Soul (Jiva), its Composition & Attributes

Soul (Jiva), its Composition & Attributes
 
God, the universal consciousness along with Souls, the individual consciousness and Matter form an organic whole of the Universe. According to the karma, Jivas get material embodiments as per divine will.
 
Every thought (मनसा, Mansa), every word (वचना,vachna) and every action (कर्मणा, Karmna), good or bad, just goes down and becomes fine, and is there stored up as Samskaras, the impressions and create Karmic account. These impressions of past Karmas cause tendencies and desires. The fulfilment of desires leads to enjoyment and lack of fulfilment leads to sufferings. The cycle of pleasures & pains goes on and Jiva is caught in cycle of birth and death, to reap the fruits his own actions through enjoyments and sufferings. Hence, we become slave of situations. In case, we take decisions based on qualities of soul viz. Love, peace, Happiness, Knowledge, Power, Purity and Bliss and believe the situations are creation of past karma, negative decision and behaviour shall be avoided as a result karmic account or samskara will not be formed.
 
Composition of Jiva:
Jiva in bondage is composed of three bodies’ viz. Causal Body (Karan sarira, innermost), Subtle Body (Sukshma sarira or Linga-sarira, middle) and Gross Body (Sthula sarira, outermost). The details are as under:

1. Causal Body - Blissful sheath is called as causal body (Karana sarrira). The causal body is merely cause or seed of subtle body and is characterized by ignorance. It contains the impressions (Samskaras) of experiences of past lives and current life.
2. Subtle Body – Physiological, emotional and intellectual sheaths form the subtle body (suksma sarrira). The subtle body is composed of five subtle elements viz. subtle elements of five organs of perception, five organs of action, five-fold vital forces (Prana), Intellect (Buddhi) and Mind (manas, thoughts). The subtle body grows and develops through egoism, attachment, love, hatred etc.
3. Gross Body – The physical mortal body (the skeletal sheath) is the gross body (karya sarrira).

Attributes of Jiva:

1. Jiva is “Svayamprakasa” which means that it shows others and knows itself.
2. Jiva have attributes of Dharmi-Jnana, Chetanatva (sentiency, perception or feeling), Atmatva (soul nature) and Kartrtva (agency). These attributes are similar to Isvara. Jiva differs from Isvara and matter in the attributes viz. Anutva (atomic nature), Sesatva (being an accessory), Adheyatva (supported-ness), Vidheyatva (dependence), Paradhinatva (subordinate status). Anutva does not mean atomic size but atomic nature. Atomic nature indicates only indestructible individuality and restriction of size which is applicable only to material substances.
3. Jivas are countless quantitatively.
4. Qualitative difference - According to Ramanuja and Nibarka, Jivas are qualitatively same. But according to Madhva, Jivas are intrinsically different in spiritual essence as these generate dissimilar and even opposite kinds of results and character patterns. It is this difference that accounts for the performance of actions leading to the accumulation of different types of karma patterns by each Jiva, leading to variations in enjoyments and sufferings and character traits in his life in Samsara. That basic or innate nature will persist in the state of liberation also. In Advaita, Jivahood itself disappears in release when the Jiva realizes his identity with Brahman.
5. Gradation in capacity - Ramanujacharya, Nimbaracharya and Madhvacharya maintain the doctrine of Taratamya or gradation in capacity of Jivas. The doctrine of Taratamaya easily leads to what is known as Traividhyam or distinction of Jivas in Samsara. Jivas are of three grades viz. Nityasurs, Muktas & Baddhas as per classification done by Ramanuja and as per
   
6. Nibarkacharya, four grades viz. Nityamuktas, Muktas, Mumuksus or seekers & Baddhas as under:

 

1. Nityasuris or Nityamuktas – Jivas which are eternally free ones such as Adi-sesha (serpent bed), Garuda (mount of Sri Vishnu), Visvaksena (chief office of Sri Vishnu), Sudarshana (principal weapon of Sri Vishnu) etc. These jivas have never been in the bondage of karma and samsara, and always been in attendance of God.
2. Muktas – Jivas which are liberated ones. These Jivas are evolved through all forms of bodies, at last come to the stage of human birth, and eventually attain salvation through concentrated spiritual disciplines, surrender to the divine and divine grace.
3. Mumuksus or Seekers after liberation – those who are striving for it.
4. Baddhas or Nitya Baddhas– Jivas who are oblivious to spiritual values and are wallowing in worldliness, are in bondage. They are open to three gateways of Naraka – sexuality, anger and greed. The conceit of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ indulgence in activities arising from fraudulence, cruelty, greed, pride etc. resorting evil company. Having missed the opportunity for higher evolution in human birth, they come back to this world, and get embodiments in animal bodies or among the most undeveloped species of mankind. But those, who gradually evolve, experience births and deaths, according to karma, until they eventually gain salvation at the maturity of evolution.

 
According to Madhva, gradation and the classification each Jiva results from the uniqueness of each Jiva. As a reflection of Brahman every Jiva has in him a modicum of Brahman’s essential features – Sat-Chit-Ananda. But due to their own intrinsic capacities, they share these characteristics in varying degrees only. They all alike have a dependent existence, but their capacity to know vastly varies and their joy much more so. In the state of bondage, the differences in nature of Karma clouding them can easily account for this variation in their intelligence, joy and misery. Madhva classified Jivas in three types viz.

1. Mukti-Yogyas – 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. They gradually regain their full share of consciousness and bliss when by purifications and the grace of God they become eligible for liberation.
2. Nitya-Samsarins – Jivas who delight only in worldly values and feel no need for ethical and spiritual life. Reaping the fruits of their own actions they pass through births and deaths eternally.
3. Tamo-yogyas – Jivas who are positively evil in nature, go on degenerating more and more by their indulgence in evil actions, until the accumulated load of sins finally leads to eternal perdition (punishment). Their capacity of consciousness and bliss is completely effaced and reduced to inertness characteristic of material substances.

 
According to Vallabhacharya system, the classification of the Jivas is according to their varying capacities. The main classes are: Maryada, Pusti and Pravahini, and these have distinct goals to attain at the end of their evolution.
 

1. Maryada (living within prescribed discipline) and Pusti (highest type in spirituality who receives grace of God) Jivas are of divine nature, and their evolution is towards the Supreme Purusottama whom they are bound to attain in course of time. These Jivas stick to the Vedic disciplines or the path of Yoga or Jnana. Maryada Jivas are at best motivated by the desire for moksha or release from samsara and mergence in the Impersonal Aksara, and they depend on the effort they put in. for them; devotion is only means for this.
2. Pusti Jivas, devotion is both the means and the end. He practice devotional disciplines but it is more as an expression of his innate inclinations and not as a condition for securing His grace. The purpose of Jivas is the service of God and the Pusti Jiva fulfils this by shunning even Moksha or freedom from transmigration and preferring the service of the God. He becomes eligible for infinitely superior form of Ananda, namely Brahmananda.
3. Pravahimi Jiva whose inherent nature makes them love the life of Samsara, and they eternally go round and round in cycles of birth and death. Some of these may be only Ajnas (ignorant) Jivas who are tied down to the life of Samsara by bad association, and these may turn to the life of righteousness and piety when they happen to have the association of the good. But the others among them are Durjanas Jivas who are positively evil and wicked and are doomed to eternal darkness.

 
According to the Advaita system of Shankaracharya, Jivas are all similar in their nature and realize their identity with non-dual Brahman ultimately. Ignorance is the cause of bondage, and liberation is attained when ignorance is removed irrespective of whether the body is alive or not. There is no necessity of physical body for attainment of liberation. The body will fall only when the prarabdha karma of the current body is exhausted. But Ramanujacharya does not accept that an embodied person can be liberated. For, according to him, the cause of embodiment is Karma. 
 
When jiva is suppressed by ignorance, its 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.
 
 
Reference: Bhakti Schools of Vedanta – by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.