It is said in Vedic Literature, that 8,400,000 species of life can be found through-out God's Creation. The Padma Purana mentions that there are 900,000 species of life in the water, 2,000,000 species of plants, 1,100,000 species of insects and reptiles, 1,000,000 species of birds, 3,000,000 species of beasts, and only 400,000 species of human beings. So the humans are the least numerous species of all.
Here are five more general categories of embodied souls.
1. Those with five senses: heavenly beings, men, residents of the hellish planets and higher animals such as monkeys, elephants, snakes, horses, etc., come under this category. These beings possess manas which gives them varying degrees of intelligence and rationality.
2. Those with four senses: In this category the beings do not possess the sense of hearing. Many insects fall into this category.
3. Those with three senses: In this category, the beings do not possess the sense of hearing and the sense of sight. Many insects are placed under this category including the moths, because of their tendency to move towards light and fire and destroying themselves.
4. Those with two senses. In this category the beings possess only the sense of taste and the sense of touch. Many worms, leeches, shell fish fall into this category.
5. Those with only one sense: In this category the beings possess only the sense of touch. These are again divided into five sub categories: i) the plant bodies containing only one soul or a cluster of souls such as the tubers and roots, ii) earth bodies made of earth material such as coals, minerals, stones and so on, iii) water bodies made up of water such rivers, lakes, water falls, lakes, ponds and even a drop of water, iv) fire bodies made up of fire such lightning, a lamp or candle light, or the fire in the kitchen stove, and finally v) the air bodies made of wind and gases such as a breeze or a storm wind.
The entire world is an aggregate of living souls hidden in every form and every object.
The souls undergo continuous change because of the operation of the law of karma, which binds the soul to the matter and keeps it chained to the cycle of births and deaths. True liberation is when the jiva is freed from all types of association with matter. It happens only when the jiva tries to reduce the inflow of karma and purifies his heart by the process of pure devotion. The concept of non violence is therefore not just a matter of ethical value , but a real necessity for the jivas to become free. Non violence is a way of life, because injury to other jivas especially those jivas with higher number of senses attracts the worst form of bad karma into ones heart and makes liberation extremely difficult.
