________________
400
I am the Soul
is the atma, rest all the substances are jada - inanimate. You are chaitanya atma. Your existence is different from all else.
Having explained thus far, if there were any doubt remaining about the existence of atma in the mind of the disciple, the Gurudev further says these meaningful words -
आत्मानी शंका करे, आत्मा पोते आप;
शंकानो करनार ते, अचरज एह अमाप
.... ५८
The disciple had said: 'Hence there is not atma' and presented all his doubts, and as such had believed that there is no atma. The Gurudev solved the doubts of the disciple one by one through proper foresight, meaningful arguments and impressive speech. Gurudev has a knack of unravelling the deepest of the mysteries of philosophy in a simple way. The speciality of Srimad Rajachandraji's words is that he can explain the most difficult and mysterious principles in a simple and lucid manner. This quality is apparent in all his literature.
Gurudev tells his disciple, "Brother! I am greatly surprised. You say, 'Therefore there is no atma', then who is the one deciding so? Who, indeed, is the one doubting the atma itself? Who is the one experiencing 'I' and 'mine'? If you think, you will surely understand that none else but the atma can have such a feeling."
Indeed as a rule, only of some thing that exists in this world, does the doubt about its existence or non-existence arise. Had a substance named atma not been in this universe, then the doubt about its non-existence would not have arisen. So it proves that atma exists. How amusing it is that the self is doubting itself! Have you ever seen or heard a person saying so - "Brother! Please come here! See if I am or not!" If a person is asking so about a thing or another person, it sounds right. But if a person asks so about himself, then people call such a person a madman. He gets categorised as a fool. In the same way, O Disciple! This jiva has become pudgalanandi (gr) - blissful in its attachment to pudgala, has got so deeply involved with the
Jain Educationa International
For Personal and Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
