Often intrigued by the thought as to what the shape of soul is .
In the purport of Bhagavad Gita 2.17, Srila Prabhupada mentions about the size of soul
"When the upper point of a hair is divided into one hundred parts and
again each of such parts is further divided into one hundred parts, each
such part is the measurement of the dimension of the spirit soul." - Svetasvatara Upanisad (5.9)
how about shape ?? Do souls of animals and human beings have different shapes ? Do the souls in material world and spiritual world have different shape ? Do Souls have shape at all ? Do soul require a body to have a shape ? blah blah blah so many questions..
one at a time then , first the answer to the last question
A body without a soul is called “dead.” Souls can live on their own,
without bodies. Only in this world do we see souls stuck inside bodies.
Spiritual beings are meant to live in a spiritual—rather than a
material—world.
For the other questions , Srila Prabhupada ( as usual ) is our saviour .
In question time, a devotee
asked whether the soul in an animal's body would have a different shape
to the soul in a human body. Prabhupada explained further.
"The shape has been taken according to his desire. Every animal has got these four things. Just like a bird, it has got two wings, two legs. The animal has got four legs. And the man has got two hands and two legs. So the same parts of the body are appearing in a different type. But the four limbs of the body are there."
The questions continued in the same vein. Yasomatinandana asked whether the eternal form of the spirit soul was human.
"Yes," Prabhupada replied. "Human form. God is also human form. 'Man is made after the shape of God.' I think there is in the Bible, is it not? So God is also like human form. Here you see Krsna, two hands, two legs."
But Hari-sauri had a doubt. "How do we understand, then, that there are peacocks and flowers and trees in the spiritual world? Are these not eternal forms?"
"Yes," explained Srila Prabhupada. "They are more covered. Just like if you cover your body with blankets, the hands and legs are invisible. But you are not the blanket. So the trees and plants, they are more covered. They are not in full manifestation. The human form is the full manifestation of the soul."
Hari-sauri wondered whether they were covered in the spiritual world.
"Not in the spiritual world. There that is voluntary. Some devotees want to serve Krsna as flowers; they become flowers there. If he wants that 'As a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna', he becomes a flower, voluntarily. And he can change his form, from flower to human body. That is spiritual life. There is no restriction. If some devotee wants to serve Krsna as a cow, he serves Krsna as a cow, as a calf, as a flower, as a plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, mother, friend, beloved, anything. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham. That is Krsna's all-powerfulness."
"The shape has been taken according to his desire. Every animal has got these four things. Just like a bird, it has got two wings, two legs. The animal has got four legs. And the man has got two hands and two legs. So the same parts of the body are appearing in a different type. But the four limbs of the body are there."
The questions continued in the same vein. Yasomatinandana asked whether the eternal form of the spirit soul was human.
"Yes," Prabhupada replied. "Human form. God is also human form. 'Man is made after the shape of God.' I think there is in the Bible, is it not? So God is also like human form. Here you see Krsna, two hands, two legs."
But Hari-sauri had a doubt. "How do we understand, then, that there are peacocks and flowers and trees in the spiritual world? Are these not eternal forms?"
"Yes," explained Srila Prabhupada. "They are more covered. Just like if you cover your body with blankets, the hands and legs are invisible. But you are not the blanket. So the trees and plants, they are more covered. They are not in full manifestation. The human form is the full manifestation of the soul."
Hari-sauri wondered whether they were covered in the spiritual world.
"Not in the spiritual world. There that is voluntary. Some devotees want to serve Krsna as flowers; they become flowers there. If he wants that 'As a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna', he becomes a flower, voluntarily. And he can change his form, from flower to human body. That is spiritual life. There is no restriction. If some devotee wants to serve Krsna as a cow, he serves Krsna as a cow, as a calf, as a flower, as a plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, mother, friend, beloved, anything. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham. That is Krsna's all-powerfulness."
Prem se Bolo Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai
No comments:
Post a Comment