________________
24
are all called Paramatmas. Therefore, the concept that there is only one paramatma is also erroneous. If our souls were not capable of becoming paramatmas, there would not have been necessary for our saints to renunciate the world or practise severe penances. It is with the sole aim of attaining absolution (Mukti) that the Sadhus and Saints practise penances and observe other restrictions.
• The soul is immortal, indivisible and imperishable. Just as a man discards his old clothes and dons new ones, this atma also discards one body and takes on another. According to its actions it wanders in various lives and experiences many kinds of sufferences and troubles. Through violence (Himsa) falsehood (Asatya), theft (steya) unchastity-immorality, evil conduct, jealousy, defamation, vicious gossips--through all these and such other misdeeds he accumulates demerit (papa) in the form of ( ashubha ) bad Karmas with the result that he has to endure intolerable miseries in many births and rebirths.
Men think of the present only but do not care to think of. the future and keep a narrow vision. For the sake of present life of short duration of five or fifty years, for the sake of
