Dr. N.L. Kachhara
Vital power is essential for life. Association of vital power keeps the body live and its disassociation causes death. There are ten vital powers.
- Touch sense vital power.
- Taste sense vital power.
- Smell sense vital power.
- Vision sense vital power
- Hearing sense vital power.
- Mind vital power.
- Speech vital power.
- Body vital power.
- Respiration vital power
- Age vital power.
These are physical vital powers (dravya prana) possessed by all mundane souls. The eternal existence, consciousness, bliss and perception are the metaphysical vital powers (bhava prana). These are the real powers without which there is no existence of the soul. Mundane souls possess physical vital powers and metaphysical vital powers in impure state. Liberated souls have pure metaphysical vital powers.
The vital powers are the fundamental basis for life. The vital powers and biopotentials have the cause and effect relationship. Without vital powers the biopotential powers cannot develop. Vital powers in sufficient measure are needed for full development of biopotential powers A soul lacking in vital powers can not develop all biopotential powers and remains undeveloped. All the body processes like nourishment of various kinds, and others, mind processes etc. are accomplished with the help of both the vital powers and biopotential powers. Vital powers remain ineffective in the absence of bio potential powers. Thus both kinds of powers are essential to soul.
The vital powers in different kinds of souls are as follows.
- One-sense souls Touch, body, respiration and age vital powers.
- Two-sense creatures Touch, taste, body, respiration, age and speech vital powers (6 vital powers)
- Three-sense creatures 6 vital powers and smell vital power (7)
- Four-sense creatures 7 vital powers and vision vital power (8)
- Five-sense beings without mind 8 vital powers and hearing vital power (9)
- Five-sense beings with mind 9 vital powers and mind vital power (10).
