जीव

Jiva

jīva

the individual soulThe living, embodied individual who acts, experiences and transmigrates.

Editorial overview

In simple words

Jiva means 'the living one' — you as an individual who is born, acts, enjoys and suffers, and (in most Indian views) moves from life to life. Traditions differ on how the jiva relates to God or the ultimate reality.

What is it?

Where atman stresses the Self's pure nature, jiva usually names the self as embodied and bound: associated with a subtle body, carrying karma and undergoing rebirth. The Gita describes the jiva as an eternal fragment of the Lord that draws the senses and mind to itself and carries them from body to body. In Jainism, jiva is the basic term for soul, and the universe is full of them.

Scholar’s note

Advaita explains the jiva through limitation (avaccheda) or reflection (pratibimba) models of consciousness in the mind. Ramanuja takes the jiva as atomic (anu) in size and a real mode (prakara) of Brahman; Madhva holds an intrinsic gradation of souls (a much-debated doctrine). Jain thought classifies jivas by number of senses, from one-sensed beings (plants, earth-bodies) to five-sensed beings.

How its meaning differs

Editorial overview

Each tradition in its own terms. None is ranked.

Advaita Vedanta

The jiva is Brahman appearing as limited through ignorance and the mind; on realisation, the jiva's individuality is found never to have been ultimately real.

Vishishtadvaita Vedanta

The jiva is real, eternal, atomic and many; it is a part (amsha) and body of Brahman, and remains an individual in liberation, serving God.

Dvaita Vedanta

Jivas are innumerable and eternally distinct from God and each other; each has its own intrinsic nature that is revealed in liberation.

Jain philosophy

Jivas are infinite in number, pervade all forms of life down to plants and elements, and are weighed down by karmic matter; each can become fully omniscient.

Shaiva Siddhanta

The soul (pashu) is eternal and bound by three bonds (pasha); in liberation it attains Shiva's nature while remaining distinct from Shiva.

Where it appears in the Gita

Full text available

2.22

As one changes worn-out clothes, the embodied changes bodies

जैसे पुराने कपड़े बदलते हैं, वैसे देही शरीर बदलता है

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि।

Just as a person discards old clothes and puts on new ones, the embodied one leaves worn-out bodies and enters new ones.

जैसे मनुष्य पुराने कपड़े छोड़कर नये धारण कर लेता है, ऐसे ही देही पुराने शरीर छोड़कर नये शरीरोंमें चला जाता है।

7.5

अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्।

पृथ्वी, जल, तेज, वायु, आकाश (—ये पंचमहाभूत) और मन, बुद्धि तथा अहंकार— इस प्रकार यह आठ प्रकारके भेदोंवाली मेरी यह अपरा प्रकृति है; और हे महाबाहो! इस अपरा प्रकृतिसे भिन्न जीवरूप बनी हुई मेरी परा प्रकृतिको जान जिसके द्वारा यह जगत् धारण किया जाता है।

13.22

उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वर:।

(शरीरके साथ सम्बन्ध रखनेसे) ‘उपद्रष्टा’, (उसके साथ मिलकर सम्मति, अनुमति देनेसे) ‘अनुमन्ता’, (अपनेको उसका भरण-पोषण करनेवाला माननेसे) ‘भर्ता’, (उसके संगसे सुख-दु:ख भोगनेसे) ‘भोक्ता’ और (अपनेको उसका स्वामी माननेसे) ‘महेश्वर’ (बन जाता है)। परन्तु (स्वरूपसे यह) पुरुष ‘परमात्मा’— इस नामसे कहा जाता है। (यह) इस देहमें रहता हुआ भी (देहसे) पर (सर्वथा सम्बन्धरहित) ही है।

15.7

The soul is My own eternal part

जीव मेरा ही सनातन अंश है

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन:।

The self that has become the jiva is My eternal part, yet it draws to itself the mind and senses, which belong to prakriti.

जीव बना हुआ आत्मा मेरा ही सनातन अंश है; पर वह प्रकृतिमें स्थित मन और इन्द्रियोंको अपना मान लेता है।

15.8

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वर:।

वायु गन्धके स्थानसे गन्धको (ग्रहण करके ले जाती है), ऐसे ही शरीरादिका स्वामी बना हुआ जीवात्मा भी जिस शरीरको छोड़ता है, (वहाँसे) इन (मनसहित इन्द्रियों)-को ग्रहण करके फिर जिस (शरीर)-को प्राप्त होता है (उसमें) चला जाता है।

15.16

द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च।

इस संसारमें क्षर (नाशवान्) और अक्षर (अविनाशी)— ये दो प्रकारके ही पुरुष हैं। सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंके शरीर क्षर और जीवात्मा अक्षर कहा जाता है।