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Chapter 15
The Self is not a fragment of Brahma (attributeless) but is a fragment of God (endowed with attributes)—'isvara amsa jiva abinasi' (Manasa 7/117/1). The reason is that Brahma is merely Pure Consciousness. Therefore in Brahma there can't be a fragment and the whole. The Soul is identical with Brahma viz., the entity, which is the soul in diverse forms, is Brahma in one form. If the Self is attached to the body, it is embodied Soul (Jiva), and if it is not attached to the body, it is Brahma. Therefore in fact both Jiva and Brahma are fragments of the entire form of God. So the Lord has declared that He is the base of Brahma-`brahmano hi pratisthaham' (14/27) and also declared that Brahma is a fragment of His entire form—9e brahma tadviduh ' (7/29-30).
The mind and senses are the fragments of 'prakrti' and so they abide in `prakrti'—'prakrtisthani . Therefore a man (the Self) should learn this lesson that he should have his affinity with the Entity Whose fragment he is. He himself will have to form this connection with God, no one else will form it. The reason is that he himself has accepted the connection with the world and he himself is disinclined to God. The world is not responsible for his inclination (attachment) to the world and God is not responsible for his disinclination for Him but in both cases, the Self is responsible. The Self being the fragment of God, is independent but it has misused this independence. Therefore the Self will have to make the proper use of this independence—`uddharedatmanatmanam (Gita 6/5).
The affinity of the mind and senses with 'prakrti' is etemal and real but their affinity with the Self is transient and assumed. Transient affinity never remains permanent but it goes on changing and perishing. But the relationship of the Self with God is immutable and imperishable. But having accepted the transient affinity, the Self develops a disinclination for God, which he does not realize.
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