जीव
Jiva
(jīva)Individual soul; the living self that experiences the cycle of birth and death
Full Meaning
Jīva is the individual living soul — distinguished from ātman (the universal self) in dualistic schools of thought. In Advaita Vedānta, jīva is ātman temporarily appearing as separate due to māyā (illusion). In Dvaita (Madhva), jīva is eternally distinct from the universal Brahman. The jīva experiences saṃsāra until liberation.
Etymology
From the root jīv (जीव्) — to live, to breathe, to be alive. The living one — that which has the quality of life.
Usage in Sanskrit Texts
The Bhagavad Gita distinguishes between the jīva (the individual soul experiencing the world) and the paramātman (the universal self dwelling within as the witness).
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः — An eternal fragment of myself becomes the jīva in this world. (Bhagavad Gita 15.7)
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