Sunday, January 22, 2023

Atmanushasan ( Discipline of soul)….11

 

Chakravarthy-hood of Kali-kaal

Shloka 159: In this Muni dharma the house holders are the donors , suitable food is the wealth and accepting food with the intent of benefit for all, remaining detached with the body, is the deed – even this is a matter of shame for the wise ones. This is subject of great wonder that the Munis are influenced by  raga-dwesha considering this food also as the benefit  of their attire. This is the Chakravarthy-hood of Kali-kaal.

Meaning: The house holder is donor due to his devotion and the Munis are suitable recipients, then currency in the form of food only is donated, and other cash etc. are not donated . That food also  is accepted by Munis, that too is taken in a manner which is beneficial to self, donor and other jivas. They do not take in such a manner that after taking food being careless  harm themselves, generate passions within the donor which would harm them and being cause for blemishes in other jivas, harm them too. During the acceptance of food they remain detached from the body also since they know that this body is not dear to me, but it has to be used for the practice of tapa. It should not get destroyed hence some tasteless food should be taken – they accept food with these considerations. They do not take food with greed of taste etc.

Even then acceptance of food in this manner is a matter of shame, they feel shy and own inferiority is felt. Even then it is surprising that people adopt Munihood in this Kali-kaal for the sake of food. By this attire they practice a livelihood. Therefore it appears to us that this denotes the Chakravarthy-hood of this Kali-kaal. Just as Chakravarthy makes the Devas etc. residing in his area to follow his orders, in the same way this kali-kaal also makes the Munis born within its period to act in a converse manner.

Q: If it is the fault of the kaal then whether Munis of such kaal should be believed?

A: Just as in Kali-kaal the injustice prevails but it should not be treated as justice; it should be known that this injustice is due to fault of kaal. In the same way in kali kaal corrupt disguised people are prevalent but they should not be accepted as Muni. Rather it should be known that the conduct of such disguised people is on account of fault of kaal.

Just as it is told that this deed has happened on account of fruition of some Pap karma, there along with the pap karma the deed also is condemned. In the same way if it is said that this deed has happened due to kali-kaal then along with kali-kaal that deed also should be highly deplored. Therefore for  deploration of  the   disguised Munis who act with raga-dwesha for the sake of food, the influence of kali-kaal is described.

Harm on account of nimitta of karmas

O Jiva! Under influence of karmas you manifest with raga-dwesha , but what benefit  did those karmas give you? This is told next:

Shloka 160: O Jiva! The karmas which destroyed your nature of ownership of knowledge of all the three loks (did not permit omniscience to appear)  and which destroyed your own soul bliss (beyond senses) from the root itself; even then being shameless and miserable you are satisfied with the pleasures generated by those senses produced by those very karmas. With the tasteless and disgusting food acquired after misery of fasting etc., you are believing it to be continuity of livelihood and feeling satisfied.

Meaning: Just as some big king has been dethroned by an enemy and when that king is happy to take a small quantity of food being offered by that enemy with humility, then he is deplored for being shameless. In the same way O Jiva! You are a great substance which is owner of infinite knowledge and bliss. The karma form enemies have destroyed your knowledge and bliss and thus corrupted you . You remaining humble are satisfied with the insignificant sensual pleasures generated by the fruition of those very karmas. Hence you are shameless and should be deplored.

Just as with accepting unpalatable food provided by that enemy with great dishonour, that king remains satisfied then he is extremely deplorable. In the same way O corrupt Muni! Your karmas also did not give you much pleasure; after undergoing misery of several fasts etc. you get some food from the householder and that itself you are treating as your stable livelihood, hence you are extremely deplorable.

Therefore just as the king should find a means for the destruction of his enemy, in the same way you should find the means for the destruction of karmas and it is not proper to be lusting for sensory subjects.

The requirement of patience even for the sensory pleasures

O Muni! If you desire for sensory pleasures, then consider those places where great sensory pleasures are available:

Shloka 161: O bhikshu Muni! If you desire sensory pleasures, then be a little patient. These pleasures are available in Swarga. O fool! In spite of seeing the food being cooked, why do you destroy the appetite by drinking water etc? Don’t do so.

Meaning: Just as some foolish person being hungry and in spite of watching the food being cooked, is not able to wait patiently by tolerating  the hunger and spoils the appetite by drinking water etc. In the same way the foolish person being desirous of sensual pleasures does not consider that by practicing dharma he shall attain swarga shortly and he shall attain the sensory subjects. Without such consideration i.e. he does not have patience till the Manushya Ayu is completed and swarga is attained and is not able to tolerate the desires for that long. Instead by consuming faulty food etc. and with some sensory enjoyments, he destroys the pleasures of swarga. O fool! Why do you do so? Don’t do so. If you desire pleasures then have patience for a while, practice  dharma; you shall attain several pleasures in swarga.

Although the sensory desires are not appropriate, however here by instigating  the Jiva getting corrupted into such pleasures, the idea is to prevent his corruption.

Karmas are helpless in harming Maha Munis in any way

Although karmas provide the sensory pleasures and life- these two things, however what harm  can those karmas do to Maha Munis :

Shloka 162: Poverty is whose wealth and death only is whose life and knowledge alone is whose eyes- for such saints what can the  creator i.e. karmas do for them? Nothing.

Meaning: The Maha Munis who observe the substances by means of knowledge form eyes, for them the Nirgranth state without wealth etc. alone is the wealth. Since just as other jivas are happy with the wealth , these Munis are happy with Nirgranth state. For them the death only is the life, since just as other jivas are happy with attaining life, these Munis consider happiness in loss of sensory life etc. What can karmas do to such Maha Munis? Since the power of the karmas is this much only that they can give poverty or death etc. But those Muniraj are not unhappy with this hence karmas cannot do anything to them.

Karmas cannot harm those who disappoint hope itself

If it is so then what deed is carried out by the gods i.e. karmas :

Shloka 163: Those who have hope for living and attaining wealth, for them gods (karmas) are the almighty ; but those who have destroyed hope, what can almighty do for them ? Nothing.

Meaning: Here karmas are called almighty. Those ignorant Jivas who desire wealth and  life in the form of paryaya, for them the karmas attain the form of karma being capable to do their task and those jivas only are afraid of karmas. We should not die or we should not become poor- for having  such hopes the karmas make them unhappy. However those who have destroyed desires by parting with wealth etc. and those who are facing reasons for death, for them karmas cannot do anything. Such Muniraj are not afraid of karmas, if death occurs, so be it; they are not afraid of leaving the paryaya. Knowing the poverty to be cause for non-perturbation they have given wealth etc. on their own- thus those who have eliminated hopes, how can karmas make them unhappy? With weakness of Moha, the fruition of karmas also become weak and cannot carry out the task of making soul unhappy.

The supreme state of revered and despicable people

Some people forgo huge kingdom and accept Tapa while some people forgo tapa and accept kingdom- the results of both these acts are described next:

Shloka 164: Those who sacrifice the kingdom for the sake of tapa and those who relinquish the tapa with hope of sensory pleasures- both of these attain the supreme amounts of reverence and deploration.

Meaning: In this lok some people are worthy of reverence and some others are worthy of deploration. Out of them those who relinquish the Chakravarthy state and accept Muni state are worthy of supreme reverence since giving up the wealth of such Chakravarthy state they practice the harsh conduct of the Muni dharma. While those who give up accepted Munihood and accept kingdom for sensory desires, they are worthy of supreme deploration, since breaking even small vow is deplorable and this person has broken the vows of Munihood after acceptance, hence his corruption is totally deplorable.

Q: Deploring someone  is not right?

A: Deploration with jealousy and aversion attitude is not right. But revealing Pap conduct to indicate its sinfulness is not wrong. If it were not so then why would the shastras deplore the papi jivas?

Surprise at the renunciation of tapa by those who desire sensory pleasures

Shloka 165: If Chakaravarty  relinquishes the kingdom for the sake of tapa then it is meaningful since the result is incomparable, permanent bliss generated within the soul. Hence it is not a matter of surprise. However it is matter of great surprise that in spite of being intelligent, they give up the great tapa for the sake of enjoyments of  abandoned sensory poisons.

Meaning: Just as in the lok it is not a matter of surprise if someone relinquishes small pleasures for the purpose of attaining greater pleasures. However if someone abandons a great state again for partaking the completely painful poison which was relinquished earlier then it is a matter of great surprise. In the same way it is no wonder that Chakravarty state is relinquished for attaining bliss of Moksha, however if someone abandons Muni hood venerable in all the three loks for the sake of enjoyments of completely painful sensory subjects again, then it is a matter of great surprise. How can such a disaster happen?

Surprise at the boldness of those abandoning tapa

The next shloka expresses surprise at those who relinquish the tapa:

Shloka 166: Small child also is scared of falling from the high bed in anticipation of pain, but it is a subject of great wonder that the wise people are not scared of falling from the high tapa which is at the level of peak of all the three loks.

Meaning: In spite of lacking intelligence, a small child also is scared of falling from the high bed since he knows that the fall would result in pain. But this jiva is holder of Muni Ling and intelligent and this tapa is also as high as the peak of all the three loks, since all the jivas of the three loks consider tapa to be very venerable, even then this jiva is not afraid of its corruption and himself welcomes abandonment. He does not even consider that with this relinquishment I shall be subject of laughter in the lok and I shall suffer pain of insults and further suffer miseries of narak-nigod in other lok for long periods – this is a subject of great wonder.

Oh! In this lok after attaining higher state, lowering of the state even due to dependence is so shameful that one considers suicide. But now he has become so shameless that after attaining the high state of Muni hood , he is  lowering self with corruption. Witnessing such impossible thing who would not wonder? The corrupt Muni becomes subject of condemnation by renouncing worldly practices hence the surprise is being expressed here.

Condemnation of those who soil the Tapa

The tapa by which great paps also get washed away, that tapa is soiled by lowly people :

Shloka 167: All sins carried out earlier are definitely purified by means of tapa and the extremely contemptible jivas who are antagonist of jina principles corrupt even that tapa.

Meaning: Just as dirt is washed away with water, but those who soil the water itself are called as scoundrels. In the same way the paps are cleansed by the tapa and extreme papi also can cleanse the paps with tapa but those who corrupt the tapa itself which is a means of cleansing the paps, they are extreme scoundrels.

Here the purport is that the one indulging in pap is anyway scoundrel, but the one adopting Muni ling which is a means for cleansing pap and then corrupting it is a greater scoundrel. Elsewhere also it is stated in dictums that” pap carried out anywhere is cleansed in dharma sthana (place of dharma), but where can the pap carried out in dharma sthana be cleansed? It becomes impregnable armour”. In the same way the paps carried out in householder state are cleansed in Munihood but where can the pap performed in Munihood be cleansed? It becomes impregnable coat.”- realising this it is improper to corrupt the Muni Ling.

Two primary reasons for generation of surprise

In the lok there are several reasons for generation of surprise. Out of them abandoning tapa is cause for extreme surprise:

Shloka 168: There are hundreds of examples of wonders in the three loks. Out of them only two reasons cause great wonder to us- one is vomiting the nectar after drinking it by the unfortunate being and second relinquishing the treasure of sanyam after accepting it.

Meaning: Where impossible deeds are observed, it is a cause for wonder. In the Lok there are several impossible deeds which generate wonder, but we are surprised by only two deeds. Someone who has consumed nectar with great fortune by which old age etc. diseases are prevented and then  he vomits it- one is this. Second wonder is – someone accepting the treasure of sanyam with Kaal Labdhi (fortunate time) which is capable of destroying miseries of birth and death and then  abandoning it. Out of these two wonders the first one is just example. Just as after drinking nectar vomiting it is adverse activity, in the same way after accepting sanyam, giving it up is adverse activity, therefore the sensible people do not indulge in it.

Inspiration for relinquishing ragas etc.

The rationale people not abandoning treasure of Sanyam due to aforementioned reasons are now preached to relinquish all the possessions and destroy ragas etc. along with  its roots itself:

Shloka 169: O Muni! You have adopted this Muni Ling and destroying several violence etc. Pap karma form external enemies you have accumulated your strength. Hence you do not have any other hindrance form enemy. Now with a goal to destroy the internal enemies be watchful in activities of eating, sleeping, walking, sitting etc. to protect yourself- this preachment we give you.

Meaning: Kings have two types of enemies, internal and external. Other kings etc. who are beyond the border of kingdom are clearly external enemies and those staying nearby assisting in eating drinking etc. in the form of servants etc. are internal enemies in hidden form.

The king who has destroyed external enemies does not have any reason for loosing kingdom. However if he is not careful of food and drinks activities then he can be killed by internal enemies. Therefore he has to protect himself carefully from internal enemies in the activities of eating drinking also.

In the same way the Munis have two kind of enemies, external and internal. External to Muni Ling appearing clearly adverse the violence etc. form external enemies are there and internal enemies are of the form of ragas, carelessness etc. in the activities of eating, drinking etc. performed in Muni Ling.

With the renunciation of external violence etc. the Munis do not have any reason to be corrupted from Munihood. However in the activities of eating drinking etc. by remaining careless, the Munis lose their Munihood by ragas etc. internal bhavas. Therefore to protect the Munihood from ragas etc. form internal enemies, the activities of eating drinking etc. should be carefully carried out.

Here the implication is that one should not be careless just after renunciation of external violence etc.; the activities of eating drinking etc. applicable to Muni Ling also should be carried out without ragas etc.  

Inspiration for practicing of Shastras

With restraints of the mind the soul is protected and ragas etc. are destroyed, hence such activities should be done that the mind is restrained:

Shloka 170: Wise people should always engage the mind form monkey everyday in the shastra form tree. This shastra form tree is bent with weight of  the flowers and fruits of the form of Anenkant form substances, pervaded with words form leaves, accompanied with hundreds of branches of the form of Nayas, is extremely tall and elaborate Matigyan is its roots.

Meaning: Someone may say that mind is fickle like a monkey, hence in spite of care it gets manifested in ragas etc. form, so what should be done? To him this preachment is given:

Just as if the monkey is kept idle then he would do some mischief or other. Hence engage him in the trees so that he is happy and will not harm  anyone. In the same way if the mind does not have any purpose then it would manifest in ragas etc. form for sure, hence if it is engaged in practice of shastras then it would not be diverted to ragas and would remain happy.

Here just external studies of shastras is not called practice of shastras , but in accordance with the shastras contemplating of the nature of self is also practice of shastras. In Shukla dhyan also the dhyan has been stated to be accompanied with Vitark (argument) and Vitark is said to be shruta ; hence so long as keval gyan is not attained, till then with engagement of mind in shastras only, the ragas are lessened.

For engaging mind of the form of monkey the shastras are stated to be of the form of tree. In the tree the fruits and flowers are its essence and it is laden with their weight. It is decorated with dense leaves. The flowers and fruits grow upon the branches of tree and it is extremely tall. Well spread roots only are the cause of its existence. Similar to the tree, in shastras also the Syadvad meanings are substantive and they only are acceptable. The shastras are decorated with logical words, wherein the substances are described by means of several nayas. Shastras are venerable in all the three loks hence are supreme. Matigyan or intellect is the root cause for the expansion of shastras. Hence monkey form mind should be kept engaged in the shastras of the form of tree.

Anekant (pluralistic) form of substance

How do the jivas engaging their mind in shastra form tree, contemplate of the tattvas:

Shloka 171: Gyanis knowledgeable of all the Tattvas contemplate of all the substances like Jivas etc. which are eternal , which in spite of taking specific form and its opposite form never gets destroyed.

Meaning: Gyanis  practicing shastras do not engage their minds only in words or figures of speech etc., they contemplate of the nature of substance that the Jivas etc. substances are permanent as well as transient; existent as well as non existent; one as well as many; this form also as well as not this form. In this way the Jivas etc. form substances having completely opposite dharma forms never get destroyed and always remain within their own nature. This is the form of all Jivas etc. form eternal substances. The Tattva Gyani jivas contemplate in this manner by means of shastras. With such contemplation they realise the nature of substance by which they attain samyak darshan etc. and thus attain benediction.

Continued……

No comments:

Post a Comment