SrI: SrImathE satakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
sUthram 25
அநேக தே3ஹங்களைப் பரிக்3ரஹிக்கிற யோகி3கள் ஸ்வரூபத்துக்கு ஶைதி2ல்யமும் வரும்.
anEka dhEhangaLaip parigrahikkiRa yOgigaL svarUpaththukku Saithilyamum varum.
Meaning: If the soul were body-sized, then in the case of yogis who simultaneously assume many bodies, their essential nature would become fragmented and unstable.
Explanation
The author presents another defect in the jaina doctrine that the soul is equal in size to the body.
Difficulty regarding yogis who assume multiple bodies
Certain accomplished yogis, such as सौभरि (saubhari), are known to assume multiple bodies simultaneously.
If the soul is body-sized, then when such a yogi assumes many bodies at the same time, he would have to divide his own soul into many portions corresponding to those bodies.
As a result, the soul’s essential nature would suffer शैथिल्य (Saithilya) – loosening, fragmentation, or disintegration.
This is an unacceptable consequence.
Support from brahma sUthram
The commentator points out that this defect is also discussed in the brahma sUthrams:
एवं चात्माकार्त्स्न्यम् [2.2.33]
(Evaṁ chAthmAkArthsnyam)
The meaning is that if the soul were to become large or small according to the size of the body, its completeness and integrity could not be maintained.
Another possible application
The commentator also mentions another way in which this defect may be understood.
According to the jaina view, the soul becomes equal in size to whatever body it occupies.
For example:
- गज शरीर (gaja SarIra) – the body of an elephant
- पिपीलिका शरीर (pipeelikA SarIra) – the body of an ant
If a soul occupying an elephant body is elephant-sized and later enters an ant body, there would not be sufficient space for it. It would therefore have to contract drastically.
Likewise, if it moves from a small body to a large body, it would have to expand.
Such expansion and contraction would again produce शैथिल्य (Saithilya) in the soul.
However, the commentator notes that this is not the primary intention of the present sUthram because the wording specifically says:
“யோகிகள் ஸ்வரூபத்துக்கு“
(yOgigaL svarUpaththukku)
and therefore the principal discussion here concerns yogis who assume multiple bodies simultaneously.
Conclusion
Thus, the jaina doctrine leads to serious difficulties.
If the soul were body-sized:
- it would have to expand and contract,
- it would have to divide itself when many bodies are assumed,
- its essential nature would lose its integrity.
Therefore, the soul cannot be body-sized.
adiyen vAsudhEva rAmAnuja dhAsan
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