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In Bhagwad gita, Lord Shri Krishna said that

Our soul/spirit is so small even smallar then the size of an atom. We cannot see, harm, or kill it and it is immortal.

But Garuda Purana explains about all kinds of punishments given to us after death depending upon our deeds performed in our life span, before the next birth.

So there is a conflict if the size of the spirit is smaller than the atom, then how it is possible to give these kind of punishments? like roasting in hot oil tank by Yama, Kinkaras etc.

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    As Pradip elucidates in his beautiful answer that Gita talks about the Supreme Soul or divinity, while the Puran talks about the subtle body. Ofcourse! The Bhagawad Gita speaks about the immortal knowledge of the soul, whereas the Garuda Puran talks about the innumerable misery that occurs as a result of association with the body! The purport of the Gita is to transcend body and mind, whereas the Puran is to elucidate the laws applicable to human beings.
    – Sai
    Commented Aug 28, 2014 at 14:07
  • Haaa, I used to hear that stories when I was a kid that if we do bad, we will be fried by Yama etc etc :)
    – Mr. Alien
    Commented Aug 28, 2014 at 16:04

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There is no conflict. Gita is talking about the Atman. Garuda Purana is talking about the linga sarira (also known as sukshma sarira) or the subtle body.

The human body and personality are contained in 5 sheaths according to Vedanta:

  • Annamaya kosha
  • Pranamaya Kosha
  • Manomaya Kosha
  • Vignanamaya Kosha
  • Anandamaya Kosha

Of these koshas, Annamaya Kosha is the gross body. The next three koshas make up the subtle body or linga sarira. The last Anandamaya Kosha is the causal body or karana sarira.

There are five kosas or sheaths in which the Self is manifested as the ego or the jivatman. The first of them consists of food. Other sheaths consists of prana or life, manas or instinctive and perceptual consciousness, vijnana or intelligence and ananda or bliss. These five principles of matter, life, consciousness, thought and bliss are found in the world of non-ego. Anna or food is the radiant, the viraj, which is perceptible by the senses, the physical. According to Suresvara, life, consciousness and intelligence constitute the subtle self, the sutratman and bliss is the causal sheath, the karana kosa.

Commentary on Taittiriya Upanishad II.1.1 by S. Radhakrishnan in The Principal Upanishads

After these 5 koshas lie the Atman. The mind is a small part of the subtle body. Even ghosts have subtle and causal bodies.

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  • What do you mean by subtle body, can you please explain this. Atma itself is a subtle element
    – iGagan Kumar
    Commented Aug 28, 2014 at 10:39
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    The human body and personality are contained in 5 sheaths according to Vedanta:Annamaya kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, Vignanamaya Kosha and Anandamaya Kosha. Of these koshas, Annamaya Kosha is the gross body. The next three koshas make up the subtle body. The last Anandamaya Kosha is the causal body. After these 5 koshas lie the Atman.
    – Pradip Gangopadhyay
    Commented Aug 28, 2014 at 10:45
  • ok thanks bro after googling about these terms I got your point.
    – iGagan Kumar
    Commented Aug 28, 2014 at 10:53
  • One more thing what about the ghosts, these are atmans or amonng these three bodies?
    – iGagan Kumar
    Commented Aug 28, 2014 at 11:04
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    @PradipGangopadhyay You should cite sources, preferably Hindu scripture.
    – Keshav Srinivasan ♦
    Commented Aug 28, 2014 at 16:35

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