Jiva

/ˈdʒiːvə/

जीव; जीवात्मा; व्यक्तिगत आत्मा

Origin & History

From Sanskrit jīva (जीव) ‘living being, soul’, from the root jīv- ‘to live’.

संस्कृत ‘जीव’ (jīva) से, अर्थ ‘जीवित प्राणी/आत्मा’; धातु ‘जीव्’ (jīv-) ‘जीना’ से।

Definition

Jiva refers to the individual soul (living being) that is bound to a body and experiences birth, death, karma, and rebirth in traditions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and some Buddhist/Indian philosophical systems; it contrasts with the supreme/absolute principle (e.g., Brahman) in many Hindu schools.

जीव (जिव) उस व्यक्तिगत आत्मा/जीवात्मा (जीवित प्राणी) को कहा जाता है जो शरीर से बंधी होती है और जन्म‑मृत्यु, कर्म तथा पुनर्जन्म का अनुभव करती है; हिंदू, जैन आदि दर्शनों में इसे कई बार परम/परमात्म तत्त्व (जैसे ब्रह्मन्) से भिन्न माना जाता है।

Parts of Speech

Noun:
In Vedanta, the jiva is the individual self that appears separate due to ignorance.
वेदांत में जीव वह व्यक्तिगत आत्म है जो अज्ञान के कारण अलग प्रतीत होती है।

Usage Examples

The text describes how the jiva accumulates karma through actions and intentions.
Some schools teach that the jiva ultimately realizes its unity with the Absolute.
In Jain philosophy, every jiva is a soul with its own consciousness.

Synonyms

Individual soul Living being Spirit (in Indian philosophical sense) Self (philosophical)

Antonyms

Brahman (ultimate reality, in some Hindu contexts) Absolute Paramatman (Supreme Self, in some Hindu contexts)

Related Forms

Noun
Jiva / Jivatman / Jivahood
Adjective
Jivic

Idioms & Phrases

Jiva (as in “jiva and Brahman”)
‘जीव और ब्रह्मन्’ (दर्शन में प्रयुक्त पद-युग्म)
Jiva-atman
जीवात्मा