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Tattvārthasūtra
forms. The gross ones possess bodies which offer obstruction. But even infinite-times-infinite souls in the subtle state (the lowest category of souls with one sense only) along with their subtle bodies dwell even in the space occupied by a single one-sensed nigoda jīva. There is no obstruction among themselves and between them and the gross ones. So there is no contradiction in the statement that infinite-timesinfinite souls reside in the innumerable space-points (pradeśa) of the universe.
It has been said that one soul is of the same units of space as the universe. How, then, can a soul reside in one unit of space (the universe-space divided into innumerable parts)? Should not each soul permeate the entire universe?
प्रदेशसंहारविसर्पाभ्यां प्रदीपवत् ॥१६॥
[प्रदीपवत् ] दीप के प्रकाश की भांति [ प्रदेश संहारविसर्पाभ्यां] प्रदेशों का संकोच और विस्तार होने के कारण जीव लोकाकाश के असंख्यातादिक भागों में रहता है।
The soul (jīva) occupies, like the light of the lamp, from one to innumerable (asamkhyāta) parts of the universespace (lokākāśa) due to the contraction and expansion of its space-points (pradeśa).
Though the soul is intrinsically non-material (amūrta), still it assumes material (mūrta) form on account of beginningless bondage with karmas. And it dwells in small or big bodies on account of its karmicbody (kārmaņa śarīra). It, thus, has the nature of contraction and expansion, like the light of the lamp. And, therefore, it can dwell in
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