गोविन्द भाष्य (श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण - अचिन्त्यभेदाभेद वेदान्त ब्रह्मसूत्र भाष्य सटीक)

were ever born." The word "tābhyaḥ" in the sūtra means "the eternality of the individual spirit soul is described in the Śruti and Smṛti -śāstras". The word "ca" (and) in the sūtra means that the individual spirit soul is also conscious and full of knowledge. In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.5.13) it is said: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām "Of all eternal living souls there is one who is the leader. Of all eternal souls there is one who is the leader." In the Bhagavad-gītā the Supreme Lord explains: ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇaḥ "The soul is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and primeval." Therefore, when it is said, "Yajñadatta is born and again he dies," such words refer only to the external material body. The jāta-karma ceremony and other ceremonies like it also refer to the external material body. The individual spirit soul is different from the external material body and resides in it like a passenger. In the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (4.3.8) it is said: sa vā ayaṁ puruṣo jāyamānaḥ śarīram abhisaṁpadyamānaḥ sa utkraman mriyamāṇaḥ "At the moment of birth the spirit soul enters a material body and at the moment of death the soul leaves the body." In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (6.11.3) it is said: jīvopetam vāva kiledaṁ mriyate na jīvo mriyate "The soul resides in the material body. When the body dies the soul does not die." Here someone may object: How can this be? If this is so, then this fact disagrees with the scriptural description of the individual souls' creation. To this objection I reply: The individual spirit souls are said to be created because they are effects of the Supreme. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has two potencies, and these are said to be His effects. Here is what makes these two