Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura on the origin of the jiva

March 18, 1999

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

Visnu has three energies, one of them is meant for manifestation of His

eternal abode, another Potency is for creating all human souls who are

emanations from His tatastha-sakti found between the temporal and

eternal worlds. By this potency He creates human souls. The human soul

has two different predilections. If he desires to serve Godhead he is

allowed into the Eternal Region. If he desires to lord it over this

world he comes down for enjoying in different capacities the products of

the Deluding Potency. (Sri Caitanya's Teacings-Part II, Chapter One,

Third Edition, p. 365-6 by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta)

Tatastha has both the power of associating with temporal as well as

eternal planes. Souls who have got their stations at tatastha have got

free will. Each of the individual souls by exercising his free will can

abuse or properly use his independence . . . The souls in the tatastha

position are not one, but many in number. Thay are not to associate

themselves with unalloyed Cit Sakti or unalloyed Acit or Maya Sakti. In

the tatastha position, souls do not show any activity but they are found

to be in an indolent stage. (Sri Chaitanya's Teachings-Part II, Chapter

One, p. 391-2, Third Edition)

The inconceivably narrow line of demarcation between land and water or

the line where land and water meet is called Tata; so also the meeting

line of the Cit world or the eternal abode of the Supreme Lord and the

Acit world or the region of maya is called Tata. The power of the

Supreme Lord displayed at the Tata is known as the Tatastha (lying at

the Tata) or marginal power. All the jivas being the display of this

power, have the inherent oscillating tendency and capability of going to

the Cit or the Acit world. Tata not being a resting place, jivas must go

this side or that . . . (From an English article by Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati entitled, Vaisnavism Real

and Apparent, 10th paragraph)

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