The Essence of Pravachansar…09

 

In Gatha 167^th it is declared again that soul is not the cause for the formation of pudgala in bulk form. The skandhas occupy two Pradesh to infinite Pradesh which are called Sookshma ( fine) or Badar (coarse) and have different sansthanas (shapes) – they are of the types of earth, water, air and fire forms by their manifestations.

The paramanus join together in the manner described earlier and form bulks of skandhas forms with varying degree of fineness or coarseness described as Sookshma or Badar. Further the characteristics of touch etc. are of different natures which result in product being of the nature of earth, water, air or fire by their own manifestations. This reveals that soul is not responsible for the generation of the product.

Further it is declared in Gatha 168^th that just as soul is not creator of pudgala skandhas , in the same way soul does not bring pudgala skandhas from elsewhere.

Loka is densely packed with pudgala skandhas of  fine and coarse nature which may or may not be capable of manifesting into karma forms.

In the loka  jivas are there everywhere as well as pudgala  matter capable of manifesting in karma forms which are neither very fine or very coarse. The pudgala matter has unique nature of sharing space such that infinite paramanus may share single Pradesh. With such  capabilities, the loka is densely packed with pudgala matter. According to the manifestations of jiva, he accrues karma bondage. It is not so that soul brings karma matter from elsewhere for bondage.  

Further it is revealed in Gatha 169^th that soul is not responsible for pudgala matter manifesting into karma form.

The skandhas eligible to manifest into karma forms do so on their own in accordance with the manifestations of jiva. However jiva does not make them manifest.

With the nimitta of impure manifestation of jiva, the karmana varganas ( karma particles capable of manifesting into karma form) occupying space nearby, manifest into gyanavarana (knowledge obscuring karma) etc. karma forms by their own internal capability. However jiva does not make them manifest into karma form.

Moreover it is disclosed in 170^th Gatha that soul is not responsible for the generation of body composed of pudgala matter . The pudgala matter manifested in karma form again and again takes the forms of bodies of jiva as per the transmigration of jiva.

With the nimitta of manifestation of jiva, the pudgalas themselves manifest into karma forms and those pudgalas only are nimitta for the formation of bodies in different births of jiva and nokarma Pudgalas themselves manifest into body forms. Thus soul is not the doer of the body of self.

The composition of body of soul is described in Gatha 171 . Five kinds of bodies namely Audarik, Vaikriyik, Taijas, Aharak, Karmana sharir- all are composed of pudgala matter.

All of these body forms are composed of pudgala matter hence none of them is soul. Therefore its is established that body is not soul.

Then what is the uncommon characteristics by which the jiva can be differentiated with respect to body etc. other dravyas ? In reply the Gatha 172^nd is offered. This is the same famous Gatha which forms part of Samaysar, Pravachansar, Niyamsar, Dhavla etc. Know Jiva to be without taste, without colour, without smell, inexplicit,  conscious, without sound, Alingrahan(without any features) and without any shape.

Acharya Amritchandra has written elaborate commentary on this gatha in both Samaysar and Pravachansar with the important fact that both have been written highlighting different aspects. Here in Pravchansar the Alingrahan aspect has been elaborated in twenty ways . Here we shall attempt to briefly go through them.

Soul is devoid of the qualities of (1) taste (2)colour (3)smell (4) explicit sensing of touches, hence cannot be detected like pudgala which have these qualities. (5) Soul does not manifest into paryaya of sound hence cannot be sensed by sound. (6) Soul cannot be sensed by any detectable feature (7) Soul does not have any shape (8) The only means to differentiate soul  from all other ajiva dravyas including pudgala is the quality of consciousness of the soul.

In the above list the sixth point has been called as Alingrahan quality which by name implied that there are several meanings concealed within it. Acharya Amritchandra has elaborated it in twenty ways as follows:

1.     Soul does not know self or others by means of senses.

2.     Soul cannot be known by means of senses.

3.     Just as one infers the presence of fire from smoke, the soul cannot be inferred through the sensory knowledge.

4.     Others also cannot know  (my) soul  by inference alone. Only those who have experienced the soul can know the soul of others by inference.

5.     Own soul also cannot know other’s soul by inference. Only when own soul is known through experience then other’s soul can be inferred.

6.     Soul is pure knower and does not require the assistance of others like mind, senses etc. and can know self and others by himself.

7.     Upayoga (cognition, applied consciousness) is the nature of soul but Upayoga need not be directed towards the subject of knowledge to know them. Thus soul knows the objects without taking recourse to them.

8.     The Upayoga is generated within the soul and not brought from elsewhere. Therefore the knowledge also is generated within the soul and not brought from elsewhere.

9.     The Upayoga cannot be taken away by anyone and therefore the knowledge of the soul cannot be taken away by anyone.

10.  Just as sun is bright without blemishes or corruption, the Upayoga also does not have blemishes or corruption. Thus soul is of the nature of shuddhopayoga.

11. Upayoga does not accrue pudgala karmas. Thus Upayoga is not the cause for accrual or bondage of karmas even as nimitta.

12. Soul is not enjoyer of sensory  objects ( sensual pleasures).

13. The soul does not live by ten types of pranas (senses, mind etc. ) which are cause for life  of Vyavahara Jiva. Therefore it is implied that soul is not produced by parents.

14. Soul does  not  have the shape of any physical organ nor is produced by it. Thus soul is not the means for worldly procreation.  

15. The soul does not have the shape of the universe either nor is it spread over it. This refutes the beliefs of others who believe soul to be such.

16. Soul does not have any of the three genders (male, female, neuter) either physically or mentally.

17. Soul does not have any external dress code. It means soul does not have the external attributes of Muni also.

18. Soul has infinite qualities  and being identified by one specific quality is not its nature. Thus in indivisible form soul dravya is not identified by specific quality.

19. Soul has infinite paryayas (manifestations) and being identified by one specific paryaya is not its nature. Thus in indivisible form soul dravya is not identified by specific paryaya.

20. Even the pure paryaya of soul is independent of the soul as dravya. It means that though the paryaya contemplates of dravyas, dravya is not experienced. The experience of paryaya is own bliss.

Now in 173^rd gatha a question is raised that how can non corporeal soul without having property of dryness-wetness can accrue bondage? The corporeal pudgala bonds with another due to its properties of touches eligible for bondage but how can non-corporeal soul  without having such nature bond with pudgala karmas ?

The process of pudgalas bonding with one another has been elaborated earlier and is quite clear. It is understood that pudgala has property of dryness-wetness of its touch which promotes its bondage under specific conditions. However the soul is not corporeal and does not support qualities of touch etc. Therefore how can the bondage of pudgala with soul be justified?

This is replied in Gatha 174^th. Just as Jiva without having properties of colour etc. sees and knows the pudgala dravyas and their qualities, in the same way jiva binds with them.  

Acharya has answered by saying that just as non corporeal soul knows the corporeal objects, the same way he binds with karma pudgalas. In reality non corporeal soul does not have any relationship with the corporeal subjects. His relationship is merely with the knowledge of the shape of the corporeal object and due to such knowledge only it is said that ‘ non corporeal soul knows the corporeal object.’ This relationship is in the form of Vyavahara.  In the same way in reality soul does not have any relationship with the corporeal karma pudgalas; his relationship is with the bhavas of ragas and dweshas generated with the nimitta of fruition of karma pudgalas. Therefore due to manifestation in raga-dwesha forms with the nimitta of karmas, it is said in Vyavahara sense that soul is bonded with the corporeal karma pudgalas.

Similarly man does not have any relationship with wife-son-house etc., however man has attachment towards them and that raga is the bondage. In that raga , the wife-son-house are nimitta hence in vyavahara it is said that the man has bondage of wife-son-house. In the same way the soul does not have relationship with karma pudgalas but the bhavas of raga-dwesha are generated with the nimitta of those karma pudgala hence in vyavahara it can be said that the soul is bonded with karma pudgalas.

The forms of Bhava bandh and dravya bandh are detailed in Gathas 175-176^th. The upayoga form Jiva indulges in bhavas of raga-dwesha-moha with respect to various subjects. With those bhavas the jiva accrues bondage. The bhava with which the jiva sees and knows the subject, he is tainted with them and that causes bondage.

Firstly the jiva is of the form of Upayoga which manifests in savikalpa (with shape) and nirvikalpa (shape free) forms which are called gyan and darshan respectively. The objects are reflected in the upayoga of JIva and he manifests into forms of raga-dwesha-moha in their context. Just as sapphire jewel is tainted in   red-yellow etc. forms in accordance with coloured flower kept behind it and it loses its property of transparency. In the same way the soul gets tainted with raga-dwesha-moha with the nimitta of  various objects.

This taint itself is termed as Bhava bandh similar to bondage observed in pudgala matter on account of wetness-dryness (resulting in generation of skandhas). This is deemed as Bhava bandh between soul (as one) and moha-raga-dwesha bhava (as second).  Further with the nimitta of the bhava bandh the dravya bandh of pudgala matter takes place. This dravya bandh is accrued in accordance with the dryness-wetness of the karma matter with the nimitta of bhava bandh.

The forms of dravya bandh, bhava bandh and their together existence are detailed in Gathas 177-178^th. The pudgalas bond together on account of dryness-wetness property which is dravya bandh. The attachment of moha-raga-dwesha with jiva is bhava bandh. Their sharing the same spatial existence  together is  bondage. Basically the soul has finite  Pradesh elements. In that space the karma pudgalas come and go, as well as bond.  

The karma pudgalas bond with each other in accordance with their dryness-wetness property which is pudgala bandh. The togetherness of jiva with moha-raga-dwesha form bhavas is jiva bandh. Both of them have nimitta relationship with each other and share the same spatial existence. The soul has innumerable spatial Pradesh in which vibration takes place on account of activities of mind, speech and body of Jiva. The karma pudgala also have a property of vibration and they enter the soul space, they can leave or remain also in accordance with the bhavas of the jiva. This establishes that the cause for dravya bandh is bhava bandh.

Now in Gatha 179^th it is established that manifestations in the form of ragas which is bhava bandh is the real bondage being cause for dravya bandh. The soul manifesting in the form of ragas only binds with karmas while the soul free of ragas gets liberated from karmas. This, in brief is the story of bondage of jivas in reality.

The Jiva manifesting in the form of ragas only binds with new dravya karmas and remains bonded with  previously accrued old dravya karmas and can not get rid of them. On the other hand the jiva manifesting in veetrag (detached) form does not bind with new dravya karmas and also gets liberated from the old dravya karmas. This establishes that manifestations in raga form are the root cause for the dravya bandh in reality.

The manifestations and corresponding dravya bandh are divided into two categories in Gathas 180-181. The raga-dwesha-moha form  manifestations is cause for bandh. Of these moha and dwesha is ashubha(inauspicious) while raga can be shubha (auspicious) or ashubha. The shubha manifestations towards others are punya while ashubha manifestations are  pap. The manifestations which are detached are means for end of suffering with time.

The dravya bandh has been divided into two categories depending upon the nature of manifestations directed towards other dravyas. The moha-dwesha bhavas are ashubha and accrue pap bandh. The raga bhavas with purity are shubha and accrue punya bandh while raga bhavas with impurity (animosity, hate etc.) are ashubha and accrue pap bandh. The manifestations which are directed towards own dravya are shuddha  and they do not have any divisions. These shuddha manifestations are means for destruction of karma pudgala with time and ultimate attainment of Moksha.

Now the differentiating knowledge between self and others is given to enable one to engage with own dravya and disengage from the other dravyas in Gathas 182-183. The different kinds of bodies of jiva which are called as Prithvi (earth) etc. forms sthavar (immobile) and trasa ( mobile beings) are different from jiva and Jiva is also different from them. The jivas who do not differentiate between jiva and pudgala by means of their natures, he indulges in adhyavasan bhavas  of ‘this is me’, ‘this is mine’ etc.

Six kinds of bodies are described which identify the jivas of different kinds. However all these are insentient and are different from jiva and Jiva is also different from them having the property of consciousness. Therefore all these body forms are deemed to be other dravya from the aspect of own  soul dravya. Those souls who do not differentiate in this manner by means of consciousness and non-consciousness, they indulge in imaginations of ‘this is me’ ‘this is mine’ etc. on account of moha. This establishes that the cause for engagement in other dravyas is the lack of differentiating knowledge and the means of engagement in own soul dravya is differentiating knowledge only.

Continued….