DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0040
28 Philosophical Brahmanism.
subtle body1 {linga or sukshma-sarira or dtivahika), which
incloses a portion of the universal spirit in a kind of subtle
or tenuous envelope2, constituting it a living individual per-
sonal soul (jlvatman), and carrying it through all its corpo-
real migrations till its final reunion with its source ; secondly,
the gross body (sthfda-sarlra), which surrounds the spirit's
subtle vehicle, and is of various forms in the various stages
and conditions of existence through animate or inanimate,
organic or inorganic life.
And mark that the gross body is of three kinds—divine,
earthly, and intermediate—the latter being that peculiar
frame with which the departed spirit, along with its subtle
frame, is invested after the burning of the earthly gross
body, and during the interval preceding the assumption of
another earthly gross body. This intermediate body (com-
monly called preta-sarlra, the dead man's body) serves, as
it were, to support and, as it were, to clothe the departed
spirit during its several residences in the world of spirits
(pitri-loka); whence its philosophical name Adhishthana-
deha. It is of the same nature, though inferior to the divine
body of the gods ; and, though, like that divine body, really
composed of gross (sthula) particles, is of a more ethereal
substance than the earthly body. Without it the spirit would
be incapable of enjoying bliss or suffering misery in the inter-
mediate temporary paradise, or purgatory3, through which all
spirits have to pass before assuming new terrestrial bodies.
And be it noted that the union of spirit with a succession
of bodily forms is dreaded as the worst form of bondage.
The spirit, so united, commences acting, and all actions,
1 In the Vedanta system there are three bodily coverings, the Causal
body (Karana-sarira) coming first; but this is merely another name for
Ajnana (see p. 35), and can scarcely be regarded as a material substance.
2 Its minuteness is denoted by its being described as ' of the size of
a thumb' {angusktha-matra), though some apply this expression to the
intermediate body.
3 The heaven and hell of orthodox Brahmanism are only temporary.
subtle body1 {linga or sukshma-sarira or dtivahika), which
incloses a portion of the universal spirit in a kind of subtle
or tenuous envelope2, constituting it a living individual per-
sonal soul (jlvatman), and carrying it through all its corpo-
real migrations till its final reunion with its source ; secondly,
the gross body (sthfda-sarlra), which surrounds the spirit's
subtle vehicle, and is of various forms in the various stages
and conditions of existence through animate or inanimate,
organic or inorganic life.
And mark that the gross body is of three kinds—divine,
earthly, and intermediate—the latter being that peculiar
frame with which the departed spirit, along with its subtle
frame, is invested after the burning of the earthly gross
body, and during the interval preceding the assumption of
another earthly gross body. This intermediate body (com-
monly called preta-sarlra, the dead man's body) serves, as
it were, to support and, as it were, to clothe the departed
spirit during its several residences in the world of spirits
(pitri-loka); whence its philosophical name Adhishthana-
deha. It is of the same nature, though inferior to the divine
body of the gods ; and, though, like that divine body, really
composed of gross (sthula) particles, is of a more ethereal
substance than the earthly body. Without it the spirit would
be incapable of enjoying bliss or suffering misery in the inter-
mediate temporary paradise, or purgatory3, through which all
spirits have to pass before assuming new terrestrial bodies.
And be it noted that the union of spirit with a succession
of bodily forms is dreaded as the worst form of bondage.
The spirit, so united, commences acting, and all actions,
1 In the Vedanta system there are three bodily coverings, the Causal
body (Karana-sarira) coming first; but this is merely another name for
Ajnana (see p. 35), and can scarcely be regarded as a material substance.
2 Its minuteness is denoted by its being described as ' of the size of
a thumb' {angusktha-matra), though some apply this expression to the
intermediate body.
3 The heaven and hell of orthodox Brahmanism are only temporary.