Kartikeya Anupreksha …10

 

Now someone asks that Devas of the form of Vyantar etc. provide wealth and benefits, should they be worshipped or not? This is answered:

Gatha 319: Any Vyantar etc. form Devas do not grant wealth to this Jiva. No one provides any benefit to the Jiva. The previously accumulated Shubha or Ashubha karmas only provide benefit and harm.

Meaning: Some people believe that Vyantar etc. Devas grant them wealth, benefits and therefore we worship and offer reverence to them; these people are Mithya Drishti. Firstly in this fifth period of time, no Vyantar is seen to be benefitting directly; if it were so then why the sick and poor people who worship them remain unhappy? Hence it is false imagination. Indirectly also no such rule is there that those who worship them are necessarily benefitted. This Mohi jiva unnecessarily generates imagination. Only the previously acquired Shubha or ashubha karmas provide happiness, unhappiness, wealth, poverty, life and death to this jiva.

Gatha 320: The Samyak Drishti contemplates that if devotion towards Vyanatar Devas alone grants wealth then why should anyone do dharma?

Meaning: If the objective is wealth then if devotion to Vyantar Devas alone provides wealth then why should anyone practice dharma? In the path of Moksha, wealth of the world does not have any value. The Samyak Drishti is travelling on the path of Moksha and knows the worldly wealth to be condemnable and does not desire it. If on account of fruition of punya, it is acquired, it is alright otherwise if not acquired , he does not care for it. His attitude is for attainment of Moksha. Therefore why should he worship the worldly Devas etc.? He never offers reverence towards them.

The thoughts of Samyak Drishti are elaborated:

Gatha 321-322: The birth or death, or in other words happiness, unhappiness, sickness, poverty etc. which have been known to the omniscient of whichever Jiva, in whichever country, in whichever period of time, by whichever means, they shall definitely materialize for sure. That particular Jiva shall be in that country, in that period of time, with that means definitely. This cannot be prevented by Indra, Jinendra, Tirthankara himself.

Meaning: The omniscient is aware of all the states of dravya, kshetra, kaal and bhava. Hence whatever has been reflected in the knowledge of omniscient, that definitely transpires and it cannot be less or more; the Samyak Drishti reflects thus.

It is told that those who are sure of this are Samyak Drishti and those who doubt it are Mithya Drishti:

Gatha 323: The one who knows and believes in accordance with the Agam as described by Omniscient, the forms of all the dravyas namely Jiva, Pudgala, Dharma, Adharma, Akash, Kaal and their manifestations with certainty, he is pure Samyak Drishti. The one who does not believe it and doubts it , he is against the Agam of Omniscient and clearly Mithya Drishti.

Now it is told that the one  who does not know the details of the Tattvas and just has faith in the words of Jina accepting his order, he too is faithful.

Gatha 324: The Jiva who does not know Tattvartha ( details of Tattvas) on account of lack of specific subsidence of Gyana or company of specific Guru, but that Jiva has faith in the words of the Jina that whatever Jineshwara Deva has described as Tattva, I accept it wholeheartedly; then he too is faithful.

Meaning: The one who believes in the words of Jineshwara Deva that whatever has been told by omniscient is all  trustworthy to me; such general belief has been described as Aagya Samyaktva ( belief in the order).

Now glory of Samyaktva is described in next three gathas:

Gatha 325: Samyaktva is the greatest jewel amongst jewels. It is the supreme Yoga amongst all Yogas ( means for attainment like  chanting, dhyan etc.) since with Samyaktva only the Moksha is attained. Amongst the supernatural powers like Anima etc. it is the supreme power. What more can be said, all goals are accomplished by Samyaktva only.

Gatha 326: The person who is ordained with Samyaktva quality he is venerated by Indra of the Devas, Indra of Manushya i.e. Chakravarthy etc. In spite of lacking in Vrita (vows) he attains several kinds of pleasure in heavens.

Meaning: The one ordained with Samyaktva quality is the prime person, he is worshipped by Devendra etc..  In Samyaktva only one bonds with Ayu of the deva, hence even those without vows have been said to attain Swarga. The meaning of prime with Samyaktva quality is the one having Samyaktva without 25 types of blemishes, who is having qualities of Nihshankit etc. and ordained with Samvega (fearful of the worldly sufferings) etc. qualities. Such prime person with Samyaktva qualities is venerated by Devendra etc. and attains Swarga.  

 Gatha 327: The Samyak Drishti Jiva does not bond with ashubha karmas which are cause for attaining durgati ( poor gati in future birth). Further the pap karmas accrued earlier in earlier births also get destroyed.

Meaning: The Samyak Drishti does not take birth in second Narak or below after death. He also does not take birth as Jyotishi, Vyantar or Bhavanvasi Deva. He does not get born as woman, nor does he take birth In  five sthavars, vikala traya, asangy, nigod, mleccha, kubhogbhoomi, since without fruition of Anantanubandhi he does not have manifestations which are cause of durgati. Here the implication is that in three periods of time and in three lokas, there is none other benefactor than Samyaktva and no other enemy worse than Mithyatva. Hence it is the preachment of Shri Guru that with all efforts one should destroy Mithyatva and accept Samyaktva. In this manner, out of the twelve divisions of house holders dharmas, the first division Samyaktva was described.

Now eleven forms of Pratima (vows) are described. Firstly Darshanik shravak is stated:

Gatha 328: Darshanik Shravak is one who does not consume as a rule the condemnable flesh or liquor etc. substances, which are generated with killing of several trasa jivas.

Meaning: Consumption of Liquor and flesh and with etc.  it implies honey and five Udambar fruits which cause killing of several trasa jiva forms. Hence Darshanik Shravak does not consume these items. The liquor deludes the mind which causes one to forget dharma. The flesh cannot be consumed without killing of trasa. The generation of honey process also involves killing of trasa jivas. In the fruits of Peepal and banyan tree etc. trasa jivas are explicitly visible. In other scriptures also it is stated that these are the eight prime qualities of shravak which avoids killing of trasa. Hence in such items which are means for killing to trasa are unconsumable by shravak. Therefore they should not be eaten.

There are seven vices which are cause for unfair activities which are also stated to be discardable. Gambling, flesh, liquor, prostitute, hunting, theft, desiring other’s wife are described as seven vices. The vice implies calamity or disaster which leads to several hardships upon the people indulging in them. They are eligible for punishment by king or the arbitrators. Their addiction is also cause for distress and trouble and the shravak does not indulge in them. Here Darshan term implies Samyaktva. The idol of dharma is also named as darshan. Hence Samyak Drishti should follow the Jina principles. If he consumes these substances and indulge in vices then he shames Samyaktva as well as Jina principles. Therefore renouncing them with vow alone leads him to be shravak, holder of Darshan Pratima.

Gatha 329: The Samyak Drishti  who engages in vows with a strong mind, free of desires pertaining to this birth or next birth, drenched with spirit of detachment, is a Darshanik Shravak.

Meaning: The form of Shravak was described in previous gatha. Here three of his  qualities are further elaborated. Firstly he is strong minded who does not deviate from the vows in spite of hardships etc. form miseries. Further he should be free of desires of acquiring fame or wealth in this lok or parlok (next birth) with Shubha gati. His heart should be drenched with spirit of detachment. The uneatable and injustice should be relinquished by him knowing them to be extremely harmful and not just because it is so told in the scriptures. With their renunciation the ragas in his manifestations would also be relinquished. With the spiritual renunciation alone he is eligible for preachment pertaining to next Pratima. The Vrati ( follower of vows) has been described to be Shalya ( longings) free. Thus the form of shravak holder of Darshan Pratima was described.

Now next Vrita Pratima is described:

Gatha 330: The one holder of five Anu Vritas, three Guna Vritas and four Shiksha Vritas with strong mind and equanimity and knowledge is Shravak with Vrita Pratima.

Meaning: Here the term Anu implies small or limited. The coarse form of five Paps have been renounced hence it is described as Anu Vrita. The Guna Vrita or Shiksha Vritas are protector of the Anu Vritas hence the Anu Vrati also accepts them. With the vows of the Vrita, his mind is strong which does  not deviate or weaken  even due to harsh calamities. These Vritas are adopted with the absence of Apratyakhyanavara passions while Pratyakhyanavarana passions are under weak fructification. Hence it has been declared to have quality of subsidence. Although the holder of Darshan Pratima also has absence of Apratyakhyanavarana, but on account of strong fruition of Pratyakhyanavarana passions the five Anu Vritas are not adopted. Therefore he cannot accept Anu Vrita. Although he does not eat trasa hence he is following Anu Vrita, he does not have vices of stealing, speaking untruth, indulgence with other women, desires of possessions with the spirit of detachment; even then he does not perform these without blemishes hence they cannot be accepted as Vrita Pratima. It is right to call him Gyani since he accepts vows accorded by the Gurus knowing their nature.

Out of the five Anu Vrita the first Anu Vrita is described:

Gatha 331-332: The shravak who does not indulge in harming 2,3,4,5 sensed Trasa jivas by means of mind, speech or body by self and  others, nor endorses others doing so; he is holder of the first Anu Vrita. How is that Shravak? Who engages in business with compassion,  believes all jivas to be the same as self and practices self criticism and confession before spiritual gurus. He does not engage in business which may cause himsa of trasa jivas heavily.

Meaning: Shravak  does not harm trasa jiva himself nor gets it done by other; also he does not endorse others doing it. When he believes other jivas also to be the same as self then he cannot harm them. Major activities which cause harm to large number of trasa jivas are renounced by him and in minor activities also he criticises self and confesses to their harm and thus repents in the form of Alochana and Pratikraman. He avoids transgressing the rules laid down for himself. Basically if he believes others to be same as self then he would not hurt others.

The second Anu Vrita is stated:

Gatha 334-335: He does not utter words of Himsa nor does he speak harshly. He does not talk cruelly either and does not disclose other’s secrets also. So how does he speak? Beneficial to others and Praman (truth) form words he speaks. He tells words satisfactory to all jivas. He speaks highlighting the nature of dharma. Such person is holder of second Anu Vrita.

Meaning: Untruth is of several forms. Its complete renunciation can be carried out only by Munis who are practitioner of total Charitra. In Anu Vrita only coarse form is renounced hence such words which may cause harm to other jivas, such words of Himsa are not spoken by him. The words which are hurting, which may generate anger upon listening, such harsh words are not spoken by him. Cruel words which cause pain, fear, sorrow, animosity are not spoken by him. He does not disclose other’s secrets, in other words he does not speak words which could harm others. If at all he speaks, he speaks words beneficial to all, which generate satisfaction upon listening. He tells words which illuminate the form of dharma. The transgression of this Vrita are stated in other scriptures. Basically the Anu Vrati does not speak coarse untruth which increases Pramad ( lack of self control) in self, which may hurt other jivas.

Now the third Anu Vrita is stated:

Gatha 335-336: The Shravak does not buy invaluable item in low price. He does not pick up something forgotten by others. In business he is satisfied with small profit only. He does not steal other’s money by deception, greed, anger or pride. He is strong minded and does not transgress the vows due to any reason. With pure intellect, he is shravak, holder of third Anu Vrita.

Meaning: In discarding of seven vices the theft is already discarded. However, here the speciality is that he does not buy invaluable item at low cost since he does not know why the other is offering it at low price. Things forgotten by others and lying on the road are not picked up by him. He does not think that since  others do not know then what is the worry? In business also he is satisfied with small profit since greed results in great harm. With deception he does not confiscate other’s property nor does he intend to withhold the money somebody had left  with him for safekeeping. With anger and greed he does not forcibly take other’s money. With pride he does not say that he is powerful hence he has taken, no one can do anything against him. In this way neither he takes other’s money nor he permits others to do the same and he does not endorse other doing such acts.

In other scriptures five transgressions of this vrita are described. Motivating the thief for stealing , accepting the stolen money, acting against the government rules, in business weighing less or more, selling low cost item at very high price; these are the transgressions. Such is the shravak  holder of third Anu vrita.

Now the form of Bramhacharya (celibacy) Vrita is described:

Gatha 337-338: The Shravak who knowing the body of women to be impure, smelly knows their beauty and figure to be cause of generation of Moha in the mind, hence manifests with detachment, who treats elderly other women as mother, equal women as sister and younger one as daughter from aspects of mind, speech and body, he is shravak having coarse Bramhacharya.

Meaning: The holder of this vow, discards the other women by means of mind, speech, body in the sense of self, others and endorsement, and remains satisfied with own wife only. He does not engage in strong sexual activities  since he in reality is detached knowing the bodies of the women to be impure and smelly. Knowing that the sexual desires are caused due to the nimitta of women, he realises their activities of  creating desires to be the cause for Moha of the mind  hence he remains detached. Such is holder of fourth Anu Vrita. The renunciation of other women was already part of the seven vices given up in the first Pratima, here the strong sexual desires are also discarded. Even in own wife he does not entertain strong desires. Such is Bramhacharya Vrita.

Now the form of Parigrah Pariman ( limited possessions) fifth Anu Vrita is stated :

Gatha 339-340: The person who with week greed passions, with an attitude of satisfaction, realising the money, cereals, gold, property etc. form possessions to be destructible, destroys the strong thirst towards their accumulation  and limits their usage according to his requirements, he engages in fifth Anu Vrita.

Meaning: The greed is the real internal possession which has to be weakened by means of limiting the external possessions. With strong mind he does not transgress the vow, such is fifth Anu Vrita holder. Practitioner of these five Anu Vritas is Shravak having Vrita Pratima.

Now the protector of these Vritas are seven form of sheel ( morality) which are now described. First of the  three Guna Vrita is stated :

Gatha 341-342: Just as for limiting greed, jiva limits the possessions, in the same way by limiting the directions he limits the greed as a rule. For this he limits his activities in all the ten directions (east west etc.). This is the form of first Guna Vrita.

Meaning: For the first five Anu Vrita these Guna Vrita are assistants. Here Guna word should imply assistance. Just as for limiting greed one limits the possessions, in the same way he limits the directions also. Once a specific direction is limited, he does not transgress that limit for purpose of business etc. and does not travel beyond it. In this manner he is supposed to be practicing Maha Vrita in the outer area beyond his avowed limits.

Now the second Guna Vrita of Anarthdand Virati is described:

Gatha 343: The activities which do not serve any purpose but generate only pap are called as Anarth. These are of five types and of several types also.

Meaning: Engaging in meaningless activities is Anarthdand. This is said to be of five kinds. Apadhyan ( evil thoughts), Papopadesh ( preachment of Pap), Pramad Charya ( conduct with carelessness), Himsapradan ( distributing tools of himsa), Duhshrut Shravan ( listening to false scriptures) which can be further divided into several types.

Now first type is described:

Gatha 344: Inculcating other’s flaws, desiring other’s wealth, having raga towards other’s wife, observing other’s quarrel etc. form the first of Anarthdand (meaningless sinful activity).

Meaning: By emulating other’s flaws, our own bhavas are corrupted and no useful purpose is served. Just harms others and spoils own conduct. By observing other’s wealth, if one desires for the same, it does not give him anything but unnecessarily own bhavas get corrupted. Observing other’s wife with raga corrupts own bhavas meaninglessly in spite of being Tyagi (possessionless). Similarly by witnessing other’s quarrel no purpose is served and instead some problem may arise for self. Hence all such activities which corrupt own bhavas result in Apadhyan form first Anarthdand  which harms own Anu vrita hence it should be discarded.

Second Anarthdand of Papopadesh is described:

Gatha 345: Engaging in agriculture, animal husbandry, business etc. activities involving pap, arranging matches of men-women etc., preachment to others to guide their techniques, are activities which do not serve any purpose for the self. Only pap is generated hence this is second Anarthdand by name Papopadesh.

Meaning: Preaching others on activities of Pap cause bondage of Pap for the self hence own vows get broken. Therefore dispensing with them protects the vows, therefore it is named as Guna Vrita.

Third Anarthdand of PramadCharit is described:

Gatha 346: Engaging in meaningless activities with earth, water, fire, air and purposelessly cutting chopping green vegetables is anarthdand of the third kind namely Pramad charit.

Meaning: Engaging in activities with earth, water, air, fire and green vegetables out of Pramad (carelessness) without any purpose causes harm to trasa and sthavar only and no purpose is served. Hence engaging in them breaks own vows and dispensing with such acts protects the vows.

Fourth Anarthdand namely Himsadan is stated:

Gatha 347: Keeping wild animals like cats etc. as pets, engaging in business of iron and iron weapons etc. and businesses dealing with poison etc. are fourth Himsadan form of Anarthdand.

Meaning: Keeping wild animals is meaningless and famous as pap only. Engaging in businesses of weapons, poisons etc. are also with less benefit but more of pap only. Hence it is Anarthdand only. Engaging in them breaks the vows and avoiding it protects the vows.

The fifth Anarthdand of DuhShruti is described:

Gatha 348: Listening, narrating, reading, teaching kushastra (false scriptures) dealing with Ekant (singular view), fun making, women, sex etc. and narrating others faults etc. are fifth Anarthdand of the form of DuhShruti.

Meaning: Listening, reading, teaching, creating false scriptures do not serve any purpose and only pap is accrued. Dealing in them as business is also not suitable for Shravak. For business also one should engage in appropriate activities  which does not break the vows. One should protect the vows only.

Now the subject of Anarthdand is summarised:

Gatha 349: The wise Shravak who , knowing the five types of Anarthdand to be cause for continuous misery, renounces them; he is shravak holder of second Guna Vrita.

Meaning: This Guna Vrita by name  Anarthdand tyag is highly beneficial for the Anu vritas hence it is a must for Shravaks to adopt and  practice.

Now third Gunavrita of Bhogopabhoga is stated:

Gatha 350: The one who knowing his wealth and capability limits the consumption of food, possessions and clothes etc., that shravak engages in third Gunavrita of Bhogopabhoga.

Meaning: Food drinks etc. are consumed only once hence are called Bhog while clothes, ornaments etc. are enjoyed again and again hence are known as Upabhoga. Their restriction may be for entire life or for limited period. So depending upon own capability one should undertake lifelong or limited form vows. This is quite beneficial to the Anu Vritas.

The renouncement of available articles of Bhogopabhoga is praised:

Gatha 351: The person who discards the available articles, his vows are praised even by Surendra. Renouncing absent article is like giving up sweets which are anyway absent and one imagines their presence and discards them. Such renunciation is only in imagination which though forms part of Vritas but is less beneficial.

Here someone may enquire that Bhogopabhoga Pariman is declared as third Guna Vrita but in Tattvarth Sutra the third Guna Vrita is called Desha Vrita while Bhogopabhoga Pariman is third Shiksha Vrita. How so?

Clarification: This is  different due to view points of Acharyas. Swamy Samant Bhadra has told in same way in Ratna Karand Shravakachar like here hence there is no contradiction. Here Anu vritas are described from aspects of their benefits. There renunciation of live Bhogas is described from aspect of Muni Vrita hence is part of shiksha Vrita. There is no contradiction. In this way the three Guna Vritas are described.

Continued…..