The Nature of Jiva

gokulkr · January 18, 2005

The Nature of Jiva:

Jivas are distinct from God and are many. These are pratibimbas of God. The bimba- pratibimba relation between God and Jivas involves two important features on the part of Jiva viz.,similarity and dependence 'tadahInatve sati tatsadrshatvam'.Jivas are also of sat, chit and Ananda nature. Therefore, these are similar to God. But these are entirely dependent upon God in respect of their very essential nature, functioning and understanding (svarUpa, pravrtti and pramiti).Jivas are sometimes called as amshas of God also. The expression amsha has many meanings. But in respect of Jiva being the amsha of God, it is used in the sense of pratibimba only.There are two types of amshas of God viz. svarUpAmsha and bhinnAmsha. Matsya, kUrma etc. incarnations of God are svarUpAmshas while Jivas are bhinnAmshas.

Jiva experiences sukha, duhkha etc. He has prAkrta body and senses. He has kartrtva or agency since vidhi and niShEdha are addressed to him. Thus, he has moral responsibility. However, his kartrtva is not independent kartrtva. It is controlled by God.

There are three categories of Jivas viz. sAttvika, rAjasa and tAmasa. These distinctions are found in their nature,behaviour, food, speech activities and even the purpose of their functions. Gita gives these in detail. Gita gives the main features of good and evil tendencies in the form of Asuri sampat and daivi sampat and also sAttvika, rAjasa, tAmasa grouping in all aspects of Life.

Jivas are distinct from God not only during samsAra stage but even after liberation. The Jivas are different from each other also both during samsAra and liberation. These are different from achetana objects. Thus a five-fold distinction is the cornerstone of Gita metaphysics. These are differences between:

· Jiva and Jiva

· JaDa and JaDa

· Jiva and JaDa

· Jiva and ParamAtma

· JaDa and ParamAtma

The entire metaphysics of Gita pre-supposes these distinctions.Good many observations of Gita bring out the distinction between God and Jivas, plurality of Jivas and the other distinctions mentioned above. We may notice a few of them:

· 'ashOchyan anvashOchah' (II-11)

· 'natvEva aham jAtu nAsam' (II-12)

· 'punarjanmanApnuvanti mahAtma nah' (XVIII-61)

· 'gachchanti amUDhAh' (XV-5).

In all these the plural employed clearly shows the difference. among Jivas both during samsAra and liberation.

Gita verses that bring out the supremacy of God are already pointed out while describing the natur e of God. We may notice a few more here that bring out the distinction between God and Jivas.

· 'tAni aham veda sarvANi na tvam vettha' (IV-5)

· 'na anavAptam avAptavyam' (III-22)

· 'mat-prasAdAt tariShyati', 'mattah sarvam pravartate' (X-8)

· 'aham Adirhi devAnAm' (X-2)

· 'aham bIjapradah pitA' (XIV-27)... and so on.

These clearly show the supremacy of God and the distinction of Jivas from Him. All these cannot be brushed aside merely as vyAvahArika positions. These are addressed to a spiritually progressed soul and therefore cannot depict a false position.