A Description of Reality ( Paramarth Vachanika by Pandit Banarasi das)-1

 

Preface

Pandit banarasidasji has been a famous poet and philosopher personality in 17^th century. In his life he had experienced different kinds of ups and downs. In the beginning he was a poet describing beauty and adornment and later he himself threw those creations in Gomati river once his rationality prevailed. Around the age of 37 his religious life underwent a major upheaval when he came across the Samaysar kalash teeka written by Pandey Rajmalji. Although he could not follow its implied meaning but he became despotic following singular views of Nishchaya naya. However at sometime he came across Pandit Roopchandji who taught him Gommatsar and gunasthana etc. along with theories of Nishchaya-Vyavahara which brought about a total reversal in his life style. Subsequently he authored ‘Natak Samaysar’ which is a classic poetry in the form of a simplified language version of Samaysar kalash teeeka. One of his smaller creations is Paramarth Vachanika which  describes the basics of reality.

An attempt has been made to generate an English version of Paramarth Vachanika along with the lectures of Pujya Kanji Swamy who lectured in detail upon this text explaining its fineness . This short but very meaningful text describes the principle of reality in a simple manner hence very useful to even a beginner of the subject. He had kept the language very simple avoiding complex Jain words pertaining to Karanauyoga so that the masses could understand it easily. Hope this English version would help readers to gain an insight into Jain  principles. 

1.     State of worldly Jivas

Each Jiva dravya has infinite qualities, infinite parayayas ( modes), each quality has innumerable spatial elements, in each spatial element there are infinite karmana varganas, in each karmana vargana there are infinitely infinite pudgala paramanus, each pudgala paramanu exists having infinite qualities and infinite paryayas.

This is the state of the Jiva body existing in the world. In the same way consider infinite jiva dravyas along with their bodies. Each Jiva dravya is conjoined with infinitely infinite pudgala dravyas.

 This is the story in the order of Jain Parameshwar omniscient. In the world infinite jivas are there in  independent forms. With respect to jiva the pudgala dravyas are there infinite times, in each jiva and each pudgala paramanu there are infinite qualities and each of the quality has its own manifestations- this cannot be known to anybody else other than omniscient bhagawan; hence this subject has not been told anywhere other than the jain order of omniscient. Most of the jivas  do not even accept the independent status of Jiva; they believe that some god has created this jiva or otherwise everything is one ( Adwait), but they have not accepted the independent complete  existence of each jiva and have only believed self and other jivas of the world to be dependent and incomplete.

Brother! The Jiva who does not believe in the complete existence of the soul itself, how can he attain its complete existence ? Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to accept the independent existence of infinite jivas within the world as stated by omniscient, and they should be accepted to be complete with infinite qualities individually. If someone does not realise it then there is no likelihood of fruition of true nature of soul in his mind ; hence this is the very first declaration.

There are infinite different jivas in the universe. Each of the Jiva dravya have infinite qualities. Each of these infinite qualities have their own paryaya generated at every moment and thus at every samaya, there are infinite paryayas. Each of the qualities have innumerable spatial elements, which are the same as that of the Jiva dravya. This way the Dravya-Guna-Paryaya of each Jiva are described.

On each Pradesh (spatial element) of the worldly Jiva there are infinite karma varganas in which there are infinitely infinite pudgala paramanus which too exist along with their own infinite qualities and paryayas – such is the state of each worldly jiva.

There are infinite Siddha Jivas in this universe and the worldly jivas are infinite times of Siddha jivas. Brother! Even  in the smallest piece of potato or any other roots, there are innumerable audarik bodies and in each body there Nigod Jivas which are infinite times the number of siddhas. Beginning from Nigod to fourteenth gunasthana, every worldly jiva is conjoined with infinitely infinite pudgala  dravyas, even then each of the jiva dravya and pudgala paramanu are manifesting independently. No one dravya has become one with any other dravya.

Brother!  Our own omniscient natured soul has the capability to simultaneously observe and know these infinite number of Jivas, infinitely infinite pudgala paramanus and their infinite qualities and paryayas. Hence we should direct our attention to our own soul. Oho! Such description of nature of substance is not available anywhere else other than the Jain order. It does not exist.

Now the different manifestations of Jiva and pudgala are considered :

Its description- different-different form manifestations of Jiva dravya  and different-different form manifestations of the pudgala dravya.

Its description- The  forms and the states in  which each Jiva dravya manifests , it does not mix with any other Jiva which has its own manifestations. In this manner infinitely infinite form jiva dravyas are manifesting in their infinitely infinite states. No Jiva dravya’s manifestation is identical to that of another jiva dravya. In the same way, the state in which one pudgala paramanu manifests at one moment, that state does not match with the state of any other pudgala paramanu. In this manner one should understand the uniqueness of each pudgala paramanu.

In the liberated state the manifestations of jiva and pudgala are anyway different, but even in worldly state the manifestations of jiva and pudgala are different in spite of being conjoined. One’s manifestation does not interfere with other’s manifestation.

In the worldly state, the manifestations of any two jivas do not match totally and some difference or other is always there. In Siddha state all qualities are in identical state but in worldly state it depends upon fruition. There, in the manner several parayayas of several qualities of a jiva manifest, another jiva does not manifest in the same way i.e. two worldly jivas do not have identical manifestation at any time. Although with respect to keval gyan etc., they are identical in some aspect, but with respect to audayik bhavas they are never identical and some difference or other is always there.

Just as the states of jivas are of different kind, in the same way the nimitta form pudgala karmas have different states. No two paramanus have identical state with respect to each other.

Just see! How is the nature of substance? In one body infinite Nigod jivas are residing and although they have the same body, their manifestations of each are different. The manifestation of one is different from other. In the infinite Nigod jivas residing within the same body, some are bhavya and some are abhavya. Out of the infinite bhavya nigod jivas, some are going to attain salvation shortly, some are going to attain Moksha after a long time, and there are some who shall not attain Moksha even after infinite period.

The knowledge of such manifestation of worldly  jivas is the cause for generation of veetrag manifestations since the jivas and pudgalas of the world have their own different manifestations by nature and do not interfere with each other.  

Here the question is that in spite of all jivas being similar with respect to their nature, why their manifestations are different? Its answer is as follows: Dravya itself has manifested in this manner, in which other dravya does not have any responsibility. The one who knows, he only realises the nature of substance to be so. The ignorant jiva indulges in Moha with the sense of being doer. Whether Jiva is Gyani or Agyani, its activity is limited in the sense that either he can manifest in knowledge form or manifest in Moha form. In any case no one can manifest in the form of another in the minutest manner.

The manifestations of Jiva and pudgala are independent and this is the true state of the universe.

‘ The generation-destruction-permanence is the reality’ – this is the prime principle of Jain Darshan. Every substance is on its own and other substance is not the cause for it. Even Paramanu is complete within its own nature being its own corporeal god. The state of two paramanus also cannot be totally one and the same. Even if the shape of two paramanus is identical, even then in the manifestations of infinite qualities like touch- taste-smell-colour etc. there would be some difference or other. In this manner, in this world, the states of each of the jivas and pudgalas  are different from other jivas or pudgalas. This entire description denotes that the manifestation  of each dravya is totally independent.

In this Paramarth Vachanika the strangeness of the manifestations of the worldly jivas is being described. This is supernatural science as known by the omniscient Bhagawan. In thirteenth-fourteenth gunasthanas the capability of keval gyan of all jivas is identical, even so there is a difference with respect to Audayik bhavas. The manifestations of any worldly jivas are not identical in totality- such is the nature of substance without any reason. Although from the aspect of shuddha naya the dravya nature of all Jivas is identical, all jivas have been manifesting from beginingless time till now; even then some are siddha- some worldly, some omniscient-some with limited knowledge, some detached-some attached, some knowledgeable-some ignorant; oh! Even in the manifestations of munirajs  in sixth, seventh gunasthana also there is strangeness; in sixth gunasthana itself someone has four, someone has three and someone has two knowledges only.   Abnormality is to this extent that the one two knowledges may attain keval gyan before the one with four knowledges. After attaining keval gyan some jiva may wander in Arihant state for a period slightly less than a Poorva Koti, while another jiva may take a long time to attain Arihant state and then reaches Siddha state in Antarmuhurta itself. In this way the manifestations of the worldly jivas have different strangeness.

The capability to manifest in vibhava (non normal) form of each jiva is also different. This applies to both jiva and pudgala. Look! From aspect of the nature, infinite jivas are identical, but not so from aspect of vibhava. In the same way each paramanu when it manifests in vibhava form i.e. skandh form, at that time the capability of each paramanu is different.

Some people say that the existence of the infinite jivas within this universe is not separate, but all join together to form one Advait Bramha. However here the omniscient Bhagwan Parameshwara Deva tells that infinite jivas of the universe have independently own existence and the manifestations of each one of them is  different with their own individuality – what a remarkable difference? The one who does not accept his own completely independent existence, how can he attain completeness ? The independent existence of each jiva, infinite types of variations within his manifestations and the corresponding infinite types of variations of nimitta form karmas – all these are not observed anywhere else other than the rule of omniscient bhagwan.

A question has been posed in the context of the variations of the manifestations that when the manifestations of any two jivas in the world are not identical in totality then why is it stated in the context of Anivrattikaran (nineth) gunasthana that in this gunasthana the manifestations of all the jivas  are identical ?

The answer to this question is that similarity has been stated in respect to the  manifestations  pertaining to purity of Charitra (conduct) but the manifestations with respect to other qualities is not the same. The manifestations of knowledge etc. and in other bhavas pertaining to aghati karmas, there are differences. In this gunasthana itself someone may have two, three or four knowledges.  Some jiva may have short life span, some one may have long life span; some jiva may have height of one Dhanush, while another may have height of 500 Dhanush. Further someone may have one more birth left, while another may be proceeding to Moksha immediately and someone may have to wander for Ardh Pudgala Paravartan period. In this manner there are different variations possible. In the manifestations of two worldly jivas, it may be possible to have similarity from some particular aspect but the similarity does not exist from all aspects.

The one who has faith in the path of the Jina as declared by omniscient, in his heart only this subject can be accepted. In the end of this Vachanika, Pandit Banarasidasji  himself states  that this Vachanika is in accordance with the revelation by omniscient. The Jiva who listens to it, understands it and believes it , he shall be benefited in accordance with appropriate fate.

‘In accordance with the revelation of Kevali’  implies that for understanding it, one should necessarily have faith in the Kevali Bhagwan. The one who does not have faith in Kevali Bhagwan omniscient, he cannot understand this Paramartha Vachanika either.

There are infinite jivas in the universe, infinitely infinite paramanus; all are existent along with qualities and paryayas (modes) individually and manifestations of each of them is independently different. The manifestations of any  two of them is not the same – this is the Siddhant.

Continued…….