Q. It is described that the individual spirit spark measures less than 1/10,000th the tip of a hair. How is it that something spiritual has a material measurement? Wouldn’t this mean that the spiritual sky has limited material dimensions also?
Answer by Romapada Swami: This is one of the many inconceivable attributes of the soul. The scriptures themselves describe the soul as immeasurable (aprameyasya; see BG 2.18) and then also assign a measurement to it! It is not even possible for us to see or perceive the soul, what to speak of measure it by any means. And yet, although impossible to measure, we can know this dimension to be true, a perfect description of the reality of the soul, because it is given by shastric evidence. [as quoted from Svetasvatara Upanishad in BG 2.17p]
These verses describing the size of the soul also give us an idea of the infinitesimal nature of the soul, and yet simultaneously it is not a gross material or perceivable measurement.
We can think of a slightly different example to get some idea of the nature of spiritual dimensions. Scriptures also describe the Supersoul as being situated in the heart of the living entity, and measuring the size of a thumb. Does this measurement limit Krishna’s unlimited form, or does it mean this shastric statement is not to be taken literally? The answer to both questions is negative – the Paramatma is both unlimited as well as measuring thumb-high in the heart of the living entity— this is inconceivable. Similarly, in the Damodara-lila (which Vaishnavas around the world are celebrating and glorifying each day during this entire month of Kartika by singing the Damodarastakam prayers), the child-like form of Krishna could not be bound by any length of mother Yashoda’s ropes. Thus, describing Krishna’s height or form does not limit or restrict Him as also His presence in one place does not mean He is confined to that location and is not all-pervasive. Of course, the characteristics of the minute soul ca
nnot be equally compared to that of the inconceivable potencies of the Infinite Supreme Lord, still being of the same spiritual nature, the spirit soul has inconceivable qualities. Thus the spirit soul, residing in the material body, is the size of one-ten-thousandth of the tip of a hair, but not materially limited by such a dimension.
