Is atma or soul and ghost same?

Replies

Madhava das February 23, 2025 at 9:25am

Hare Krsna Prabhu

In the Bhaktivedanta literature, soul, spirit and atma have been used synonymously. They mean exactly the same.

dehino asmin yatha dehe

kaumaram yavaunam jara

tatha dehantar praptir

dhiras tatra na muhyanti

As the embodied soul passes continuously in this body from boyhood, to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.

Now, the body is an instrument given to us by material nature.

'yantra rudhani mayayaa'

BG 18.61

By nature’s arrangement we are given a certain kind of body as per our karma. Now, if someone breaks the stringent law of nature by committing suicide, say, then he may not get a gross body because he chose to destroy it. However, since he is not yet liberated from the coverings of mind, intelligence and false ego, he will wander without the gross body till he gets one.

If you are interested to learn more about this subject then you can refer to Garuda purana.

Hari Bol
- Govind Sharan > Madhava das February 23, 2025 at 9:44am
  
  Thank you
  
  hari hari
Sevak

Bharat February 22, 2025 at 10:09pm

Hare Krsna

Soul and atma are similar. But they are from different languages, so need to see context in which they are used,

Ghost is usually when a soul has left previous gross body but has not acquired a new gross body.

Spirit is very generic, usage varies

Hare Krsna
- Govind Sharan > Bharat February 22, 2025 at 10:35pm
  
  thanks prabhu
  
  I heard from a leacture that Soul atma is divine. How is Ghost being a soul not spiritual?
  
  is ghost a different type of soul ?
  - Sevak
    
    Bharat > Govind Sharan February 23, 2025 at 12:52am
    
    Hare Krsna
    
    I heard from a leacture that Soul atma is divine.
    
    In pure state atma is divine.
    
    How is Ghost being a soul not spiritual?
    
    All living beings in this material world are souls covered with subtle body and gross body.
    
    Gross body is made of 5 gross material elements - earth , water , fire, air ,ether
    
    Subtle body is made of 3 suble material elements - mind, intelligence, ego
    
    Most living beings - trees, insects, fish, snakes, birds, dogs humans etc have goss and suble bodies. So it is combination of spiritual soul and material bodies.
    
    All living beings in this world are combination of material and spiritual elements.
    
    So ghosts are also spiritual soul but with subtle body but hankering for material body.
    
    Krsna is purely spiritual personality.
    
    Highest goal of human life is to attain pure spiritual state and serve Sri Krsna who is also pure spiritual always.
    
    is ghost a different type of soul ?
    
    Composition of soul is same. But conditioning of souls are different.
    
    Hare Krsna
    - Govind Sharan > Bharat February 23, 2025 at 1:41am
      
      Thank you prabhu ji
      
      Hare Krsna