Yogsar Prabhrat

Preface

Yogsar Prabhrat  was written by Acharya Amitgati-I sometime in 10^th century AD. Not much is known about him except that his Guru was Acharya Devasen  who himself was disciple of Achrya Veersen  renowned author of Dhavala  and Jaidhavala.  Acharya Amitgati-II who was the  author of Dharma Pareeksha, Panch Sangrah etc., was  the disciple of disciple’s disciple of Acharya Amitgati-I.

The subject matter of Yogsar Prabhrat is adhyatma which covers almost the entire range of  paramagams written by Acharya Kunda kunda. On the other hand the verses are simple and self explanatory. In my view this Shastra enables one to get comprehensive knowledge of the dravyanuyoga as well as charananuyoga since its chapters deal with all the tatvas as well as charitra. In this translation most of the gathas are self explanatory. However some comments are provided to simplify further wherever useful.

The name Yogsar Prabhrat stands for the presentation of essence of yoga i.e. dhyan (meditation). Thus the main objective of the book is to enable one to contemplate of the soul. The emphasis is more upon the Nishchaya naya while Vyavahara is described so as to be known which essentially would be present but not cherishable.  

Yogsar Prabhrat comprises of 540 gathas which are divided into nine Adhikars. First seven are pertaining to seven tatvas i.e. Jiva , Ajiva, Asrava, Bandh, Samvar, Nirjara, Moksha. The eighth Adhikar  is Charitra which covers the conduct and Ninth Adhikar is choolika which covers what was not included so far. In this manner this shastra is quite comprehensive from all aspects. It is envisaged to complete about 30 gathas per instalment of the blog. Hope the readers will also find it useful. 

1. Jiva Adhikar

Invocation by the author and objective of the Shastra:

1. For attainment of my own nature, I (Acharya Amitgati) offer obeisance to the Siddhas who are pure, devoid of impurities of passions, knowledgeable, indestructible, unchangeable, permanent and always stationary within their own nature.

Benefits of knowing Jiva Ajiva tatvas :

2. Since in this world, barring the Jiva and Ajiva, nothing else exists; hence for knowing our own nature, the characteristics of these two should be learnt.

3. The one who knows the form of both Jiva and Ajiva by means of their characteristics; by discarding Ajiva he gets immersed within Jiva Tatva.

4. The one who gets immersed in Jiva tatva, his raga-dwesha (attachment-aversion) get destroyed. The destruction of raga-dwesha lead to prevention of influx of karmas and bondage which leads to attainment of Nirvana.

Benefit of knowing own nature:

5. The one who knows  his own nature  different from other  dravyas, he does not have any attachment or aversion towards any of the  states of other dravyas.

Upayoga – the characteristics of soul and its types:

6. Out of the two Jiva and Ajiva, Jinendra Deva has told the characteristics of Jiva i.e.soul as Upayoga (consciousness).  This Upayoga is of two types which are Gyan (knowledge) and darshan (vision).  

Characteristics of Darshanopayoga and its types:

7. In the upayoga characteristics of JIva, the darshanopayoga senses the general existence of substance. It can be divided into four types as Chakshu darshan, Achakshu darshan, Avadhi darshan and Keval darshan.

Comment:  Every substance by nature is general-specific. Darshanopayoga accepts the general undivided nature of the substance while gyanopayoga knows the specifics of the substance.

Characteristics of Gyanopayoga and its types:

8. Gyanopayoga comprises of five types of samyak gyans. These are Mati gyan, Sruta gyan, Avadhi gyan, ManahParyaya gyan and Keval Gyan. This gyan senses the specifics of the substance.

9. Mithya Gyan comprises of Kumati gyan, Kusruta gyan and Vibhang gyan. Thus Gyanopayoga is said to be totally eight kinds.

Comment : In reality knowledge is knowledge only and cannot be samyak of Mithya. But in conjunction with wrong belief it is termed as Samyak or Mithya. The reason for this is that while the Mithya drishti may know all external substances correctly , still he does not know the self hence his knowledge is deemed to be Mithya. 

Cause for generation of Keval gyan and Keval Darshan:

10. While Keval gyan and Keval darshan are revealed/unobscured upon destruction of Mohaniya, Gyanavaran, Darshanavaran and Antaraya karmas; the remaining three  Achakshu etc.  darshans and Mati etc. seven Gyans are revealed upon Kshayopasham (subsidence cum destruction) of Mohaniya, Gyanavarana, Darshanavaran and Antaraya karmas.

Comment:  In reality all dravyas are independent and one dravya does not change other dravyas nature. However these statements represent the Vyavahara  since the presence of Keval gyan also imply the absence of bondage of karmas. The presence of karmas functions as nimitta for the non-revelation of keval gyan and revelation of other seven types of gyans.

The sequence of generation of Darshan and Gyan:

11. The two upayogas of the soul namely keval gyan and keval darshan are generated simultaneously. Remaining three darshans and seven gyans are generated sequentially. None of the darshans are  generated along with corresponding gyan; the gyan always follows the darshan.

Causes for Mithyagyan and Samyak Gyan:

12. In Jain philosophy, the Gyan is believed to be   Mithya gyan with the Nimitta of Mithyatva and Samyak Gyan with the nimitta of Samyaktva.

The form of Mithyatva and its function:

13.  The reason due to which the knowledge of a thing appears deluded/corrupted is called  Mithyatva by the wise people. This Mithyatva functions as water for the irrigation of the karmas form garden.

Three divisions of Darshan Mohaniya karma:

14. Generated due to fruition of Darshan Mohaniya karma, that Mithyatva is said to be of three types namely Gruheet, Agruheet and Sanshayik.

Comment:  These details are well described in Moksha Marg Prakashak.

Form of Mithyatva:

15. A jiva influenced by Mithyatva belives the non tatva to be tatva.  Does a person intoxicated by Datura not see non gold as gold? Surely he does.

Comment:  From eternal times the Jiva has never known the nature of self and believed body etc. to be the soul and passions, desires to be his own. This is the Mithyatva (delusion).

Form of Samyaktva:

16. In whichever form a thing exists, the reason by which  it is known correctly in that form  is called Samyaktva by Jinendra Deva. That Samyaktva is the means for realization of the soul.

Comment:  One of the qualities of Jiva is belief which is eternally deluded. The manifestation in correct form is known as Samyaktva.

Divisions of Samyaktva and their Cause effect relationship:

17,18. That Samyaktva is of three types namely Kshayik, Aupashamik and Kshayopashamik respectively by the destruction, subsidence and destruction cum subsidence of the seven kinds of Mohaniya karma which comprise of three types of Darshan Mohaniya which are Mithyatva, Samyak Mithyatva and Samyak Prakriti respectively and four types of Charitra Mohaniya which are Anantanubandhi  anger-pride-deceit-greed. Of the three types of Samyaktva the Kshayik Samyaktva is the desirable objective and remaining two Aupashamik Samyaktva and Kshayopashamik  Samyaktva are the means.

Comment:  Readers are advised to look up Moksha Marg Prakashak for these details.

Relation between soul and knowledge and the range of knowledge:

19. Jinendra Deva has told the soul to be equivalent to the knowledge i.e. of the range of knowledge while knowledge is equivalent to the objects of knowledge i.e. of the range of objects of knowledge. Since objects of knowledge are of the form of Lokaloka ( comprising of all objects of Lokakash and Alokakash) hence knowledge is all pervasive (omniscient).

Comment:  The soul has capability of knowing all i.e. being omniscient but in worldly state due to the nimitta of karmas , his knowledge is vastly restricted in the seven forms described above. Only when the ghati karmas are destroyed then the keval gyan is revealed knowing all  substances and their all manifestations for all times (past, present, future)  simultaneously.

Objection in believing soul to be less than knowledge:

20. If it is considered that Knowledge or objects of knowledge are greater than the soul then the soul and the knowledge cannot have objective and its characteristics relationship.

Comment:  Jinendra deva has told knowledge as the characteristics of soul by which it is defined. If soul is larger than the knowledge then some part of soul will be without knowledge which goes against the definition of soul. On the other hand if knowledge is larger than the soul then that extra knowledge cannot have existence without soul knowing it. Hence it establishes that soul is equivalent to knowledge.

The pervasive nature of knowledge with respect to objects of knowledge:

21. Just as the blue sapphire stone lying within the milk illuminates the milk totally in all directions ; in the same way the knowledge pervading objects of knowledge illuminates all objects of knowledge totally by means of all pervasive knowledge.

Comment:  Keval gyan knows all objects of knowledge without going to them without leaving the soul space. In fact knowing the objects is deemed to be Vyavahara while knowing the self within which all objects are revealed is the Nishchaya.

In spite of knowing the objects of knowledge, the knowledge does not become one with them:

22. Just as eye observing colour or shape does not take the form  of that colour or shape , in the same way the knowledge knowing the object of knowledge does not become of the form of object of knowledge but remains knowledge form.

Comment:  If knowledge becomes same as object of knowledge then omniscient would experience all the miseries of all the jivas also which is not true. He knows all the sufferings remaining detached from them.

Knowledge has capability of knowing distant objects also:

23. The knowledge knows the distant objects from the aspect of distance or time by its own nature. Does a magnet not pull a distant iron piece not towards itself? Surely it does.

Comment:  Omniscience does not have restriction of size, distance or time of the object. If it is object of knowledge then it shall be known.

Knowledge by nature  illuminates the self as well as others:

24. The knowledge knows itself as well as the objects by its own nature. Just as a lamp illuminates the objects and does not require any other means to illuminates itself.

Comment : Here it establishes the fact that just as lamp does not need somebody else to illuminate the lamp itself, in the same way knowledge does not need somebody else to know the knower.

Form of Kshayopashamik and Kshayik gyan:

25. Upon destruction of Mohaniya etc. four types of Ghati karmas, the kshayopashamik knowledge of the Jiva gets destroyed and the pure kshayik knowledge i.e. keval gyan gets revealed i.e. it remain in fruition forever.

Comment:  Kshayopashamik gyans are the lower order four gyans while with the destruction of four ghati karmas the Kshayik gyan is revealed which lasts forever.

The capability of Keval gyan with respect to existing- non existing objects:

26. Unobscured and greatest Kshayik Gyan knows all the existing-non existing objects of all three times i.e. past, present and future simultaneously.

Explanation of existing-non existing objects:

27. The objects which existed in the three lokas in the past and those which shall exist in the  future, they are considered as non-existing  objects by wise people. The objects which are existing at present are believed to be existent.

Comment:  Present is for the duration of one samay when a thing is existent. Non existing are the manifestations expired in the past and the manifestations that shall occur in future. It may be noted that while past is of infinite duration, the future is infinite times that of past.

Form of the past and future objects known:

28. All the objects of the past and future which existed/will exist  in whichever form in their own times; keval gyan  knows them  in those forms only identically to the presently existing objects.

Comment:  This establishes that the past and future objects are knows unambiguously without loss of clarity.

What is the fallacy if Keval gyan does not know all objects simultaneously:

29-30. If keval gyan does not know all the objects together simultaneously then that keval gyan shall not know even one object at any time; since even one object manifests into infinite paryayas(forms). How long it would take to know all those paryayas(forms) sequentially , please tell?  Since the paryayas of even one object  are infinitely never ending, even one object can never be known totally.

Continued……..