14 Marganas : 10. Leshya Margana

Leshya represents a type of aura of the Jiva which  can be in two forms : 1. Dravya Leshya   and 2. Bhava Leshya.   The dravya leshya alludes to the physical colour of the body of the Jiva while bhava leshya describes the aura of the jiva bhava by assigning colors to them. In practice Leshya normally implies the bhava leshya unless otherwise described as dravya leshya because the importance is given to bhava and not the dravya leshya. The definition of Leshya is given as activity of the yoga under the influence of fruition of passions. Basically yoga and kashayas are responsible for the four types of bondage of Jiva. Yoga assigns the nature ( prakriti) and numbers ( Pradesh) of the bondage while passions ( Kashaya) defines the duration ( sthiti) and intensity ( anubhag) of the bondage. In this manner leshya contributes to all four types of bondage. In a manner of speaking the leshya can be treated as a sort of glue with which jiva binds the karmas.

Bhava Leshya and Dravya Leshya : In reality the Jiva bhavas can be of innumerable types,  however in short they are represented by six colours in Jain scriptures namely Black ( Krishna), Blue( Neel), Grey ( Kapot), Yellow( Peet), Pink ( Padma), and white ( Shukla). Where the Jiva body itself is of such colours then it is called dravya leshya. Even in the dravya colours there are innumerable variations but they are short listed by these six. Typically all Naraki Jivas ( residents of hell) are by nature black bodied. In 16 levels of heaven the bhava leshya and dravya leshya are the same for the devas. In the lower three heavens ( bhavan wasi, jyotishi and vyantar)  devas can have all six types of dravya leshya. Tiryanch ( animals) and manushya ( humans) can also have all six types of dravya leshya. All jivas during transmigration in vigrah gati have Shukla varna ( white colour ) only. All sookshma jivas are kapot varna by nature. Further all jivas in the beginning phase of their body formation ( aparyapta state) are kapot varna only.

As mentioned earlier the emphasis in leshya is on bhava only which is represented by these six colours. The Black, blue and grey represent worst to bad categories of bhavas which may be termed as Ashubha leshya defining impure thoughts of jiva in the descending order. These thoughts can be truly innumerable times the spatial elements of lokakash but are represented by these three colours only. Out of these three the highest percentage is that of black in terms of number of impure states of mind. Out of remaining the highest numbers if that of blue states with the remaining being grey states. These indicate the numbers of impure states belonging to different colours. Similarly the pure states are represented by colours of yellow, pink and white. Of these the highest numbers belong to yellow. Of the remaining states the highest numbers belong to pink and the least are white. The Shukla leshya represents the purest thoughts with least of passions and hence these states are lowest in numbers. The black leshya represents the worst of passions and most impure of the bhavas.  However it may be noted that one does not change from black to white bhava suddenly. It would always be gradually changing in the descending or ascending order as the case may be, going through the intermediate states.

The bhavas of the six colours of leshya is represented  by the following example :

Six persons having the six types of leshyas came across a tree laden with fruits. The person with krishna leshya thinks that he will uproot  the tree and then pluck the fruits to eat them. The neel leshya person thinks that he shall cut the tree and then remove the fruits. The kapot leshya person thinks of cutting the branches of the tree to pluck the fruits. The peet leshya person wants to cut the smaller branches containing the fruits. The padma leshya person wants just to pluck the fruits to eat them. The shukla leshya person thinks that he can pick up the ripened fruits fallen on the ground to eat. In this manner the desire of six people is of six types . In reality it would be innumerable. Correspondingly the krishna leshya person would be by nature extremely angry, cruel, greedy and deceptive while at the other end the shukla leshya person would be impartial, without passions, veetragi with pure thoughts.

Leshya and bondage of Ayu: The six leshyas are divided into 18 categories as high, medium and low each. Besides there are 8 divisions of the medium leshya between Peet and Kapot making them a total of 26. A jiva binds his future Ayu in these eight medium leshyas only. The opportunity for binding next Ayu is presented in 8 specific occasions named as Apkarsh Kal. For humans and Tiryanchs these occasions are available after  completing 2/3 of the present age. This window is for a period of an antarmuhurta only. If he does not bind it then, it is again presented after 2/3^rd of balance life. Such 8 windows in this manner are presented for binding the ayu. If he still does not bind the ayu, then it shall be bound in the antarmuhurta  period before death. For Deva and Naraki jivas , this opportunity is presented only six months prior to death and such eight windows are available subsequently in the 2/3^rd of balance period of the six months. Necessarily nobody dies before binding his next ayu and gati. Now depending upon the destination, the leshya changes to same type as that of the destination. For example , a person heading to the highest of heavens “ Sarvarth siddhi” changes to high of Shukla leshya prior to death. Those with high of Padma leshya take birth into 10^th of Heavens namely Sahasrar. With high of Peet leshya they take birth in Sanatkumar Mahendra swarg. Similarly at the other end, those taking birth in 7^th hell change to high of Krishna leshya prior to death. Those with high of Neel leshya take birth in 5^th hell. Those with high of Kapot take birth in 3^rd hell and so on.

Leshya in gunasthanas: The Bhav leshya is consistently same in Hells and heavens throughout the life while in Humans and Tiryanch all six types are present and can change . However in one sensed and vikaltraya jivas ( 2-4 senses) , only three ashubha leshya only is present i.e. Krishna, neel and kapot. In 5 sensed without mind the lower four leshyas are found. Upto 4^th gunasthana in humans and tiryanchs, the leshya can be all six types. In 5^th to 7^th gunasthana the leshyas are 3 shubha leshyas only namely peet, Padma and Shukla. However Mithyadrshti Jivas with mind can also have these three shubha leshyas. Beyond this, in 8^th to 13^th  gunashthana the leshya is Shukla only. It implies that Shukla leshya is possible for Mithydrishti jiva  with mind onwards upto 13^th gunasthana. In 14^th gunasthana there is no leshya since he has neither yoga nor Kashaya hence he is called Aleshya . Siddha bhagwan is also called Aleshya. In 11^th to 13^th Gunasthana , there is no Kashaya but yoga is present. The definition of leshya states the activity of yoga under influence of Kashaya. Although now Kashaya has been destroyed or subsided, the yoga is still present hence leshya is still present.

Leshya in Hells and Heavens: In 1^st hell the leshya is Low Kapot, in 2^nd hell it is Medium Kapot, 3^rd hell is high Kapot and low Neel. 4^th hell is Medium Neel. 5^th hell is high Neel and low Krishna. 6^th hell is medium Krishna and  7^th is high Krishna. This bhav leshya remains same  through out the life in hell.

In Devas, the Bhavan trik devas have low Peet leshya. The first two swarg ( Kalpa) have medium peet leshya. 3-4 swarg have high peet and low Padma. From 5^th to 10^th swarg it is medium Padma. Then 11^th -12^th have high Padma and low Shukla leshya. 13-16 swargas and 9 graveyak viman have medium  Shukla leshya. Beyond these all swargs have high Shukla leshya only. Here too the leshya is same through out the life. Only difference is that in Bhavan Trik in the incomplete state of body formation ( aparyapta) the leshyas are three ashubha only. However for Viman vasi devas it is same  in complete state as well as incomplete state.

The number of Jivas with three ashubha leshya is infinite since it includes all one sensed jivas who are infinite. Between three the Krishna is maximum and other ones are less by an innumerable fraction although they too are infinite in numbers. The three shubha leshya jivas are innumerable only. Peet are the most. Padma are less by a numerable fraction while Shukla are less by an innumerable fraction. In respect of area the three ashubha leshya jivas occupy the entire universe hence their area is entire lokakash. The three shubha leshya jivas are mostly devas and some humans and tiryanch therefore the area occupied by these jivas is innumerable fraction of lokakash.

Duration of Leshyas:  All the six leshyas are always present in some jiva or other. The minimum period of a leshya in any jiva is antarmuhurta while maximum varies depending upon the heaven or hell where the jiva is present. The maximum is 33 sagar for Krishna ( 7^th hell), 17 sagar for Neel (5^th hell) and 7 sagar for kapot leshya ( 3^rd hell). Peet is 2 sagar ( 2^nd kalpa), Padma is 18 sagar (12^th kalpa) , Shukla is 33 sagar ( sarvartha siddhi ). These figures are actually higher by two antarmuhurta period because prior to death in the previous birth and subsequent to taking birth in next birth , for an antarmuhurta each the leshya is the same as during the life in heaven or hell.

Time gap for return to same leshya :  In scriptures the time difference for return to same leshya is also described. The minimum could be antarmuhurta by changing to another leshya and returning to same. The maximum time difference is calculated differently. Suppose a manushya changed to krsihan leshya prior to age of 8 years and changed to neel, kapot, peet, Padma  then Shukla and became muni. Susequently after death  he was born in sarvarth siddhi with 33 sagar ayu and came back as manushya and later changed to Krishna leshya. Thus the maximum time gap for Krishna leshya can be 33 sagar plus one poorva koti minus 8 years. Similar time difference would be there for neel and kapot leshya.

For the 3 shubha leshya it is computed differently. Suppose a peet leshya person changed to kapot , neel Krishna and then became a one sensed jiva. In this form he can remain for period as high as innumerable pudgala  paravartan which is an infinite number. After this he returned to five sensed jiva and thus attained peet leshya back. In this manner the maximum time difference would be some time higher than innumerable pudgala paravartan period. For Padma and Shukla leshya also it can be calculated similarly by taking birth in one sensed form.

Numbers of Jivas in leshyas : The minimum number is in Shukla leshya although they are still innumerable number. An innumerable times of this number are Padma leshya jiva. A numerable times of this number are the Peet leshya jivas. With respect to peet leshya jivas, infinite times higher are the kapot leshya jivas. The neel leshya jivas are some what higher and Krishna leshya jivas are still somewhat higher number. Besides these the aleshya jivas are infinite which are predominantly siddha bhagwans  with some numerable ayoga kevalis.