50. Samayasar Gatha 373-386

Now this subject is unfolded that although the manifestation of pudgala in the form of touch, taste, smell, color and sound are known  by the senses, even so they are corporeal ; they do not ask soul to sense them. Soul only in ignorance form, believes them to be good or bad, manifests in raga-dwesha form. This is told in next gathas:

Gatha 373: Pudgala words in the form of condemnation and praise manifest in several forms. Hearing them the ignorant jiva believes that ‘ I was told this’ – Believing this, he indulges in dissatisfaction being angry or being satisfied.

Gatha 374: Manifestation in the form of words is the quality of pudgala. They are different from you. Hence O ignorant Jiva! They did not tell you anything, why do you indulge in anger being ignorant?

Gatha 375: The words of shubha or ashubha do not ask you to listen to them. These words are subjects of hearing sense but to receive them the soul does not leave his soul space.

Gatha 376: Complexions of shubha or ashubha kind do not ask you that , ‘look at me’. For viewing these subjects of viewing senses, the soul also does not leave his soul space.

Gatha 377: Smells of shubha or ashubha kind do not ask you that, ‘you smell me’. For accepting these subjects of nose-sense , the soul also does not leave his soul space.

Gatha 378: Tastes of shubha or ashubha kind do not ask you that, ‘you taste me’. For accepting these subjects of taste-sense , the soul also does not leave his soul space.

Gatha 379: Touches of shubha or ashubha kind do not ask you that, ‘you touch me’. For accepting these subjects of touch-sense, the soul also does not leave his soul space.

Gatha 380: Qualities of other dravya of shubha or ashubha kind do not ask you that, ‘ you get to know me’. For knowing these qualities  as subjects of intellect,  the soul also does not leave his soul space.

Gatha 381:   Dravyas of shubha or ashubha kind do not ask you that, ‘ you get to know me’. For knowing these dravyas as subjects of intellect, the soul also does not leave his soul space.

Gatha 382: This unwise jiva , in spite of knowing this, does not attain upasham bhava and desires to receive/accept others since he has not attained samyak Gyan as yet.

Commentary:   Firstly the example is described- Just as some person named Devadutta catches the hand of a person named Yagyadutta and asks him (to undertake some work); in the same way the pot-cloth etc. external objects, do not request the lamp for illuminating them saying that ‘you illuminate me’. Further just as an iron needle   leaves its own  place attracted by a magnet and sticks to it ; in the same way the lamp also does not give up its place and sticks to pot-cloth etc.

Then how is it ? – The nature of substance is such that it is incapable of being generated by others nor is it capable of generating others. Just as the lamp illuminates without being close to pot-cloth etc.; in the same way in spite of their being close also it illuminates them by its own nature. Further those beautiful or non beautiful pot-cloth etc. external objects  which manifest strangely by their own nature , are not seen to be causing any corruption in the naturally illuminated lamp.

Now the example is applied- Just as some person named Devadutta catches the hand of a person named Yagyadutta and asks him (to undertake some work); in the same way the words, color, smell, taste, touch, quality, dravya etc. external objects do not ask soul to know them saying that ‘you hear me, see me, smell me, taste me, touch me, know me etc.’ Further just as an iron needle   leaves its own  place attracted by a magnet and sticks to it; in the same way the soul also does not leave its own place to know those objects.

Then how is it ? – The nature of substance is such that it is incapable of being generated by others nor is it capable of generating others. Just as without being close to words etc. the soul knows them by his own nature ; in the same way even with them being close, he knows them by his own nature. Further those pleasant or unpleasant words etc. external objects  which manifest strangely by their own nature , are not seen to be causing any corruption or manifestation in the soul which is naturally knowing words etc.

In this manner the soul is always detached towards the external objects just as the lamp is. Such are the limits of the nature of substance. Even then the raga-dwesha is generated , it is due to ignorance.

Explanation:  If the soul, on hearing the words, on seeing the colour, on smelling the smell, on tasting the taste, on touching the  object, on knowing external guna-dravya ,considering them to be good or bad, undergoes raga-dwesha, then  it is his ignorance since these words etc. are the qualities of corporeal pudgala.They do not ask soul that you receive us and soul also does not go to receive them by leaving his own space. Just as he knows them when they are distant, he knows them the same way when they are close. They are not cause for smallest amount of corruption in the soul. Just as lamp illuminates pot-cloth etc., the same way the soul knows them- such is the nature of the thing. Even then raga dwesha is generated within the soul.- this is due to ignorance only.

Same meaning is described in next kalash:

Shloka 222: This knowing natured soul, complete, infallible and incorruptible pure- is such knowledge natured magnificent. Just as lamp does not get corrupted at all  in illuminating pot-cloth etc. objects ; the same way the gyani does not get corrupted at all by the objects of knowledge. In this way without having the knowledge of  the nature of substance, why do  the ignorant people discard their natural detachment and manifest in raga-dwesha form? The Acharya has expressed sorrow in this manner. 

Explanation: Just as the nature of lamp is to illuminate pot-cloth etc. objects; the nature of knowledge is knowing objects of knowledge only – such is the nature of thing. By knowing objects of knowledge alone the knowledge does not get corrupted , even then on knowing the objects of knowledge and treating them as good or bad, soul manifests into raga-dwesha and corrupted form – this is ignorance.

Here Acharya has expressed sorrow that  nature of thing is such then why does  the soul manifest in ignorant raga-dwesha form? Why does he not remain in his natural detached state ? The sorrow of Acharya is justified, since so long as they(Acharyas) manifest in shubha raga till then on seeing the people manifesting in ignorance form and being unhappy gives rise to pity and causes unhappiness.

Next a kalash is told preceding the next gatha:

Shloka 223: How are the Gyanis? - Whose radiance is devoid of corruption of raga-dwesha etc.

And how are they? – Always they are in touch with their own magnificent-consciousness form  nature.

And how are they? – They are devoid of all karmas manifested in the past and all karmas which are going to manifest in future.

And how are they? – They are different from the fruition of karmas in the present. 

In this manner Gyanis , with the strength of gloriously adopted greatness of conduct i.e. renunciation of all external objects , experience the gyan chetna in the right manner.

How is that Gyan Chetna-  It is shining, awake, conscious form like a flame.

And how is it? – Which has irrigated all the three lokas with the essence of knowledge form.

Explanation: Whose raga-dwesha has been subsided , who has adopted his conscious nature and who has lost all attachment towards the past-present and future karmas – such gyanis accept the Charitra by being different from all other dravyas and with its strength they experience the manifestation of consciousness form Gyan chetna different from karma chetna and karma phal chetna.

The implication of the above is that first of all, the form  of own gyan chetna should be understood to be different from karma chetna and karma phal chetna by means of Agam(scripture), Anuman (inference) and own experience, and have firm faith in the same. This much is attained in 4^th, 5^th and 6^th gunasthanas also but when 7^th gunasthana is attained then concentration is on the nature of self alone ; then he immerses in the gyan chetna as per the belief. Subsequently he climbs the ladder of shreni and attains Keval Gyan which is real gyan chetna form – thus it should be known.

The same meaning is described in the form of Gathas next that giving up oneness with the past karmas is Pratikraman; taking vow not to indulge in future karmas is Pratyakhyan; discarding attachment towards the fruition of karmas at present is Alochana. These together form the procedure for charitra(conduct)-

Gatha 383: That consciousness form soul which protects/ extricates his own soul from the shubha –ashubha different types of karmas of gyanavarana etc. indulged in the past; that soul is of the form of Pratikraman.

Gatha 384: That consciousness form soul which redeems/extricates his own soul from own bhavas (thoughts) for future , those bhavas which were the cause for bondage of shubha-ashubha karmas; such soul is Pratyakhyan. 

Gatha 385: That consciousness form soul which actively senses, experiences the faults due to fruition of shubha-ashubha karmas at the present time in the different forms of gyanavarana etc.; gives up their ownship and authority, such soul is Alochana form.

Gatha 386:  In this manner the soul which indulges in regular Pratyakhyan, regular Pratikraman and regular Alochana; such consciousness form soul is of the form of Charitra.

Commentary: The soul which redeems/extricates his own soul from the bhavas fructified due to pudgala karmas ; that soul is himself pratikraman form by  carrying out Pratikraman of the karmas indulged in the past responsible for those bhavas. The same soul is himself pratyakhyan form by carrying out Pratyakhyan of the karmas  to be bonded in future as a result of past karmas. The same soul is himself Alochana form by experiencing himself as different from the fruition of karmas at present.

In this manner this soul carrying out Pratikraman regularly, carrying out Pratyakhyan regularly, extricating himself from the results of the past karmas and bhavas responsible for the accrual of karmas in future and separating himself as totally different from the fruition of karmas at present; thus manifesting in own knowledge form nature permanently, he himself is Charitra form. Thus manifesting in Charitra form, sensing and experiencing himself as knowledge form only, he himself is Gyan Chetna form- such is the implication.

Explanation: Here the statement is from the aspect of Nishchaya charitra primarily. The Charitra implies the procedures for Pratikraman, Pratyakhyan and Alochana. To cleanse  the soul from the faults of past mistakes is Pratikraman, to prevent accrual of karmas for  future is Pratyakhyan and separating soul differently from the present karmas is Alochana.

Thus considering in reality, knowing the soul to be different from the karmas of all the three times, believing thus and experiencing – indulging thus the  soul only is Pratikraman, soul only is Pratyakhyan and soul only is Alochana. Experiencing the soul continuously in these three forms only is Charitra which is Nishchya Charitra and same is experience of Gyan chetna. By this experience the real gyan chetna form,  keval gyan form soul is revealed.

Now the forms of Gyan chetna, Agyan chetna, Karma chetna and karma phal chetna are shown, which are intimated by the kalash next-

Shloka 224:   Through Gyan Chetna only the knowledge is illuminated continuously in totally pure form while with the Agyan chetna bondage rushes to prevent knowledge to be purified, does not allow it to happen.

Explanation: The consciousness with whichever orientation it concentrates and tastes the experience of the same, the consciousness is called by that name. Hence when that consciousness contemplates of the knowledge with concentration then it is called Gyan Chetna. With this the knowledge is totally purified and illuminated thus generating keval Gyan. This is known as ‘total Gyan Chetna’.  On the other hand the ignorant form application of Upayoga  towards karma and fruition of karmas  and expperincing the same with concentration is Agyan chetna. This leads to bondage of karmas and prevents knowledge to be purified.