Before we go the GITA, let us see what Chandogya(Khandogya) Upanishad talks about a substance found in the body (For readers who do not know what Upanishad means, I will be soon coming with what it means in a separate article. CLICK ON THE VERSE TO SEE THE SOURCE/REFERENCE. Note, The verses taken are the literal translation first ever done into English by MAX MUELLER , a German Philogist who studied Sanskrit as early as 1845 and translated all Indian Upanishads into English, whose texts are available in the libraries in India at Bhandarkar Insitute in Pune and Motilal Banaridas in New Delhi, and is published widely on the internet).
Chap 3 - 12th Khanda (subchapter)
And the ether which is around us, is the same as the ether which is within us. And the ether which is within us,
That is the ether within the heart. That ether in the heart (as Brahman) is omnipresent and unchanging. He who knows this obtains omnipresent and unchangeable happiness.
Which means there is "ETHER" which lies within our heart and is responsible for everything. This ether is the "SOUL".
Further, the Chandogya Upanishad, Sage Sandilya says,
In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the soul is defined as (In other words, the soul's definition must be approached not by saying - "It is this, it is that", but by saying "It is not this, it is not that"
Back to the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 13 describes at length the meaning of SOUL in the following verse ,
As the Sun illuminates this entire universe, so the Spirit/Soul illuminates the entire body (verse 33)
(verse 31)
Arjuna, The Spirit dwelling in this body, is really the same as the Supreme. He has been spoken of as the Witness, the true Guide, the Sustainer of all, the Experiencer (as the embodied soul), the Overlord and the Absolute as well. (Chap 13 - verse 22).
1 Comment:
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November 15, 2009 at 12:14 PM
very easy definition for soul, never thought like this before........