What Are We Made Of? – Continuing the Journey from Kathopanishad (May 2025)
In the last month’s assignment, we journeyed into the powerful and thought-provoking story of Nachiketa from the Kathopanishad. We saw how, even as a young boy, Nachiketa dared to ask big questions about life, family, and the truth beyond death.
His three boons weren’t for gold or palaces, but for peace in the family, knowledge for society, and truth for himself. That last one—about death and what lies beyond it—led us to the mystery of the soul.
Let’s continue that thread this month and try to understand what the Vedas, especially the Rigveda, say about the soul. This month’s assignment is The Three Eternal Entities (Soul, Nature, and Super Consciousness). For this, we’ll look at some deep insights from the Rigvedādi Bhāṣya Bhūmikā, written by Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj.
If you are wondering why you should worry about it, the answer is when we begin to understand what we are truly made of, we also begin to understand how to live—not in fear or confusion, but with purpose and peace. The ancient Rishis and Swami Dayanand didn’t give us myths to blindly believe; they gave us a deep, logical path to reflect on.
The Three Eternal Truths
The Rig Ved explains that there are three eternal things in this universe. They were never created and will never be destroyed. These are: Ātmā (Soul), Paramātmā (Supreme Soul or God), and Prakriti (Nature or Matter).
Ātmā, or the soul, is your true self—not the body, not even the mind. It is eternal, indestructible, and full of awareness. The soul can think, feel, choose, and grow. Just as a driver operates a car to move around, the soul uses the body to experience life. When the body dies, the soul moves on, continuing its journey. Known as jīvātmā, the individual soul is the spark of life present in all living beings, even plants. These souls are countless—immense in number but not infinite. Each one is pure and inherently free, yet bound to face the consequences of its actions, known as karma. The soul is never created and never destroyed. When it leaves one body at death, it takes another according to its karma, continuing the cycle of birth and rebirth.
Paramātmā, or the Supreme Soul, refers to God—the eternal, formless, all-knowing presence who is distinct from both individual souls and nature. Unlike us, who must learn and evolve, God is complete in knowledge and remains unchanged by the actions of others or the shifts in nature. According to Swami Dayanand, God is the source of all wisdom, power, and justice, acting as a witness, guide, and judge for all beings. Paramātmā is the ultimate authority and energy behind the creation, maintenance, and dissolution of the universe. Though God governs the cosmos and sets everything into motion through divine law, He remains separate from the material world and is never subject to birth or death.
Prakriti, or Nature, is the third eternal reality. It includes everything that has form. All physical objects are made of Prakriti. But here’s an important point: Prakriti is not alive. It cannot think or feel. By itself, it’s like a box of building blocks—useful, but inactive.
So what about plants and animals? Aren’t they alive? Yes—and that leads to a fascinating insight from the Rigveda and Swami Dayanand.
Swami Dayanand explained that while Prakriti forms the body of a plant or animal, life begins only when a soul (Ātmā) enters that body. So a tree may seem to grow and respond to sunlight, but that is because there is a soul within it—though with very limited awareness. Plant life is a very basic form of existence, where the soul has just enough consciousness to support growth and reproduction. It doesn’t reflect or reason like humans do.
In fact, only in a human birth does the soul gain full awareness, the power to ask questions, seek knowledge, and choose right from wrong. That’s why, in Vedic thought, human life is considered precious—it’s the only state where the soul can truly grow, improve, and aim for liberation.
Even the “intelligence” we observe in nature—like how birds migrate or flowers bloom—is not coming from Prakriti itself. These are patterns built into nature by Paramātmā, running under perfect laws. The soul gives life to the body, and God gives purpose and order to the universe.
Let’s Bring It All Together
Remember Nachiketa’s question? “What happens after death?”
To explore that question, we need to understand these three eternal realities:
- The body is made of Prakriti and one day perishes.
- The Ātmā, or soul, moves on and takes another form.
- Paramātmā, or God, is the eternal witness and judge of our actions.
When we deeply understand this, it changes how we live. We stop worrying only about appearances and start focusing on our inner growth. We begin to value truth, kindness, and knowledge. And we become more aware of the consequences of our actions—even those no one else sees.
This understanding doesn’t lead us away from life — it helps us embrace it more wisely, with courage and clarity.
This Month’s Assignment
Let’s reflect deeply on what we’ve learned. Here are some questions to guide your thoughts and writing:
- What do you think is the difference between your body and your soul?
- If the soul is eternal, what should we focus on in life — temporary things or eternal growth? Why?
- Why do you think Swami Dayanand emphasized understanding God (Paramātmā) as formless and all-knowing?
- Can you think of examples where people confuse the body with the real self? What happens because of that confusion?
- Imagine Prakriti as a box of Lego blocks, and your soul as the builder. What kind of world would you build?
- Why is it important to understand the difference between Ātmā, Paramātmā, and Prakriti while growing up?
- Swami Dayanand believed that knowledge and truth should guide our lives. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Note: The above points are for inspiration; you do not have to answer every question. Just pick whatever questions resonate with you the most.
Keep the Assignment Short and Sweet. Remember, we want to hear from YOU! So, please keep your response short and sweet – no more than 4 minutes of writing. This will help us stay on track and make sure everyone has time to share their thoughts.
When we begin to understand what we are truly made of, we also begin to understand how to live—not in fear or confusion, but with purpose and peace. The ancient Rishis and Swami Dayanand didn’t give us myths to blindly believe; they gave us a deep, logical path to reflect on.
Happy thinking, happy writing, happy growing!
Regards,
Harsh Mendiratta
www.hawan.net