THE BODY UNDERGOES THE FOLLOWING SIX CHANGES
1. Asti (it comes into existence).
2. Jāyate (it is born).
3. Vardhati (it grows).
4. Vipariṇāmate (it matures).
5. Apakṣiyate (it declines or decays).
6. Nāsyati (it dies).
The Self however, does not undergo these changes.
THE TRUE SELF
The reason the word 'Self' is written here with an upper case 'S', is to denote the true self as opposed to the egoic self (ahaṁkāra).
The Sanskrit word for this Self is ātmā (आत्मा).
While the word 'soul' may be used, this can be problematic as soul is sometimes used to refer to the psyche. The word ātmā is more precise as it refers very specifically to the true self, which is different from the psyche.
SAT AND ASAT
The Sanskrit word sat (सत्) means existence or being. More specifically, it means enduring existence, so it refers to that which is unchanging, permanent and eternal.
The word asat (असत्) means the opposite, i.e, that which has no enduring existence, so it refers to that which is always changing, impermanent and non-eternal.
This is why the ātmā is referred to as being sat, and the body is referred to as being asat.
Another word used in connection with the ātmā is chit (चित्) which means consciousness. One of the inherent qualities of the ātmā is consciousness, which is why the body (and mind) appear to be conscious as long as the ātmā is present in the body.
THE ĀTMĀ IN THE BHAGAVAD GITĀ
There are many verses in the Bhagavad-Gītā where Lord Kṛṣṇa speaks about the ātmā. Here are a few of them:
dehino ’smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati
Translation
Just as the embodied Self (ātmā) continually passes through the different bodies of childhood, youth and old age, so also at the time of death, the Self attains another body. The wise are not bewildered by this. (2.13)
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
Translation
The Self (ātmā) never takes birth, nor does it die, nor having once come into being will it ever be subject to further becoming. It is without birth, eternal, changeless, and primordial. It is not killed when the body is killed. (2.20)
vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro ’parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny
anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī
Translation
Just as a person gives up worn-out garments and puts on new ones, so the embodied Self (ātmā) casting off worn-out bodies, enters into other new bodies. (2.22)
mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣati
Translation
The jīva (conditioned ātmā) is an eternal part of Me. In this material world it is entangled with the mind and the five senses, which are rooted in phenomenality. (15.7)
Jaya Śrī Kṛṣṇa!
While in this video the difference between the body and the Self is explained in terms of ‘changing and unchanging’, there are several other differences which are explained in the two videos below:
Swami Sarvapriyananda: What Greater Ignorance Can There Be Than This? (Aparokṣānubhūti 17 to 21)
• Swami Sarvapriyananda:...
5 Pointers To Help You Understand That You Are Not The Body Or The Mind
• 5 Pointers To Help You...
Негізгі бет Swami Sarvapriyananda: The Changing Body and the Unchanging Self
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