Bhagavad Gita -Srila Prabhupada 56

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita As It Is -Shri Shrimad A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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Contents of the Gita Summarized
Chapter 2: Verse-17

kesagra-sata-bhägasya
satamcah sädrsätmakah
jivah süksma-svarüpo ’yam
sankhyätito hi cit-kanah.

“There are innumerable particles of spiritual atoms, which are measured as one ten-thousandth of the upper portion of the hair.” Therefore, the individual particle of spirit soul is a spiritual atom smaller than the material atoms, and such atoms are innumerable. This very small spiritual spark is the basic principle of the material body, and the influence of such a spiritual spark is spread all over the body as the influence of the active principle of some medicine spreads throughout the body. This current of the spirit soul is felt all over the body as consciousness, and that is the proof of the presence of the soul. Any layman can understand that the material body minus consciousness is a dead body, and this consciousness cannot be revived in the body by any means of material administration. Therefore, consciousness is not due to any amount of material combination, but to the spirit soul. In the Mundaka Upanisad [1] the measurement of the atomic spirit soul is further explained:

eso ’nur ätmä cetasä veditavyo
yasmin pranah pancadhä samvivesa
pranah cittam sarvam otam prajänäm
yasmin visuddhe vibhavaty esa ätmä

“The soul is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect intelligence. This atomic soul is floating in the five kinds of air (präna, apäna, vyäna, samäna and udäna), is situated within the heart, and spreads its influence all over the body of the embodied living entities. When the soul is purified from the contamination of the five kinds of material air, its spiritual influence is exhibited.” The hatha-yoga system is meant for controlling the five kinds of air encircling the pure soul by different kinds of sitting postures—not for any material profit, but for liberation of the minute soul from the entanglement of the material atmosphere.



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References

  1. 3.1.9

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