Soul (Jiva) means spiritual ego or “I” sense ensouled in a body. During material embodiment, it identifies itself with body-mind and is called Pseudo ego. Jiva is witness and endowed with consciousness & will - the powers to know, to act and to enjoy.
Due to actions (Karmas) done in past lives, Jiva is burdened and is in bondage with physical body. The bondage creates ignorance (Avidya) of its true nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss). Rather, the Jiva identifies itself with the physical body and its constituents – mind, ego and Intellect which are products of Prakriti. When jiva is suppressed by ignorance, its Outward consciousness (Dharmabhuta-jnana) is contracted. When Jiva is liberated, he continues to maintain his individuality, his Dharmabhuta-Jnana expands and becomes merged in that of God. Destiney of Jivas: Nibarkacharya explained that Mumuksus or Jivas who strive for liberation and perform good deeds, they depart to higher destiny as under:
According to Madhvacharya, the Jivas who are receptive to spiritual values, and through repeated embodiments they evolve into better and better person, and finally through concentrated spiritual disciplines and God’s grace gain salvation. These Jivas are called as Mukti-yogyas. The requisite qualifications for attaining the liberation are described as under:
Liberation or Salvation of Jiva from Re-Birth: When all his evil tendencies must already have been erased before he attains this state of spiritual excellence, only virtuous actions in harmony with the divine dispensation will be performed by him. Through spiritual discipline, the person realizes that his being is only a Sarra (body) of God and therefore he is Sesa (servant), he does not entertain the pseudo or false ego, and so all his actions are burnt in the fire of knowledge. He has no craving for the fruits of actions nor has he a sense of agency, except as being instrument of the divine. In Advaitic conception of Mukti, the Jiva loses his individuality in Brahman, as river becoming one with ocean. In Dvaita system, the individuality of each Jiva as an individual differing from every other and having different grades of capacity for the attainment of bliss is retained in the state of Mukti also. According to Madhva, Salvation is not Jiva’s death, but enjoyment of intense bliss while still retaining individuality.
The system recognizes the four-fold distinctions in Moksha as under:
The Jiva attain them according their eligibility. But no Jiva can get cosmic powers of God like creation. It is said that Abode has three regions – Svetadvipa, Anantasena and Vaikuntha. After the Parabdha, there is destruction of the effects of Karma. It is followed by Utranti which means death of gross body, preparatory for the abandonment of the subtle body (Linga-sarira) which has been the subtle medium clothed in which the Jiva has been passing through the trans-migratory cycles. The Jiva passes through several subtle regions conducted by heavenly messengers and attains to the Brahma-loka where he remains with Brahma (Hiranya-garbha or the world soul) until the creative cycle ends and Brahma enters into the being of Vishnu, the Supreme Being. Along with him the released Jivas also enter that Supreme Abode known as Vaikuntha. Attaining to that blessed state the Jiva never returns to the spheres of transmigration. He enjoys its felicity through eternity. Having dropped the subtle bodies, the Jivas get bodies of Suddha-sattva. They can assume any form they like. Reference: Bhakti Schools of Vedanta – by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.
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