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of divine world-rulers like Manu etc. and of Sāṁsiddhika (literally ‘purposely evolved') Bodies of persons like Dhộsta-dyumna, who was created in fire for the purpose of killing Droņa. From the stand-point of the ordinary mortals, the three Bodies viz:-the Audārika, the Taijasa and the Kārmaņa are the most important, in as much as these three are the Bodies which every earthly creature is bound to have and to carry, until the final liberation is attained; the Vaikriyika Bodies are ordinarily for the celestials and the infernals, although in rare cases a mundane creature by dint of penances can have such a Body, while the Āhāraka Body is for particular sages for particular periods and for particular purposes only. It is said that it is impossible for a soul to have simultaneously, the two Bodies of the Vaikriyika and the Ahāraka; only one of these can be had. Thus it is that a soul can have only four Bodies at most and never all the five at one and the same time. When a creature, human, subhuman, celestial or infernal dies and until he is reborn i.e. in the period of Vigrahagati, he has only two Bodies viz:--the Taijasa and the Kārmaņa. In his living period, he has these two and either, one of the remaining three or the Audārika along with either of the Āhāraka and the Vaikriyika.
The Taijasa literally means 'brilliant'. The Vaikriyika is said to be subtler than the Audārika, while the Āhāraka is described as subtler than the Vaikriyika. The Taijasa Body is subtler than the Āhāraka and is described as born of brilliance'.
___ 'तेजोनिमित्तात् तैजसम्।' Like the Kārmaņa, it is a constant vesture of the soul until it is finally emancipated. All grosser Bodies are dependent as much on the Taijasa as on the Kārmaņa and every mundane life affects the mode of the Kārmaņa and the Taijasa Bodies. It is thus that between the Kārmaņa and the Taijasa on the one hand and the other grosser Bodies on the other, there is a relationship of interdependence which the Jaina philosophers illustrate by referring to that between a seed and its corresponding plant.
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