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Chapter 6
Philosophy of Six Padas!
It has been indicated earlier that Rajchandra was a bornpoet and he started composing poetry in Gujarati language at the tender age of eight. One example of his works has been included in Chapter 2, footnote 26. Here is another example of Rajchandra's writings in the form of a letter about soul and six spiritual steps in Jain path to attain moksha or kevalya. Rajchandra's another work, Atma-Siddhi", has been included in the next chapter.
Soul Conception
Soul conception differs in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism and a brief background of this subject is necessary in order to put the contents of Rajchandra's letter in a proper perspective.
Hinduism
In Hinduism, five themes have been considered important in the discussion of soul. These are: soul's nature, its embodied existence, its transmigration, its ultimate liberation. and its relationship with the Supreme Being. These topics have been elaborately discussed in many ancient and recent Hindu scriptures. However the most comprehensive elucidation of the themes appears in Bhagavad Gita' - the revered text of all Hindus. The scene for the presentation of Bhagavad Gita was the holy battlefield of Kurukshetra, 8
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