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Dr. S. K. Bharadwaj
becomes of the form of eternal knowledge and eternal perception.
The liberated soul is not affected by, or is not of the form of the objects of senses such as word, form, odour, taste and touch. It is a formless entity having unlimited powers. It is not fettered by any obstacle. Free from all desires, it becomes absolutely calm. Activity is the cause of miseries. The activity is produced only by contact with other things. The liberated soul removes all such contacts. Hence it becomes calm without any ripple of activity. Therefore the question of any feeling of misery coming to it does not arise. It is all pleasure. It does not require even space for its substratum, because it in itself is the substratum of everything. It is a formless element beyond all perception and thought. The nature of pleasure, which it is, defies all descriptions as it has no comparison. It is an experience only of the liberated soul which becomes omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. The blissful state of a liberated soul is infinite because such a siddha is devoid of curiosity and in the absence of curiosity or desire a feeling of pain can never be experienced. Thus the cause, i.e., the lack of curiosity is infinite, its result that is the blissful state is also infinite.19
The abode of a liberated soul is above the universe 20 Pañcasūtrakam mentions plurality of souls. The infinite souls can live in as much place as occupied by one soul. It indicates the subtleness of the liberated soul having no perceptible form. A question arises here as to how the liberated soul rises above the universe without the cause when it is dissociated from actions. Pañcasūtrakaṁ explains that the liberated soul rises above the universe because of its very nature. * means that in a bonded state the soul is laden with the weight of actions. Being weighty with actions it comes downward in the universe but when it is stripped off the actions it goes upwards just in the same manner as the gourd fruit rises upwards on the surface of the water after it is freed from the layers of clay.21
The liberated soul never comes back to the worldly cycle because of its infinite capacity. Any achievement attained with limited capacity is subject to are end after its capacity is over. But the liberation is acquired only by those who acquire the never ending capacity. Therefore, Pañcasūtrakam describes this power, as the most infinite of all infinite entities.22
Pre-requisites of Liberation 1. Preparation
Pañcasūtrakaṁ mentions three means of acquiring the capability ( tatha bhavyatā ) to get liberation. They are :
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