Tattva-viveka
Madhavacarya's three types of jivas
Madhavendra Puri Dasa - August 4, 2008 10:23 am
Does anyone knows something more about Madhavacarya's idea that there are three kinds of jivas in material world who are eternally sattvik, rajasik and tamasik, and the only one which can go to spiritual world is the sattvik jiva and others are doomed to stay here forever? Was there any debate or refutation of this idea by some of Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas?
Madhavendra Puri Dasa - August 5, 2008 4:48 am
Does anyone knows something more about Madhavacarya's idea that there are three kinds of jivas in material world who are eternally sattvik, rajasik and tamasik, and the only one which can go to spiritual world is the sattvik jiva and others are doomed to stay here forever? Was there any debate or refutation of this idea by some of Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas?
Come on, no one? 
It would be also interesting to discuss how is it possible for an authentic acarya to come up with something that in this case sounds not as merely technical difference but rather as apasiddhanta.
Syamasundara - August 5, 2008 5:03 am
That concept just left me blinking. Never heard of that, and it sure sounds a bit off the wall...
Madhavendra Puri Dasa - August 5, 2008 5:23 am
I found on the net only this information, but there is no source given, it was posted on some forum:
Madhva accepts Ramanuja’s classification of the souls into Nitya or eternal (like Lakshmi), Mukta or liberated (the gods, men, Rishis, sages and fathers), and Baddha or bound ones. The third group consists of two classes: (i) those who are eligible for Moksha (Mukti-yogya) and (ii) those who are not so eligible. Of those who are not eligible for salvation, there are two classes again: (a) those who are bound to the cycle of Samsara forever (Nitya-samsarins) and ( those whose destiny is hell, the region of blinding darkness (Tamo-yogya).
Some are pre-ordained for the final emancipation by their inherent aptitude. Some others are eternally destined either to wander in Samsara without end, or to go to the world of darkness. The Sattvika souls go to heaven, the Rajasa souls revolve in Samsara and the Tamasa souls fall into hell.
Swami - August 5, 2008 12:02 pm
Madhva derives support for is classification of jivas from the Gita, perhaps chapters 14 and 16. We have a different reading. But the Gita does speak of souls who are perpetually cast into demoniac wombs.
Gaura-Vijaya Das - August 5, 2008 3:57 pm
Madhva derives support for is classification of jivas from the Gita, perhaps chapters 14 and 16. We have a different reading. But the Gita does speak of souls who are perpetually cast into demoniac wombs.
But it is pretty much like a strong Christian doctrine and it is very hard to accept for me and love such a God who has no means of redemption for some souls. Madhva eliminates free will completely. Anyway in the higher sense any theology will have difficulty explain the omniscience of God and free will simultaneously but madhva resolves this problem completely by throwing out free will.