Jeev (जीव)
Jeev (जीव | jīva) means the one who is alive and gives life.
The individual soul is conscious. When it resides in a body, the otherwise inert body appears alive because of its presence within it. In the same way, although the mind and intellect are made of inert Maya, they function as though they are conscious because they are energized by the Jeev.
The Vedas also use the word Jeev to refer to Shri Krishna, because He is the source of consciousness for all conscious beings. He gives consciousness to every individual soul as well as to His own divine expansions, such as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shankar.
Nature
- Eternal
- Conscious
Key Distinctions
- Jeev is different from Body → The body is material and inert; the Jeev is divine and concious
- Jeev is different from Mind/Intellect → These are inert instruments. Just as electricity enables a bulb to illuminate, the Jeev enables the inert mind and intellect to function as though they are conscious.
- Jeev is different from God → The Jeev is dependent; God is independent
Also Known As
- atma (आत्मा | ātmā)
- jeevatma (जीवात्मा | jīvātmā)
Related Concepts
