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PURUSHARTHA-SIDDHYUPAYA
progress. Again, if the Vyavahára view alone is adhered to, realisation of the true Self, Moksha, would become impossible of attainment.
अस्ति पुरुषश्चिदात्मा विवर्जितः स्पर्शगन्धरसवर्णैः । गुणपर्पयसमवेतः समाहितः समुदयव्ययधाव्यैः ॥ ६ ॥
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9. Purusha (the soul) is pure consciousness. It is free from touch, smell, taste and colour, has its own attributes and conditions, and is possessed of manifestation, disappearance and continuity.
Commentary.
The author here proceeds to define the word Purusha, with which the name of this book, Purushártha Siddhyupaya begins.
The definition of Purusha, soul, is threefold. Its positive aspect is consciousness, self-illumination, and full, perfect, absolute knowledge of all else that subsists, spontaneous, inherent, direct, without the intervention of any other medium. Its negative definition is its non-contact with attributes of Matter, such as smell, taste, touch, colour. Then again, in common with all other substances, viz., Matter, Space, Dharma, Adharma, and Time, it is possessed of immutable and distinctive attributes of its own, but is constantly undergoing changes of conditions.
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It has a triple aspect of manifestation, disappearance and continuity. To take some illustrations. A gold chain may be melted and formed into a ring, but it remains gold at all times, while changing its form. A piece of iron may in course of time change into red rust. This change of form is constant and continuous, though it may be imperceptible. The iron however retains all the inherent qualities of the metal iron at all times. Water may change into vapour and ice, but it retains the constituent properties of water at all times. A Jiva may take the body of a vegetable, or an insect, or animal, or may be born as man, in the dark hellish regions, or in the bright heavenly firmament, or attain Moksha. Its forms may change, its consciousness may be reduced to a nominal degree, but it would, as a property inherent in it, be ever present in all forms and conditions. Forms may change, appear and disappear, but the constituting properties remain constant, ever present.
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