Ashta Pahud… 08

 

First relinquishing Mithyatva etc. form blemishes one should first become naked from aspect of bhava and then only become Dravya Muni:

Gatha 73. Discarding the flaws of Mithyatva etc. the Muni firstly become naked internally with pure bhavas and then adopts external Ling as per the Jina order.

Muni  with corrupted bhavas is subject of laughter hence the Jina order dictates that one should first attain purity of bhavas and then only reveal external Muni state.

Pure bhavas only are the means for Swarga Moksha while corrupted bhavas are the means for worldly stay:

Gatha 74. The pure bhavas only enable attainment of swarga, Moksha etc. form pleasures. The Muni without bhavas is corrupt minded with karma form impurities, suitable for Tiryanch gati and is Papatma (inauspicious soul).

The one with corrupted Bhavas land in Tiryanch Gati.

Next the glory of Bhava is described:

Gatha 75. With supreme bhavas, Jiva attains wealth of Chakravarthy etc.  kings which is worshipped by Vidhyadhar, Deva and Manushya etc with folded hands , besides attaining jewel trio also.

The divisions of Bhavas are narrated next:

Gatha 76. Bhavas should be known to be of three kinds- Shubha, ashubha and shuddha. Out of these the ArtDhyan (painful contemplations) and Raudra Dhyan (cruel contemplations) are ashubha and dharma dhyan is Shubha. Thus has been told by Jinendra deva.

Further:

Gatha 77.  Pure natured soul remains within the soul, such is the shuddha bhava. Knowing these three one should adopt the one benedictory to the self. Thus has been told by Jinendra Deva.

The Raudra and Art Dhyan are ashubha and should be discarded. Dharma Dhyan is Shubha, so is venerable in some aspect being provider of low passions form pure bhavas. The shuddha bhava is really venerable being of the nature of soul. Hence one should discard the ashubha and adopt the Shuddha.

The glory of Jina order is described:

Gatha 78. The Jiva who has destroyed pride form passions completely as well as Mithyatva caused by the fruition of Moha bhava, who is thus having equanimity in his heart without raga-dwesha; such Jiva attains jewel trio form Moksha Marg which is the essence of three loks in the Jina order.

The nature of Mithyatva and Kashaya bhavas are described in other faiths unrealistically. The true exposition is in Jina order only. The absence of these bhavas only leads to Moksha Marg.

It is told that in Jina order such a Muni only accrues Tirthankara karma:

Gatha 79. Detached from the subjects of five senses, with the contemplations of  Solah-Karan Bhavna ( 16 cause form contemplations) the Muni shortly accrues bondage of Tirthankara Prakriti.

This is the glory of the bhavas. Sixteen kinds of bhavas contemplated by one with complete detachment towards sensual subjects lead him to accrue bondage of Tirthankara naam karma, enjoying which one attains Moksha. Out of them Samyak Darshan is paramount without which the remaining fifteen bhavas are meaningless.

Now the conduct conducive for purity of bhava is described:

Gatha 80. O great Muni! You conduct the twelve kinds of Tapa and thirteen kinds of activities with mind-speech-body keeping the mind form elephant under control with knowledge form elephant goad.

The mind is like an elephant which keeps going out of control. With the goad of the form of Tapa form activities only he can be kept in check. Twelve forms of Tapas are there with six internal and six  external kind besides thirteen types of activities which should be followed.

Now the general form of Jina Ling in Dravya-Bhava form is narrated:

Gatha 81. Where five kinds of clothes of silk, wool, cotton, skin and leather are discarded and the bed is on the ground, two types of samyam(restraints) of senses and lives is performed, the food is taken in the form of alms and firstly the pure nature of soul is contemplated upon; such is the form of JinaLing without having internal and external impurities.

Five kind of clothes are described. The implication is that all kinds are relinquished. Food is taken in alms form avoiding 46 types of anomalies. Sanyamis practiced to protect six kaya form jivas besides controlling mind and five senses. This is the true form of Bhava Ling.

The glory of Jina Dharma is described:

Gatha 82. Just as diamond is supreme amongst all the jewels and Sandal is supreme amongst all the trees, in the same way Jina dharma is supreme amongst all the dharmas which destroys the worldly transmigration. O Muni! You contemplate of that supreme Jina dharma.

Dharma is preached by all faiths in different ways but on examination Jina dharma only leads to Moksha. All others are means for traversing in the world.

The disciple enquires the form of Jina dharma which is answered here:

Gatha 83. Jina Bhagwan has told in Jina order that performing pooja etc. dharma activities with fasting is punya only while manifestations of the soul without Moha and perturbations of mind is Dharma.

Many people believe that Jina dharma is pooja etc. form activities and fasting but it is not so. Jina Bhagwan has described these activities as punya which result in attainment of swarga etc. It is really the manifestation of soul devoid of Moha or perturbations which is dharma. The Shubha manifestations are called dharma only in vyavahara sense.

It is told that those who believe punya only as dharma, they acquire enjoyments but cannot destroy karmas:

Gatha 84. The person who believes punya activities  to be dharma i.e. believes them to be means for Moksha and therefore is attached to them and conducts accordingly ; his punya is means for future enjoyments (of swarga etc.) but not the means for destruction of karmas. By punyas one cannot attain Samvar, Nirjara of karmas.

The dharma of the form of nature of soul only is means for Moksha:

Gatha 85. The soul which immerses within the soul relinquishing all the blemishes of raga-dwesha, that only  is dharma and is the means for getting across the worldly ocean-thus has been told by Jinendra Deva.

It is reiterated here that the manifestations of soul devoid of Moha  and  passions only are dharma and by such dharma only one traverses across the worldly ocean.

It is further reiterated that those who do not engage within the soul and conduct only in punya form, they cannot attain the objective:

Gatha 86. The person who does not contemplate of the nature of the soul and indulges in the punya activities of pooja, charity etc., even then he can not attain Moksha. He has been declared as worldly only.

Without engaging in the dharma of the soul the conducts of punya etc. do not lead to Moksha and one remains in the world only. Some times he may go to swarga but there also engaging in enjoyments he takes birth in Ekendriya jivas and thus the worldly cycle continues.

Therefore know your own soul and contemplate of the same:

Gatha 87. For this reason  have reverential belief in your soul with mind, speech and body. Realise  that soul with efforts so that you can attain Moksha.

All efforts should be made to know your own soul which leads to Moksha. This is the only preachment for Bhavya Jivas.

Further it is told that without external violence, with impure bhavas alone the Tandul fish went to seventh Narak, then what can we say about the other bigger Jivas?:

Gatha 88. Small fish named Tandul was born in seventh Narak on account of his impure manifestations. Knowing this O Bhavya Jiva! You always contemplate of Jina Bhavna for knowing your own soul.

A very small fish named Tandul used to reside in the ears of MahaMatsya a gigantic fish. He used to see that several fishes would enter and exit the MahaMatsya’s mouth when he would breathe and thinks that if he were that big a fish, then he would have eaten them all. Just with such impure thoughts  he went to seventh  Narak.

Without Bhavas, all renunciation of external possessions are meaningless.

Gatha 89. Without the spirit of pure soul, the renunciation of external possessions by the people, residing in mountains, rivers, caves, hollows etc. and studying all the scriptures are meaningless.

The external activities are successful if carried out along with contemplation of soul, otherwise they do not serve anything.

For purity of bhavas one should restraint the senses and one not should carry out the  drama of external attire without the purity of bhavas:

Gatha 90. O Muni!  Destroy the forces of the senses and restraint the monkey form mind with efforts. O practitioner of external vows! Do not indulge in activities just to please people.

The external attire of Muni pleases the people, hence such preachment is given. Public happiness does not serve any purpose. Control your mind and senses then it is worthwhile.

Further it is preached:

Gatha 91. O Muni! By means of pure manifestations you relinquish the five types of Mithyatvas i.e. Ekant (singularity), Vipareet (opposite), Vinay (respect), Sanshay (doubt) and agyan (ignorance) as well as the group of nine types of nokashaya i.e. hasya (laughter), rati (like), arati (dislike), shok (sorrow), bhaya (fear), glani (aversion), stree veda (feminine gender), purush veda (masculine gender), napunsak veda (neutral gender). Taking recourse to Jina Bhagwan practice adoration of Jina-idol, Jain scriptures and Nirgranth Guru.

Further:

Gatha 92. O Muni! You contemplate of the incomparable shrutgyan with pure spirit, whose meaning has been described by Tirthankara Bhagwan and formulated by Ganadhar Devas into the form of Shastras appropriately.

The result of this is as follows:

Gatha 93. Drinking the water of the form of Shrutgyan, Jivas attain Siddha-hood. How are the Siddhas? Those who are free from the thirst, burning and dehydration which are difficult to destroy, who reside in the palace of Moksha and are crowns of the three loks.

They do not suffer from hunger thirst etc. due to drinking the knowledge form water. They enjoy uninterrupted bliss.

Further preachment for purification of Bhavas is made:

Gatha 94. O Muni! Relinquishing Pramad(carelessness) as described in Jain scriptures and renouncing the activities harmful to Sanyam (restraints), tolerate the twenty two types of hardships with your body.

Without harming Sanyam and avoiding Pramad, Muni should tolerate the 22 types of hardships. This leads to nirjara of karmas and manifestations become more sturdy.

Those who  tolerate hardships, they do not budge when calamities are encountered:

Gatha 95. Just as stone even after  remaining long  time immersed in water does not become wet inside, in the same way, Sadhu does not get perturbed by calamities and hardships.

The manifestations of Sadhu get so tempered that with calamities or hardships they do not deviate.

Means for retaining purity of bhava in spite of hardships is revealed:

Gatha 96. O Muni! You reflect upon  the Anitya etc. twelve reflections and twenty five contemplations of five great vows since  with naked attire without pure bhavas, no objectives can be served.

The twelve reflections are 1) Anitya (Transitoriness) 2) Asharan(Helplessness) 3) Ekatva(Loneliness) 4) Anyatva (separateness) 5) Samsar (Mundaneness) 6) Lok(Universe) 7) Ashuchitva (Impurity) 8) Asrava(Influx of karmas) 9) Samvar(Preventing the karma influx) 10) Nirjara(Shedding of karmas) 11) Dharma(The righteous path) 12) Bodhidurlabh(Rarity of true insight). Contemplations upon these enable one to handle hardships without perturbations in the manifestations.

For retaining purity of bhavas the knowledge is practiced upon:

Gatha 97. O Muni! In spite of being practitioner of great vows, you contemplate of 9 Padarthas, 7 Tatvas, 14 Jiva Samasas and 14 Guna Sthanas for attainment of purity of Bhavas.

Contemplating again and again on the nature of substances is a means for retaining purity of bhavas.

Other means for purity of bhavas are told:

Gatha 98.  O Muni! Relinquishing ten types of states of non-celibacy, you reveal nine types of Celibate states. This is being told since in the sexual desires with impure bhavas you have transmigrated in this deadly worldly ocean for long.

Ten types of reasons for non celibacy have been practiced by you since eternal times which you should give up and adopt nine rules form celibacy. These would enable purity of bhavas.

The Muni with purity of bhavas attains the foursome of Aradhana ( worships); without bhavas he wanders in the world:

Gatha 99. O Munivar! The one who is having pure bhavas, he realises the foursome of Aradhana (worships) of Darshan, Gyan, Charitra and Tapa and is prime amongst the Munis. Those Munis who lack  Bhavas, traverse in this world for long.

With right belief only the right bhavas exist with which the four Aradhana can be practiced. The result of the same is Siddha state and without bhavas these cannot be practiced and one wanders in the world.

The result of bhavas are narrated specifically:

Gatha 100. The Bhava Lingi Muni enjoys the pleasures of several benedictory traditions like that of Tirthankara etc. The Dravya Lingi muni suffers the births in Tiryanch, Manushya and lowly devas (gatis).

The Munis with right belief and Bhavas can attain Tirthankara state and Moksha while those without right belief and are dravya lingi muni remain in tiryanch etc. lowly states.

With impure bhavas you consumed impure food hence suffered the consequences:

Gatha 101. O Muni! With impure Bhavas you accepted Ahaar(food) having 46 kinds of defects due to which you suffered a lot being dependent in Tiryanch Gati.

You consumed food having 46 types of possible blemishes due to which you had to take birth in tiryanch gati and suffer.

Further:

Gatha 102. O Jiva! Being ignorant, you have accepted with extreme thirst and pride, Sachitta (having live jivas) food and water and suffered extreme misery since eternal times.

Out of ignorance you accepted Sachitta food and water without knowing the form of jivas and suffered the miseries of Narak.

Moreover:

Gatha 103. O Jiva! Partaking Sachitta (having live jivas) objects like bulbs, roots, seeds, flowers, leaves etc. with pride, you have transmigrated in this infinite world for long.

The roots etc. have infinite Jiva forms which you  have consumed believing yourself to be hermit with pride while you were a Mithyadrishti. This resulted in endless transmigration. Now being Muni do not consume them. Other faiths believe themselves to be great by consuming roots etc. which is their ignorance.

Now preachment of humility is made:

Gatha 104. O Muni! Practice reverence with mind, speech and  body of gyan, darshan, charitra, tapa and Upachar (formality) – these five kinds of veneration, since without reverence people do not attain Tirthankara and Moksha states.

Without humility one cannot attain salvation. Humbleness is means for knowledge, destruction of pride and avoidance of quarrels. Hence one should  offer veneration to those who are great with Samyakdarshan etc.

Next Vaiyavritya (service) of the form of devotion is preached:

Gatha 105. O Muni with great fame! Practice pious respectful service of 10 kinds of other saints with reverence and your capability, remaining devoted to Jinendra Deva.

There are ten categories of Munis who are eligible for offering Vaiyavritya when they are in difficulties.

Own misdeeds should be revealed to Guru:

Gatha 106. O Muni! If you have committed some mistakes by mind, speech and body with ashubha bhavas, then relinquishing pride and deceit, you criticize it in front of Guru.

If some misdeed has been committed then without hiding it should be described to Guru so as to be free of the fault. If it is kept hidden then it is a big defect in Munihood. Therefore without hiding one should reveal it to Guru and accept  penance as suggested by him.

Next the forgiveness is preached:

Gatha 107. Saintly Munis with the spirit of Samyaktva and  detachment tolerate the cruel and harsh words form attacks for destruction of karma impurities.

Earlier you had spoken the harsh words due to which you accrued ashubha karmas. Now tolerate the same words yourselves to enable those ashubha karmas to shed away. Those Munis who indulge in anger can hardly be saints.

Result of forgiveness is described:

Gatha 108. The great Munis who are adorned with quality of forgiveness, they destroy the entire lot of paps and definitely are praised  by Devas, Manushyas and Vidyadhars.

The Munis practice Uttam Kshama which is supreme forgiveness. This is the supreme amongst all qualities which destroys all pap karmas.

Knowing quality of forgiveness, relinquish anger:

Gatha 109. O Muni having quality of forgiveness ! Knowing this you forgive all the Jivas with mind, speech and body. Pacify the anger form fire accumulated over long period with supreme forgiveness form water.

Anger form fire destroys all the good qualities of a person and causes death to other jivas. Therefore with Kshama form water extinguish this fire.

Recall the spirit of ordination:

 Gatha 110. O Muni! Realising the venerable and condemnable substances, becoming pious with Samyakdarshan, contemplate of thoughts of detachment like  ordination etc. for attaining supreme jewel trio.

At the time of ordination you had experienced extreme detachment from this world and its enjoyments. Similarly recall the diseases and the deaths.  To enhance the spirit of jewel trio keep recalling those situations again and again.

Continued…..