Let us educate our heart, again!

The Self is changeless and needs no evolution in Itself.

Atma is free from the six types of transformation (vikara) such as
birth, existence, growth, transformation, decline and death.
It is indivisible and does not diminish in size. It is ever the same. The immutability of the Self (atma) is again stressed by the next verse:

Na jayate mriyate va kadaachinnaayam bhoothvaabhavithaa vaa na bhooya:
AjO nithya: shaashvathO(a)yam puraaNO na hanyathe hanyamaane shareere 2.20

This (Self) is neither born at any time nor does It die (at anytime). It will neither come to existence (at one time) nor will It disappear again (at another time). This is unborn, eternal and free from decay as well as growth, (It) is not affected when the body is affected.

Though atma is intimately connected to the body, whatever happens to the body does not affect the atma. Birth and death are for the physical body only. They cannot touch the immortal all-pervading Self. Thus we conclude that thus atma is Asochya, not a source of sorrow.
The meanings of this and the previous verse are borrowed from Upanishads.

Kathopanishad 1 .2 .18 says
Na jayatharmriyathae vaa vipas(h)chid
Naayam kuthas(h)china babhoova kas(h)cid
Ajo nithya: s(h)aas(h)vathO(a)yam puraaNa:
Na hanyathae hanyamaanaee s(h)areerae

This omniscent one does not originate or die. It did not originate from anything. It did not become anything. It is unborn, eternal, decayless and growthless. It is not afflicted when the body is afflicted.

Again this only goes to prove that atma is free from modifications and hence “nirvikara”.

Then what is the phenomenon of death, we constantly observe all around us?
Vasamsi jeerNaani yathaa vihaya
Navaani gruhNaathi narO(a)paraaNi

Thathaa shareeraaNi vihaaya jeerNani
Anyani samyaathi navaani daehi - 2.22

Just as a person gives up worn out clothes and puts on other new ones, so also, this Self gives up worn out bodies and enters into new ones.

This oft-quoted stanza of Gita is universally famous.
The body-mind complex (and not the Self) throws away the present body (and so its present relationships) and rises to put on again the most appropriate body in the most conducive environment, so that It can exhaust the vasanas.

This verse re-educates us with a new vision and a total understanding of the world around it. It is the immutable atma which is behind and beneath life’s total play of change. This is unaffected by anything including death and destruction. We thus gain a new vision into the secret of living.

To put in a gist again, the atma pervades all that exists; yet It cannot be destroyed – no one can kill the soul. From the beginning of time, the atma has dwelt in bodies. Though everybody is finite in size, the atma is infinite. Though everybody dies, the atma is immortal.

If people think, the atma can commit murder, they are mistaken. If they think that the atma within them can be murdered, they are mistaken. The atma cannot kill or be killed.
The atma is not born and does not die.
Thus Krishna makes it clear to us that evolution and change are for the mind and intellect and not for the Self.

Love,
Chithra.

 

Dear Shan,
Thanks for being so prompt.
You are not much confused, but......
Atma (Self) is totally free from changes etc.
It is the sukshma sariram that carries vasanas from one janma to the other.

You write
The soul is always present in the body..
In fact it is only the Atma which gives the very life (chaithanyam) to the body.

The excerpt about which, you have mentioned, is totally new to me ! This is the first time, I am hearing about it.
Love,
Chithra.

 

Dear Vidhi,
Thanks.
Atma cannot be hurt - right. But our heart (kit containing mind & intellect) does get affected by pleasure, hurt etc.
Atma is comparable (nearest to) only space. Again, the pot-space example.So there is no difference between eachother's atma. Our body-mind complex which encloses atma within is "I" ;hence we call my atma.
I hope it is more clear, now.
Love,
Chithra.

 

Dear Aishu,
You are so young that I call you Aishu Baby. But your post is so mature !

Offering flowers is like offering our heart to God in all its purity, innocence & love.Our heart is compared to lotus & we call it Hrudaya kamalam.Flower is the most natural offering from Mother Nature & hence is best as an offering.

Yes, wicks are best changed everyday.Thereis no specific reason - but the deepam look clean & nice.
Love,
Chithra.

 

Dear Pavithra,
Nice that you are back. I do miss all my regulars !
Now, yours is a tricky question - I will answer to the best of my knowledge.
In vedantic parlance, there is no such thing as
'Atma santhi adayaradhu'
perform rites to ensure that the atma of the dead person goes to vaikuntam, instead of hell?
Some say
sivapadam adaindhar.

I think, they are all to suit the level of our general understanding.
Once the person is dead, his sukshma sarira leaves the body. For Hindus, samskaras called Anthyeshti is performed. He is called or considered "pretha" till the 12 th day, when he is included in the pithrs.
This is all for the sukshma sarira &not for the atma.
I have just bought a book on Anthyeshti. I will explain, perhaps better, after reading it.
But nothing affects the atma; we are repeatedly learning it is immutable, indestructible etc.Whether we wish "may the soul rest in peace" or not, atma is always at peace !

Love,
Chithra.