The Science of Soul

•Text Book1: Bhagavad Gita As It Is

His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Mumbai

• Verses 2.12-30, 7.4, 7.5

 Is Matter Conscious?
Does it have DESIRES?
Does it possess FEELINGS?
Does it express WILLINGNESS?
What is the difference between a living body and a dead body?
Every living body -- be it human, animal, bird, tree,
reptile or any other living body –
undergoes six changes –
1. birth 2.growth 3.maintenance 4.production of
by-products 5.dwindling 6.death.
 Nature of Soul
avināśi tu tad viddhi
yena sarvam idaḿ tatam
vināśam avyayasyāsya
na kaścit kartum arhati
That which pervades the entire body you
should know to be indestructible. No one is
able to destroy that imperishable soul.
(Bhagavad-gīta 2.17)
 Nature of Soul
— Individual consciousness is symptom of
presence of soul
— Consciousness means to be aware, thinking,
feeling, willing and intentionality.
— BG 2.13: Even in the current life, the soul is
reincarnating from childhood body to boyhood
to youth to old age.
— BG 2.16: Body is always changing. Soul exists
permanently despite changes in body and mind.
 Nature of Soul
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaḿ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaḿ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
For the soul there is neither birth nor death
at any time. He has not come into being,
does not come into being, and will not come
into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-
existing and primeval. He is not slain when
the body is slain. (Bhagavad-gīta 2.20)
 Transmigration of Soul
dehino 'smin yathā dehe
kaumāraḿ yauvanaḿ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati
As the embodied soul continuously passes,
in this body, from boyhood to youth to old
age, the soul similarly passes into another
body at death. A sober person is not
bewildered by such a change.
(Bhagavad-gīta 2.13)
 Transmigration of Soul
vāsāḿsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro 'parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny
anyāni saḿyāti navāni dehī
As a person puts on new garments, giving
up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new
material bodies, giving up the old and
useless ones. (Bhagavad-gīta 2.22)
 Characteristics of Soul
— The soul is indestructible, individual, eternal,
inconceivable.
— The soul is situated in the region of the heart.
— The soul is not formless. The soul has a form.
— The soul leaves one body and goes to another
at death.
— The soul is eternal, full of knowledge and full of
bliss.
 GOD’S ENERGIES
Inferior Superior Spiritual
Material Energy Energy

Spiritual Body (Soul)

Subtle Elements
Gross Elements 1. SAT (eternal)
1. Mind 2. CIT (full of
1. Earth 2. Intelligence knowledge)
2. Water 3. False Ego 3. ANANDA (full of
3. Fire bliss)
4. Air
5. Ether
Coverings of Soul

Gross body :
Earth,
Water, Subtle body :
Fire, Mind
Air Intelligence
Ether False Ego

Soul :
Eternity
Knowledge
Bliss
Soul is an Individual Person
na tv evāhaḿ jātu nāsaḿ
na tvaḿ neme janādhipāḥ
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ
sarve vayam ataḥ param
Never was there a time when I did not exist,
nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future
shall any of us cease to be.
(Bhagavad-gīta 2.12)

— Soul never loses individuality even after

liberation
 Wrong and right usage
— Misconception: “I am the body and I have
a soul”
— Right conception: “I am soul and I have
got a body”
 Soul has Form and gives Form To Matter

•The soul is not “some formless light”

•The soul is a personality with beautiful form and
qualities
MATTER SOUL + MATTER MATTER
Constitutional Position of the Living
Entity
mamaivāḿśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣati
The living entities in this conditioned world
are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to
conditioned life, they are struggling very
hard with the six senses, which include the
mind. (Bhagavad-gīta 15.7)
 Constitutional Position of Living
Entity
— The living entity is the fragmental part and
parcel of the Supreme Lord-eternally.
— The living entities, not only the human beings
and the cats and dogs, but even the greater
controllers of the material world, Brahma are all
parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord.
— Living entity is the resident of Vaikuntha.
— Jiva is not God. Being part and parcel of
Supreme Lord, it possesses qualities of God in
minute quantities.
 Constitutional Position of Living
Entity
— Supreme Lord is the source of knowledge
and happiness as the sun is the source of
heat and light.
— Being the part and parcel of Lord, jiva is
also sat-cit-ananda.
— Due to disconnection from Lord only do
the living entities find incompleteness,
insecurity and becomes vicious.
Cause of sufferings of the soul
icchā-dveṣa-samutthena
dvandva-mohena bhārata
sarva-bhūtāni sammohaḿ
sarge yānti parantapa
O scion of Bharata, O conqueror of the foe,
all living entities are born into delusion,
bewildered by dualities arisen from desire
and hate.
(Bhagavad-gīta 7.27)
 Cause of Suffering for the Soul
— Causes:
◦ Iccha: desire to enjoy independent of God
◦ Dvesha: envy towards Supreme Lord
— Part must serve the whole
— Disconnected leaf can find no
nourishment.
— Living entity’s function is to render loving
service to Supreme Lord.
 Is the jīva God, or can it become
God?
— Jiva or living entity is eternal part and
parcel of Supreme.
— Relationship of living entity to the
Supreme is of servitude.
— Jīva is neither equal to Supreme, nor can
it ever be.
— Jīva and Lord are not one and neither
they can ever be.
 WE ARE TINY; GOD IS INFINITE

God can float millions

Man can put a of planets in orbit at
satellite into orbit His will
or create huge
God can create
buildings etc.when
millions of universes
sanctioned by Lord;
at His will

We are jivatma; God is paramatma.

Thus, jivatma either in a conditioned
state or in the liberated state is
always subordinate to God.