Shrutsagar 2016 03 Volume 02 10

Author(s): Hiren K Doshi
Publisher: Acharya Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir Koba

Page 8

Beyond Doubt
1. Modification
2. Saint 3.Soul
Acharya Padmasagarsuri
“अस्त्यात्मा शुद्धपदवाच्यत्वाद् घटवत् ॥”
Just as ghata5 is a pure and independent word so also Atman is a pure word. And as ghata is an existing entity, so also Atman is an existing entity. Both words express the existence of the relative objects. The Vedic statement signifies that when you see these objects, you get the knowledge of the objects and when they are out of sight, the knowledge that you previously possessed diminishes with them and is replaced by the knowledge of another object. The Atman is ever existent but the knowledge that is relative is temporary. Hence knowledge is a Paryaya of Atman.
If you interpret the statement as "After death, Atman emerges into the "Pancha Mahabhutas" then one also has to agree that i.e. one who is a Sadhu2 in this birth will also be a Sadhu in his next birth and one who does evil deeds will be an evil person in his next birth. The former and the latter statements of the Vedas are contradictory.
If you believe that the soul perishes with the body, at the same time, how can you believe that the first kind of soul will be a Sadhu and another kind, an evil one in its next birth. In one verse of the Yajurveda it is said:- one who knows 'Damana, Dana, and Daya, i.e., self control, compassion and art of donating is called a Jiva. The body is unable to know these and only the Atman can know them. To prove the above statement an example is given:
3
“विद्यमान भोक्तृकमिदं शरीरम् भोग्यत्वाद् ओदनादिवत् ॥”
i.e. The body is a subject of enjoyment, hence there must be some one who is there to experience that enjoyment and that someone is 'Atman. Though the soul, abides in the body throughout the life time, still it is different from the body