Seeking similarity between the sun and the soul.

The body is defined as a "क्षेत्र" in the Bhagavad Gita. That which knows that "it's the body" (इदं शरीरं)is called the "क्षेत्रज्ञ" (that is the knower of the body) in the Bhagavad Gita. 

The Gita says -

इदं शरीरं कौन्तेयं क्षेत्रमित्यमविधियते।

एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहु: क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विद:।।

Without too much effort it becomes clear that "क्षेत्रज्ञ" has been used to refer to the soul popularly known as "आत्मा."

Let's refer to a shloka that is in the 13 th chapter of this great text.

It's—

यथा प्रकाश्यत्येक: कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रवि:।

क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत।।

*******************************************************

We all know that the great sun not only lights this earth but it also lights and warms the entire universe of which this earth is just a part. 

The whole universe gets lighted by this self-energized,self-lighting great fireball that our sun is . 

It's immeasurable-inaccessible-unapproachable in terms of distance & dimensions. Nevertheless its presence in our life is critically felt in more ways than one. We just can't expect life to exist without the Sun.

*******************************************************

So is the soul in our body. 

 The above shloka seeks to make us understand this fact.

It lights the whole of our body just in the same way as the sun does to the universe. 

Despite it doing so it's not the part of the body.

The whole bodily systems and subsystems happen to function so long as this soul is connected to the body. In the same way the presence of the soul is critical to the existence of this body. Without a soul a body is reduced to a lump of mass that requires earliest disposal.

There is yet another similarity between the sun and the soul. 

Just as the sun is immeasurable, inaccessible & indestructible so is the soul.

 And the accumulation of souls is the great soul who we know as "परमात्मा" or "ईश्वर".

It's in this context that Radhakrishnan Sir has observed-

"ईश्वर सम्पूर्ण सांसों के सांस हैं"

*******************************************************

         But the soul and the sun differ from one another in at least one way. That is while the sun is visible from an average physical eye the soul is invisible for such an eye. Nevertheless it's not that it cannot be seen.

Yes;it can be seen by only those who are equipped with the eye of wisdom(ज्ञान नेत्र).

**************************************************

Look at what scriptures say-

आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्य: 

                (Ref:वृहदारण्यक उपनिषद)

*******************************************************

Oh! could it be seen?

Then when, how and where?

Let us explore these in the way we may like.

R.R.Prabhakar.

28.09.2023.

(अनंत चतुर्दशी)