Kiran Das: Namaste Guruji. What are the meanings soul in different words, atma chartre (auto biography), atma rakashne (self defense), atma shuddi, atma sakshi & atma samasnkar. Describe briefly?
Swami Ram Swarup: Soul is alive matter and resides in living non-alive body. Body is destroyed but soul is immortal. So we all are soul not body. Soul takes next body after death of body based on deeds. In this connection, I also paste my article below.
Attachment (about Soul & Body)
Relationship is always made at least within two matters which are always separate from each other. One says that this is his house. So house is separate and person is separate. Another says that this is my house, my son, my wife etc. So person is separate, his house, son and wife are also separate from each other. That is why the relation was made.
Similarly when someone says that this is his head and leg, ear and eyes etc., so here also it is clear that the person who is making relation with head, eyes etc., is separate and the said organs and the whole body are separate. Otherwise relation cannot be made. No one on the earth says that he is eye, he is head, he is leg, he is body etc., but always says that all the organs of body belong to him. So naturally question arises that who, “HE” is to say that this is his head.
Here “HE” means “SOUL” who resides in the body. Rigveda mantra 1/164/20 says that this body is like a tree. Tree is destroyed one day. So body made by prakriti’s five matters (earth, air, water, space, fire) is destructible, prakriti being non-alive. In said tree, God and soul also reside and both are alive matters.
God is omnipresent but soul is not omnipresent and resides at only one place at one time. Suppose we are sitting in a dark room in the night then we are unable to do any task like studying but in the light of electric bulb we become able to do job. Similarly human body only works when the soul resides in it. That is soul works like an electric bulb otherwise we daily see so many deaths of youngsters also whose healthy body is there but does not work, eye can not see, ear can not listen etc., so which matter (tatv) had left the body. Yes, it is only soul.
QUALITIES OF SOULS (JEEVATAMA)
Soul is alive. Soul has to face the result of his deeds. Soul takes body of human beings, animals, birds, trees etc., according to deeds of past lives. Soul feels sorrow, happiness etc., through body. When soul leaves body, it feels nothing but carries all karma to be faced in next birth through his chitta’s (chitta) vritti (vritti).
Souls are innumerable but are constant in number having similar qualities like being pure, immortal, alive etc. Soul is infinitesimally small, is invisible. The bodies of all living beings contain souls.
Not God but soul has desire, hatred/malice, merriment, sufferings, attachment etc. While attracting itself towards materialistic articles made of prakriti soul forgets his original form. As a result, soul recognizes himself as body. This is the stage of soul being unwise.
“NA TAM VIDATH YA IMA JAJAANANYUDYUSHMAKAMANTARAM BABHOOVA,
NEEHAREINN PRAVRITA JALAPYA CHASUTRIP UKTHASHASCHARANTI.”
(RIGVEDA MANTRA 10/82/7)
(TAM) that God (NA) not (VIDATH) known (YAH) who (EMA) all worlds (JAJANN) creates and (YAT) from you (ANYAT) separate from other souls (YUSHMAKAM) from you (ANTARAM) with in all (BABHOOVA) is (NIHAREINN) fog like smoke (YAT) that God (PRAVARITAHA) covered (JALAPYAHA) baseless discussion (ASUTRIPAHA) satisfied only in Prann [breathing system] (UKTHASHASAHA) only paying lip service (CHARANTI) deals or behaves.
Meaning: Like an invisible matter which is covered with fog similarly dealing in only lip service and indulging in baseless discussion and are satisfied in their breathing system, Oh! Man-woman, you do not know the God who creates the five matters/universe and the God who is separate from other souls and who is within all.
Atma means jeevatma i.e., soul. Autobiography of soul is not written, please. Yog shastra sutra 1/2 states- “Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodhaha” i.e., when an aspirant does hard practice of ashtang yoga philosophy mentioned in Vedas under the guidance of learned acharya of Ashtang Yoga and Vedas philosophy then one day he becomes capable of destroying his previous as well as present life’s deeds. Then Yog shastra sutra 1/3 states “Tada Drashtu Swarupevasthanum” i.e., then soul gets situated in his form i.e., soul knows himself.
In the absence of the said worship, soul does not recognize himself. Soul being indulged in illusion, forgets his form. His form is that soul is pure i.e., never indulges in illusion. Actually, through five senses, mind and intellect, soul is attracted towards materialistic articles of world and hence, illusion effects him. So, soul is originally pure, immortal, alive, learned, eternal matter who neither takes birth nor meets with death. So, the said qualities can be stated as biography of soul. So, soul cannot be hurt or killed. Therefore, the question of self-defense does not arise. Defense is needed for human-body only wherein soul resides. Soul is pure (shudh) in his original form and can never be made or purified so its shuddhi is not required.
Atm- sakshi means self-realization. Soul has eternal, original, divine qualities amongst which some have been described above. So, sanskar of soul is not required. Sanskars get imprinted on chitta only.
Bipin Badheka: Pranam, Guruji. Charan Sparsh. It is stated that one who is perfect in shabd brahm (Vedas) can only attain par brahm i.e. salvation. What is meant by “perfect” here? So does it mean one should know all ved mantras? Understood that it shall be listened from learned acharya and also do acharan on the same. So whether in depth meaning of each mantra shall be known to attain salvation? Please guide for interpretation and to understand this. Pranam.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. Being perfect in Shabda Braham means to have perfect knowledge of four Vedas to pursue the preach of Vedas in daily routine life. Because mere study of Vedas and knowing the words-meanings of all mantras of four Vedas will be of no use until we realise God, as is also stated in Rigveda mantra 1/164/39. To know all Ved mantras is not the requirement but to listen all the Ved mantras from learned acharya with their words and meanings and idea is necessary in fact indispensable because it makes an effect on chitta and helps to attain salvation. Moreover, daily havan, name jaap of God – Om and daily practice of Ashtang Yoga Philosophy i.e., asan, prannayam, meditation etc., is necessary.
