Uttaradhyayan Sutram Part 05 - Book Summary

This document, titled "Uttaradhyayan Sutram Part 05," is the fifth part of a Jain text, authored by Sudharmaswami and commented upon by Lakshmivallabh Gani, published by Shravak Hiralal Hansraj. The catalog link provided is for "jainqq.org".

Key Themes and Content Summary:

This section of the Uttaradhyayan Sutram, specifically focusing on Chapter 19 (अध्य०१९), titled Mrugaputra (मृगापुत्र), delves into the concept of Nihpratikarata (निःप्रतिकर्मता), meaning freedom from reaction or being unaffected.

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Context: Chapter 18 discussed the renunciation of worldly pleasures and possessions. Chapter 19 aims to explain how to achieve a state of being unaffected (Nihpratikarata) through the example of Mrugaputra.
The Story of Mrugaputra:
- The chapter begins by introducing King Balabhadra of the city of Sugriva, which was beautiful and adorned with forests and gardens. His chief queen was named Mruga.
- They had a son named Balashri, but he was popularly known as Mrugaputra (son of Mruga). He was beloved by his parents, was the crown prince, and was also called Damishvara (Lord of self-control), even in his youth. This "Damishvara" title for a prince is explained as a futuristic attribution or a description of his inherent nature.
- Mrugaputra lived a life of pleasure, enjoying his palace with celestial beings and engaging in festivities. He observed the city from his palace, taking in the sights of squares, intersections, and squares.
- Encounter with a Muni: One day, while wandering in the city, Mrugaputra saw a Muni (ascetic) who was restrained, observant of penance, self-control, and full of virtues.
- Mrugaputra's Realization and Transformation: Upon seeing the Muni, Mrugaputra felt an uncanny familiarity and a sense of having seen him before. This encounter triggered his Jatismaran (जातिस्मरण), the recollection of past lives. He remembered suffering in hellish realms and animal births.
- Desire for Renunciation: Mrugaputra, realizing the futility of worldly pleasures (which are like poison's fruit and have painful consequences), and the transient nature of the body (impure, born of impurity, and a vessel of suffering), expressed his desire to his parents to renounce the world and become an ascetic.
- Parental Advice and Mrugaputra's Resolve: His parents, recognizing his tender age and delicate nature, advised him that asceticism is difficult, requiring a thousand virtues for a monk. They tried to dissuve him, suggesting he enjoy the worldly pleasures of human life. However, Mrugaputra, having seen the harsh realities of past lives and the suffering in hell and animal births, was resolute. He explained that just as a house on fire is saved by removing valuables, he needed to shed all attachments. He compared the arduousness of asceticism to the difficulty of drinking fire, crossing the ocean with bare hands, or walking on a sword's edge, but his determination was firm.
- Mrugaputra's Past Experiences: Mrugaputra then recounts his past life experiences, emphasizing the intense suffering he endured:
  - Experiencing heat and cold, insect bites, hunger, thirst, and the pain of insults.
  - Being subjected to beatings and insults, enduring harsh discipline, and facing adversities.
  - Having his body torn apart by wild animals, being burnt, and cooked.
  - Being tortured with instruments, torn by animals, and having his body dismembered.
  - Experiencing immense heat in hellish realms, far greater than earthly fire.
  - Undergoing extreme cold in hellish realms, far greater than earthly cold.
  - Suffering births, old age, diseases, and deaths in countless lives.
  - Experiencing the suffering of hellish existence, like being burnt alive and cooked.
  - Being subject to the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, experiencing pain and suffering at every stage.
  - He describes various tortures in hell, including being impaled, burnt in furnaces, and consumed by animals.
  - He highlights the suffering associated with attachments, the pursuit of wealth, and the sorrow of separation from loved ones.
  - He emphasizes the impermanent and impure nature of the body and the suffering it entails.
  - He articulates a lack of pleasure in the physical body and the futility of worldly enjoyment.
  - He laments the inherent suffering in the cycle of birth and death, a state of constant pain and struggle.
  - He states that everything – land, wealth, friends, family, and even the body itself – must be abandoned eventually.
  - He draws parallels between the unpleasant outcome of certain fruits and the unpalatable consequences of worldly pleasures.
  - He uses the analogy of a traveler without provisions on a long journey to illustrate the suffering of one who neglects religious duties and faces the consequences in future lives.
- Mrugaputra's Decision and Parents' Blessing: Mrugaputra's detailed accounts of past suffering convinced his parents. They finally blessed him, granting him permission to embrace asceticism.
- The Parents' Perspective: The parents, while acknowledging the difficulty of the ascetic path, emphasized the importance of virtue and self-discipline for a monk. They highlighted the challenges of complete detachment and the need to overcome desires and attachments.
- Mrugaputra's Embrace of Asceticism: Mrugaputra, understanding the true nature of suffering and the path to liberation, ultimately renounced the world, embracing the difficult but ultimately liberating path of asceticism, exemplified by his resolute adoption of the "Mrugacharya" (the way of the deer, implying simple, pure, and unaffected living).
- The Analogy of the Deer: The chapter repeatedly draws upon the analogy of the deer, especially in its solitary wandering, its simple needs, and its ability to be unaffected by external circumstances, to illustrate the ideal conduct of a Muni.

Overall Message:

Chapter 19 of the Uttaradhyayan Sutram, through the story of Mrugaputra, powerfully illustrates the Jain principle of Nihpratikarata (निःप्रतिकर्मता) – the state of being unaffected by worldly experiences, emotions, and sufferings. It emphasizes the importance of remembering past lives' sufferings to develop strong renunciation and detachment, and ultimately, to pursue the path of liberation with unwavering determination, regardless of the hardships involved. The story highlights that true freedom comes from inner strength and detachment, rather than external circumstances.