Re: Sex of Atma
namaste everyone.
I happened to read the following quote in a book today that probably has the answer to the query in the OP:
धर्मः पुं रूपमाप्त्वा सकल जगतुपादान भावम् पिबर्ति ।
स्त्री रूपं प्राप्य धिव्या भवति समहिषी स्वाश्रयस्यादिकर्तु: ॥
dharmaH puM rUpamAptvA sakala jagatupAdAna bhAvam pibarti |
strI rUpaM prApya dhivyA bhavati samahiShI svAshrayasyAdikartu: ||
--Appaiya dIkShita, in his ratna-traya-parIkShA
Dharma takes the form of a male and remains as the upAdAna-kAraNa--proximate cause, of all this world (vishvam viShNu, says the ViShNu sahasranAmam). Taking the female form (at the same time) it becomes the consort of the Adi-kartRu--Creator.
It is thus understood that all the chetana--sentient, and achetana--insentient, beings of this jagat--world, are neuter in gender at the level of the substratum, in manifestation, both the Gods and the individual jIvas--selves/souls, take a gender. The difference is that in jIvas, the gender is singular and explicit, while in the gods, the male form that forms the consciousness is worshipped as a male god, and the female form that forms the shakti--power, of that male god is worshipped as his consort, both with different names and forms as the sampradAya--tradition, differs.
The very purpose of creatiion and manifestation is dharma. While the gods are essentially forms of dharma, the dharmic form of jIvas is conditioned by their karma. Therefore, the samsAra--world process, itself is called dharma-chakra--wheel of dharma.
रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥
To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.
--viShNu purANam
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