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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
594
Atman and Mokga
He has all the qualities, He does not possess any particular qualities which are possessed by His parts (ams'a-3); He cannot be said to be possessing qualities (saguna-Ayo), although He is the creator (kartā) of the world.' He assumes several forms as are needed by His devotees to please them.”
The jiva is atomic, extremely minute in size, according to Vallabha, and it becomes pervasive so that it may experience the sensations all over the body even though it occupies one portion of it. It becomes pervasive by means of its intelligence which is its property just as the fragrance (gandhaTTT) spreads over a great distance from the flower. The souls are many and eternal. In soul the same Brahman is present but its one quality-bliss (ānanda) is concealed, and thus, the jīva possesses existence (sat-97) and consciousness (cit-fam). It is a part of the Brahman which is God. The Brahman, when obscured by ignorance, loses its bliss and assumes the form of the jiva. In fact it is God. Vallabha distinguishes jīvas into of three kinds --(i) those pure (suddha-) jīvas whose lordly qualities (ais/varya-home) are not obscured by the force of ignorance (avidyā); (ii) the mundane (samsārinHERT) jivas that are under the spell of ignorance and experience birth and death and other finite experiences; (iii) the liberated (mukta) jivas that are free from the bonds of the samsāra as they have acquired knowledge of the Self. The soul, when
1 Vallabha : Tattvārthadi pah, p. 132. a Vallabha : Brahma Sutra Bhasya, 1•1•20-21.
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