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Sankhya principles of prakriti and purush in The Gita). Jiva is further classified as empirical soul and pure soul. Empirical soul is an amalgam of pure soul and matter karmas (two types namely obscuring and non-obscuring) and physical body.28 Empirical soul without obscuring karmas is called Paramatma/Jina; Jina being similar to Sthitprajna29 as Gandhi called in his translation of the Gita (verses II.55-72)
Thus a Jina, representing pure soul embedded in a human body, is free from all types of attachments and is always immersed in his own nature of knowledge and bliss. When the Jina leaves his physical body (i.e. dies or attains Nirvana), he becomes Siddha or just the pure soul and stays in that state forever. In stanza II.72 of Anasakti Yoga, Gandhi says: "This is the state, O Partha, of the man who rests in Brahman; having attained to it, he is not deluded. He who abides in this state even at the time of death passes into oneness with Brahman." Gandhi also explained vividly the concepts of Jina and Moksha while writing a preface on Raychand's book in 1926.30
Rajchandra responded to Gandhi's query on soul as six propositions (Padas) 31 namely i. Soul exists; ii. Soul is eternal; iii. Soul is doer of karmas; iv. Soul is enjoyer of the results of karmas; v. Soul can be liberated and vi. There is a way for soul to be liberated. This concept of soul and its effort to progress from empirical soul to pure soul state is similar to Jainacharya Amitgati (10th century AD) in Samayika Patha (Spiritual Song)
as:
That eternal state of the deity with its attributes as Truth or Satya, free from impurities, eternal, blissful and glorious is the most magnificent. Those who experience this state of deity in their own soul/self ultimately attain Nirvana (liberation).32
Pg.136 Gandhi & Jainism
