jiva

See also: jíva and jīva

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit जीव (jīva). Doublet of quick.

Noun

jiva (uncountable)

1. (Jainism, Hinduism) All living beings; the essence or soul of such beings.
   • 1886, Nandalal Dhole (translator), Mādhava [Mādhavācharya], A Hand Book of Hindu Pantheism: The Panchadasi, Heeralal Dhole, page 209,

     Though in the Panchadasi, Vidyarana Swami mentions Jiva to be a reflection in the internal organ, and as that internal organ is not present in the profound slumbering condition, consequently, then, there should be no Jiva also; but as Prajna, almost ignorant—a form of Jiva—continues in dramless^[sic] profound slumber, therefore what the Swami purports to mean is, the particle of ignorance modified or changed into the form of internal organ, and intelligence reflected therein is called Jiva, and that ignorance is never wanting in prfound^[sic] slumber, consequently Prajna also is not wanting then.

   • 2006, Sanjukta Gupta, Advaita Vedanta and Vāiṣṇavism: The Philosophy of Madhusūdana Sarasvatī, Routledge, page 50:

     Some followers of Vācaspati Miśra consider jīva to be limited by the inner sense organ. Being limited, jīva is in this case, distinct from the substratum consciousness of objects which is the all-pervasive consciousness sākṣī. According to this view, jīva is not the material cause of the universe either.

Related terms

• ajiva
• jivadaya