Dravya Sangraha

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Dravya Sangraha," based on the extracted pages:

Overall Purpose:

The "Dravya Sangraha" is a foundational Jain text that aims to systematically explain the fundamental principles of Jainism, particularly focusing on the nature of Dravyas (substances). It utilizes the Naya (viewpoints) of Vyahara (ordinary) and Nischaya (real) to elucidate these concepts. The text is presented with Sanskrit text, Hindi translations, Gujarati annotations, and English explanations, making it accessible to a wider audience.

Key Concepts and Structure:

The book begins with a Mangalacharan (auspicious invocation) saluting the Tirthankaras, especially Rishabhadeva, who expounded the Dravyas. The core of the text then systematically explores the nature of various Jain philosophical categories.

Summary of Content by Page/Section:

Page 1: Mangalacharan and Introduction

• Invocation: Praises the Tirthankaras, particularly Rishabhadeva, for their exposition of Jiva (living) and Ajiva (non-living) substances.
• Author and Publisher: Identifies Acharya Nemichandra as the original author and mentions the contributions of Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj and Kishor Khandhar. The publisher is the Samtaben Khandhar Charitable Trust.

Page 2: Jiva Dravya (Soul Substance)

• Definition: Defines Jiva as characterized by Upayoga (consciousness/experience), being formless (Amurti), an agent (Karta), having the extent of its body, an enjoyer (Bhokta), existing in Samsara (cycle of birth and death), being Siddha (liberated), and having an upward motion.
• Naya-based Definition:
  • Vyavahara Naya (Ordinary View): Identifies Jiva as that which possesses four "Pranas" (life-forces: senses, strength, life-span, and respiration) across the past, present, and future.
  • Nischaya Naya (Real View): Identifies Jiva simply as that which possesses consciousness (Chetana).

Page 3: Varieties of Upayoga and Jnana

• Upayoga: Divided into two types: Darshana (perception of existence) and Jnana (knowledge).
• Darshana: Further classified into four types: Chakshu Darshana (through eyes), Achakshu Darshana (through other senses), Avadhi Darshana (clairvoyance), and Kevala Darshana (omniscience).
• Jnana: Divided into eight types:
  • Jnana: Mati (sense-based knowledge), Shruta (scripture-based knowledge), Avadhi (clairvoyance), Manahparyaya (telepathy), and Kevala (omniscience).
  • Ajnana (Incorrect Knowledge): Ku-mati (wrong sense-based), Ku-shruta (wrong scripture-based), and Ku-avadhi (wrong clairvoyance).
  • Classification by Perception: Jnana is also categorized as Pratyaksha (direct) and Paroksha (indirect).

Page 4: Jiva's Characteristics from Naya Perspective and Form

• General Characteristic: From Vyavahara Naya, Jiva is generally characterized by the eight kinds of Jnana and four kinds of Darshana.
• Pure Nischaya Naya: From the pure real viewpoint, Jiva's characteristic is pure Jnana and pure Darshana.
• Form (Murti/Amurti):
  • Nischaya Naya: Jiva is formless (Amurti) because it does not possess color, taste, smell, or touch.
  • Vyavahara Naya: Jiva appears to have form due to the bondage of Karma.

Page 5: Jiva's Agency and Enjoyment

• Agency (Kartritva):
  • Vyavahara Naya: Jiva is the doer of Karma (Pudgala Karma).
  • Nischaya Naya: Jiva is the doer of its own conscious states (Chetana Karma).
  • Suddha Naya: Jiva is the doer of pure states (Suddha Bhavas).
• Enjoyment (Bhoktritva):
  • Vyavahara Naya: Jiva enjoys happiness and misery, the fruits of Karma.
  • Nischaya Naya: Jiva experiences its own conscious nature.

Page 6: Jiva's Extent and Forms

• Extent (Pramana):
  • Vyavahara Naya: Without Samudghata (a process of soul's expansion/contraction), Jiva is equal in size to its body (small or large), due to its contraction and expansion capabilities.
  • Nischaya Naya: Jiva has innumerable "pradesas" (points of space occupied by the soul).
• Jiva's Divisions (Bheda):
  • Sthavara Jivas (Immobile): Earth-bodied, water-bodied, fire-bodied, air-bodied, and plant-bodied. These possess only one sense (touch).
  • Trasa Jivas (Mobile): Those with two senses (e.g., conch), three senses (e.g., insects), four senses (e.g., ants, flies), and five senses (e.g., humans, animals).

Page 7: Jiva Samasa and Naya Applications

• Jiva Samasa (Classification of Souls):
  • Five-sensed Jivas are divided into Samana (with mind) and Amana (without mind).
  • All other Jivas (one, two, three, and four-sensed) are Amana.
  • One-sensed Jivas are either Badara (gross) or Suksama (subtle).
  • All these classifications (totaling 14 Jiva Samasas) can be either Paryapta (developed) or Aparyapta (undeveloped).
• Naya Applications:
  • Ashuddha Naya (Impure/Vyavahara Naya): Jivas are understood in 14 Marganas (categories of inquiry) and 14 Gunasthanas (stages of spiritual development).
  • Shuddha Naya (Pure/Nischaya Naya): All Jivas are inherently pure.

Page 8: Siddha Jivas (Liberated Souls)

• Characteristics: Free from the eight Karmas, possess eight virtues, are slightly less in form than their last body, reside at the top of the universe (Lokagra), are eternal, and are subject to origination (Utpada) and destruction (Vyaya) in their qualities.

Page 8-11: Ajiva Dravyas (Non-living Substances)

• Ajiva Substances: Pudgala (matter), Dharma (principle of motion), Adharma (principle of rest), Akasha (space), and Kala (time). These are without consciousness.
• Pudgala: The only substance with form and qualities like color, taste, smell, and touch. Its modifications are sound, union, fineness, grossness, shape, division, darkness, image, light from stars, and sunlight.
• Dharma: The principle that aids the motion of Jiva and Pudgala. It is like water that helps fish move.
• Adharma: The principle that aids the rest of Jiva and Pudgala. It is like shade that helps travelers rest.
• Akasha: Provides space for all other substances. It is of two types: Lokakasa (where substances exist) and Alokakasa (empty space beyond the universe).
• Kala (Time):
  • Vyavahara Kala: Time as experienced through changes and modifications (minutes, hours, days).
  • Nischaya Kala: The inherent characteristic of continuity or existence.
  • Kalavastu (Time Atoms): Innumerable, existing in each point of space, like heaps of jewels.
• Astikaya (Substances with Pradesas): Jiva, Pudgala, Dharma, Adharma, and Akasha are Astikayas because they exist and have multiple pradesas (points of space). Kala has only one pradesa and is therefore not considered an Astikaya.
• Pradesa (Point of Space): The smallest indivisible part of space occupied by a single atom of Pudgala, capable of giving space to all atoms.

Page 12-15: The Seven Tatvas (Realities)

• Introduction: The text introduces the seven realities: Asrava (influx), Bandha (bondage), Samvara (cessation of influx), Nirjara (elimination of karma), Moksha (liberation), Punya (merit), and Papa (demerit).
• Asrava:
  • Bhava Asrava: The modification of the soul that leads to the influx of Karma. It has five types: Mithyatva (delusion), Avirti (lack of control), Pramad (carelessness), Yoga (activity), and Kasaya (passions). Each has further subdivisions.
  • Dravya Asrava: The influx of karmic matter into the soul, which can have various forms.
• Bandha:
  • Bhava Bandha: The attachment of the soul's consciousness to Karmas.
  • Dravya Bandha: The intermingling of Karmic matter with the soul's pradesas.
  • Types of Bandha: Prakriti (nature), Sthiti (duration), Anubhaga (intensity), and Pradesa (quantity). Yoga causes Prakriti and Pradesa Bandhas, while Kasaya causes Sthiti and Anubhaga Bandhas.
• Samvara:
  • Bhava Samvara: The modification of the soul that stops the influx of Karma. It is achieved through vows, carefulness, restraints, virtues, meditations, and victory over hardships.
  • Dravya Samvara: The external actions that stop the influx of Karmic matter.
• Nirjara:
  • Bhava Nirjara: The destruction of Karma through the soul's modifications (either naturally as its fruit is enjoyed, or through penance).
  • Dravya Nirjara: The actual destruction of karmic matter from the soul.
• Moksha:
  • Bhava Moksha: The soul's modification that causes the destruction of all Karmas.
  • Dravya Moksha: The complete separation of Karmas from the soul.
• Punya and Papa: Living beings are characterized by auspicious (Punya) and inauspicious (Papa) bhavas. Punya is associated with happiness, auspicious lifespan, name, and lineage. Papa is associated with the opposite.

Page 15-23: Path to Liberation (Ratnatraya)

• Cause of Moksha: Right Faith (Samyak Darshana), Right Knowledge (Samyak Jnana), and Right Conduct (Samyak Charitra) are the cause of liberation.
• Nischaya Naya: The soul itself, embodying these three, is the real cause of liberation.
• Samyak Darshana: Right faith in the essential elements of Jainism (Jiva, Ajiva, etc.). It is the soul's true nature and helps in acquiring right knowledge.
• Samyak Jnana: The knowledge that is free from doubt, perversity, and indecisiveness, accurately cognizing the self and others. It is active and has many forms.
• Darsana vs. Jnana: Darsana is the general perception of existence, while Jnana is the specific cognition of details.
• Order of Upayoga: For unenlightened souls (Chhadmastha), Darshana precedes Jnana. For the omniscient (Kevali), both arise simultaneously.
• Samyak Charitra:
  • Vyavahara Naya: Refraining from harmful actions and engaging in beneficial ones, including vows, carefulness, and restraints.
  • Nischaya Naya: The prevention of external and internal actions by the enlightened soul to destroy the causes of Samsara.

Page 23-26: Meditation (Dhyana)

• Importance of Meditation: Meditation is the means to achieve both Vyavahara and Nischaya paths to liberation.
• Method of Meditation: To achieve firm concentration, one should avoid attachment, aversion, and delusion towards desirable and undesirable objects.
• Mantras for Meditation: The text lists various mantras associated with the Panch Paramesthis (Arihant, Siddha, Acharya, Upadhyaya, Sadhu) composed of different numbers of letters, which are to be chanted and meditated upon.

Page 26-28: The Five Paramesthis (Supreme Beings)

• Arihant: Souls who have destroyed the four Ghatiya Karmas, possess infinite faith, happiness, knowledge, and power, reside in pure bodies, and are worthy of worship and meditation.
• Siddha: Liberated souls, free from all eight Karmas and their bodies, know and see the entire universe (Loka and Aloka), have a human-like form, reside at the top of the universe, and are worthy of meditation.
• Acharya: Sages who are proficient in the five Charitras (faith, knowledge, power, conduct, penance) and guide their disciples in these practices. They are worthy of meditation.
• Upadhyaya: Sages who are adorned with the three jewels (right faith, knowledge, conduct) and are constantly engaged in teaching religious truths. They are worthy of obeisance.
• Sadhu: Sages who fully practice the path of liberation (right faith, right knowledge, right conduct) which is always pure. They are worthy of meditation.

Page 29: Types of Meditation

• Nischaya Dhyana (Real Meditation): When a Sadhu, meditating on something, attains a state of desirelessness and oneness with the object of meditation.
• Param Dhyana (Supreme Meditation): Not to move the body, not to speak, and not to think about anything, but to remain attached to one's own soul.

Page 29-30: The Path to Meditation

• Means to Meditation: One who practices penance, holds vows, and studies scriptures becomes capable of meditating. Therefore, one should always engage in these practices to attain meditation.

Page 30-32: Dedication and Conclusion

• Author's Humility: The author, Nemichandra Muni, humbly states his limited knowledge and requests the learned sages to correct any faults in the text.
• Concluding Blessings: Offers prayers for the eradication of ego, attachment, and faults, and for the attainment of spiritual progress and liberation.
• Historical Context: Mentions Muktagiri and the date of completion (Akshaya Tritiya, Vira Nirvana Samvat 2517).

In essence, "Dravya Sangraha" provides a systematic Jain philosophical framework, detailing the nature of the soul (Jiva) and non-living substances (Ajiva), and outlining the path to liberation through right faith, knowledge, conduct, and meditation, emphasizing the importance of the five supreme beings.