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SAMAYSARA
43 Thus in many ways perverse-minded people identify the Self with the non-Self, therefore, by believers in reality, they are declared to be not paratmavādıns (those who do not believe in the identity of jīva and paramatman)
COMMENTARY Discussing the nature of ājīva-padārtha or the non-living substance the author introduces first that type of ajiva-padārtha or non-living substance which is intimately associated with piva or soul This type of non-living substance which is associated with life is of two kinds, karmic matter and matter called nonkarma which constitutes the various types of body associated with piva other than the karmic body Karmic matter constitutes the karmic body and is inseparable from the soul throughout its sāmsario pilgrimage from one birth to another, till the soul liberates itself in the pure state by breaking all shackles of karma Besides this karmic body which is extremely minute and imperceptible, there are other types of organic bodies in association with the jiva or Soul Birth, growth, decay, and death characteristic of organic beings, man and animals, are all characteristics of grosser bodies which form the physical associates of the Self The Self in association with these material vehicles, to which it is bound has to undergo corresponding changes in its conscious nature These changes may manifest in three different forms of experience cognitive, pertaining to perception and knowledge, conative , pertaining to voluntary activity, and affective, pertaining to the various affective states of emotions, pleasant and unpleasant All these conscious characteristics of the empirical Self are in reality unconnected with the real nature of the Self These characteristics of the empirical Self in the embodied form, are the result of the association of the Self with the various material tabernacles in which it resides Hence there is the possibility of mistaking these characteristics to be the real nature of the Self These găthās refer to the various errors of identifying the Self with the various types of material bodies and with the consequential changes in his consciousness due to his association with such bodies
