Beyond Doubt

Author(s): Padmasagarsuri
Publisher: Arunoday Foundation

Page 55

relative is temporary. Hence knowledge is a Paryaya' of Atman.
If you interpret the statement as "After death, Atman emerges into the "Pancha Mahabhutas" then one also has to agree that i.e.one who is a Sadhu in this birth will also be a Sadhu in his next birth and one who does evil deeds will be an evil person in his next birth. The former and the latter statements of the Vedas are contradictory.
If you believe that the soul perishes with the body, at the same time, how can you believe that the first kind of soul will be a Sadhu and another kind, an evil one in its next birth. In one verse of the Yajurveda it is said :- one who knows 'Damana, Dana, and Daya, i.e., self control, compassion and art of donating is called a Jiva. The body is unable to know these and only the Atman can know them. To prove the above statement an example is given :
"विद्यमान भोक्तृकमिदं शरीरम् भोग्यत्वाद् ओदनादिवत् ॥" i.e. The body is a subject of enjoyment, hence there must be some one who is there to experience that enjoyment and that someone is 'Atman'. Though the soul, abides in the body throughout the life time, still it is different from the body -
क्षीरे धृतं तिलै तैलम्
काष्ठेऽग्निः सौरभं सुमे । चन्द्रकान्ते सुधा यद्वत्
As there is butter in milk, there is oil in sea same seed, there is fire in wood, in flowers fragrance and nectar in Chandrakanta pearl, so also the soul though different in nature from the body abides in the body.
Q
1
Paryaya Sadhu Atman
modification saint Soul
40