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Puranic encyclopaedia

by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222

This page describes the Story of Jivatman included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).

Story of īٳ

(The induvidual life or soul). The Aparabrahman (which is next to the highest Brahman) that is so minute and subtle is called īٳ. Parabrahman is God almighty. It is mentioned in Taittirīyopaniṣad about this aparabrahman as follows :

"Tasmād vā etasmādātmana ś� ūٲ�, ākāśād vāyoragni�, agnerāpa� adbhya� ṛtī pṛthivyā oṣadhaya� oṣadhibhyo annam annāt ܰṣa� sa vā eṣa puruṣo annamaya�."

'From this Āٳ came into existence ether possessing the quality of sound. From ether air, possessing the qualities of sound and touch, came into existence. Fire with the qualities of sound, touch and colour came into being from air. From fire, water having the qualities of sound touch, colour and taste came into being. From water earth with the qualities of sound, touch, colour, taste and smell came into existence. Vegetation grew from earth, and from vegetation food, from food semen, and from semen ʳܰṣa came into existence. The materialized form of aparabrahman is the body. Its subtle form is the soul. Jīvٳ or the individual soul is the subtle form of soul dwelling in the materialized form of the aparabrahman. This soul sits in the miniature lotus of heart in the miniature either. The body which is made of the five elements is the dwelling place of this Jīvٳ. The individual life exists in every living being. The body originated from food is the outer covering of the Jīvٳ. This materialized body is also called Annamayaś (the cask of food). Inside this annamayaś there is the ʰṇaⲹś (the chest of the life breaths). It is stated in the Taittirīyopaniṣad that this ʰṇaⲹś is separate from and existing inside the annamayaś. The ʰṇaⲹś which exists inside the annamayaś has the shape of man. The life breath which appears as the inhaling and exhaling breath is the head of the ʰṇaⲹś. The life breath ղԲ is the right wing and Բ is the left wing, ether its soul and Pṛthvi (the earth) its tail.* Inside the ʰṇaⲹś, there exists the ѲԴdzⲹś (the chest of mind), but it fills the entire interior of the ʰṇaⲹś. The վñԲⲹś (the chest of knowledge or understanding) exists inside the ѲԴdzⲹś. The Jīvٳ or the individual life dwells inside this վñԲⲹś and pervades the entire body. It is by the activity of վñԲⲹś that the Jīvٳ feels its individuality. Inside the վñԲⲹś there exists a fifth ś (chest) called the Ānandamayaś, which is the immediate covering of Jīvٳ, and which has no sense of individuality. The three ś, Ānandaś, Vijñānaś and ʰṇaⲹś together is called ūṣmśī (the subtle body). It must be remembered that ūṣmśī is different from Susūkṣmaśarīra (the minute subtle body).

Heart is the abode of the Jīvٳ. Hṛdi (in heart) ayam (this being—Jīvٳ exists). So the name 'ṛdⲹ' (heart) is meaningful.** The ʳܰṣa (male being), which sits inside the heart or the Jīvٳ is as big as the toe according to the ṻDZ貹Ծṣa.

The Jīvٳ or the Aparabrahman is without beginning. Even from the past which is beyond our thinking crores and crores of īٳs had got into individuals and when the Annamayaśs of the individuals decayed due to death, they abandoned them and entered into new individuals. The author of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka gives an explanation to the question why this Jīvٳ which is as free as air enters the body of man, beast, bird, tree, rock etc. and subjects itself to misery and hardship. "Where does the Jīvٳ originate from? how does it enter this body?" Jīvٳ originates from ʲٳ (the soul of the universe). As the shadow pervades the body of a man this Jīvٳ overshadows this body." Śrī Śṅk峦ⲹ expounds it in another way; he says that the Jīvٳ is tied to the body by the imagination or desires of the mind.

*) Tasya ṇa eva ś� Դ 岹ṣiṇa� 貹ṣa� Բ� ܳٳٲ� 貹ṣa� ś ٳ, ṛt󾱱ī puccham. (ղٳپīⲹ).

**) Aya� ܰṣa� bhā� ٲⲹ� tasmin antarhrdaye yathā vrīhir vā, yavovā, sa eṣa sarvasyeśāna� sarvasyādhipatih. (Bṛhadāraṇyaka)

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