Anutva of Jeevatma

[Guest guest]

Dear Prapatti Group Members:

 

Rajagopalan Murali had raised very interesting questions about the Jivatma.

I would like to share whatever little I have learned.

 

(1) The upanishads gives us the 'real' story of Saubhari. Sage Saubhari

was a great yogi and he could co-exist in several bodies. He married all

the King's daughters (about 50 of them through different wives) by assuming

different bodies. However, the interesting part of the story was that

there was one central Saubhari who had the knowledge of all other

Saubharis. It is not clear from the story whether the other Saubharis knew

each other or the central Saubhari. It is like the Paramatma permeating

everything and having a knowledge of everything. The object or the being

that is permeated (for eg. the Jiva) does not necessarily have the

knowledge of the Paramatman. As far as the Lord is concerned, we know Lord

Parasurama met Rama and the Lord can assume limitless number of forms all

at the same time. That's why we call Him Yogesvaresvara. A crude analogy

is the multiple role played by the same individual but somehow

juxtapositioned in time.

 

(2) Generally, it is said like this of the Jivatma and Paramatma. The Jiva

has one center with circumference everywhere. God has infinite centers

with circumference everywhere. The circumference can be interpreted as

that of knowledge.

 

(3) I also think there is a subtle difference between Amsa and Avatara.

While avatara would mean that the same Jivatma (or entity) assumes

different forms, on the otherhand Amsa would imply that one entity has

chosen to work through the other.

 

I would seek the forgiveness of the learned members, if the above

interpretations are not in concordance with the Vishishtadvaiitic position.

 

Vijayaraghavan