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The soul, though it interacts with the body like milk and water, remains distinct from it. It pervades the entire body, not just a part. This means that even though all souls are equal in their inherent qualities of knowledge, perception, etc., they are distinct due to their different karmic accumulations and locations in the universe. Just as gold beads of the same purity are distinct when strung on threads of different colors, so too are souls distinct despite their shared essence.
Though the soul is inherently pure and possesses only knowledge and perception, it is bound by karmic forces, which manifest as passions, aversions, and other karmic tendencies. These tendencies lead to the accumulation of karmic matter, which obscures the soul's true nature and compels it to take birth in different bodies.
The soul, being distinct from the body and possessing infinite knowledge and other qualities, is worthy of contemplation, especially when one renounces all desires and aversions.
To address the doubts of those who follow the Mimamsa, Nyaya, and Sankhya schools of thought, the verse "Vegraṇakasa ya vegubdhiya ya māraṇantiya samugghādo, tejo hāro chaṭo sattamao kevalīṇam tu" (which states that the soul, except for the seven types of aggregates - pain, passions, destructive karmic tendencies, energy, food, and the state of liberation - is shaped by its body) is explained in detail in two verses.
**Verse 35:**
The nature of the soul is not present in the liberated ones, nor is it completely absent. This is because the soul's nature is characterized by the presence of life force and the absence of karmic tendencies. The liberated ones do not have a body, and they transcend the realm of speech and thought.