Karmstava - Book Summary | JainGPT

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Karmstava" by Sukhlal Sanghavi, based on the provided pages:

Book Title: Karmstava (कर्मस्तव) Author: Sukhlal Sanghavi Publisher: Z_Darshan_aur_Chintan_Part_1_2_002661.pdf Catalog Link: https://jainqq.org/explore/229066/1

Purpose of the Book:

This book, "Karmstava," is the second in a series of karmic texts. The first book, "Karmavipaka," described the fundamental and subsidiary categories of karma. It also specified the number of karmic states that are eligible for bondage (bandh), manifestation/outburst (udaya-udirna), and existence in the soul's state (satta). "Karmastava" aims to explain the qualification or eligibility of these karmic states for bondage, manifestation, and existence.

Style of Subject Description:

Since the number of embodied souls in the cycle of birth and death (samsara) is infinite, it's impossible to describe the bondage-related qualifications of each individual soul. Furthermore, an individual soul's qualifications change constantly due to shifts in their mental states and thoughts. To address this, the ancient Jain scholars, who were insightful about the soul, divided embodied beings into 14 classes.

This classification is based on the ascending and descending stages of internal purity of the soul. This sequential classification is known as the Gunsthana-krama (गुणस्थान-क्रम), or the sequence of soul-stages. This system encompasses all embodied souls. By categorizing them into these 14 stages, it becomes easier to explain the bondage, manifestation, and existence qualifications for an infinite number of souls. Moreover, the ever-changing qualifications of an individual soul can also be represented within one of these stages.

The Gunsthana-krama has been scientifically developed based on a detailed examination of the gradual progression of internal purity in souls. This allows for a clear understanding of how a soul with a specific level of internal impurity or purity is eligible for the bondage, manifestation, or existence of a certain number of karmic types. This book explains the soul's qualifications related to bondage, manifestation, and existence based on this Gunsthana-krama. This is the book's descriptive style.

Subject Division:

The book is primarily divided into four main sections:

Bandh-adhikara (बन्धाधिकार): The section on bondage, which describes the bondage qualifications of souls in each of the 14 Gunsthanas.
Udaya-adhikara (उदयाधिकार): The section on manifestation, detailing the manifestation qualifications of souls.
Udirna-adhikara (उदीरणाधिकार): The section on outburst, explaining the outburst qualifications of souls.
Satta-adhikara (सत्ताधिकार): The section on existence, outlining the existence qualifications of souls.

The foundational framework for these four sections is the Gunsthana-krama. Therefore, the book's subject matter can be considered to be divided into five parts: first, the introduction to the Gunsthana-krama, followed by the four aforementioned sections.

Meaning of the Name "Karmastava":

The name "Karmastava" is derived from the author's spiritual perspective. Spiritual scholars focus on the soul in all their activities, keeping an ideal before them that shields them from worldly attractions. They believe that a ship sailing in the right direction avoids most obstacles. The author of "Karmastava" shared this belief and wished to present a great ideal during the creation of this text.

The author's ideal was Lord Mahavir. Deeply impressed by Lord Mahavir's extraordinary quality of karmic destruction (karmakshaya), the author desired to showcase this quality through their work. Therefore, the book was written in the guise of praising their ideal, Lord Mahavir. While the primary subject is the bondage and other aspects of karma, it is presented as a form of praise. Hence, the name "Karmastava" (praise of karma, or praise through karma) is fitting.

Basis of the Book's Creation:

This book is based on an "Ancient Karmastava" (प्राचीन कर्मस्तव), another karmic text. Both texts share the same subject matter. The difference lies in their scope: "Karmastava" is shorter. The ancient text has 55 verses (gatha), while this one has 34. Points explained at length in the ancient text are presented concisely here. Although the ancient karmic text is commonly known as "Karmastava," its initial verse clearly indicates its actual name is "Bandhodaya-sattvayukta-stava" (बन्धोदयसत्त्वयुक्तस्तव), meaning "Praise of Bondage, Manifestation, and Existence."

Although the author of this newly created "Karmastava" (based on the ancient one) did not explicitly mention the name "Karmastava" in any part of the text, there is no doubt about its name. This is because the author, Shri Devendrasuri, explicitly stated the name in the concluding part of his third karmic text as "Nevam Karma-sthayam soum." Whether the word "Stava" is preceded by "Bandhodaya-sattva" or "Karma," the meaning remains the same.

The discussion about the name is important because the names of the ancient second karmic text and the second chapter of the Gommatasara are identical. This similarity in names is evidence of mutual imitation between Shvetambara and Digambara scholars in their textual creations. It is noteworthy that while the names are the same, the interpretation of the word "Stava" in Gommatasara is entirely different, whereas in the ancient second karmic text and its commentary, there is no indication of this unique meaning. This suggests that if the ancient second karmic text had been based on Gommatasara's "Bandhodaya-sattvayukta" name, its unique interpretation of "Stava" would likely have been included. This leads to the conclusion that the ancient second karmic text might have been composed before Gommatasara. Gommatasara is said to have been composed in the 11th century Vikram Samvat. The composition time and author of the ancient second karmic text are unknown, but its commentator is Shri Govindacharya, a disciple of Shri Devanaga. Govindacharya's time is also uncertain, but a manuscript of his commentary, written on palm leaves in Vikram Samvat 1277, exists. This confirms that his time was before 1277 VS. If the commentator's time is estimated to be the 12th century, then it's reasonable to assume the original "Second Karmic Text" was composed a hundred or two hundred years earlier. It's possible that Gommatasara referenced this "Second Karmic Text" and then altered the interpretation of the word "Stava" to display independence. However, making any definitive statement on this matter is speculative. This speculation is merely an imitation of the style of current writers. The time of the proponent of this new second karmic text, Shri Devendrasuri, can be known from the preface of the earlier karmic text.

Symbolic Meaning of "Stava" in Gommatasara:

Similar to this karmic text, Gommatasara also discusses bondage, manifestation, outburst, and existence in relation to the Gunsthanas. The name of this karmic text is "Karmastava." Gommatasara's relevant chapter is named "Bandhodaya-sattva-yukta-stava" (बन्धोदयसत्त्व-युक्त-स्तव), as proven by the statement "Bandhudaya-sattam ghadesa sthavam voccham" (गो० कर्म० गा० ७६). There is no significant difference between the two names, as "Karma" in "Karmastava" is replaced by "Bandhodaya-sattva-yukta" in Gommatasara.

However, while the word "Stava" is common to both names, its meaning is completely different. In "Karmastava," "Stava" means "praise," as is universally known. But in Gommatasara, "Stava" is not used for praise; it has a specific symbolic meaning. Similarly, the word "Stuti" in Gommatasara has a technical meaning not found elsewhere. For example:

"Saralanggekanggekkangahiyara saviththara sasankhevam. Varannana-sattham thaya-thudhi-dhamma kaha hoï gniyameṇa ||" - Go. Karma. Gatha 2

This means a scripture that describes all the limbs of a subject, either in detail or briefly, is called "Stava" (स्तव). A scripture that describes a single limb, in detail or briefly, is called "Stuti" (स्तुति). And a scripture that describes a part of a limb is called "Dharma Katha" (धर्म कथा).

Thus, despite the similarity in subject matter and nomenclature, the difference in the meaning of the names appears to be a consequence of sectarian differences and the temporal and geographical variations in the creation of texts.

Brief General Nature of Gunsthanas:

The state of the soul is sometimes filled with ignorance. This is the initial and most inferior state. From this state, the soul, through the development of its inherent qualities like consciousness and conduct, gradually progresses through stages of evolution, reaching the ultimate limit of development. Escaping this initial inferior state and reaching the final stage of development is the ultimate goal of the soul.

Until this ultimate goal is achieved, the soul must pass through a series of sequential states, from one to another. This series of states is called the "process of development" or the "path of evolution." In Jain scriptural terminology, it is called the "Gunsthana-krama" (गुणस्थान-क्रम). The different states of the soul occurring during this developmental process have been summarized into 14 divisions. These 14 divisions are known as Gunsthanas. In Digambara literature, words like "Sankshepa," "Ogha Samanya," and "Jeeva Samasa" are also used in the sense of "Gunsthana."

In the 14 Gunsthanas, the second is more developed than the first, the third is more developed than the second, and so on. The degree of development depends on the degree of soul's stability (atmika sthirata). Stability, samadhi, introspection, self-absorption, and self-orientation all have the same meaning. The gradation of stability depends on the gradation of purity in the soul's perception (darshana) and conduct (charitra) powers.

The greater the development and purity of the perception power, the greater the manifestation of right faith, right inclination, right devotion, right conviction, or right resolve. After the development of perception power comes the development of conduct power. The more the conduct power develops, the more qualities like forgiveness, contentment, gravity, and control of senses manifest. As the purity of perception and conduct powers increases, the degree of stability also increases. The increase or decrease in the purity of perception and conduct powers depends on the decrease or increase, or the mildness or intensity, of the inhibitory (preventing) karmic impressions (samskaras) associated with those powers.

In the first three Gunsthanas, the development of perception and conduct powers does not occur because of the abundance or intensity of their inhibitory karmic impressions. In the fourth and subsequent Gunsthanas, these inhibitory karmic impressions become less intense, allowing the development of these powers to begin.

These inhibitory (Kashaya - passions) impressions are broadly divided into 4 categories. These divisions are based on the relative strength of the vipaka shakti (power of fruition) of those Kashaya impressions.

The first category, which inhibits perception power, is called Darshana Moha (delusion of perception) and Anantanubandhi (eternal continuous passions).
The remaining three categories inhibit conduct power. They are, in order, Pratyakhyanavarana (partial renunciation obscuring), Apratyakhyanavarana (non-renunciation obscuring), and Sanjvalana (burning passions).

The intensity of the first category (Darshana Moha and Anantanubandhi) persists to varying degrees in the first three Gunsthanas. This prevents the manifestation of perception power. When this first category of Kashaya becomes less intense, milder, or absent, the perception power manifests. At this point, the soul's insight opens. This opening of insight is also called Viveka Khyati (discriminative knowledge), Bheda Gyan (knowledge of distinction), Prakriti-Purushanyata-Sakshatkar (realization of the distinction between nature and self), and Brahma Gyan (divine knowledge).

With this pure insight, the soul unequivocally understands the distinction between the inert (jada) and the conscious (chetana). This is the fourth stage of its developmental process. In this stage, it becomes introspective and sees the soul's inherent divine nature within its own temple. In the first three stages, due to the prevalence of Kashaya impressions like Darshana Moha and Anantanubandhi, the soul cannot see its divine state. At that time, it is Bahirātmā (external-souled). Due to the force of Darshana Moha and other impressions, its vision becomes so unstable and wavering that it cannot see the divine state or Godhood within itself. Godhood is within, but it is extremely subtle, and can only be seen with a stable and pure vision.

The fourth stage or fourth Gunsthana should be considered the gateway to the vision of the divine state or Godhood. The soul that reaches this point should be called Antarātmā (internal-souled). In contrast, souls in the first three stages should be called Bahirātmā, as they wander here and there, mistaking external objects for the self.

In the fourth stage, the force of Darshana Moha and Anantanubandhi Kashayas is absent, but the force of impressions that obscure conduct power is definitely present. Among these, the Apratyakhyanavarana impression's force does not extend beyond the fourth stage. Therefore, in the fifth stage, the primary development of conduct power occurs. At this time, the soul achieves some degree of control over the senses and becomes tolerant of following certain regulations.

When the Pratyakhyanavarana impressions, whose force does not extend beyond the fifth stage, have their impact reduced, the development of conduct power increases further. As a result, the soul turns away from external enjoyments and becomes a complete ascetic. This is the sixth stage of development. In this stage, the "Sanjvalana" Kashaya impressions, which are part of the three-fold obstruction to conduct power, occasionally cause disturbance, hindering the development of conduct power. These obstacles arise similar to how the wind's force affects a lamp's flame, impacting its stability and intensity.

When the soul suppresses the "Sanjvalana" impressions, it transcends the seventh and subsequent stages of the evolutionary path, reaching up to the eleventh and twelfth stages. In the twelfth stage, the inhibitory impressions of perception and conduct powers are completely destroyed, leading to the full development of both powers. However, even in this state, due to the connection with the physical body, the soul's stability is not entirely complete. It becomes completely perfect in the fourteenth stage, and after the separation from the body, this stability and conduct power, in their true form, remain constant forever. This is called Moksha (liberation). Moksha does not come from outside; it is merely the complete manifestation of all the soul's powers.

"Mokshasya na hi vāso'sti na grāmāntarameva cha / Ajñāna-hr̥dayagranthinaśo mokṣa iti smr̥taḥ ||" - Shiva Gita - 13-32

This ultimate stage of development, this non-duality with the divine state, this oneness with the Godhood seen in the fourth stage (Gunsthana), this Brahman-bhava of the Vedantins, this becoming of the soul as Shiva, and this is the ultimate goal of the evolutionary path. To reach this goal, the soul must struggle with and suppress opposing impressions, and the sequence of stages it traverses on the evolutionary path is to be understood as the Gunsthana-krama. This is the general nature of the Gunsthanas. Their detailed description is provided with some elaboration in the commentary of the second verse of this karmic text.

[E. 1921] [Preface to the Second Karmic Text]