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The concept of the individual soul in pA'ncarAtra:
ahirbudhnya samhitA explains that the individual soul is by its nature
immortal, indivisible, and blissful. Its form, potency, and knowledge
become attenuated and obscured owing to the mAyA-Sakti of bhagavAn, and
thus limitations are introduced which bind the soul to the material
world.
But there is another power of God, the anugraha Sakti, which prompts
God to look with compassion on the deserving soul and accept it. When
God wills it, the soul longs for liberation, becomes dispassionate, and
sets about to discern the real from the unreal. This leads to actions
such as reflecting on scriptures, serving a master (AcArya), engaging
in good deeds, becoming steady in the knowledge of vedAnta, etc. After
great, steady and concerted effort, he attains the foothold of vishNu
(ahir. 14, 36-40).
The pA'ncarAtra theory holds that at time of dissolution (pralaya),
the individual souls merge, but do not become one with, Godhead. They
retain their identity, and when the new phase of creation begins, the
unliberated souls occupy separate bodies. While the liberated souls
are never born again, they do not become one with God, but remain
distinct from each other and from God. SrI vedAnta deSika identifies
the following forms of liberation for the liberated soul - sAlokya
(residence in the same plane as Godhead), sAmIpya (abiding in close
proximity to Godhead), sAdRSya (attaining the same form as Godhead),
and sAyujya (union with Godhead). Of these, the last one is the
ultimate liberation.