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83
Praśamarati
from its own viewpoint and it is not Ātman when looked at with reference to what it is not : (Example : The person Mahesh is Mahesh from the view point of his own qualities but is not Mahesh from the view point of the qualities of say, Nītā, who has differing qualities).
202. Thus one should think of Jiva from various points of view for example, with reference to its association or union (Saṁyoga) and its number (few or many). The nature of Jiva is seen to be manifold through various characteristics.
203. In this manner the Jīva is what it is associated with. (e.g. A with the state of demigods). Similarly, another characteristic is largeness or smallness of numbers (e.g. there are far greater number of animals/birds/insects than human beings). Thus there are hundreds of ways of contemplating the nature of the Jiva substance, all these ways being there because of the many many varied characteristics of this substance.
204. That which has the characteristics of origination, destruction and stability is only Real. That which does not have these three characteristics is Unreal. All real things definitely have these characteristics (see Appendix V).
205. That characteristic which was not present in a thing before and which is now seen is said to be created. And that characteristic which was there before and which is now not there is said to be destroyed. (The thing, also, is said to be created or destroyed) (when a shirt is stitched from a piece of cloth, the shirt is said to be created and the piece is said to be destroyed).
206. When a characteristic of a thing remains steady in all three times : past, present and future, then that characteristic is said to be stable (and the thing is said to be stable. (In the example given in verse 205, the cloth material is said to be stable).
207. The second substance Ajīva described in verse 180 has
