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LESSON IV
THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES (TATTVAS )
The seven principles are
1. Jiva or Soul 2. Ajiva or non-soul 3. Asrava or Karma-influx (inflow) 4. Bandha or Karma-bondage 5. Samvara or Karma-check 6. Nirjara or Karma-falling off 7. Moksha or Karma liberation.
Sometimes, when punya (merit) and papa (demerit) are added to the list, we have a total of nine categories which are then known as nine Padarthas.
1. Jiva or Soul :
This is the only knowing substance in the universe. Its essential characteristic is consciousness.
This is our true self. Potentially it has four infinites : (i) Infinite knowledge (Ananta Jnana ) (ii) Infinite intuition (Anata Darshana ) (iii) Infinite happiness (Ananta Sukha ) (iv) Infinite potency (Ananta Virya )
During the state of bondage, these qualities are obscured (covered) by Karma; they become manifest only in the State of liberation.
All souls are divisible in two categories : (1) Sansari (bound) and (2) Siddha (The liberated).
(1) The Bound Souls : These are further divided as follows :
(a) Sthavara, literally meaning immobile which are of further five types : residing in mineral bodies, souls of water, souls living in fire, souls of air and souls of vegetable kingdom,
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