The soul has knowledge that is presently covered – does this mean the soul knows exact scriptural verses?
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Transcript
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So if we say that a soul has knowledge, soul is Satchitananda and that knowledge is covered, then what exactly is covered? Is it some spiritual knowledge or is it the specific knowledge of verses from the scriptures? Basically, it is the soul’s inclination towards spiritual understanding or whatever inclination the soul has acquired. In the Bhagavad Gita, in the 6th chapter, Krishna talks about the Yogabhrastha, the souls who have started spiritual life, they are unable to continue, they leave it off.
So what happens is that Krishna says that पुर्वाभ्यासेन तेनेवर् रियतेयावशोपिसः जिज्ञान्सुरपियोगस्य शब्द ब्रह्माति वर्तते पुर्वाभ्यासेन तेनेवर् By the past practice, रियतेयावशोपिसः, one is helplessly attracted. So an attraction towards Krishna is what is there. And that comes back to us.
So, आवृतम् ज्ञानमेतेन, Krishna talks about lust, ओर ज्ञानतरला बोल्ली दिजायव, काम, they cover our knowledge. They cover our knowledge means, and the soul has awareness of its spirituality. But that knowledge is covered over by selfishness.
That means, we forget that. And we start perceiving ourselves differently. As men, as women, as whatever else.
So, when we become purified, that covering is removed. When the covering is removed, then we start seeing things as they are. And from that point onwards, we start functioning more effectively.
It’s not necessary that the specific verses in scripture is what the soul remembers. That is more of the, more of the, you could say the verbalization of the knowledge. But the knowledge itself is internalized.
So, it is not that, say, there are, there are, in various parts of the world, we have had, the Janamana Maharaj has written a book called Animals in Krishna Consciousness. So, basically, there are places, as in Malaysia, there is one dog, every evening, would come outside the temple, at the time of Govardhan. And just stand there.
And the devotees would shoo it away, it would go a little distance, and again stand over there. Where there is in South India, there is a temple, where there is a crocodile, which takes only vegetarian food. It takes only rice that is offered to the deities.
And many people come and sponsor rice for the deities, not because the deity will take, but because the crocodile will take it. So, they offer the bhoga, and then they bring it, and the crocodile actually eats it. So, what is happening over here, that spiritual life cannot be begun in animal form.
But spiritual life can be continued in animal form. The soul has practiced in the human form, but somehow, because of some reason, the soul loses the human body, like happened with Bharat Maharaj. Very well spiritually, but because he was attached to a deer, so he went down to animal body.
He went to deer body, but he did not get deer consciousness. Even in deer consciousness, even in deer body, he was trying to associate with sages, be satisfied with whatever grass was available nearby, the same association with sages. But it is not that the deer was speaking Sanskrit verses.
No. The deer was just a deer, but the spiritual consciousness was there. So, sometimes, verses may also emerge.
But that is not the essential thing. The essential thing is that, that inclination towards Krishna is what stays on. So, somebody has acquired that in the human form of life, then the soul goes to animal form, from that animal form, the soul will get it, it will continue that.
The next human form again, it will continue further. So, basically, the soul goes from one body to another, the subtle body goes with it. And in the subtle body, there can be attraction towards material things, there can be attraction towards spiritual things.
That is carried over from the soul. That is carried over from one body to another. That is covered by illusion and that uncovering has taken place.
Even if it is partial, that partial uncovering will be carried on to the next life. Did I answer your question?