Journal of Gyansagar Science Foundation 2013 04 01

Author(s): Sanjeev Sogani, Vimal Jain
Publisher: Gyansagar Science Foundation

Page 96

Dr. N. L. Kachhara, Volume 1 Issue 1 April 2013
Jiva and special type of pudgala-skandhas, which are called karma, are mutually associated. Because of various activities and actions of jiva, an association is established between karma-pudgalas and jīva and according to these actions/activities; karma pudgalas affect jiva in a peculiar way. All the souls in this universe undergo effects such as sorrow, happiness, birth, death etc. so long as they are afflicted by karma-pudgalas. Only those souls who get emancipated from these effects of karma-pudgalas are designated as 'Paramatma' or 'Siddha'.
means that the capacity of soul is one, viz. consciousness, but it manifests itself in and through these stages. Soul in the absolute sense is imperishable, immortal and impenetrable; none can cause pain or destruction to it nor can cut its inner points by touching it with hand or cutting it with a sharp weapon or burning it with fire; no weapon can enter into it.
The soul is eternal from the point of view of time and non-eternal from that of the state of existence (gati), as it is studied from its substantial and modal aspects respectively, for it was in the past, is at present and will be in future, and it undergoes change or transformation from one birth to another.
In nutshell the nature of Jiva conceived in Jain philosophy is this that it is super sensuous, imperishable, immortal, impenetrable, non-corporeal, eternal and non-eternal, infinite and finite, and dynamic in nature. In short the following facts apply to the soul:
Jiva, even being conscious and non-corporeal, becomes corporeal by its activity of collected (formed) corporeal body up to the moment of existence of such body. In regard to the relation of soul with mind, speech and body, it is plain that speech and mind are non-soul, i.e. matter, for they are corporeal, non-conscious and nonliving, and are associated with the spiritual being soul. As to its relation with body it is defined that soul is identical with body, with the former exists in the latter. Thus the soul is corporeal and non-corporeal, conscious and non-conscious, living and non-living and it is of beings and non-beings also. The body was destroyed in the past, it exists and undergoes transformation at present and it will undergo transformation in future into the gross physical, gross physical-cum-translocation, transformation, transformation-cum-translocation, translocation, translocation-cum-karmic, and karmic bodies in association with the spiritual being, i.e. soul.
Dimension of extent (parimana) of soul decreases and increases according to the size of body. This change does not affect its fundamental substantiality; its basic essence remains unchanged. This is one kind of doctrine of transformation and also the doctrine of permanence-inchange. Its other aspect is the variation in manifestation of the quality or capacity of soul; it becomes the nature of permanence-in-change of the capacity.
1. In embodied existence, soul and body appear to be
same but this is not really so. Body is different from
soul. 3. Soul contracts or expands to occupy the space of
the body he assumes. The same soul can pervade the body of an elephant or an ant. Not withstanding the size of the body, the number of pradesa of soul
remains the same (countless). 4. Soul is non corporeal and is recognized by his power
of perceiving and knowing objects. 5. Soul is the source of intuition, perception, happiness
and vitality in a living organism. 6. Being invisible, soul is identified by his ability of
cognizance, an embodied soul desires for comical amusement, recreation, pleasure, speech, movement
etc. 7. The karma varganas attracted by a soul get converted
into karma unaided. 8 The thoughts and actions of a soul leave a permanent
impression. These impressions are stored in the karma body, which moves with the soul in his journey
from one body to another. 9. The bondage of soul and karma is beginning less.
The karma can be shed from the soul by practicing austerity and penance. This in fact, is the way to get
rid of karma and attain the state of emancipation. 10. Soul is non-corporeal but he is embodied due to his
impurity in the presence of karma. 11. All living organisms have similar potential powers
and abilities but every living organism is in a different state of manifestation. The development of the soul is determined by own purifying efforts and other
governing factors. 12. There is no place in loka where soul in subtle or gross
Souls are existent in every iota of space beginning with - one or more countless fractions of it up to the whole universe, i.e. if space is divided into countless points the size of a soul can be so small as to occupy one or more of these points of space and in special cases, of samudaghata, the size of a single soul can fill the whole universe. Thus the number of pradesas in each individual soul is equal to the number of pradesas in the Universe, which is countless. There is no such place in the universe where there is no existence of souls having fine or gross bodies.
In the multitude of souls the inherent capacity of soul is accepted as one (equal), nevertheless, the manifestation of each one is not equal. It is conditional upon the strength of its efforts (purusartha) and other causes. It
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