Jiva - The Soul

As per Jain philosophy there are infinite number of jiva i.e. souls; in fact the whole world is literally filled with them. The souls are substances and as such they are eternal. Their characteristic mark is intelligence, which can never be destroyed. Further, the soul is ever all perfect, all powerful; but by ignorance it identifies itself with the matter (Karma) and hence its degradation and troubles start.

Furthermore, souls are of two kinds, viz.,

1. Samsari, i.e. mundane souls and

2. Siddha or Mukta, i.e. liberated souls.

Out of these, the samsari jivas, i.e. the mundane souls, are the embodied souls of living beings in the world and are still subject to the cycle of Births and Deaths and the Siddha or Mukta Jivas are the liberated souls and as such

1. they will not be embodied in future,

2. they have accomplished absolute purity,

3. they dwell in the state of perfection at the top of the universe,

4. they have no more to do with worldly affairs,

5. they have reached Mukti or Nirvana or Nivrtti, i.e. liberation, and in their condition they have four enjoyments, viz. Ananta-darsana, i.e. unlimited perception, Ananta-jnana, i. e. perfect knowledge, Ananta-Virya, i.e. infinite power, and Ananta- sukha, i.e. unbounded happiness.

In addition from the Metaphysical point of view the difference between the Samsari-Jiva, i.e. the mundane soul, and the Mukta Jiva i.e. the liberated soul, consists in the fact that the former is attached with subtle matter known as Karma, while the latter is absolutely pure and free from any material alloy.

Moreover, the mundane or embodied souls, i.e. the Samsari Jivas, are further classified in different ways and this classification is a subject not only of theoretical but also of great practical interest to the Jainas. As their highest duty is not to injure any living beings, it becomes incumbent on them to know the various forms which life may assume.

The mundane souls are also divided into two groups from another point of view, viz. `Sthavara Jivas’ are the immobile or one-sensed souls, that is, having only one sense, i.e. the sense of touch; and `Trasa Jivas’ are the mobiles, many- sensed souls, that is, having a body with more than one sense. Again, the mobile souls are those which being in fear have the capacity of moving away from the object of fear, and immobile souls do not have this capacity.

The Sthavara, i.e., the immobile or one-sensed souls are further divided into following five kinds :

1. Prthvikaya, i.e., earth-bodied souls,

2. Apkaya, i.e., water-bodied souls,

3. Tejahkaya, i.e., fire-bodied souls,

4. Vayukaya, i.e., air-bodied souls; and

5. Vanaspatikaya, i.e., vegetable-bodied souls.

The Trasa, i.e., the mobile or many-sensed souls are also further divided into four classes according to the possession of two or more of the five senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing :

1. Dvi-indriya Jivas, i.e., those which have the first two senses of touch and taste, for example, worms, etc.,

2. Tri-indriya Jivas, i.e., those which have the first three senses of touch, taste and smell, for example, ants, etc.

3. Chatur-indriya Jivas, i.e., those which have first four senses of touch, taste, smell & sight, e. g. humble-bee

4. Pancha-indriya Jivas, i.e., those which have five senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing, for example, man, etc.