Preface
Pahud Doha was written by Muni Ram Singh somewhere within the period of 7th
to 9th Century. This is established by the fact that Acharya
Amritchandra has quoted Doha from Pahud Doha in Panchastikaya. Pahud Doha
represents a verse which has its roots in the teachings of the Tirthankaras
while its style is predominantly Mystic. The concept of Mysticism is highly
philosophical wherein the experience of soul is important. The traditional
practices are not given much weightage. Here the subject is primarily soul and
its experience.
Here an attempt has been made to provide an English version
of the Dohas along with their meanings.
Pahud Doha -I
1. Those who show the difference
between own pure soul and others(dravyas) traditionally; such Gurus are like
sun, moon, lamp and Devas.
Meaning: Just as
sun illuminates the entire loka, Guru also remove the darkness and ignorance
and illuminate with knowledge. Just as moon spreads coolness with its rays, the
Guru also spreads happiness and peace. Guru is also called lamp since just as
lamp enables to observe the riches within the own house; Guru also enables
to reveal the internally obscured Samyakdarshan,
Samyak Gyan and Samyak Charitra and the path to Moksha. Lastly he is called Deva
to respectfully equate him with Arihant, Siddha, Acharya.
2. Obeisance to the Guru who
enabled us to become Deva from human birth. Did not take any time for enabling
us to take birth in Deva paryaya (gati).
Meaning: Here the term Deva is used in the context of resident
of heaven. Although everyone takes birth according to his accrual of
shubha-ashubha karmas , however formally Guru has been credited with the accrual
of shubha karmas in oneself which
enables one to take birth in heaven as Deva.
3. O ignorant ! Be satisfied with
the pleasure derived from the soul. The one who considers pleasure to be
derived from others, his heart never gives up the worries.
Meaning: True happiness is based upon the knowledge of the
soul which is also called Atma Dhyan (experience of the soul). This experience
has never been attained since he has been believing the knowledge to be senses
based which are corporeal non self.
4. Withdrawing from the pleasures
of the senses , discarding them; the pleasure derived from the dhyan (meditation)
of the own soul cannot be attained even by the Indra in company of millions of
Devis.
Meaning: The five senses are touch, taste, smell, eyes and
ears which have their own subjects. Every Jiva has been attempting to enjoy the
subjects of these senses from eternal times. Only by giving up attraction
towards these pleasures would he be able to experience the true soul based
pleasure.
5. In spite of enjoying subjects
of the senses, those who do not develop attraction towards them i.e. do not
desire them, they attain permanent bliss in short time- thus says Jinendra.
Meaning: This is similar to gatha 193 of Samaysar which
also says that the enjoyments of the detached person are cause for Nirjara. The
reason is that the Gyani knows them to be fruition of his past accrued karmas
and really does not wish to be attracted towards them. However on account of
fruition of Charitra Moha and in spite of having Samyak Gyan he indulges in
those pleasures but does not accrue future karmas. Therefore it is said that
the past karmas have shedded without fresh accrual of karmas.
6. Without actually enjoying the
sensual pleasures, those Jivas who desire to enjoy them in their heart, they
take birth in hell, just as Tandul Machha (name of a very small fish) did.
Meaning: The author has quoted a famous story of Tandul Maccha who was born
as a very small fish residing in the ear of
a giant Mahamatsya ( very large fish) in Swambhooraman ocean. Even with
the breathing of the Mahamatsya , a large quantity of fishes were entering and
exiting his mouth. The Tandul Machha saw this and thought, ‘This Mahamatsya is
stupid and unfortunate who allows fishes to escape like this. I would have
eaten them all.’ Just by such thoughts in his heart and without actually eating
the fishes, the Tandul Maccha accrued birth in 7th hell. This goes
to show that the bhava (intentions) dictate the accrual of karmas and not the
actual act. This is so because Jiva is really responsible for his bhavas while
the act is dependent upon the fruition of his past karmas. Hence one should
keep his bhavas as pure as possible.
7. Engaged in their businesses
the entire world indulges in karmas out of ignorance. Still they do not spend
even a moment contemplating upon own pure soul nature which is the real cause
for Moksha.
Meaning: Karmas are of two kinds- dravya karma and bhav
karma. The bhavas of the Jiva cause the
influx of karmas within the soul and bondage of dravya karmas. The fruition of
dravya karmas give rise to bhavas of raga-dwesha-moha (attachment-aversion-delusion) which Jiva believes them to be his own. The
actual act of Jiva is indulgence in such delusion out of ignorance which gives
rise to bondage of future dravya karmas and thus the cycle continues. If he
spends some time in realizing the true nature of soul then he would attain
Moksha quite soon.
8. The absurd worldly acts of
talking, doing things etc. are useful for satisfying the other people. But the
real peace of the soul can be experienced only by a pure perturbation free
mind.
Meaning: The entire world is busy with noises of
businesses, running household etc. People spend all their time in managing
those affairs. In the process they indulge in passions, delusions, desires etc.
and keep accruing karmas. Only when one discards those passions and
contemplates upon his own true nature with a perturbation free mind then he
experiences true bliss which leads to Moksha.
9. So long as the Jiva remains
ignorant, till then attached to sons-wife etc., suffering miseries, the Jiva
keeps transmigrating in lakhs of yonis ( birth forms) for eternal times.
Meaning: The only reason for transmigrating in four types
of gatis is the delusion under which he considers himself to be able to do
things for others and vice versa. This leads to taking birth in 84 lakh form of
yonis endlessly. Without differentiating knowledge of self and others the Jivas
keep taking births and suffering eternally.
10. O Jiva! The house- relatives
etc. which you believing to be your own and dear ones; they are different from
you, hence don’t consider them to be your own. They are created under the
influence of karmas. Yogis have called it as the lesson given in scriptures.
Meaning: All the objects observed in the visible world are
different from the invisible soul. These objects have incidental relationship
to Jiva on account of fruition of his karmas. Truly they are temporary and
destructible in nature. Scriptures, based upon Jinendra’s teachings have
described different types of karmas and their influences. The true nature of
soul is gyan-darshan which distinguishes it differently from the corporeal
world.
11. O Jiva! Under influence of
Moha (delusion) you have believed sorrow as happiness and pleasure as misery. Therefore
you could never attain Moksha.
Meaning: In reality the happiness-unhappiness are in
imagination. No object has the capability of doing anything for the jiva. Same
object which may be pleasant today becomes unpleasant and insufferable at some
other time. This is really due to delusion of the soul which considers them to
be his own. The realization of this delusion only would lead to knowing the
true nature of self and others. Till then he is ignorant.
12. O Jiva! You keep worrying
about the wealth and the people of your family, hence cannot escape bondage of
the karmas. Only when you contemplate of the own pure soul, then you shall
attain great bliss.
Meaning: Worries are always pertaining to others which are
cause for shubha-ashubha bhavas which lead to bondage of shubha-ashubha karmas.
Either type of bondage prolongs the worldly stay of the jiva. Only when jiva
contemplates of the pure nature of soul which is different from the thought of
others, then he does not accrue bondage and they can even shed. Further he
enjoys the pure happiness which is never experienced by the sensual pleasures.
13. O Jiva! Do not consider it as
a stay in the residence. Actually this is a stay within the house of paps
(sins). Surely this is a web spread by Yama ( Ayukarma) which cannot be
pierced.
Meaning: Jiva may think that he is living happily within
his house but actually he is surrounded by desires at all times and he keeps
trying to fulfil them one after another endlessly. The desires cause passions
which cause accrual of karmas. Even the pleasures and happiness are illusionary
which do not sustain for long. Fulfilment of one desire generates another hence
unhappiness keeps growing. The stay in hell is anyway worse since one
continuously experiences miseries. Even the stay in heavens is not all
pleasure. One keeps being jealous of the grandeur of other devas and suffers
from lack of his own powers. Thus any type of Gati is not enjoyable and keeps
generating desires and restlessness which results in accrual of Ayukarma. Here
emphasis is given on Ayukarma since this ensures continuous stay of jiva in
worldly forms. Only the enlightened Jivas take their last birth without bonding
Ayukarma again.
14. O unwise one! The entire
external world is created out of karmas. Hence do not try to beat husk to
obtain rice. Give up the home-family as early as possible and follow the pure
path of Moksha.
Meaning: The Jiva keeps trying to fulfil the desires of
each of the five senses by accumulating wealth, family etc. but none of them
are permanent and are transient only. To satisfy the desires he keeps accruing
karmas of different types which keep generating various conditions of miseries
or partial happiness. One should give up the attachment towards the home,
family etc. and follow the path for Moksha by contemplating upon the pure
nature of the soul.
15. The one who immerses himself
in the akash ( permanent nature) , his Moha gets destroyed, the mind stops
functioning, breathing breaks and halts;
only manifests in the form of keval Gyan.
Meaning: Here the attainment of keval gyan is described. The
term akash describes the nirvikalpa (thoughts free) form of contemplation. When
one is immersed in his own nature, there are no vikalpas (thoughts) and the
mind is perturbation free. Even breathing stops, karmas are destroyed and Keval
gyan is revealed. This is the only method of attaining keval gyan.
16. Just as snake gives up its
skin but does not discard its poison; in the same way the agyani jiva accepts
dravya ling (ascetic hood) , discards externally but does not give up the
desire towards sensual pleasures.
Meaning: Dravya Ling represents the naked form adopted by
Jain Sadhus as part of acceptance of Muni hood and five Maha vrita. Here with
an example of snake, it is explained that real muni hood comprises of giving up
all desires and attractions. Till then the physically ascetic nature does not
mean anything.
17. The muni who discards sensual
pleasures and then desires to enjoy them again later, he wanders into the world
again in spite of kesh lonch(pulling hair) and body thinning (severe penances).
Meaning: The Jain muni practices kesh lonch and severe
penances (fasting) after giving up all desires related to senses and mind. If
that Muni desires to enjoy them again later then in reality he has not given up
the world. It is highly condemnable. He has not realized the true nature of
soul nor does he wish to attain it.
18. Sensual pleasures are for two
days only, followed by the sufferings forever. Hence O innocent one! Do not
strike with axe on your own shoulder.
Meaning: Sensual
pleasures are transitory but result in one going to hell etc. hence indulgence
in them is self-destructive like striking own shoulder with the axe. One should give up such desires and with
detached mind and contemplate upon the pure nature of self which leads to Moksha.
19. One can decorate the body to
whatever extent one desires by oil massage, cosmetics and tasty food but just
as any benevolence towards a scoundrel
is a wasteful exercise; in the same way serving the body is futile.
Meaning: Howsoever one may serve the body, the body will
not return the favours and one day it will get separated from self. Hence it is
suggested that it should be just maintained properly to serve for the purpose
of carrying out atma sadhana ( attainment of soul). The body should be used
merely as a tool without pampering it.
Thus the body is not for enjoyment but for the purpose of yog-sadhana.
20. The body is mercurial, soiled
and without any qualities. However it can be used for generation of stationary,
pure and meaningful activities then why should one not do so?
Meaning: The body is impure being full of excretion-urine
etc. which is transitory and full of miseries. But if one can utilize the body
for dharma and atma-sadhana then why should one not do so?
To Be Continued.......
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