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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
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Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
Sarakhya
339
Had there been only one soul for all the bodies, then with the birth of one all would be born and with the death of one all would die, and thus, individual differences of birth and death would lose all distinctions. Max Müller says-“The Samakhya answer is that Purusa is clearly many; because of the variety in the acts of pleasure, pain, trouble, confusion and purifying of race, health, birth and death; also on account of the stages in the life (As'rama) and the difference of caste (Varna)." As again Vācaspati Misra points out, the absurdity of all becoming deaf or blind or unsound on one's becoming deaf, blind or unsound would follow. In order to avoid such absurd results the Samkhyas deny the oneness of the soul (Puruşa ) and they believe in the plurality of souls in order to explain the individual differences.
Another argument is presented by the Sāmkhyas to prove the plurality of souls and, it is based upon the non-simultaneity of actions. Activity is generally attributed to the soul as the body cannot function without the soul; if there were only one soul for all, then the movements of one man would mean move. ments of all men; but facts are quite contrary : simultaneously we find some men are at rest and some carry on intense activity. In actuality the activity of one is restricted only to himself. Therefore, it is clear that there must be separate souls for separate bodies, each body having its own soul.
The third argument to prove plurality of the
1 Max Müller : The Six Systems of Indian Philosophy, pp. 335-36.
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