2. Samayasar – Gatha 2-4

Acharya has vowed to describe the Samaya Prabhrat. Hence the curiosity is felt that what is “ Samaya” hence that is described first.

Gatha 2.  O Bhavya ! The jiva stationary within his own darshan gyan and charitra ( belief knowledge and conduct)  is swa-samaya ( within himself) and if he is languishing in the karma pradesha of pudgala then he is para-samaya ( external to himself).

Commentary : The substance Jiva itself is Samaya since this word implies knowing and manifesting at the same time. Jiva cariies out both activities of knowing and manifesting at the same time hence he is called Samaya.

How is that Samaya ?

Ever stationary manifesting within his own nature having  the unity of generation-destruction-permanence  with the characteristics of experience and existence. The property of existence negates the belief of atheists who do not believe in existence of Jiva.

The property of manifesting negates the belief of the Samkhya faith who believe the purusha to be dormant without manifestation.

The property of generation destruction and permanence of the thing negates the belief of Naiyayiks and Vaisheshik who believe the thing to be ever permanent alone , and the Buddha followers who believe the thing to be ever transient.

And how is it ?

Being ever conscious, it is of the nature of ever luminescent   pure knowledge and vision. The consciousness manifests in the form of knowledge and vision. This property negates the belief of Samkhya people who do not believe the consciousness having the quality of knowledge.

And how is it ?

The nature of Dravya is having unity of infinite dharmas ( aspects) within itself. This negates the belief of Buddha followers who believe the thing to be without dharmas.

And how is it ?

Which has the nature of infinite Guna-Paryaya ( quality and modes) manifesting sequentially and non sequentially.The paryayas( modes) manifest sequentially  and the Gunas ( qualities) manifest  non sequentially (together at the same time). With this property the belief of Samkhya and other people is negated who believe the purush to be devoid of qualities.

And how is it ?

Which has the capability of knowing and illuminating the form of self and other dravyas within itself. With this quality, the belief of those who believe that knowledge knows itself and not others  and thus is singular , is negated. Also the belief of those who believe that knowledge knows only others and not itself and thus is singularly manifold , is negated.

And how is it ?

The quality of other five dravyas different than the soul are Avagahan hetutva ( assist in occupancy), gati hetutva ( assist in movement) , sthiti hetutva ( assist in being stationary), vartana hetutva ( assist in changing) and rupipana ( physical ness) which are not existing in the soul which has the unusual quality of consciousness , which makes it different from the other five dravyas namely akash, dharma, adharma, kal and pudgala. This negates the belief of those who believe in the existence of a singular Bramha.

And how is it ?

Although it occupies the same space as occupied by other dravyas, but it does not forgo its own nature and remain eternally  conscious. This describes the rule of the  nature of substance.

And such is the substance Jiva called Samaya.

That Jiva, with the emergence of differentiating knowledge, which generates the capability of knowing all dravyas in the form of keval gyana, by means of total detachment , remaining stationary within  his own knowledge and vision, immersed within himself; then by knowing and manifesting at the same time, he is called Swa Samaya.

And when that Jiva ,with the eternal ignorance  like the roots of banana tree, with the fruition of strong Moha ( attachment), functioning as subordinate to the nature, discarding his own nature of knowing and seeing , establishes oneness with  bhavas(thoughts)  of Moha ( attachment), Raga ( passion) and dwesha ( aversion) on account of nimitta of para dravya; then he occupies the same space as the Karmana pudgala particles, believes himself to be of the same nature as para dravya, manifests  in the form of passions , at that time he is called Para samaya.   

In this manner the Jiva is differentiated into two categories of swa samaya and para samaya.

Explanation : Here Jiva is called a substance which is a conglomeration of letters, which in turn stands for substance defined by the anekant ( multifold) predication of dravya and paryaya. That substance exists of the form of generation-destruction-permanence , consciousness of the form of knowledge and vision, with infinite dharmas, having qualities and their manifestations. This knowledge illuminates the self and the others, is of the form of many and at the same time is one, is different from all other dravyas like Akash etc by its extraordinary property of consciousness and although it shares the same space with all other dravyas , it does not deviate from its nature. Such Jiva is called Samaya.

When that substance named Jiva or Samaya is stationary within its own nature then it is termed “ swa samaya” and when forgoing its nature, it  indulges in attachment, passion and aversion with respect to others then it is termed “ para samaya”. In this manner the duality is observed of the Jiva.

Now Acharya says that this duality of Samaya is not desirable since it is contradictory. This contradiction is described as follows:

Gatha 3 : The samaya which has established unity with its own self is the most beautiful in this universe ; hence any mention of bondage of self with another is degrading.

Commentary : Here the word Samaya denotes all the substances of the universe since the meaning of the word Samaya implies the one which manifests within its own Guna –Paryaya ( qualities and modes). Therefore all the substances of the universe namely Dharma, Adharma, Akash, Kal, Pudgala and  Jivas; they remain within their own individual  self manifesting in their infinite dharmas , even then they do not touch each other.

Although these substances are in close vicinity occupying the same space, but definitely they do not give up their nature at any time, nor do they manifest into the form of others and thus remain in  the form of  indestructible self like a stone carving  permanently.

Although these substances function as Nimitta in the manifestation of each other in a form opposite to its own nature as well as a form in accordance with  its own nature, and thus oblige each other, but definitely they appear glorious only by remaining united  within its own nature.

If they appear glorious by any other means then it cause issue of corruption, pollution etc which is undesirable. Thus after establishing unity of each substance within its own self, any mention of the bondage of the samaya named   Jiva is a cause for contradiction and objection. Why ? Because the occupation of the Jiva within the spatial space of pudgala karma itself is the origin of the bondage, and thus leading to Jiva manifest in para samaya form creating duality of swa samaya and para samaya of the Jiva.

This establishes that the unity of samaya within its own nature alone is beautiful and desirable.

Explanation : Definitely each substance appear beautiful by remaining within its own nature. However the substance named Jiva is observed in bondage from beginingless time on account of nimitta of Pudgala  which causes a contradiction in the form of Jiva and hence it does not appear beautiful. Therefore on contemplation it is clear that unity with its own nature alone is beautiful by which Jiva would appear graceful. 

Now in the next Gatha he says that this unity is very rare to achieve.

Gatha 4 : Everywhere in the universe the story of bondage due to sensual pleasures has been heard, encountered and experienced , therefore easily available; but the unity of the soul within its own self separated from others has never been heard, encountered or experienced, therefore this alone is not easily available.

Commentary : Everywhere in the Loka (universe) occupied by Jivas , the story of indulgence in sensual pleasures is extremely harmful to the soul since it is against the unity of the soul within itself, even then it has been heard several times, encountered several  times as well as experienced.

How is the Jiva Loka ? The universe is like a wheel, and Jiva loka forms the center of it.

And how is it ? The Jiva has undergone transmigration of the five types , namely Dravya, Kshetra, Kaal, Bhav, Bhaav  infinite times.

And how is it ? Under control of  a demon who has conquered the entire universe, like a cow the Jiva carries the weight , harnessed like an oxen, and with  an extreme thirst like a disease which has driven him to extreme pain, like a thirsty deer in the desert he runs in search of water; in the same way he runs around madly to satisfy the desires of the senses.

And how is it ? Preaches each other i.e he preached others about the story of sensual indulgence and others preach him. This way the story is available to all.

Although the unity of the soul within its own self , different from others is always illuminated within self, even so due to the presence of passions , it is obscured , clouded and covered hence he does not know his own soul . Since he has never been in contact with those who know the soul , so he has never heard nor encountered nor has he experienced his own soul  earlier. And how is it ? Although by means of pure differentiating knowledge , this soul can be observed to be different , one with its own self, even so due to the above mentioned reasons, it is extremely difficult to achieve.

Explanation : In this universe, all the worldly people mount the wheel of transmigration and undergo transmigration of five types. They are harnessed by the demon of fruition of Moha karma due to which , under the thirst of sensual pleasures, they strive for sensual satisfaction as the remedy, and preach each other on the ways and means to attain satisfaction. Therefore the story of sensual desires and their satisfaction, has been heard by the Jiva infinite times, encountered as well as experienced, hence easily available.

But this Jiva has never heard of the story of the soul , different from all other dravyas, absorbed within himself in the conscious form, by himself. He has also never come in contact with those who have experienced and known the soul , therefore he has never heard the story of the soul different from others , unified with own self, nor encountered , nor experienced hence it is extremely difficult to achieve.