Jain Karm Siddhant Tulnatmaka Vivechan - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Jain Karm Siddhant Tulnatmaka Vivechan" by Dr. Rammurti Tripathi, focusing on the Jain perspective on Karma in comparison to other Indian philosophies:

Core Tenet: Karma as the Foundation of Existence

The text begins by establishing that karma is the fundamental principle underpinning the belief in reincarnation, which is a defining characteristic of Hindu culture. All major streams within Hindu tradition – Brahmanical (Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, etc.), Jainism, and Buddhism – share a belief in karma. The Mimamsa school of Brahmanical thought considers "karma" to be everything, stating "Karmat Mimamsakah" (From karma, the Mimamsakas). Similarly, Buddhism attributes all worldly diversity to karma. Jainism, however, posits an eternal and inherent connection between karma and the soul (jiva).

Shared Beliefs and the Jain Distinction:

Despite the common ground of believing in karma as the origin of creation and often rejecting a supreme creator deity (God), all three traditions acknowledge that eternal desires (vasana), passions (kashaya), and cravings (tanha) are the roots of karmic bondage. They also all advocate for the cessation of these negative influences.

However, the text emphasizes that Jainism's understanding of the nature of karma is fundamentally distinct from other philosophies.

Comparative Analysis of Karma in Other Philosophies:

Vaishēṣika Darśana: Views karma as a separate substance that is associated with a material substance (dravya). It has no inherent qualities itself and causes conjunction and disjunction without needing an intermediary. Karma resides only in tangible substances (mūrt dravya), which are limited in quantity. It's not present in omnipresent entities like space, time, direction, or the soul. Vaishēṣika identifies five types of karma: utksēpaṇa (upward movement), apaksēpaṇa (downward movement), ākuñcana (contraction), prasāraṇa (expansion), and gamana (movement). Other actions are often subsumed under "gamana." Panini defines karma as that which is most desired by the agent through action.
Mimamsa and Bhagavad Gita: Mimamsa extensively discusses different forms of karma: nitya (daily), naimittika (occasional), kamya (desire-fulfillment), and niṣēdhya (prohibited). The Bhagavad Gita also considers the cycle of prārabdha (karma bearing fruit), sañcita (accumulated karma), and kriyamāṇa (karma being performed). Shankaracharya's Advaita Vedanta interprets karma as the initial "vibration" or movement arising from Maya in the inert Brahman, making the entire dynamic creation essentially karmic.
Buddhism: Buddhism refers to "avijñapti karma" (unmanifest karma), which can be compared to the "adṛṣṭa" or "apūrva" in Vaishēṣika and Mimamsa. This unmanifest karma, when it matures, becomes "vijñapti karma" (manifest karma). Buddhist philosophy also speaks of "dharmas" as subtle mental and conscious elements whose interplay creates the world. These are further categorized as "saṃskṛta" (conditioned) and "asaṃskṛta" (unconditioned), or "sāsrava" (karmically bound) and "anāsrava" (karmically free).

The Jain Conception of Karma: A Material Substance

The core of the Jain perspective is that karma is a physical, material substance (pudgala), a collection of subtle matter. It is described as having an eternal relationship with the soul (jiva). This karmic matter enters the soul due to its passions (kashaya), leading to the soul's bondage.

Process of Bondage: The soul's engagement in actions of body, speech, and mind (kāya, vāk, manaḥ) driven by passions (kashaya) attracts appropriate karmic particles (pudgala). This attraction forms a connection, or "bandha," between the soul and karma.
Nature of Karma: Jain acharyas explain that just as specific vessels produce special results from fruits and flowers (e.g., intoxication from certain fruits), similarly, the combination of the soul's actions, passions, and attractive karmic matter results in a specific outcome, which is karma.
Types of Karmic Bondage: The bondage itself is described as having four aspects:
1. Prakṛti (Nature): The inherent quality of the karma.
2. Sthiti (Duration): The time period for which the karma remains bound.
3. Anubhava/Anubhaga (Intensity): The potency or intensity of the karmic effect.
4. Pradeśa (Quantity): The extent or magnitude of karmic particles attached.
Function of Karma: The fundamental function of karma is to obscure the soul's inherent, natural qualities.
Eightfold Classification of Karma: Based on their nature and effect, karma is categorized into eight types:
- Ghatiya Karma (Obscuring/Destructive Karma): These directly affect the soul's essential qualities.
  - Jnānāvaraṇa (Knowledge Obscuring)
  - Darshanāvaraṇa (Perception Obscuring)
  - Mohaniya (Delusion/Infatuation)
  - Antarāya (Obstruction)
- Aghatiya Karma (Non-Obscuring/Non-Destructive Karma): These do not directly destroy the soul's essential qualities, but affect the physical body and lifespan.
  - Vedaniya (Feeling/Sensory)
  - Āyu (Lifespan)
  - Nāma (Name/Individuality)
  - Gotra (Status/Lineage)
Sub-classifications: The text notes that the Jain karmic system is incredibly detailed, with 158 types of karma nature alone. It outlines the specific number of sub-types for each of the eight main categories.

The Cycle of Karma and Liberation:

Jainism also elucidates the cycle of karma, similar to other Indian traditions. The text explains how actions create subtle impressions (saṃskāras) which accumulate. These accumulated karmas then mature and fructify (prārabdha), leading to new actions (kriyamāṇa), perpetuating the cycle.

The ultimate goal in Jainism, as in other traditions, is to break free from this karmic cycle. While other traditions might emphasize practices like "śīla, samādhi, prajñā" (virtue, meditation, wisdom), "bhakti" (devotion), or "jñāna" (knowledge), Jainism's path to liberation is Samyañc Darśana, Samyañc Jñāna, and Samyañc Cāritra (Right Faith, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct).

In essence, "Jain Karm Siddhant Tulnatmaka Vivechan" meticulously explains the Jain doctrine of karma, highlighting its materialistic nature and its profound impact on the soul's journey, while also engaging in a comparative analysis with the karmic theories of other prominent Indian philosophical schools.