Soul Body And Person In Ancient India

Author(s): Karin Preisendanz
Publisher: Karin Preisendanz

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Arbman furthermore seems to consider the notion of manas in the early Vedic sources in general as that of the "mental subject itself. However, this decidedly categorical distinction from especially the "eye" (casus) appears to be a definite over-interpretation in the case of a large number of passages adduced by Arbman himself. The frequent usage of the instrumental case of the word manas would be difficult to reconcile with the implied primary notion of a "subject."** Arbman's determination of manas as the "conscious principle**(with "principle" to be taken in a concrete, substantial sense) is more appropriate in this light. One can also agree with his interpretation of the term manas as referring to the "mental part of (wo)man; however, this being the "mental part" does not in all contexts amount to being the person or the Self, as claimed by Arbman." In some contexts, the distinction of manas from the strongly evidenced "free soul" As would be blurred under such an interpretation unless one would restrict or modify the meaning of person" or "Self" to the personality or Self during those periods in life in which one is conscious and the "free soul" inactive. Similarly, one would have to specify that manas in these contexts represents (or is) the conscious personality (not "person"!) during life, together with its emotional, volitional-affective, inclinational, facultative and ethical-moral aspects.
In the case of the first prayer (AV 5.30) (passage [4]), problems comparable to the ones addressed above do not arise, but it, too, should be examined as a whole, under the presupposition that the various notions expressed in it are part of a meaningful composition. Elsewhere in this prayer, breath (präna), the mind (manas), the "eye cakşus) and strength (bala) are called to the body of the patient," and God Agni invoked to join "him" (i.e., the person") with three of these vital forces, manas not being mentioned in this connection. They all could disappear from the body of a sick person in the clutches of death, but return to it; as mentioned above, even breathing could seemingly stop in such a situation when präna in the sense of a specialized "breathing-soul" or even of the
"vital soul" as such, conceived as a "breath-soul," has left the body - however, for very brief periods only and remaining close by;" this may be why in an earlier verse of the prayer two special protectors of prana, obviously counterparts of the two well-known.canine "robbers of asu," arc entreated to stay with the patient day and night." The grouping of manas among other vital forces and faculties here seems to indicate that it should count as one of them and therefore be a "body-soul"; thus, there would be no question of the "person" going to the other world with or as his/her manas in the sense of a conscious "free soul," as may be suggested, e.g., by passage (4) above if read independently. This latter passage may rather stress that the living person should stay here, and be in full possession of his/her cognitive powers. For the interpretation of asu in the first verse of the prayer (cf. passage (2) above), the additional references to "powers of life" in the prayer are thus not decisive; however, the fact that asu is mentioned in the very beginning as that which has to be bound, namely, to the "person" "here," and does not appear in the later context of the vital forces and faculties such as breath, etc., suggests that it occupies a prominent and decisive position which may indeed be that of the "free soul."
Even though he does not offer in-depth analyses of the relevant passages, Bodewitz's thesis that asu is basically to be considered as a "free soul" can thus also be supported. The main evidence adduced by him are the already addressed terms asutrp and asuniti (cf. p. 126 above). It would be more meaningful indeed if it were the "free soul" of a human being, and not his/her "vital soul," that is robbed by the two canine messengers of Yama, the king of the dead, or by the evil sorcerers mentioned in a Rgvedic prayer. The event of the "leading away of
» Cf. also n. 60 above on mantas as the ego-soul." 80 Cf., eg, Arbman 1927a: 158, 162 and 175. 81 Cf. Arbman 1927a: 162-163. #2 Or possibly from the "free soul termed puruşa, cf. below, p. 167. 33 Cf. Arbman 1927a: 165 where Arbman himself specifies his position in this sense. 14 Cf. the adjectives qualifying manas collected by Arbman in Arbman 1927a: 162 and the
passages referred to by him on p. 161. CE. AV 5.30.13. Cf. also AV 8.2.3 (cf. Oldenberg 1916: 528, who understands manas here as the mental potency in the function of the pryche, i.e., "free soul"). The "eye" (cakpus), although it could be understood as a mere vital faculty here, may represent another "body. soul," namely, the one responsible for acts of visual perception and possibly also for other less prominent types of perception, such as auditory perception, etc.), as opposed to the various acts of thinking which are the realm of the mental soul. On the conflation of vital functions with their seats or organs in the case of the conception of (specialized) "body.
soul(s) cf. Arbman 1926: 167–169. 86 CE. AV 5.30.14.
# Cf. also Arbman 1926: 186-187 and 190 for special situations in which the vital soul"
leaves the body. # C. AV 5.30.10. The mention of these special protectors indicates some distinction and
suggests that präna may indeed be the vital soul" conceived as a "breath-soul" here, i.e.,
the "vital soul" as such, not just a specialized "breathing-soul." * Cf. Bodewitz 1991: 40-43. W CE. RV 10.87.14 (cf. Bodewitz 1991: 43-44). Arbman, presupposing the verbal root vtrp
in the compound asutrp (cf. below in this note), assumes that the term as in this context refers to the concrete, perceptible "life" (force) in the body (Arbman 1927a: 59); cf. also below on his interpretation of asutrp in RV 10.14.12. Lommel interprets as in this context as "life" (asutra "Lebensdieb"; cf. Lommel 1955: 79), although in the related context of asunati ("leading away of asw*) he switches to "soul" (cf. also n. 92 below). In RV 10.82.7, a cosmogonic hymn about Vi vakarman, the cosmic architect, ignorant reciters of hymns are denigrated - in my opinion metaphorically-as "robbers of asm." The expression has been understood variously, Lommel takes it also as a metaphor and an exaggeratedly strong rejection of rival poets (cf. Lommel 1955: 132, n. 164). Renou, however, takes the expression literally (ravisseurs de vie"), as referring to bloody sacrifices (cf. Renou 1956: 80, with n. 8: cf. also Geldner's note ad loc.). Brown's translation addicted to creature comforts" (Brown 1965: 25 and 31) is difficult to follow without explanation, such an explanation is provided, with two alternatives, by O'Flaherty who understands similarly "glutted with the pleasures of life (O'Flaherty 1981: 36, with n. 15). Both her alternatives presuppose the
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