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definitions

jiva

[jee-vuh]
noun
  1. Hinduism. the individual soul, regarded as a particular manifestation of Atman.
  2. Jainism.
    1. the individual soul or life monad, compared to a transparent crystal stained by karmic matter with colors, or lesyas, of varying hues.
    2. all such monads collectively, regarded as the animating principle of the universe.
    Also called ji·vat·ma [jee-vaht-muh] /dʒiˈvɑt mə/.

Origin of jiva

1800–10; < Sanskrit: literally, living
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018