Who or what is a jiva exactly ???

[krsna]

From Jaiva Dharma

 

 

Srila Jiva Gosvami describes the Supreme Person in these words:

 

"The Absolute Truth is one. Still, by His inconceivable potency He is manifested in four ways: 1. svarupa (His original form), 2. tad-rupa-vaibhava (His incarnations), 3. jiva (the individual spirit souls), and 4. pradhana (the material energy). These four features are like: 1. the interior of the sun planet, 2. the sun's surface, 3. the sunlight, and 4. the reflection of the sun."

 

This example of course, explains only a small part of the Lord's nature. His svarupa (original form) is His form of eternity, knowledge and bliss. His svarupa-vaibhava (manifestations of His form) are His spiritual abode, name, associates and paraphernalia. The jiva-sakti is the abode of the numberless eternally liberated and conditioned individual souls, who are tiny particles of spirit.

 

 

 

Also from Jaiva Dharma:

 

 

 

 

Vrajanatha: I say this: If the individual souls are like sparks from a blazing fire or atomic particles of sunlight, then what is the function of the jiva-sakti potency?

 

Babaji: Krsna is self-effulgent, like a blazing fire or the sun. Krsna is like a blazing fire. In the centre of the fire is the cit-sakti (svarupa sakti), it is present in fullness. In addition to the centre there is also a great expanse illuminated by the fire. The same way the Krsna-sun illumines a great area with sunlight. The rays of sunlight are particles of His internal potency (svarupa sakti). Those atomic particles that constitute those rays of sunlight are the individual spirit souls. The internal potency (svarupa sakti) manifests the Krsna-sun planet itself. The sunlight emanating from that planet is manifested by the cit-sakti (svarupa sakti) and the individual particles of light are manifested by the jiva-sakti. Therefore the individual spirit souls are manifested by the jiva-sakti. This is described in the following words of the Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.8):

 

"The Lord's spiritual potency is manifested in many different ways."

 

In this way the Lord's spiritual potency manifests the jiva-sakti-sunlight, which shines on the borderline (tata) of the spiritual and material worlds. In this way the eternal individual spirit souls are manifested.

 

 

 

Now here is more from Jaiva Dharma.

 

First by Narayana Maharaja Translation:

 

The cit-sakti is the full manifestation of Lord Krsna's potency. Whatever she creates is eternally perfect (nitya-siddha). The individual spirit souls are not eternally perfect. By engaging in the activities of devotional service (sadhana) they may become perfect (sadhana-siddha) and thus enjoy spiritual bliss exactly like that enjoyed by the eternally perfect (nitya-siddha) beings.

 

The four kinds of gopi-friends (sakhi) of Srimati Radharani are eternally perfect beings (nitya-siddha). They are manifested from the form of Srimati Radharani, who is the cit-sakti Herself.

 

All the individual spirit souls are manifested from Lord Krsna's jiva-sakti. The cit-sakti is Lord Krsna's complete potency (purna-sakti). The individual souls (jiva-sakti) are counted among Lord Krsna's incomplete potencies (apurna-sakti). From the complete potency complete and perfect things are manifested. From the incomplete potency all the individual souls, who are atomic fragments of consciousness, are manifested.

 

Lord Krsna manifests different kinds of entities according to the different kinds of potencies He employs to create them. When He is manifested in His cit-sakti, He appears as Krsna and as Narayana, the master of Vaikuntha. When He is manifested in the jiva-sakti, He appears as Baladeva, His pastime form (vilasa-murti) in Vraja. When He is manifested in the maya-sakti, He appears as the three forms of Karanodakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu.

 

In Vraja He appears in His original form, as Krsna, a form manifested by His complete potency. Appearing as Baladeva, He manifests His sesa-tattva (nature of Lord Sesa). In this way He manifests the eight kinds of services the eternally liberated associates offer to Him. Again in Vaikuntha He appears as Sesa-Sankarsana and manifests the eight kinds of service His eternal associates offer to Lord Narayana. Lord Sankarsana incarnates as Maha-Visnu. He becomes the resting-place of the jiva-sakti and appears as the Supersoul in the hearts of all the individual souls residing in the material world.

 

 

 

From an article by B.B BODHAYAN MAHARAJ, translation unknown, Maybe Puri Maharaja.

 

 

 

Cit-sakti is the complete potency of Krishna. Whatever it manifests are all nitya- siddha objects. The jiva is not nitya-siddha; he becomes sadhana-siddha through sadhana and enjoys bliss like the nitya-siddha. The four types of sakhis of Sri Radha are nitya-siddhas; they are kaya-vyuha manifestations of Sri Radha, who is the personification of the cit-sakti.

 

All the jivas have appeared from the jiva-sakti of Lord Sri Krishna. Just as cit-sakti is Krishna's complete potency, similarly the jiva-sakti is His incomplete potency. All complete objects have appeared from the complete potency, similarly from the incomplete potency come the innumerable atomic jivas. Lord Krishna, presiding over each of His potencies, manifests His various expansions correspondingly. Presiding over the cit potency, He manifests His Krishna form and that of Lord Narayana, the Lord of Vaikuntha. Presiding over His jiva-sakti, He manifests His Vilasa form of Baladeva in Vraja. Becoming situated in His maya-sakti, He manifests the three Vishnu forms - Karanodakashayi, Ksirodakasayi, and Garbhodakasayi.

 

From His Krishna form in Vraja, He manifests all the cit entities. From His Baladeva form as Sesa tattva, He manifests the nitya-mukta jivas who are associates that render service in eight ways to Lord Krishna, the Sesi tattva. Again, becoming Sankarsana as Sesa rupa, He manifests eight types of eternal associates to render service in eight ways to Sesi, Narayana. Maha-Vishnu, an incarnation of Sankarsana, becoming situated in the jiva-sakti as Supersoul, manifests the living entities of the material world. All these jivas (coming from Maha-Vishnu) are disposed to maya. Until they attain the shelter of the hladini-sakti of the cit world by the mercy of the Lord, they are prone to be defeated by maya. The unlimited conditioned jivas being defeated by maya remain under the influence of her three modes. Therefore the principle is that only the jiva-sakti manifests jivas and not the cit-sakti.