Atmanushasan ( Discipline of Soul) - 05

 

Inspiration for renunciation of sensory subjects

Under influence of the senses, dependent upon this body, why do you experience different types of miseries – this is told next:

Shloka 64: O Jiva! Under influence of fruition of karmas, directed by eyes etc. senses, for enjoyment of beauty etc. different subjects, why are you restless with miseries? Being slave to these senses for enjoyments of sensory subjects, you indulged in several improper conducts enhancing your pap and suffered in infinite births. Now relinquishing the restlessness, being Gyani, renouncing all the sensory subjects, with the nectar of Dhyan, strengthen your soul and be happy. Washing the dust of Moha adopt right conduct and become free.

Meaning: This Jiva under fruition of karmas acquires new body and under yoga (control) of body, influenced by the senses becomes restless and enhances pap by indulging in different improper conducts. With enjoyment of senses, takes birth in different Kuyoni ( lower strata births). Those Gyani Jivas, who abandoning the impure bhavas strengthen their souls with the nectar of dhyan, they becoming free of the dust of pap, adopting right conduct, being  free of sensory subjects become  highly blessed. Hence being Gyani, get free of the world.

Possessionless Muni only is highly blissful

Here someone enquires that Munis are poor hence how do they attain happiness? In reply, it is told that in this world, both rich and poor jivas are unhappy; only Munis are extremely happy :

Shloka 65-66: The poor, desirous of all objects, being poor are highly unhappy. Those who are rich, they too without contentment are highly unhappy on account of desires. In this way all the jivas of the world are unhappy.

If considered from aspect of reality then only contented great Muni only is highly happy. Compared to dependent happiness, independent unhappiness is better. If it were not so then how can the ascetic Muni be called happy?

Meaning: All the jivas of the world are unhappy. Those who are poor are without means, hence they consider themselves to be unhappy. Those who are rich, their thirst is not quenched and they do not feel contented. Hence without contentment they can not be happy. Hence they too are highly unhappy.

In scriptures only Munis are described to  be happy and not others. In the world, all the happiness is dependent hence compared to dependent happiness, independent unhappiness is superior. Believing happiness in dependence is futile. If dependence were enjoyable then why would Munis practicing great Tapa with independence be described as happy? Hence it establishes that those who have hope ( of fulfilment) are unhappy and those who do not have hope are happy. All worldly jivas are unhappy being slave to the hopes and dependent upon senses while the Munis who have conquered the mind and senses and abandoned hope are always happy.

Tribute to the qualities of the Munis

The qualities of the Munis are complimented in next two shlokas:

Shloka 67-68: How do we compliment the Munis ? They wander with independence, partake food without humility and reside in Muni sangh (group). The force of the mind has weakened, therefore attaining peaceful bhavas they continuously remain engaged in contemplation of the soul and sometimes carry out external activities. This great state of theirs is manifestation  of which great tapa – we do not know.

Incomparable detachment, reflection of shastras, supreme compassion towards all jivas, intellect of the form of rays of sun destroying the great darkness of ekantvad ( singular supposition) insisting upon acceptance of single naya; and towards end the renunciation of body following  shastra prescribed procedure by means of fasting, etc. activities are results of not just some tapa of saints but results of great tapa.

Meaning: All jivas are dependent, slave to the senses. Even travel is for fulfilment of some wishes. But Sadhus move independently without any desire. Except for rainy season the Sadhus do not stay in one place; since by staying in one place the affection  towards people increases, hence for enhancement of detachment they are always on the move.

Munis partake food without humility. The food of jivas of the world is along with humility. The humility of poor is directly observed; they do not have material in home and they have to borrow from others which is difficult. The rich are desirous of several items, but on account of place and time, some wishes are fulfilled and some are not; hence their food is also with humility. Only Muni is without humility, since for him the loss-gain, taste-tasteless are all the  same.

Except of remaining in the company of other Munis, there is no other superior company for the Muniraj. In the world all are bad company. The greatest bad company is that of women which leads to desires-anger etc. while in the company of Sadhus the desires-anger etc. vanish.

The Jivas of the world are busy with different practices while Sadhus practice shruta alone. With the practice of Shastra, their peaceful nature is revealed while ignorant people get maddened even with practice of shastras, which is a great harm.

The activities of the mind of Munis have  been subdued, while the minds of the Lok being highly unstable keep wandering in external objects. The minds of the Munis are engaged in soul contemplation and sometimes it is occupied with external Shubha activities. There is no scope for Ashubha activities.

Such is the state of Munis. Which great tapa of theirs has resulted in this, I do not know.

Muniraj has incomparable detachment towards world, body and enjoyments. The worldly jivas have strong fruition of raga-dwesha. Samyakdrishti jivas without Vrita have absence of Anantanubandhi Kashaya hence though they are not ragi like Mithyadrishti jivas , even so they are ragi due to fruition of Apratyakhyana Kashaya. The Shravaks with Anu Vrita, though they are more detached compared to Samyak Drishti without Vrita, due to absence of Apratyakhyana Kashaya , however due to fruition of Pratyakhyana Kashaya they are somewhat Ragi. For the Munis the Pratyakhyana Kashaya is also absent hence their interest in sensory subjects has vanished ; only due to fruition of Sanjwalan Kashaya some attachment towards dharma is existent; this only is sixth gunasthana. In the Gunasthanas above it the Veetrag bhava is enhanced only, hence Munis are said to have incomparable detachment. Their affection to dharma is also due to presence of veetrag bhava.

In sixth Gunasthana the Munis engage in contemplation of Shastras. In the Gunasthanas above, only soul contemplation is there. Others do not have the knowledge of shastras comparable to that of Munis. Agyani Jivas remain engaged in harmful stories and they do not have affection towards Shastras. Though the Samyak Drishti without Vrita and Shravak with Anu Vrita are practitioner of Jina Sutras, however on account of possessions they are minor practitioner of Shruta not major. The major practitioner of shruta, Muniraj only are all knowledgeable of Shastras.

No one has compassion towards Jivas comparable to that of Munis. Agyani Jivas are always cruel. Samyak Drishti without vrita are compassionate from aspect of bhavas, even so on account of possessions and large number of activities, it does not get practiced. Anu Vrita jivas have limited activities (with inevitable violence) and limited possessions hence violence is low, they do not have himsa towards Trasa jivas but Sthavar Himsa is present. Hence they are not described as totally Ahimsa. Absolute Ahimsa is practiced by Muniraj only. They are highly compassionate.

The intellect of Munis is like rays of sun in eliminating the darkness of Ekantvad ( singular perception). The intellect of other jivas is not bright as much. Although the intellect of Samyak Drishti Shravak is manifested without darkness of Ekantvad in the form of belief of Syadvad , even so that is dependent upon the teachings of the Munis. The Guru of Syadvad practices are Muniraj only.

The Muniraj at the end of life relinquish the body by means of fasting etc. form tapa. The supreme worship is practiced by Munis only. The Shravak with Anuvrita practice medium worship and the Samyak Drishti without vrita practice least worship amongst these. All other worldly jivas are without practice of worship only.

The above described magnificent practices of Munis are produced by practicing complete tapa and not just limited tapa.

Destruction of body is assured

Tapa leads to miseries of body which is improper; body is means for dharma hence it should be carefully protected- such doubts are clarified in next two shlokas:

Shloka 69-70: O creature! Even by means of crores of efforts by own self or by others, why do you insist upon protecting such body which cannot be protected? Just as a drop of dew on a leaf would surely fall, in the same way this body would also be destroyed. This Ayu and body both are destructible. You have easily got an opportunity to attain indestructible state by relinquishing oneness towards it.

Meaning: The Ayu and body both are destructible. Even the maximum Ayu of Deva and naraki of 33 sagar is also destructible then what do we say about the limited Ayu of Manushya and Tiryanch ? The disease free and beautiful body of Devas also is under control of time and the bodies of Tirthankara etc. celebrity people are also destructible then what is there to talk about other’s body? Therefore it is established that on completion of Ayu the body would not remain and Ayu cannot be more than what is destined. Hence giving up oneness with Ayu and body, the indestructible nature should be the subject of contemplation. Engaging the body in tapa-sanyam  and spending the Ayu in practicing dharma, one acquires eligibility for attaining indestructible state. If in exchange of small Ayu and transitory body, one acquires permanent state then one should treat it as if one has acquired Chintamani jewel in exchange for counterfeit coin.

The transitory nature of Ayu

In next two shlokas the transitory nature of Ayu is described:

Shloka 71-72: This Ayu continuously practices departure by breathing in and out, but this ignorant jiva wishes to be immortal with such an Ayu. Just as water keeps being drawn by the Noria (waterwheel) at every moment, in the same way the Ayu also keeps melting away and along with Ayu the body also keeps waning away. Body is companion of Ayu and both go together. When ayu and body have such a state then what do we say about the son, wife, wealth etc. other objects of this Jiva? They are directly different from this Jiva. The prime cause for life, Ayu and body both are transitory. Just as a person sitting in a boat believes himself to be stable erroneously, in the same way this foolish Bahiratma Jiva also believes himself to be stable.

Meaning: Just as a person sitting in a boat travels and at the same time believes himself to be stationary erroneously, in the same way in spite of the weakening of the body and Ayu becoming continuously less by means of breathing in and out, this ignorant jiva believes that I would remain like this only. Ayu and body both are means for life; when both are transitory then what is the hope for life? Just as water keeps flowing in a Noria, in the same way with breathing in-out the Ayu keeps becoming less and less and the body continues weakens. On completion of Ayu the body also does not remain. Hence sensible people knowing them to be destructible, give up oneness with them. When the oneness with Ayu and body have been relinquished then how can the oneness with wife, son etc. remain? Since they are visibly different.

Breath itself is misery

When breath itself is misery form then how can the life produced by breathing can cause happiness to Jiva- this is told next:

Shloka 73: This breath itself is generated ruefully hence it is misery only. Its presence alone is life and absence is death. Hence tell! How do people get happiness ?

Meaning: Where there is no grief, there is happiness. The breath is generated ruefully only and so long as breath is there, the life is present, hence life also does not have pleasure. In the absence of breath the death is there and after death the jiva is not present hence who can be happy? Hence you only tell. Where from Jivas can get pleasure? The relation with this body is cause for unhappiness only. The Veetrag bhava produced by relinquishing the affection towards the body only is happiness form, hence that only should be taken recourse to.

The life in the world is very limited

For the creature existing between life and death, how many years of life  is granted- this is told next:

Shloka 74: Birth in the form of Jiva is like a fruit of palm tree falling to death form ground beneath. The time spent in falling is the life which is very limited.

Meaning: In the world the life is quite limited. Just as a fruit from the tree falls to ground below, the time in between is the life. In the same way the one who is born would surely die, how long would he live? Very limited only. Hence knowing the body etc. to be transitory one should practice for indestructible state by means of knowledge of soul.

In spite of several efforts the Manushya cannot be protected

For the protection of people, eternally several efforts have been made by providence but even they could not be protected- this is told next:

Shloka 75: Providence form minister made several efforts for protection of people, still he was not successful. He kept the people within fort in the middle of  innumerable islands-oceans; he made fort with three Vatavalaya to protect him and these Vatvalaya were stationed in infinite Lokakash. The Naraki jivas having devilish nature were kept in the Adholok (lower earth) and in the Oordhwa Lok the Devas were stationed. Right in the middle the Manushyas were kept, still they could not avoid death. It establishes that providence, Chakravarthy, Indra etc. none could protect the Manushyas. This kaal is unstoppable.

Meaning: In spite of several efforts, none can avoid Kaal. Realising the Manushyas to be weak, the providence form minister made several efforts for their protection. In the upper direction the Devas protected and in the lower world Narakis were stationed. Outside fort with three Vatavalaya was constructed and in the middle fort with innumerable islands-oceans was made, even then they could not be protected. Kaal is unstoppable hence relinquishing protection of body, dharma should be protected. Although soul is indestructible, on account of affinity to body, he keeps occupying different new body hence he is called as taken birth or dead. From aspect of Nishchaya naya the Jiva neither takes birth nor dies- knowing such indestructible nature, by abandoning the affinity or raga towards body etc. new body would not have to be occupied, this is the means for salvation.

No one is stronger than Kaal

On completion of Ayu, the Kaal takes the life away, at that time who is capable to avoid it- this is told next:

Shloka 76: Surely on completion of Ayu which powerful one can prevent the kaal  to take the life away? No one can protect either. Oh ! This is a subject of great sorrow. Just as the sun illuminating the entire world with its thousands of rays is swallowed by devil Rahu at the time of eclipse and no one can prevent it; in the same way with completion of Ayu the Kaal form Rahu swallows the Jiva form sun.  Just as Sun is equipped with thousands of rays , in the same way the Jiva is of the nature of infinite illumination (knowledge).

The location of Rahu and Kaal both are unknown. The effect of kaal every one knows directly  and Rahu does not have a specific day, hence in the Lok it is also described as without having location. Kaal is non corporeal only and Rahu is also called without body. By swallowing Jivas Kaal is described as Papi which is impure. Rahu is also described as Papi planet. Being of dark colour it is compared to Kaal only.

Meaning: Kaal dravya is an independent dravya out of Jivas etc. form six dravyas. This is non corporeal and insentient existent within the Lok. It does not kill anyone. The samaya, pal, ghadi etc. are Vyavahara Paryaya of Kaal. The moment the duration of jiva to stay in a body gets completed, at that moment he traverses from current body to the next body; hence in the Lok ‘Kaal kills’ – this is stated.

Procedure of Kaal killing the Jivas

How does Kaal takes the life away and in which place – this is elucidated next:

Shloka 77: Similar to cruel conmen, the previously accumulated Karmas generating Moha-pride etc. making the jivas of the three lokas helpless, they kill in fearsome forest form world, there who is capable of overcoming them?

Meaning: Just as cruel conmen give an intoxicating item to eat to the ignorant people and making them intoxicated they kill them in dense forest. In the same way the karma form cruel conmen, generate Moha etc. form great delusion in the ignorant jivas and kill them in the world form forest. Who can protect them? The cause of Kaal (death) is karma. Those bonded with karmas are under influence of kaal. Siddhas do not have karmas  hence they are not affected by kaal.

Sudden arrival of Yamraj

In any time of place there is no remedy for protection against Kaal. Kaal swallows Jivas in all times and place . Overcoming karmas only is the means for protection against Kaal – this is told next:

Shloka 78: O Pandit people i.e. Samyak Drishti Jiva ! Make efforts for benefit of soul. Upon arrival of Kaal no efforts can be made. It cannot be said that Kaal would come when, how, at what place and from where. The devil Kaal comes suddenly hence with the soul contemplation, efforts for being indestructible should be made.

Meaning: By immersing in nature of soul only, the kaal can be prevented. Without elimination of ragas etc., there is no other means for protection  against kaal. Mantra, Tantra, Yantra medicine etc. are not deterrent of the Kaal. Knowing this being silent take seat ( i.e. engage in soul contemplation)

There is no one without death

In all time and place death occurs. There is no place or time which is not invisible to death – knowing this directly one should be at ease :

Shloka 79: O Jiva! Be assured that there is no place, kaal, method and means which are invisible to death hence be at ease.

Meaning: There is no place in the world where death does not occur, there is no time when there is no death, there is no method which can prevent death and there is no means by which body can be protected. Hence knowing everyone to be absolutely under influence of kaal, efforts should definitely be made for soul benefaction. Everywhere at all times and totally by any means no jiva can survive kaal.

Inspiration of giving up attachment to female body

Declaring the Ayu to be destructible, and condemning the women, the body is informed as the cause for non benefaction:

Shloka 80: Why are you affectionate towards the body of women? This body is cluster of fire flames for turning the benefaction to ashes. Don’t you directly witness that this body of woman is like open door to the gates of perils of Narak? Being affectionate again and again towards the body of woman you indulge in benevolence towards it while it always causes interference to you, hence renounce the attachment towards the female body. Although ignorant people believe it to be scarce but actually it is nothing.

Meaning: The women are root cause of the world since with them only the son-grandson etc. form activities of family are caused. This only is the cause for worries form miseries of possessions and violence etc.

In the past those who have become bridegrooms of salvation form bride, they have done so by renunciation of women. With their contact only jiva wanders in all four gatis – knowing this the company of women should be relinquished.

The comparison of Manushya Paryaya with sugar cane having knots

Relinquishing the attachment towards women, the preachment to make this meaningless manushya birth become  successful is made in next shloka:

Shloka 81: This Manushya body is like a sugar cane which is having too many disaster form knots, which is without juice and unsuitable for consumption either. All over its body there are horrible disease form holes of thirst, boils, leprosy etc. Only its name is pleasant but in every way it is meaningless, hence with dharma practice you transform it into seed for parlok and make it successful immediately.

Meaning: Just as a sugar cane with too many knots is without juice and cannot be eaten also. Only its name is tasty but in every other way it is useless. However if that sugar cane is sowed then it would cause several sweet sugar canes to grow, therefore by sowing only it should be made use of. In the same way this manushya paryaya has several perils and does not have happiness. The childhood in the beginning is not pleasant and the old age also does not have taste of pleasure. In the middle age there are several worries, thirst, pains, diseases etc. which hurt a lot, hence there is no pleasure there either. Thus this Manushya paryaya is good only by name sake. In reality it is meaningless in every way. The sensory subjects are not worth enjoyment by it. However if by dharma practice it is utilised as a seed for parlok then with it only great sweet fruits of the form of swarga-moksha shall be attained. Therefore by practicing dharma make this manushya paryaya successful- this preachment is worth following.

Continued……