Answer

The phrase “Sat lakh nitya nigod anant kaal sthiti” means:

“There are seven lakh categories/groups of Nitya Nigod beings, and their existence continues from beginningless time for an extremely long, endless-like duration.”

In simple English:

Nitya Nigod souls are the most undeveloped living beings, existing in extremely subtle collective bodies, and they have remained in that state from beginningless time.

Explanation

In Jain Dharma, Nigod refers to the lowest and most minute form of living beings.

There are two main types commonly explained:

• Nitya Nigod — souls that have always remained in the nigod state from beginningless time.
• Itara Nigod — souls that enter the nigod state after leaving other forms of existence.

The phrase includes three ideas:

• Sat lakh — “seven lakh,” indicating a vast classification or count traditionally described.
• Nitya Nigod — eternally nigod beings, meaning souls that have not yet come out into higher forms of life.
• Anant kaal sthiti — a duration connected with immeasurably long time, from beginningless existence.

Nigod beings have extremely limited consciousness and very little spiritual development. Countless souls exist in this condition.

Spiritual Understanding

This teaching reminds us that attaining a developed human birth is extremely rare and precious.

According to Jain Dharma, a soul may remain in very low forms of existence for unimaginably long periods. Therefore, human life should not be wasted in carelessness, attachment, violence, or passions.

It should be used for:

• Right faith
• Right knowledge
• Right conduct
• Ahimsa
• Self-restraint
• Progress toward moksha

Takeaway

“Sat lakh nitya nigod anant kaal sthiti” teaches that countless souls remain in the lowest state of existence for immeasurable time, so human birth is extraordinarily rare and should be used for spiritual purification.