt by fire. It cannot be made wet or dried up! Krishna tells Arjuna that he should not feel sorry to kill his own kith and kin as Atma cannot be killed and bodies cannot live forever! They are bound to die one day or other! Man is a combination of Divinity and other qualities. We are all chips of the same block which is God himself! The Atma that resides in the innermost recess of our heart is nothing but the Supreme Brahman which is the root cause of everything! What is the nature of this Atma? What is Jivatma and how does it differ from Paramatma or the Absolute Brahman? We are under the illusion that Atma dies and is reborn. When it enters a body it is called birth! When the body dies we mistake it as the death of the Atma! The Bhagavad-Gita and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad confirm this view.

The Taittiriya Upanishad states that the Absolute Brahman enters the body as the Atma! “ Tat srushtwa tadeva anupravisat (11.6). Chandogya Upanishad asserts that Brahman transforms itself into the Atma! “ jivena atmana anupravisya”. During the waking hours dreams and sleep this great

principle of Atma is present as the illumination of Knowledge! Why does the Atma think that it is subject to body and death? It is because of ignorance or avidya! It is because of its never ending association with the creations of Maya or illusions like the body, buddhi or mind and others!  Totally oblivious of its  Existence Awareness Bliss -- Sat Chit Ananda it demotes itself with inferior associations! The universal Space or sky is everywhere. It is inside the pot also. But it appears to limit itself within the pot. Why is it so? The limitation of space within the pot diminishes the size of the sky or space. Similarly, determined by Buddhi and others, the Atma appears to be small! This explanation is called “Aviccheda Vadam” or argument.

There is another explanation or argument regarding the the principle of Jivatma or the Individual Soul.  The Sun is one only but appears to be many and different when he is reflected in pools, ponds, lakes, wells and the ocean! On this analogy, the one and only Absolute reflected through different nature of Minds is termed as Atmas! This argument is called the Theory of Reflection! -- “ Bimba Pratibimba Vadam”.These two theories pertain to the school of Advaita Philosophy. The saying “ Aham Brahmasmi’ - I myself am Brahman too reaffirms the same idea. The ‘I’ refers to the jivatma which is Divine. The ignorance of man lies in thinking that he is the Body! When I say “ “It is my hand” you are separate from the hand! You are not the hand! That “I” is the Atma tatwam which one has to realize! That is the purpose of which God has created man! But steeped in materialism and a rat race for money and luxuries of impermanent life, man is destroying himself steadily!

The Vishnu Purana also declares the identity of the Brahman and the Jiva! “ Says  “Saha Aham sa cha twam” --I am verily That; You are also That! Vishnu Purana reiterates that those who think differently are ignorant! “ Dwaitinaha api atathya darsinaha”  Brihadaranyaka Upanishad echoes the same idea when it declares that Atma is Brahman. This, according to the Upanishad, is the advice and ‘anuasana’- mandate of all the Vedas! Just like water assuming the shape and color of the container, the condition of the Jiva is dictated by the body into which it enters! The Jiva appears to suffer, enjoy and have all other experiences but transcends them all! He is never touched by them in reality.