Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

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The Tenth Jewel
Jiva-tatta
The Jiva Principle

The jiva is a separated infinitesimal particle of the Lord (vibbhinamsa).

10. 1
svamsa-vibhinnamsa-rupe haina vistara
ananta vaikuntha-brahmande karena vihara
svamsa-vistara - caturvyuha, avataragana
vibhinnamsa jiva - ta-ra saktite ganana
Krsna expands Himself in many forms. Some of them are personal expansions, and some are separate expansions. Thus he performs pastimes in both the spiritual and material worlds. The spiritual worlds are the Vaikuntha planets, and the material universes are brahmandas, gigantic globes governed by Lord Brahma. Expansions of His personal self - like the quadruple manifestations of Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Vasudeva - descend as incarnations from Vaikuntha to this material world. The separated expansions (vibhinnams) are living entities. Although they are expansions of Krsna they are counted among His different potencies. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 22.8-9)
10. 2
mamaivamso jivaloke jivabhutam sanatanam
manamsasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati
The living entities in this material world, which is known as jiva-loka, are my eternal atomic particles of consciousness. Because of conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind. (Bhagavad-gita 15.7)

The very nature of the jiva soul is transcendental substance.

10. 3
na jayate mriyate va kadacin-
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyam
ajo nityam sasvato'yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire
For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying, and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain. (Bhagavad-gita 2.20)
10. 4
nainam chindanti sastrani nainam dahati pavakam
na cainam kledayntyapo na sosayati marutam
The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind. (Bhagavad-gita 2.23)
10. 5
acchedyo'yamadahyo'yam akledyo'sosya eva ca
nityam sarvagatam sthanur acalo' yam sanatanam
This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable, and eternally the same. (Bhagavad-gita 2.24)

The jiva is a particle of a ray of the Paramatma

10. 6
yathagnem ksudra visphulinga vyuccarantyevam evasmadatmanam
sarve m sarve lokam sarve devam sarvani bhutani vyuccaranti
As innumerable sparks emanate from a fire, so all the jiva souls with their particular characteristics emanate from the Paramatma, along with the gods, planets, and animate and inanimate beings. (Brhadnaranyaka Upanisad 2.1.20)
10. 7
tattva yena isvarera jjalita jjalana
jivera svarupa yaiche sphulingera kana
The Lord is like a great blazing fire, and the living entities are like small sparks of that fire. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi 7.116)

The jiva is conscious atomic energy

10. 8
balagra-sata bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca
bhago jivam sa vij-eyam sa canantyaya kalpate
If we divide the tip of a hair into one hundred parts and then take one part and divide this into another one hundred parts, that ten-thousandth part is the dimension of the living entitiy. (Svetasvatara Upanisad 5.9)

This atomic soul is infinitesimal and pure in nature,
although he sometimes becomes involved in piety and impiety.

10. 9
anurhyeya atmayam va ete sinitam punyam ca punya-s ca
This soul (atma) is atomic, and sometimes takes shelter of piety and impiety. (Sutra Madhva-Bhavoddhrta Gaupana-sruti-vaka 2.3.18)
10. 10
eso'nuratma cetasa veditavya
yasmin m pa-adha samvisesa
iscittam sarvamotam prajanam
yasmin visuddhe vibhavatyesa atma
The soul is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect intelligence. This atomic soul is floating in the five kinds of air [, apana, vyana,samana, and udana], is situated within the heart, and spreads its influence all over the body of the embodied living entities. When the soul is purified from the contamination of the five kinds of material air, its spiritual influence is exhibited. (Mundaka Upanisad 3.1.9)

The atomic soul inhabits the body and pervades it with consciousness

10. 11
yatha prakasyatvektam krtsnam lokam imam ravim
ksetram ksetri tatha krtsnam prakasayita bharata
The sky, due to its subtle nature, does not mix with anything, although it is all-pervading. Similarly, the soul, situated in Brahman vision, does not mix with teh body, although it is situated in the body. (Bhagavad-gita 13.33.)

The evidence of Vedanta on the nature of the soul

10. 12
gunadvalokavat
The soul pervades the entire body by its qualities of intelligence, just as a fire pervades a room by its light. (Brahma-sutra 2.3.24)

Two kinds of souls - "bound" (baddha) and "liberated" (mukta).

10. 13
sei vibbhinamsa jiva - dui ta' prakara
eka - "nitya-mukta," eka - "nityasamsara"
"nityamukta,sri - nitya krsna-carane unmukha
"krsna-parisada" - nama, bhu-je sevasukha
"nitya-baddha" - krsna-haite nitya-bahirmukha
nitya-samsara bhu-je, narakaki-dumkha
sei dose maya-pisaci danda kare tare
adhyatmikadi tapatraya tare jari' mare
The living entities (jivas) are divided into two categories. Some are eternally liberated, and others are eternally conditioned. Those who are eternally liberated are always awake to Krsna consciousness, and they render transcendental loving service at the feet of Sri Krsna. They are to be considered eternal associates of Krsna, and they are eternally enjoying the transcendental bliss of serving Krsna. Apart from the ever-liberated devotees, there are the conditioned souls who always turn away from the service of the Lord. They are perpetually conditioned in this material world and are subjected to the material tribulations brought about by different bodily forms in hellish conditions. Due to his being opposed to Krsna consciousness, the conditioned soul is punished by the witch of the external energy, maya. He is thus ready to suffer the threefold miseries - miseries brought about by the body and mind, the inimical behavior of other living entities, and natural disturbances brought about by the demigods.
(Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 22.10-13)

The soul's constitutional position and relationship with divinity:
Caitanya Mahaprabhu's conclusion.

10. 14
jivera "svarupa" haya krsnera "nityadasa"
krsnera "tatastha sakti" bhedabheda-prakasa
suryamsu-kirana, yena agnijjvalacaya
svabhavika krsnera tinaprakara "sakti" haya
It is the living entity's constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Krsna. He is the marginal energy of Krsna and a manifestation simultaneously one and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Krsna has three varieties of energy: cit-sakti (His internal engergy), tatastha-sakti (His marginal energy), and maya-sakti (His illusory energy). (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 20.108-109)

The soul is an eternal servant of Krsna.

10. 15
sa brahmakam rudrasca sendra seva maharsibhim
arcayanti surasestam devam narayanam harim
The Brahmas, Rudras, Indras, and Maharsis, as well as all the demigods all worship the Supreme God Sri Narayana, Hari. (Prameya-Ratnavati 5.2 as quoted from Mahabharata)

The jiva is Krsna's marginal potency (tatastha-sakti)

10. 16
tasya va etasya purusasya dve eva sthane bhavata ida-ca paraloka
sthana-ca sandhyam trtayam svapna-sthanam tasmin sandhye sthane tisthannete
ubhe sthane pasyatida-ca paraloka-sthana-ca
There are two conditional states of the jiva in bondage; the conditional state without a corporeal body in the world and the conditional state without a corporeal body in the world gained after death. There is an intermediate state, that of being in sleep (dream). In the conditional-intermediate state one may at times have a dream of both the worlds. Now whatever the way is to the conditioned-state of being in the other world, having obtained that way one sees both the evils of this world and the joys of the other world. When he goes to sleep, he takes away a little of the impressions of this variegated world, puts the body aside, and creates a dream body in its place place, revealing hiw own brightness by his own light and dreams. Then he himself becomes illuminated.
Brhadnaranyaka Upanisad 4.3.9)

The jiva is a manifestation one with and different from the Lord:
The Lord is the controller of maya - the jiva is controlled by maya.

10. 17
"mayadhisa," "mayavasa" - isvare jive bheda
hena-jive isvara-saha kaha ta' abheda
gitasastre jivarupa "sakti" kari' mane
hena jive abheda kara isvarera sane
The Lord is the master of His potency, and the living beings are the servants of His potency. That is the difference between the Lord and the living beings. You may say that there are the same, but in Bhagavad-gita the living being is established as the marginal potency of the Supreme Lord. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 6.162-163)
10. 18
bhakti-yogena manasi samyak pranihite'male
apasyat purusam purnam maya-ca tadapasrayam
By fixing His mind, perfectly engaging it in bhakti-yoga, devotional service, without any tinge of materialism, and thus he saw the Supreme Person along with His external energy (maya), which was under full control. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.4)
10. 19
yaya sammohito jiva atmanam trigunatmakam
puro'pi manute'nartham tad-krta-cabhipadyate
Due to this external energy (maya), the living entity, although transcendental to the three modes of material nature, thinks of himself as a material product and thus undergoes the reactions of material miseries. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.5)

The jiva soul is dependent on God and eternally different from Him.

10. 20
nityo nityanam cetanas-cetananam
eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman
tam atmastham ye'nupasyanti dhiras-
tesam santim sasvati netaresam
Of the innumerable, eternal, conscious beings, there is one eternal Supreme Being. That Supreme Lord is the maintainer of the innumerable living beings in terms of their different situations, according to individual work and reaction of work. That Supreme Lord is also, by his expansion as Paramatma, present within the heart of every living being. Only those saintly persons who can see, within and without, that same Supreme Lord, cvan actually attain to perfect and eternal peace. (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13)
10. 21
ekasmad-isvaran-nityac-cetana-tadrsa mitham
bhidyante bahavo jivas-tena bhedam sanatanam
The above verse explains that both the Supreme Lord and the individual souls (jivas) are eternal and conscious. By affirming their eternal condition, their eternal distinction is also affirmed. (Prameya-Ratnavali 4.5)

The opinion of "Suddhadvaita" on the difference
between the soul (jiva) and God (isvara).

10. 22
yatha samudre bahavas-taranga statha vayam brahmani bhuri jivam
bhavet tarango na kadacidabdhi stvam brahma kasmad-bhavitasi jiva
O soul! In the same way that there are unlimited waves in the ocean so within the ocean of consciousness there are innumerable jivas. Sometimes a wave is said to be the ocean, when in reality a wave is only a part of the ocean, which is its origin. In the same way, the jivas are sometimes identified as Brahman, when in reality Brahman is the origin of the jivas. (Tattva-muktavali 10)

The difference between the soul (jiva) and God (isvara) is eternal

10. 23
idam jnanam upasritya mama sadharmyam agatam
svarge'pi nopajayante pralaye na vyathanti ca
By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature, which is like My own nature. Thus established, one is not born at the time of creation nor disturbed at the time of dissolution. (Bhagavad-gita 14.2)

The version of the Srutis on this eternal difference.

10. 24
ikadhina-vrttitvad vagadem tam yatha
tatha brahmadhinavrtter-jagato brahmatocyate
[In the following verse, Baladeva Vidyabhusana addressed the idea that the distinction between God and the jiva is not eternal.] Just as life air and the senses are always different, so in the same way, the Supreme Lord is distinct from the world, which is dependent upon Him. (Prameya-Ratnavali 4.6)
10. 25
na vai vaco na caksumsi na srotani na manamsityacaksate
ityacaksate, prano hyevaitani sarvani bhavati
[Baladeva Vidyabhusana continues this point by quoting from the Upanisads] The different senses, such as the voice, sense of sight, sense of hearing, and the mind, all are known as the life force, but the Actual life force is different from all these senses, which are dependent upon it. They are named after the life-force, although it is Actuallly different from them. [The idea is that although the senses are dependent and the life force, and may be collectively known as the life force, they are all distinct. In the same way, since the souls are dependent on Brahman are sometimes known as Brahman, in order to show their origin, they are always distinct from Brahman.](Chandogya Upanisad 5.1.15)

Sankaracarya was also really a proponent of the difference between soul and God.

10. 26
sri sutra-karena krto vibhedo
yat-karma-karturvyupadesa uktam
vyakhya krta bhasyakrta tathaiva
guham pravisthaviti bhedavakyaim
[Note: the word karma here means "object," or Brahman and the word kartur, "agent," here means jiva according to Baladeva Vidyabhusna. Therefore, the line quoted means, "There is a difference between the object and the agent or between the soul and God."] "Karma-karturvyupadesocca" In this sutra the author, Vedavyasa, recognizes the eternal distinction between Brahman (God) and the jiva (soul). Thus the eternal distinction between the soul and God is established by Vedanta. In Sankaracarya's commentary on the Brahma-Sutra verse "guham pravisthavatmanau hi tad-darsanat" [It is therefore seen that both the jiva and the Paramatma occupy the heart. (Brahma-Sutra 1.2.11)], Sankaracarya quotes a verse "rtam pibantau..." from the Katha Upanisad 1.3.1. This verse asserts: "There are two selves, the jiva and Paramatma, residing in the core of the heart. Among them, the jiva enjoys the fruits of karma whereas the Paramatma as the Supersoul encourages the soul as the inner conscience to do good. Those who know Brahman speak of these two as being as distinct as shadow and light." The sutra upon which this comment is made comes in reply to a question as to the difference between "intelligence" (buddhi) and the jiva. The sutra explains that Paramatma is the source of intelligence and accepts the distinction between the Paramatma and the jiva. By quoting this verse in his commentary, Sankaracarya substantively agrees with the intent of the author of the Brahma-Sutra, and recognizes the validity of his opinion on the difference between the soul and God. (Tattva-muktavali 5.8)
10. 27
ta-ra abhipryaya dasya tari mukhe kahe
yadyapi o jagate isvare bheda nai
sarvamaya paripurna ache sarvatha-i
tabu tomahaite se haiyachi "ami"
ama haite nahi kabhu haiyacha tumi
yena samudrera se "taranga" loke bale
tarangera samudra na haya kona kale
ata eva jagat tomara, tumi pita
ihaloka paraloka tumi se raksita
yaha haite haya janma, ye kare palana
tare ye na bhaje, varjya haya sei jana
ei sankarera vakya ei abhipraya
iha na janiya matha ki karye mudhaya?
[In his heart, Sankaracarya is a servant of Krsna, although he has given many arguments promoting oneness, in order to confuse the atheists and bewilder the demons (asura-mohana) In admitting this to Sri Caitanya, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya spoke as follows.] Whatever Sankaracarya says, his intent is to ultimately promote the service of Sri Krsna. A verse from Sankaracarya's own mouth confirms this. [satyapi bhadapagame, natha! tavaham na mamakiyastvam, samudro hi tarangam, kvacan samudro na tarangam] Sankaracarya himself says that whenever he remarks that there is no difference between God and the world, he is simply promoting the all-encompassing nature of the Lord. [In other words, when Sankararya says that the world and God are one, He means that everything flows from the the Lord and exists in Him, and is therefore nondifferent from Him.] Sankaracarya tells Sri Visnu: "You are the Supreme Lord. Everything emanates from You. I have also emanated from You. You certainly did not emanate from me. [In other words, the soul emanates from God; God never emanates from the soul.] The waves flow forth from the ocean; the ocean does not flow forth from the waves. This whole world flows forth from You, O Lord; You are the Lord and master of the universe. You protect and maintain both material and spiritual worlds. From you they have taken birth, and by you they are maintained. One who doesn't worship you is fit to be abandoned." [Sarvabhauma continued] These are the words of Sankaracaya, and this is his intent. What will benefit a fool who can't get this understanding in his head? (Caitanya-Bhagavata Antya 3.47,49-54)

Turning away from Krsna is the root cause of the soul's ignorance.

10. 28
dva suparna sayuja sakhaya samanam vrksam parisasvajate
tayoranyam pippalam svadvattaya-nasnan-nanyo'bhicakasiti
The Supreme Lord is the friend of the living being, and is so kind upon him that he always accompanies the soul. In the same way that two birds occupy the same branch of a tree, the Lord sits in the heart of every living being ready to bestow auspiciousness upon the soul. In this way the Lord acts as the indwelling witnesss, even while the soul pursues the fruits of karma and experiences mundane happiness and distress. (Mundaka Upanisad 3.1.1-2, Svetasvatara Upanisad 4.6-7)
10. 29
samane vrkse puruso nimagnohyanisya socati muhyamana
justham yada pasatayanayamisam asya mahimanameti vitasokam
Although the two birds are in the same tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord and knows His glories - at once the suffering bird becomes free from all anxieties. (Mundaka Upanisad 3.1.2, Svetasvatara Upanisad 4.7)

In ignorance, the soul identifies with the subtle and gross body
and thus suffers repeated birth and death

10. 30
avidyayamastare varttamanam, svayam dhiram panditasmanyamanam
damdramayamanam pariyanti mudha, andhenaiva niyamana yathandham
Illusioned by ignorance (and thus identifying the gross and subtle bodies as the self), bewildered souls think of themselves as steady and wise. Baffled by their own conceit they set themselves up as scholars and thus lead other ignorant souls further into darkness. In this way those blinded by ignorance lead similar blindmen into the darkness of oblivion. (Katha Upanisad 1.2.5)
10. 31
krsna bhuli' yei jiva - anadi-bhahir-mukha
ataeva maya tare dya samsara-dumkha
kabhu svarge uthaya, kabhu narake dubaya
dandayajane raja yna nadite cubaya
Forgetting Krsna, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence. As a result, sometimes he is raised to heaven, and sometimes he is drowned in hell, just as a criminal is raised in the air and again lowered into a pond on a dunking stool as punishment by the king. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 20.117-118)

Attainment of the lotus feet of Krsna is liberation from all material suffering

10. 32
jnatva devam sarva-pasapahanim
ksinaim klesair-janma-mrtyu-prahanim
tasyabhidhyanat trtiyam dehabhede
visvesvaryam kevala aptakamam
By understanding the turth of the Supreme Lord, one can slip the bonds of material life, and becomes free from the miseries of repeated birth and death. Having become liberated from the subtle and gross material bodies, he attains an eternal divine form as an associate of the Supreme Lord in his transcendental abode, and he realizes his hearts inner desires. (Svetasvatara 1.11)
10. 33
sadhu-sastra-krpaya yadi krsnonmukha haya
sei jiva nistare, maya tahare chadaya
If the conditioned soul becomes Krsna conscious by the mercy of saintly persons who voluntarily preach scriptural injunctions and help him to become Krsna conscious, the conditioned soul is liberated from the clutches of maya,who then frees him. (Caitanya-Caritamrta-Madhya 20.120)

The siddhanta of the acarya of visisthadvaita-vada:
consciousness and matter are like the subtle and gross body
of the Lord, as He is the soul of all souls.

10. 34
yam sarvesu bhutesu tisthan sarvabhyo bhutebhyo'staro yam
sarvani bhutani na viduryasya sarvani bhutani sariram
yam sarvani bhutanyantaro yamayatyesa ta atmantaryamyamrtam
He dwells in all beings, and yet is different from them and unknown to them. All beings are His creation. He rules over them as the inner self. He is the soul of all souls. Just as the body is ruled by the soul, so all souls and all bodies are ruled by Him, the Indwelling Soul of all souls. (Brhad-Aranyaka-Upanisad 3.7.15)

The siddhanta of the acarya of dvaitadvaita-vada on the subject of the jiva-soul.

10. 35
jnana-svarupa-s ca hareradhinam sarira-yoga-viyoga-yogyam
anum hi jivam pratideha-bhinnam jnatrtvavantam yadanantam ahum
The soul, is both knower and known, unlimited in number, atomic, and an eternal servant of Krsna. As a result of his atomic condition, he is sometimes enveloped by mayik energy in the form a material body, and sometimes disembodied. In any case, the jiva is not one, but innumerable and appearing in countless material bodies. (Nimarka Acarya, Dasa-sloka)

The siddhanta of the acarya of suddhadvaita-vada
(Visnuswami, represented by Sridhara Swami)

10. 36
hladinya samvidaslistham sac-cidnananda isvaram
sva-vidya-samvrto jivam samklesani-karakam
The nature of the Supreme Lord is sat-citnananda: He is the ultimate embodiment of eternity, knowledge and bliss, and is richly endowed with the hladini and samvit saktis. But the jivas, the souls of this world are covered by ignorance, which is the cause of their suffering the threefold miseries. (Bhagavat-Sandarbha, Sarvajna-sukta-vakya commentary of Sridhara Swami on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.5-6)
10. 37
vastuno'mso jivam vastunam saktirmaya ca vastunam karyam jagac-ca tat sarvam vastveva
The Supreme Lord alone is the Substance of all reality; a particle of his substance is the jiva; the energy of that substance is maya and the effect of that substance is this material world. Therefore everything having emanated from that supreme substance, all things may be said to be "nondifferent" from it. In this way the conclusion of nonduality may be applied to the Absolute Substance. (Bhavartha-dipika 1.1.1)

A liberated soul attains a spiritually perfect body in the service of Krsna

10. 38
mukta api lilaya vigraham krtva bhagavantam bhajante
The liberated souls have divine forms with which they worship the Supreme Lord by taking part in his transcendental pastimes. (Sridhara Swami's sarvajna-bhasya commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.87.21)

The opinion of suddhadvaita-vada on the distinct position
of the eternally liberated souls.

10. 39
parsada-tanu-nama-karmarabdam nityatvam suddhatvams ca
The eternal associates of the Lord are free from the cycle of karma. They are eternally pure, transcendental, and free from all material qualities. They never suffer birth and death within this material world. (Bhavartha-Dipika 1.6.21)

One who equates the individual soul with the Supreme Lord is an infidel, an atheist.

10. 40
aparimita dhruvas-tanu-bhrto yadi sarvagata-
starhina sasyateti niyamo dhruva netaratha
ajani ca yan mayam tada vimucya niyastr-bhavet
sama-manujanatam yadamatam mata-dusthataya
O Lord, although the living entities who have accepted material bodies are spiritual and unlimited in number, if they were all-pervading there would be no question of their being under your control. If they are accepted, however, as particles of the eternally existing spiritual entity - as part of You, who are the Supreme Spirit Whole - we must conclude that they are always under Your control. If the living entities are simply satisfied with being identified with You as spiritual particles, then they will be happy being controllers of so many things. The conclusion that the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are one and the same is a faulty conclusion. It is not a fact.(Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.87.30)
10. 41
yei mudha kahe - "jiva" "isvara" haya sama
sei ta' "pasandi" haya, dande tare yama
A foolish person who says that the Supreme Lord and the individual soul or jiva are the same is an infidel, an offender, and an atheist; after death he is punished by the Lord of death, Yamaraja. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 18.115)

Thus ends the tenth jewel of the Gaudiya Kanthahara, entitled Jiva-tattva
The tenth jewel: jiva-tattva - the soul principle