Kṣara
By Swami Harshananda
Kṣara literally means ‘destructible’.
It stands for anything that gets destroyed or that is ephemeral. However, the Bhagavadgitā[1] uses the word in a more technical sense. According to it, there are two kinds of beings:
- The kṣarapuruṣas - All the beings associated with prakṛti[2] starting with the four faced Brahmā right up to a blade of grass are termed as ‘kṣara’.
- The akṣarapuruṣas - The muktapuruṣas or liberated souls are called as ‘aksara’ since they are not associated with the ever changing prakṛti.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore