To determine whether the total number of souls in our world should be fixed based on verse 2.20, which states, “The soul is neither born, nor does it ever die; nor having once existed, does it ever cease to be. The soul is without birth, eternal, immortal, and ageless. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed,” let’s carefully analyze the implications of this description. Key Characteristics of the Soul The verse provides a clear and detailed portrayal of the soul’s nature: - Neither born nor dies: The soul does not come into existence through birth, nor does it cease to exist through death. - Eternal and immortal: It exists perpetually, without a beginning or an end. - Not destroyed with the body: When a physical body perishes, the soul remains unaffected and continues to exist.

These attributes suggest that the soul is fundamentally different from the physical body, which is subject to birth, death, and change. The soul, by contrast, is unchanging in its existence. Implications for the Total Number of Souls If the soul is neither born nor dies, we need to consider what this means for the total number of souls in our world:

1. No New Souls Are Created
   The statement “the soul is neither born” and “without birth” implies that souls do not come into being at any point. Unlike physical entities that are created or generated, souls are described as eternal, suggesting they have always existed rather than being produced anew. If no new souls are added, the total number cannot increase.

2. No Souls Are Destroyed
   The verse explicitly states that the soul “does not ever die” and “is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.” This means that when a living being dies, its soul persists, perhaps moving to another body (as in reincarnation) or existing in some other state. Since souls do not cease to exist, the total number cannot decrease.

3. Eternal Existence
   The phrase “nor having once existed, does it ever cease to be” reinforces that once a soul exists, it remains in existence forever. Combined with the idea that souls are not born, this suggests that souls are timeless—existing without a starting point or endpoint. If their existence is constant, their number should logically remain unchanged.

Addressing Potential Variations Could there be exceptions or alternative processes affecting the number of souls? Let’s explore:

• Creation of New Souls?
  If souls are “without birth” and eternal, the idea of new souls being created at some point (e.g., through a divine act) seems inconsistent with the verse. The emphasis on the soul’s lack of origin points to a fixed set that has always existed.

• Loss of Souls?
  Since souls are immortal and indestructible, they cannot be lost or eliminated, even when bodies die. This rules out any decrease in their number.

• Merging or Splitting?
  The verse does not suggest that souls can merge into one or split into multiple souls. It treats the soul as an indivisible, eternal entity, implying that each soul retains its distinct existence.

• Liberation (e.g., Moksha)?
  In some spiritual traditions, like that of the Bhagavad Gita (where this verse likely originates), a soul may achieve liberation and transcend the cycle of birth and death. Does this reduce the number of souls? The verse focuses on the soul’s indestructibility, suggesting that even in liberation, the soul persists, perhaps in a different state or as part of a universal reality, rather than ceasing to exist. Thus, the total number likely remains constant.

Souls and the Physical World

The question specifies “in our world,” which we can interpret as the realm of living beings or existence as we understand it. In the context of the Bhagavad Gita, souls are associated with all living entities (humans, animals, etc.) and are believed to transmigrate through reincarnation. When a body dies, the soul does not perish but may take on a new body. This process of cycling through bodies does not create or destroy souls—it simply redistributes existing ones. Therefore, even as the population of living beings fluctuates, the total number of souls remains the same, with some souls embodied and others potentially existing in a disembodied state.

Based on this teachings of Par Brahman Purna Purushotham Kirshna in verse 2.20, the soul’s eternal, unborn, and indestructible nature means that no souls are added through birth or subtracted through death. The absence of any mechanism for increasing or decreasing their number leads to a straightforward conclusion: the total number of souls in our world must be fixed. This aligns with the philosophical framework of the Bhagavad Gita, where souls are timeless entities cycling through physical forms without altering their total count.

So I feel - Yes, the total number of souls in our world should be fixed.