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112
J. C. Sikdar
The disciples of Ācārya Sankara and his commentators conceived many ideas about the nature of Soul; they appear to be contradictory to one another many a times. Some of their conceptions are given below :
Pratibimbavāda :-Soul is conceived by some Ācāryas like idyāranya Svāmi and others in their respective manners as the reflection of the Brahman. Some accept such reflection as existing in (or deriving from) ignorance (avidyāgata); some admit it as existing in the internal sense-organ or the mind-substance (antahkaranagata); the third one regards it as existing in non-intelligence (ajñānagata). Thus, Pratibimbavāda (Doctrine of the reflection of the Brahman) has been supported in different forms. 100 :
Avacchedavāda :-Some Ācāryas, having put the word 'Avaccheda' in place of 'Pratibimba' say that the Brahman reflected an the antahkarana (internal senseorgan or mind-substance), etc., is not Soul but the Brahman narrowed or conditioned by the limitations of the antaḥkaraņa (antaḥkaraṇāvacchinna-Brahman) only is the nature (svarūpa) of Soul. 101
Brahmajivavāda :--This doctrine maintains that Soul is neither the reflection (pratibimba) of the Brahman or its limited condition (avaccheda), but the unmodified Brahman itself is respectively Soul due to the cause of the spiritual ignorance as well as the Brahman because of the knowledge of spiritual truth.102 Thus, these three views are mainly prevalent among the Kevaladvaitavādins in regard to the nature of Soul.
According to Bhāskara, the Brahman transforms Itself into Soul like the universe by Its various kinds of powers. So Soul is the modification of the Brahman and is endowed with activity, i. e. it is true because of being born of satyopadhi (limitation or condition of truth).103 Even though the Brahman is one, still Its modifications may be many; there is no contradiction between oneness and manifoldness or multiplicity. 104 Just as one and the same sea is perceived as many in the form of waves, so is Soul the part and modification of the Brahman and there is the real existence of it insofar as it exists in association with ignorance, desires, and actions. 105 On the cessation of ignorance this Soul, which is atomic in nature, realises oneness or identity with the Brahman.
Rāmānuja, the advocate of Višiştādvaitavāda (qualified Monism), having conceived Soul, like the universe as the unmanifest body of the Brahman at the root, explains that unmanifest to be the manifest Soul and manifest prapanca in succession. All these that the unmanifest power of consciousness (cit-sakti) attains the form of the manifest soul and acts also, happen due to the cause of Parabrahma Nārāyana 106 who exists in both fine and gross, inanimate and animate substances by pervading them. "The Self is often called jñāna, or consciousness, because of the fact that it is self-revealing as consciousness.”107 As the individual souls and the inanimate
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