Aptavani-1
163
The luster of wealth : It originates from the aristocratic
life of affluence, ease and happiness.
The luster of dharma : It radiates from the soul of the one
who lives a religious and righteous life.
The luster of knowledge : It radiates from acquiring relative
knowledge through learning different teachings or scriptures.
The luster of celibacy (brahmcharya) : It emanates from
the practice of celibacy.
The luster of all these four emanates from the subtle body,
the electric body.
At the moment of the union of a mother’s ovum and a
father’s sperm, the effective body is created. What is a jiva?
That which lives and dies is jiva. When the jiva dies, it carries
with it the subtle body and the causal body. The mind, the
intellect, the chit and the ego are freed here. The causal body
that is carried forward will give rise to a new effective body.
The effective body, created by the union of mother’s ovum and
father’s sperm, prepares its own sustenance and thus a tuber
(embryo) is created. A jiva cannot survive without sustenance
even for a minute. If there is no food, it takes at least air or
water.
This electrical body is the same as the tejas body and the
subtle body. It digests food and produces heat and energy. It
keeps the blood circulating. The entire machinery of the body
works because of its minute network of inter-connections
reaching all parts of the body. If there is any karmic deficiency,
it will result in certain physical ailments e.g. the stomach will
lack in digestive power from infancy. It is the electrical body,
within the physical body, that really carries out the bodily functions
but the gross external body cannot grasp it and that is why it
eventually becomes weak. The subtle body in every one is the