Siva

What is the difference between the soul and the mind?

The soul is the consciousness or the knowing principle in man.
The mind belongs to the category of matter.
Siva is the soul and Parvati is the mind.
The consciousness is the Reality, the unchanging,
unmoving, all pervading soul.
Mind being matter is changeable and unreal.

We perceive objects through the organs of sense perception. The soul enables the organs to perceive the objects. The soul exists in all living beings as consciousness. It is the light of the soul that makes the sense-organs and the mind appear alive and luminous.

Siva is the unchanging consciousness – Nirguna or without form or shape. This unchanging consciousness-Siva – becomes saguna or with form, when Maya Shakti, which is Siva’s illusive power appears as mind and matter. This phenomenon is known as Ardhanarishwar. (See Page ‘Maya-Shakti-Prakriti, topic 'Ardhanarishwar’)