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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
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www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
Atman and Mokṣa
universe, the personal and life-giving principle in all animated beings, is said to have a thousand, that is, innumerable heads, eyes, and feet, as being one with all created life. A space ten fingers wide; the region of the heart of man, wherein the soul was supposed to reside. Although as the universal soul he pervades the universe, as the Individual Soul he is enclosed in a space of narrow dimensions." "1 The same Self of the universe is thus the Self of the individual. The word Asu also is equivalent of soul and means the same as the 'breath' or 'vital-breath'.
All these words which are used synonymously point to the fact that the ṚgVedic thinkers were aware of some entity, known as the Atman that is essentially the principle of vitality or animation, and it could not be identified with any one part of or the whole body. It also survives the latter's destruction. It also possesses consciousness, movement, imperceptibility, subtlety, eternity and essence.
For Private And Personal
The Vedic hymns exhibit a kind of primitive faith in polytheism as the various objects of the world are thought of separately and each of them is worshipped as a separate deity. Every natural power. ful agency is approached separately as a deity, and its favour was sought separately. In the beginning, the Vedic thinkers were not aware of a unitary principle working behind the manifold. But gradually the philosophic thought progressed and the new idea of the Ṛta begins to appear. Rta is the single power
1 Ibid. Tr. Vol. II, p. 517 (Note).
