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In the Svetāśvatara Upaņișad, 23 the state of the soul with and without gender have been described as follows:
“The soul is neither female, nor male, nor neuter. It is identified with male, female and neuter in accord with his body.” Bhãyyam Sūtra 136
It knows from all ways and from all sides, and therefore, it is all knowing. The ordinary person knows only partially through his senseorgans,24 but the soul without any veil knows completely. It perceives rightly, and therefore, it is designated as one who perceives rightly.
Consciousness is the defining characteristics of the soul. Liberated or not, it can never be devoid of consciousness. In the philosophy (unlike Nyāya Vaişeśika and Sāmkhya) the soul has knowledge and its function even in the innate state of liberation. Bhagyam Sutra 137
The soul alone is all-knowing and all-perceiving. No other entity is all-knowing and all-perceiving. And therefore, there is no simile applicable to the soul or the soul is not comparable to anything that is worldly. Bhāsyam Sūtra 138
"Existence' means ‘isness'. There is existence of the soul, but it is formless and therefore its existence is directly known only by omniscience. The soul is not directly known to those who are possessed of only sensuous knowledge. Bhagyam Sūtra 139
The soul cannot be expressed by any word. There is no word that signifies the soul. Unlike the Sāmkhya philosophy which asserts that 'Om' stands for the liberated soul, the emancipated soul has no designation. In the Cūrņi the word 'pada' is explained as footprint. For instance, the serpent has no feet, circular or round-like.25 Bhãyyam Sūtra 140
The word, (pada) is of the nature of sound. The soul is neither sound, nor color, nor smell, nor taste, nor touch ----
Teluşil 3tagare fecutare, 2008
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