Paramatma Prakash - 7

Next it is told that the knowledge of Paramatma is all pervasive; there is no substance which is not known by this knowledge and all substances are revealed in the knowledge:

Gatha 47: Just as a creeper stops spreading in the absence of a support , in the same way the knowledge of the liberated Jivas also stops in spite of having the capability to know, in the absence of objects of knowledge. The supreme nature is reflected in the keval gyan of liberated jivas; knowing this you worship him.

Commentary: Just as creeper cannot grow any further in the absence of support structure, in the same way the knowledge of the liberated Jivas spreads up to the objects of knowledge. 

Further when there is no object of knowledge is not available, he cannot know any further. He knows all the dravya, kshetra, kaal and bhaav. Even if infinite lok-aloks were there similar to present lok-alok, even then he would have known them within one samaya. In the keval  gyan of that bhagwan Paramatma, our own nature is being reflected for us to know, i.e. the knowledge is all  pervasive and the knowledge manifests in all the forms/shapes. Knowing this worship this knowledge. 

Just as non spreading  of creeper cannot be called as the incapability of creeper to spread ; in the same way the knowledge of Kevali is all pervasive in which all objects are reflected. That knowledge is the supreme nature of soul and such pure soul with that knowledge is worthy of worship. This knowledge bliss form soul is the stopping station (wherein they take rest) for the minds of great Munis.

Although the shubha-ashubha karmas generate happiness or unhappiness ; even so the soul has not been made by anyone nor generated from anyone. With this intent the next gatha is narrated:

Gatha 48: Although Gyanavarana etc. karmas are always engaged in producing happiness-unhappiness etc.  form of work, even so from aspect of shuddha nishchaya naya, the infinite knowledge etc.  form soul was  neither produced , nor destroyed nor manifested into another form; contemplate of such Paramatma.

Commentary: Although from aspect of Vyavahara naya, Gyaravarana etc. karmas are engaged in obscuring the pure soul nature ; such that Gyanavarana karma  is nimitta in obscuring  the knowledge; Darshanavarana karma is nimitta in obscuring the vision; Vedaniya karma is nimitta for obscuring the pleasure beyond senses by causing sata or asata; Moahaniya is nimitta for prevention of Samyaktva and Charitra; Ayukarma is nimitta for keeping the jiva within the body for specific duration preventing the indestructible nature to be revealed; Naamkarma is nimitta for generating different types of  gati, jati (caste), body etc.; Gotrakarma is nimitta for having high or low birth; Antaraya karma is nimitta for prevention of revelation  of infinite power. In this manner these karmas function. Even so from aspect of shuddha nishchaya naya, the infinite knowledge etc. nature of soul has never been destroyed by the karmas nor produced anew. Soul has remained as it is.  Contemplate of such indivisible Paramatma by remaining  stationary in Veetrag nirvikalpa samadhi.

The essence is that the Jiva substance which has neither been harmed by karmas, nor generated anew, nor manifested into some other form ; that conscious blissful form is cherishable.

Now it is told that even though the soul is bonded to the karmas since eternal times, even then he does not transform into karma form, nor do the karmas transform into Atma form; the soul is sentient and karmas are  insentient , knowing this you meditate upon the Paramatma:

Gatha 49: In spite of being bonded with Karmas, the one who never changed into karmas form, nor have karmas changed into his form; you contemplate upon that explicit Parmatma.

Commentary: From aspect of Vyavahara naya, the soul has been bonded with Gyanavarana etc. auspicious-inauspicious karmas due to lack of realization of own  pure  nature. Even then from aspect of shuddha nishchaya naya, he is not of the form of karmas i.e. he does not manifest into karma forms giving up his nature of keval gyan etc. infinite qualities .  Further the Gyanavarana etc. dravya-bhava form karmas do not manifest into soul form, i.e. giving up their insentient Pudgala nature they do not change into sentient form. This is for sure that Jiva does not change into Ajiva form nor does the Ajiva change into Jiva form  - such is the principle from eternal times.

Therefore, contemplate upon the Paramatma, having the nature of darshan- gyan form, prayer worthy in all aspects, different from karmas, discarding the manifestations of soul in extraneous form of body and raga forms, remaining stationary within Antaramta with the spirit of manifesting in pure soul form and experience the same.

In this manner in the fifth part of the first Maha Adhikar describing the three types of souls, it is stated that just as pure knowledge form explicit soul is stationed in Siddha lok, in the same way from aspect of shuddha nishchaya naya, he is residing in the body from aspect of capability. 24 dohas have been recited in respect of such statement.

Next in six Doha sutras it is stated that from aspect of Vyavahara naya , the soul is same as the body:

Gatha 50: Some followers of Naiyayik, Vedant and Mimansa philosophies, call Jiva as all pervasive. Some followers of Samkhya principles call Jiva as insentient, some Bauddha followers call him as zero also. Some followers of Jina dharma call jiva as equivalent to body from aspect of vyavahara naya while he is called as equivalent to lok from aspect of Nishchaya naya. The disciple asks four questions that what is the form of soul and what it is not?

Next it is told that from aspect of nayas, the soul can be described in any form. Others believe wrongly from singular point of view  which is incorrect.   Thus accepting the four questions they are answered:

Gatha 51: O Prabhakar Bhatt! From aspect of different nayas to be described later, the soul is omnipresent also, soul is insentient also. Know the soul to be equivalent to body also , as well as zero also. Accepting these from different aspects of nayas is not erroneous.

Further it is told that soul devoid of karmas knows the lok and alok both by means of keval gyan  hence he is all pervasive also.

Gatha 52: This soul, shedding all the karmas, by means of keval gyan knows both the lok and alok, hence this Jiva is called as all pervasive.

Commentary: From aspect of Vyavahara naya, the soul knows lok-alok by means of Keval gyan. In spite of staying within the body, from aspect of Nishchaya naya, he knows his own self. Therefore in respect of knowledge, from aspect of Vyavahara naya, the soul is all pervasive, but not so in respect of pradeshas (spatial elements). Just as eyes views the objects having shape but eyes do not take the form of those objects, do not become one with them.

Here someone enquires- If lok-alok is known from aspect of Vyavahara naya and not from aspect of Nishchaya naya , then omniscience is also from aspect of Vyavahara naya and not Nishchaya naya? That is answered-  Just as the soul is known being one with the self, the others are not known being one with them; they are known differently. Therefore it is told from aspect of Vyavahara naya but not due to lack of knowledge. In respect of knowing, the knowledge of self and others are the same. Just as self is known without doubt, the others are also known without doubt; but he is one with the self but not one with the others. Just as he knows self from aspect of Nishchaya being one with self, if he knows others also being one with them, then he would manifest in forms of raga, dwesha, happiness, unhappiness depending upon their being ragi, dweshi, happy or unhappy. This would be a great defect which is not possible.

Here the knowledge which is called as omnipresent, the same knowledge is worthy of worship and  blissful beyond senses. There is no differentiation between knowledge and bliss and that knowledge is cherishable.

Thus in this doha the Jiva has been called as all pervasive from aspect of knowledge.

Now it is told that on acquisition of knowledge of the soul, the sensory knowledge gets destroyed. He remains stationary in supreme Samadhi within himself in the soul, (generally) other objects are not subject of knowledge, hence he is insentient from aspect of naya-praman also.  However he is not insentient as if he were not having knowledge, he is conscious form only, but he is called insentient in certain aspect. With this in mind the next Gatha  is told: 

Gatha 53: The aspect from which, the sensory knowledge of the Jivas engaged in soul-knowledge  gets destroyed ; O yogi! From that aspect know him to be insentient.

Commentary: For the great Munis engaged in experiencing own self at the time of Veetrag Nirvikalpa Samadhi , the sensory knowledge is not present and for the Keval Gyanis, the sensory knowledge is not existent at any time , only knowledge beyond senses is present. Hence due to lack of sensory knowledge, from that aspect, the soul can be called insentient also.

The essence is that the sensory knowledge is not cherishable  and the knowledge beyond senses is worthy of attainment.

Now in the absence of Naam karma named Sharir, the shape of Jiva neither reduces nor increases, therefore in the liberated state, he remains of the masculine form slightly less than the last body, hence he is said to be  of the size of the body- this is told next:

Gatha 54: The sharir Naamkarma is  the  cause for the increase or decrease of the size of the Jiva. In the absence of this karma, the shuddha jiva does not increase or decrease , therefore Jinendra Deva call the liberated Jivas to be of the size of last body.

Commentary: In the worldly state the cause for the increase or decrease of the size of Jiva is sharir Naam karma. When he occupies the body of MahaMatsya the size increases and when he occupies Nigod jiva form, the size reduces. In the liberated state, in the absence of Sharir Naam karma, the spatial size of the jiva neither increases or decreases but remains in the masculine form,  slightly less than the size of the body occupied last. Hence the size is equal to that of body is the conclusion.

Here someone enquires that so long as a lamp is obscured, there is no illumination, but when the obscuration is removed then the light is spread all over; in the same way in the liberated state of the jiva, the spatial elements of the Jiva should have spread all over in the lok. Why did they remain of the size of the body only?

The answer is that it is the nature of the light of the lamp to spread and is not caused by anybody. When it is blocked by some cover then the light remains confined in the place. When the obscuration is removed then the illumination spreads without doubt. However the size of the jiva has been confined by the karmas from eternal times and he has never been free. It was always equivalent to that of the body and increased or decreased accordingly in accordance with the sharir naam karma. Therefore, like a dry mud pot, he does not increase or decrease due to lack of any reason, but remains same as that of the body.

Just as the mud pot, so long as it is wet with the water, it increases or decreases in conjunction with water. When there is not water, the pot dries and there is no increase or decrease but it remains same as it is. In the same way the Jiva has relationship with the naam karma. In the worldly state, in conjunction with naam karma, the size of the  Jiva increases or decreases in accordance with that of the body. In the Siddha state, the naam karma is non- existent  hence there is no body and the number of spatial elements of the jiva do not increase or decrease but remain as it is. The  shape of the jiva remains slightly less than the last body with which salvation was attained. The illumination of lamp  spreads by nature which is obscured by an obstruction. When obstruction is removed, it spreads naturally.

The summary is that Paramatma stationary in siddha state having purity and knowledge as nature is existent even in the body. At the time when raga is eliminated, the soul is similar to that of Paramatma, which is worthy of attainment.  

Continued …..