Gyansar Astak Tatha Gyanmanjari Vrutti Part 4

This is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Gyansar Astak tatha Gyanmanjari Vrutti Part-4" by Dhirajlal D Mehta, published by Shri Jain Dharm Prasaran Trust-Surat. The summary covers the content of the provided pages, focusing on the "Karmavipaka Chintanashtak" (Chapter 21) and the introduction to "Bhavodvega Ashtak" (Chapter 22).

Book Title: Gyansar Astak tatha Gyanmanjari Vrutti Part-4 Author(s): Dhirajlal D Mehta Publisher: Shri Jain Dharm Prasaran Trust-Surat

Summary of Key Chapters and Concepts:

The text is a commentary (Vrutti) on the Gyansar, which is a collection of spiritual verses. This specific part, Part-4, delves into detailed philosophical and practical aspects of Jainism, as explained through the commentary of Acharya Shri Yashovijayji and Acharya Shrimad Devchandra Vachakvar.

Chapter 21: Karmavipaka Chintanashtak (The Eight Verses on Contemplating the Ripening of Karma)

This chapter is central to the provided text and focuses on the nature of Karma, its existence, and how to deal with its effects.

• The Nature of Karma:

  • Karma is defined as what is created and bound by the soul when it is influenced by causes like mithyatva (false beliefs), avirati (non-restraint), pramada (carelessness), kashaya (passions), and yoga (activity of mind, speech, and body).
  • When the soul is pure, knowledgeable, and free from these causes, it is not the doer or enjoyer of karma, like the souls in liberation (moksha).
  • Karma is composed of subtle, imperceptible matter (karmavargana pudgala) and has various classifications like jnana-avarana (knowledge-obscuring) and darshana-avarana (perception-obscuring).

• Arguments Against the Existence of Karma (and their Refutation):

  • A materialist or skeptic argument is presented: Karma does not exist because it cannot be perceived through direct perception (pratyaksha), inference (anumana), analogy (upamana), or scripture (agama).
  • Pratyaksha (Direct Perception): Karma is not directly perceivable by the senses because it is considered atindriya (beyond the senses). However, the text argues that the results of karma (happiness and sorrow) are directly perceived. Furthermore, the omniscient beings (sarvajnas) directly perceive karma through their perfect knowledge.
  • Anumana (Inference): The argument that inference requires prior direct perception of the object or its sign (linga) is addressed. While external objects like fire are inferred from smoke, karma does not have such obvious external signs. However, the inference of karma is based on the direct perception of its effects (happiness and sorrow), which are seen to be dissimilar even in individuals with similar external circumstances. This dissimilarity points to an unseen cause, which is karma. It's likened to seeing the sprout and inferring the seed.
  • Upamana (Analogy): Upamana relies on direct perception, so if karma is not directly perceived, analogy doesn't apply.
  • Agama (Scripture): The argument that scriptures are contradictory is countered by accepting the scriptures of the omniscient.

• The Cause of Happiness and Sorrow:

  • The text asserts that karma is the cause of the happiness and sorrow experienced by beings.
  • The observed differences in happiness and sorrow, even among those with similar external conditions (like two men with the same wife, or two people stung by the same thorn), point to an internal cause – karma.

• The Distinction Between Visible and Invisible Causes:

  • A counter-argument is raised: Why posit an invisible cause like karma when visible causes like garlands, sandalwood, and women lead to happiness, and poison and thorns lead to sorrow?
  • The refutation is that visible causes are not always sufficient, and the experienced differences (happiness/sorrow) in similar situations require an unseen, internal cause (karma).

• The Role of Omniscients (Sarvajnas):

  • Karma is directly perceived by the omniscient, whose knowledge encompasses all things.
  • For others, karma is indirectly understood through inference based on its effects.

• The Argument from Unequal Distribution of Fortune:

  • The text highlights the observed variations in fortune and suffering among individuals. Even those with similar external means (like wealthy individuals enjoying pleasures or those facing misfortune) experience different levels of happiness and sorrow. This disparity is attributed to their past karma.

• The Concept of Pudgala (Matter) in Karma:

  • Karma is described as being made of karmavargana pudgala (matter particles that form karma).
  • These particles are transformed into karmic matter by the soul's kashayas (passions) and other causal factors. It's compared to flour being transformed into a sweet dumpling by the actions of the soul.

• Naya (Standpoints) on Karma:

  • The text explains karma from various nayanas (standpoints):
    • Naigama Naya: Identifies factors that lead to karma-binding causes (like associating with or praising those of other faiths) as karma.
    • Sangraha Naya: Considers the soul's capacity for karma-binding and the karmic matter itself as karma.
    • Vyavahara Naya: Views the collection of karmic matter being absorbed and the 18 impure activities (papastanaka) as karma.
    • Rijusutra Naya: Focuses on the present karmic conditions and the soul's states (adhyavasaya) that lead to karma-binding.
    • Shabda Naya: Considers the karmic particles currently in the state of fruition (vipaka) as karma.
    • Samabhirudha Naya: Identifies karma as that which obstructs the soul's infinite qualities (knowledge, perception, etc.).
    • Evambhuta Naya: Views karma as the soul's inherent nature of being the doer, knower, and controller of karma.

• The Importance of Equanimity:

  • The core message is to remain neutral and detached from the results of karma, whether pleasant or unpleasant. The analogy of depositing money with someone and receiving it back is used to illustrate that the ultimate ownership of happiness and sorrow lies with karma, not the soul.
  • Just as getting money back brings relief from responsibility, the exhaustion of karma brings freedom from the cycle of birth and death.

• Illustrative Examples:

  • The text uses examples like a king whose downfall leads to begging for alms, and a pauper who becomes a king, to illustrate the unpredictable and powerful nature of karma.
  • The contrast between those who are naturally intelligent or born into noble families but still suffer due to karma, and those who are not but achieve great things through good fortune (karma), highlights karma's influence.

• The Nature of Creation and Karma's Influence:

  • The creation due to karma is described as uneven, like the hump of a camel, varying due to differences in birth, family, body, intellect, lifespan, strength, and fortune.
  • The text emphasizes that even high-level spiritual practitioners (upashamashreni, shrutakevalins) can fall due to the influence of residual karma, particularly moha-karma (delusion-causing karma).

• The Role of Consciousness and Effort:

  • The kshayopashama (combination of destruction and subsidence) of certain karmas (like knowledge-obscuring) manifests consciousness and power. This inner potential, when influenced by delusion (moha), becomes the cause of new karma binding.
  • The text clarifies that the udaya (fruition) of karma itself doesn't bind new karma; rather, it's the state of consciousness (chetana) influenced by moha that leads to new binding.

• The Ultimate Goal:

  • The ultimate aim is to overcome all karma, purify the soul, and achieve liberation (moksha). This involves understanding the true nature of the self, realizing its inherent purity, and attaining the state of kevala jnana (absolute knowledge).

Chapter 22: Bhavodvega Ashtak (The Eight Verses on Disgust with the Cycle of Existence)

This chapter follows the contemplation of karma and focuses on developing a sense of detachment and disgust towards the cycle of birth and death (samsara).

• The Nature of Samsara:

  • Samsara is depicted as a terrifying ocean filled with dangers like ignorance, the cycle of birth and death, suffering, disease, sorrow, passions (kashayas), desires (trishna), lust (kama), and negative thoughts, all contributing to a perilous existence.
  • The soul is described as being caught in this cycle due to its attachment to worldly pleasures and its inability to discern reality from illusion.

• The Importance of True Knowledge and Renunciation:

  • The text stresses the need for true knowledge (jnana) and righteous conduct (charitra) to navigate this ocean of samsara.
  • Mere adherence to rituals or external practices without genuine inner transformation and renunciation is considered ineffective.

• The Path to Liberation:

  • The path to liberation involves understanding the ephemeral nature of worldly pleasures, recognizing the soul's true, eternal nature, and striving for self-realization through spiritual practice.

• The Analogy of the Ocean:

  • The world is compared to a vast, deep, and dangerous ocean, where the seafloor is ignorance, the waves are suffering, and the currents are passions. Navigating this requires strong spiritual effort and guidance.

• The Meaning of Bhavodvega:

  • Bhavodvega signifies a profound sense of detachment and aversion towards the cycle of worldly existence and its accompanying suffering, leading one to seek liberation.

Overall Themes:

The text emphasizes the profound and intricate workings of karma, the subjective experience of suffering and happiness as a result of past actions, and the necessity of righteous conduct, detachment, and spiritual knowledge for liberation. The commentary provides detailed explanations and uses analogies to make these complex philosophical concepts accessible. The overarching goal is to guide the reader towards understanding the self, purifying the soul, and ultimately achieving freedom from the cycle of rebirth.