The body is subject to six
kinds of transformations. It takes its birth in the womb of the mother's body,
remains for some time, grows, produces some effects, gradually dwindles, and at
last vanishes into oblivion. The soul, however, does not go through such
changes. The soul is not born, but, because he takes on a material body, the body
takes its birth. The soul does not take birth there, and the soul does not die.
Anything which has birth also has death. And because the soul has no birth, he
therefore has no past, present or future. He is eternal, ever-existing, and
primeval—that is, there is no trace in history of his coming into being. Under
the impression of the body, we seek the history of birth, etc., of the soul.
The soul does not at any time become old, as the body does. The so-called old
man, therefore, feels himself to be in the same spirit as in his childhood or
youth. The changes of the body do not affect the soul. The soul does not
deteriorate like a tree, nor anything material. The soul has no by-product
either. The by-products of the body, namely children, are also different
individual souls; and, owing to the body, they appear as children of a
particular man. The body develops because of the soul's presence, but the soul
has neither offshoots nor change. Therefore, the soul is free from the six
changes of the body.
Srimad Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chapter 2, TEXT 20:
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
SYNONYMS
na—never; jāyate—takes birth; mriyate—never
dies; vā—either; kadācit—at
any time (past, present or future); na—never; ayam—this; bhūtvā—came
into being; bhavitā—will
come to be; vā—or; na—not;
bhūyaḥ—or has come to be; ajaḥ—unborn; nityaḥ—eternal;
śāśvataḥ—permanent; ayam—this;
purāṇaḥ—the oldest; na—never; hanyate—is killed; hanyamāne—being
killed; śarīre—by
the body.
TRANSLATION
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.
PURPORT
Qualitatively, the small atomic fragmental part of the
Supreme Spirit is one with the Supreme. He undergoes no changes like the body.
Sometimes the soul is called the steady, or kūṭastha. The body is subject to
six kinds of transformations. It takes its birth in the womb of the mother's
body, remains for some time, grows, produces some effects, gradually dwindles,
and at last vanishes into oblivion. The soul, however, does not go through such
changes. The soul is not born, but, because he takes on a material body, the
body takes its birth. The soul does not take birth there, and the soul does not
die. Anything which has birth also has death. And because the soul has no
birth, he therefore has no past, present or future. He is eternal, ever-existing,
and primeval—that is, there is no trace in history of his coming into being.
Under the impression of the body, we seek the history of birth, etc., of the
soul. The soul does not at any time become old, as the body does. The so-called
old man, therefore, feels himself to be in the same spirit as in his childhood
or youth. The changes of the body do not affect the soul. The soul does not
deteriorate like a tree, nor anything material. The soul has no by-product
either. The by-products of the body, namely children, are also different
individual souls; and, owing to the body, they appear as children of a
particular man. The body develops because of the soul's presence, but the soul
has neither offshoots nor change. Therefore, the soul is free from the six changes
of the body.
na jāyate mriyate
vā vipaścin
nāyaṁ kutaścin na vibhūva kaścit
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre.
nāyaṁ kutaścin na vibhūva kaścit
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre.
(Kaṭha
1.2.18)
The meaning and purport of this verse is the same as in
the Bhagavad-gītā, but
here in this verse there is one special word, vipaścit,
which means learned or with knowledge.
The soul is full of knowledge, or full always with
consciousness. Therefore, consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Even if one
does not find the soul within the heart, where he is situated, one can still
understand the presence of the soul simply by the presence of consciousness.
Sometimes we do not find the sun in the sky owing to clouds, or for some other
reason, but the light of the sun is always there, and we are convinced that it
is therefore daytime. As soon as there is a little light in the sky early in
the morning, we can understand that the sun is in the sky. Similarly, since
there is some consciousness in all bodies—whether man or animal—we can
understand the presence of the soul. This consciousness of the soul is,
however, different from the consciousness of the Supreme because the supreme
consciousness is all-knowledge—past, present and future. The consciousness of
the individual soul is prone to be forgetful. When he is forgetful of his real
nature, he obtains education and enlightenment from the superior lessons of Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is
not like the forgetful soul. If so, Kṛṣṇa's teachings of Bhagavad-gītā would be useless.
There are two kinds of souls—namely the minute particle
soul (aṇu-ātmā) and
the Supersoul (the vibhu-ātmā). This is also confirmed in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad
in this way:
aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān
ātmāsya jantor nihito guhāyām
tam akratuḥ paśyati vīta-śoko
dhātuḥ prasādān mahimānam ātmanaḥ
ātmāsya jantor nihito guhāyām
tam akratuḥ paśyati vīta-śoko
dhātuḥ prasādān mahimānam ātmanaḥ
(Kaṭha
1.2.20)
"Both the Supersoul [Paramātmā]
and the atomic soul [jīvātmā] are situated on the same tree of the body within
the same heart of the living being, and only one who has become free from all
material desires as well as lamentations can, by the grace of the Supreme,
understand the glories of the soul." Kṛṣṇa is
the fountainhead of the Supersoul also, as it will be disclosed in the
following chapters, and Arjuna
is the atomic soul, forgetful of his real nature; therefore he requires to be
enlightened by Kṛṣṇa, or
by His bona fide representative (the spiritual master).
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten