Ashta Pahud….04

 

4. Bodh Pahud

To begin with Acharya offers invocation:

 Gatha 1-2. Acharya says that offering obeisance to great Acharyas who are knowledgeable of the meaning of several Shastras, who practice pure Tapa with Sanyam and Samyaktva, who are free of the impurities of passion, I shall describe the Bodh Pahud Granth (shastra) in brief which describes the preachment of Jina Bhagwan made for the benefit of Jivas of six kayas. O Bhavya ! Listen.

Bodh Pahud describes eleven venerables :

Gatha 3-4. Ayatan ( deva-shastra-guru etc.), Chaitya (temple), Jina Pratima (idol), Darshan, Jina image without raga, Jina posture, knowledge beneficial for soul, Deva, Tirtha, Arhant and Jaina Ordination with pure qualities- these eleven states as described by Arhant Bhagwan should be known in order.

This Bodh Pahud has been written to guide the true from of venerables and to avoid people being misguided. These eleven are being described next:

1)Firstly the form of Ayatan is elucidated:

Gatha 5.  One who has subjugated the Dravya of the form of mind, speech, body and subjects of five senses; the form (body)  of such Muni is declared as Ayatan in Jain scriptures.

Those Munis who are in control of   mind-speech-body as well as subjects of the five senses are Sanyami Munis. They are said to be real Ayatan. Calling temples built with stones as Ayatan is Vyavahara.

It is elaborated further:

Gatha 6. The one who has conquered pride, raga, dwesha, moha, anger and greed and one who practices five MahaVritas, such great Muni  is called Ayatan of Dharma i.e. the residence of Dharma.

In previous Gatha the external form was described. Now the internal state is also described. The one who is Sanyami both internally and externally is Ayatan.

The supreme Ayatan amongst them is detailed next:

Gatha 7. The one who is engaged in absolutely pure Dhyan i.e. completing Dharma Dhyan, has attained Shukla Dhyan, who has acquired Keval Gyan and who is supreme amongst the Munis, who has attained purity of soul, such omniscient Keval Gyani is declared as Siddha Ayatan.

Thus in three Gathas the form of Ayatan is described. First one told the general external form. The second described the internal-external form. In third Gatha the supreme amongst them, the Keval Gyani has been declared to be Siddha Ayatan. In this subject Munis only are the residences of dharma,  hence are called Dharma Ayatan. Others indulgent in sensual pleasures and possessions following imaginary philosophies are false and are not Ayatan. The intent of Bodh Pahud is to describe the true venerables and prevent people to be misguided into believing false deities etc. The place where such Munis stay are also called Ayatan in Vyavahara sense.

2) Next Chaitya Graha is described:

Gatha 8. The one who knows the soul to be of the form of knowledge and knows other Jivas to be of the form of consciousness, such knowledge form Muni purified with five MahaVritas; O Bhavya! Know him as Chaitya Graha ( temple).

Chaitya Graha implies the place where the conscious soul of the pure Gyani stays. Hence such Chaitya Grah is Sanyami Muni. The temples etc. are also called as Chaitya graha in Vyavahara.

It is detailed further:

Gatha 9. The soul who has acquired knowledge of forms of bandh, moksha, sukh, dukh is called as Chaitya (venerable). His house is called Chaitya Graha (temple). Therefore in the Jain Order, the Sanyami Muni, benefactor of the jivas of six forms of bodies is called as Chaitya Graha (temple).

Worldly people believe the form of Chaitya Grah otherwise. They have been warned- in Jina Sutra, the one benefactor of the jivas of six kind of body forms, knowledge form Sanyami Muni alone is Chaitya Grah. Other places etc. are said to be Chaitya Grah in Vyavahara sense only.

3) Next Jina Pratima is elaborated:

Gatha 10. For the Munis having pure conduct with darshan and gyan, who are without possessions and raga-dwesha, the bodies of self and others which are mobile are said to be Pratima in Jain order.

The Pratima espouses the Digamber state which is possession less and without raga-dwesha-moha, who are having darshan-gyan-charitra. Such mobile bodies are said to be Pratima in Jina Marga. The other idols constructed out of metal, stone having Digamber form are called Pratima in Vyavahara.

Further it is emphasized :

Gatha 11. The one who practices pure conduct, knows the form of substances correctly, observes the soul to be of the form of pure Samyaktva, the form of such possessionless Muni is Jangam (mobile) Pratima (idol). That only is venerable.

The form of Muni with pure Samyaktva, pure conduct having Nirgranth Sanyam is the real Pratima which is venerable. Similar forms in metal, stone are venerated in Vyavahara. No other form is venerable.

It is told further:

Gatha 12-13. The one who is accompanied with infinite darshan, infinite gyan, infinite bliss and infinite veerya (strength), who has indestructible sukh form, is free from bondage of eight types of karmas, who is incomparable without perturbation and disturbance, who is stationary at the peak of the Lok, who is without body and remains steady, such Siddha Parameshthi who has attained salvation and within one samaya has reached the peak of the universe and does not move again, such Pratima is Siddha Bhagwan.

Firstly in two Gathas the mobile Pratima of Sanyami Muni was described. Here in these two Gathas the stationary Pratima of Siddhas is described. All other forms are imaginary and not venerable. In Vyavahara the metal, stone form idols reflecting the state of Siddhas are venerated.

4) Next the form of Darshan is described:

Gatha 14. The form of the Muni which is of the form of Samyaktva, Sanyam, Uttam Dharma, possession- lessness and knowledge is said to be Darshan in Jain Siddhant. This Darshan only leads to Moksha Marg.

In Jain Siddhant the form of Muni having Samyaktva, Sanyam, Uttam Dharma, knowledge and possessionlessness is called Darshan which leads to Moksha Marga. Thus in reality the internal Darshan is Samyaktva and externally the form of Nirgranth Muni is darshan.

It is elaborated further:

Gatha 15. Just as flower is accompanied with smell and milk with ghee, in the same way the darshan (samyaktva) is internally of the form of samyak gyan and externally the attire of Muni, Shravak and Aryika alone are Darshan.

Here with an example it is clarified. Just as flower has smell, milk has ghee, in the same way internal belief is darshan which is of the nature of knowledge. Externally it is the form of Muni etc.

5) Next the Jina Bimb (image)  is described:

Gatha 16. Acharya is said to be Jina Bimb (image of Arihant  bhagwan ). How is that Jina Bimb? The one who knows the Jina Sutras, is  pious with Sanyam, devoid of raga bhavas and propagates pure teachings and ordination on account of destruction of karmas.

Acharya only is said to be the reflection of Arihant omniscient. He only provides ordination of Bhavya Jivas for which he himself has to be pure from aspect of Sanyam.

It is elaborated further :

Gatha 17. The one who manifests into the form of permanent darshan, gyan and consciousness , such Acharya form Jina Bimb should be venerated, worshipped in all possible ways, respected and cherished.

Here also it is emphasized that the real image of Jina is in the form of Acharya who should be revered since he is live and real. Here the corporeal image is treated as secondary.

Further it is told:

Gatha 18. The one who is pious with Tapa, Vrita etc.  secondary qualities, knows all the substances correctly and manifests into the form of pure Samyak darshan; such is the form  of Acharya Jina Bimb. That alone is the  posture of Arihant for propagating teachings and ordination.

6) Next the form of Jina Mudra (posture) is described:

Gatha 19. Remaining steady with Sanyam (restraints) is Sanyam Mudra (posture). Preventing senses from straying into sensual subjects is Indriya Mudra (sensory posture). Overcoming passions is   Kashaya Mudra (passions posture). Remaining immersed in knowledge is Gyan Mudra (Knowledge posture). The Muni who adopts all  these is called as Jina Mudra (Jina posture).

The Muni who is adorned with Sanyam, who has control over the senses, who does not indulge in passions, and who employs his knowledge towards the nature of self; he himself is declared to be Jina Mudra.

7) The form of Gyan is now described:

Gatha 20. The objective of Moksha Marg comprising of Sanyam and Dhyan is realised with the knowledge of the soul , hence for realisation of objective the nature of knowledge should be known .

One cannot attain Moksha marga without knowing the nature of soul just by practicing Sanyam and Dhyan. Hence Gyan is paramount.

The same is emphasized here:

Gatha 21. Just as a person not having practice of marksmanship cannot shoot the arrow onto the target properly, in the same way an ignorant person cannot attain the objective of Moksha Marg which is of the form of Paramatma, without knowledge.

Just as target cannot be shot without proper practice, in the same way without knowledge, without knowing the form of Paramatma, how can anyone attain the same? Therefore knowledge is a must.

The one adorned with knowledge and respect only attains Moksha:

Gatha 22. Knowledge is acquired by man and the person who is respectful only can acquires knowledge. With that  knowledge only , the objective of Moksha Marg which is of the form of Paramatma can be  contemplated upon and Moksha can be  attained.

Respectful person only can attain knowledge, by which the true nature of soul is known.

Further it is told:

Gatha 23. The one who has strong bow of the form of Mati Gyan, bowstring of the form of Shruta Gyan, good arrows of the form of jewel trio, who has set the target of the nature of pure soul, such Muni cannot miss the objective of Moksha Marg.

When all right equipments of bows etc.  are available then the target cannot be missed. This is the greatness of Gyan which should be realised.

8) Next the form of Deva is described:

Gatha 24. The one who imparts knowledge of Dharma, Artha ( wealth), Kaam (enjoyments) and Moksha to Jivas  is called Deva.  Since the one who has something  only can give it to others. Therefore the one who can provide Dharma, Artha, Kaam and means of Moksha by ordination, such person should be known as Deva.

Further the form of Dharma etc. is described by which the form of Deva etc. is known:

Gatha 25. The one who is pious with compassion is Dharma, the one who is devoid of all possessions is ordination and the one who is free of Moha and beneficial to Bhavya Jivas is Deva.

In the world, it is well known that there are four objectives, namely dharma, artha, kaam and Moksha. For these only people worship somebody who has the capability to give them. All these four Purushartha are said to be in Jina Deva. Dharma is of the form of compassion practiced by him. Hence such Tirthankara Jina only is deva. The forms believed by ignorant people are faulty and untrue. Those devas cannot fulfil the objectives of Bhavya Jivas.

9) Now the form of Tirtha is described:

Gatha 26. The one who is pious with five Maha Vritas and Samyak darshan, conqueror of five senses and free of desires of enjoyments of  this Loka and next Loka, in such soul form  Tirtha, Muni should purify himself with bathing in the bath of education and ordination.

The nature of pure soul only is the Tirtha in which one should take bath and get cleansed. This is the message.

Further:

Gatha 27. The reception with peaceful flawless bhavas of Supreme forgiveness etc. form dharma, Samyak Darshan, Sanyam, Tapa, Knowledge etc. qualities have been declared as real Tirtha is Jain Philosophy.

Taking bath in rivers is not Tirtha since it just removes external impurities. The internal impurities are of the form of dravya karma and bhava karmas which cannot be washed away. Soul only is such Tirtha in which one can fine solace.

10) Next the form of Arihant is described:

Gatha 28.  Arihants are recognised by Naam (name), Sthapana (installation), Dravya (substance), Bhava( spirit), with their qualities and paryayas. The bhavas of the form of Chyavan ( taking incarnation from heaven or hell), Agati (incarnating in Bharat etc. areas) and Sampat ( hail of jewels prior to birth) indicate the presence of Arihant.

Although all Arihants are Keval Gyani but here the description is predominantly from aspect of Tirthankara. These are described by means of four Nikshepa (installations) namely naam, sthapana, dravya and bhava. However here  the description is from aspect of Nishchaya hence the Arihant is same from aspects of naam, sthapana, dravya and bhava. There is no differentiation.

The same is elaborated further:

Gatha 29. The one who has infinite knowledge and vision, bondages from the aspect of duration and intensity  of all eight karmas have now been destroyed hence Bhava Moksha has been attained and who is replete with incomparable qualities; such pure soul is called Arihant.

The form of Arihant has been described. Ignoring the existence of karmas and fruition since he does not have bondage of all eight karmas, he is said to have attained Bhava Moksha. All the qualities are incomparable. The knowledge and vision are infinite.

Further:

Gatha 30. The one who has overcome old age, diseases, birth, death, transmigration in all the four Gatis, fruition of punya and pap form  karmas and destroyed flaws of raga-dwesha etc. and attained Keval Gyan; he is called  omniscient, Veetrag by name Arihant.

In previous Gatha the form of Arihant was described from aspect of his qualities. Here it has been described from aspect of absence of defects. Old age, diseases, birth, death etc. are all due to fruition of Ghati and Aghati karmas which have now stopped fruition. The fruition of Asata Vedaniya is also negligible while fruition of Sata Vedaniya is quite strong. Thus Arihant is replete with infinite qualities and devoid of all defects.

Continued….