Soul Body And Person In Ancient India

Author(s): Karin Preisendanz
Publisher: Karin Preisendanz

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A summarized formulation of this passage would look similar to that of passage (1) discussed above in connection with as:
(4) manas puruşa (person, associated with manas "here, maybe also "there").
Passages (3) and (1) may be interpreted as evidence for a special concept of manas emerging in the two prayers concerned, i.e., it was not considered as a specialized "body-soul" responsible for the vital function of thinking, etc., which functions when the "free soul" is present in the body, but as a "free soul" itself which in this case would also support this function, i.e., always be what is conscious in (wo)man, not only after but also before death. Thus, as in the two prayers should be understood to refer to the vital soul," in the case of the second prayer (AV 8.1) (passages (1) and (3) above) to a general "vital soul" next to the two specialized "body-souls" responsible for breathing and longevity (prana, dyus). In this second prayer a later verse would consequently address a further group of three vital forces, namely, the breathing-soul," an "energy-soul," and the general "vital soul":
(5) "Breath (prana) (and) strength (bala) should not leave you; we call after your asw." Here, however, the problem arises that this would imply that the general vital soul," being called after, could leave the body for a while and return to it from a considerable distance, which would go against the concept of a "body-soul" in the strict sense. Different from energy and even breathing which may seem to have stopped completely in a very sick person but can be observed to return or be restored to the still living body, the vital force as such should always remain inside the body or leave it only very briefly, staying right next to it (cf. also below); once it has really left and could thus be "called after," it probably cannot be restored to the dead body. Even though it could be assumed that the verse in
question (passage [5]) does not form a unit of meaning with the two previously addressed verses of the same prayer (passages (1) and (3]), this passage thus weakens the evidence of passage (3) for a concept of ass as "vital soul" in this very prayer. To solve the problematic situation presented by this prayer when considered as a coherent composite whole, it may be assumed, following the first alternative offered above (cf. p. 133), that as is indeed the "free soul" here, but specifically associated with or accompanied by manas as its satellite, not as a "body-soul. Such a "free soul" would then be able to think and feel as before, making the shadow person in this respect functional in the other world iust like the living person is functional in this world."
Such a situation may also be imagined when manas is implored to stay here and not depart to various other locations in a hymn of the Rgueda concerned with re-animation," unless one would consider that its author accorded the above-mentioned extraordinary role of a regularly/always conscious "free soul" to the manas." This latter position is decidedly taken by Arbman in his exposition of the relevant Rgvedic hymn.” Next to the passages treated here, there are further passages that support his view that manas is nothing but a (always) conscious "free soul" (psyche)," some of them very clearly so. This specially developed?) concept of manas would thus indeed present a significant, albeit not yet completed step towards the unitary notion of a "soul, even if it was not yet clearly formed and conceptually/consciously realized." A consequence, which is not really problematic from the comparative point of view, of assuming such a (or such an additional) notion of the/a "free soul" in Vedic times is the implication that a departure of this "free soul" from the body must have been conceived as possible in special situations even without (wo)man falling asleep or swoon
ing,
45 For this position cf. especially Oldenberg 1916: 527-530 and Arbman 1927a: 166-175; cf.
also n. 108 below on Renou's translation of the word mands as "Ime." The passage AV 18.2.23 taken by itself may demand such an interpretation, le, the man of the addressed person and the person him/herself may be one and the same, even though the passage is not entirely clear to me: "Your manas should go to those who/which are its (i.e., actually your??) own (u)(); now, run towards the Fathers!" (d. Weber 1895: 852, Oldenberg 1916: 528, n. 1, and Arbman 1927: 170, n. 1): on the plural expression dh referring to "own (men)." that is related members of high nobility in Vedic society, c. Rau 1957: 7273). Cf. further n. 108 below. On Arbman's different attempt at a solution of passage (3) cf. n. 55 above. Cf. AV 8.1.15; cf. also Oldenberg 1916: 528 and Schlerath 1968: 148 who understands that Sunspecified life is called after, whatever that may mean. Cf. also Arbman 1927: 25-26. Of course, there are exceptions to this. In cultures where preservation of the body after death (mummification) is the common practice, further accivity of the vital soul" and interaction with the body may be believed to be possible, e.. as was the case in ancient Egypt (cf. Hasenfratz 1999: 735). Cf. also n. 87 below.
* Pace Arbman 1927a: 15. *CE. (possibly already Oldenberg 1916: 529-530, although based on an understanding of
es which would correspond to that of a "vital soul. Cf. in general also Arbman 1926: 120. 11 Cf. RV 10.58, part of the group of hymns connected with the Subandhu-story (cf. n. 96 be
low). 12 Cf. also Oldenberg 1916: 527 and Maurer 1986: 265. Oberlies (1998: 503, n. 211) sees the
situation differently, without discussing the relevant passages in more detail he states that
references to manas leaving the body are metaphorical only. » Cf. Arbman 1927: 148-151 (presentation of Tuxen's interpretation) and 152-165 (critical
response with exposition of his own interpretation of manas in RV 10.58). * That is, passage (1) (AV 8.1.1). passage (3) (AV 8.1.3). AV 8.1.7 (cf. p. 135 above). passage
(4) (AV 5.30.6), and AV 18.2.23 (cf. n. 65 above). » Cl. Arbman 1927a: 166-175. 16 Cf. also RV 10.57.4ff. (cf. also n. 96 below). AV 12.2.52 and 18.4.66, and Arbman 19272:
170-173 77 Cf. Arbman 1927a: 165, 174, 176-177 and 179. 1 Cf. Arbman 19272: 170-171 and n. 20 above.
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