Vipaksutram
Added to library: September 2, 2025

Summary
The text describes the Vipaksutra, the eleventh Jain Agam text, also known as Karma Vipak Dasha. It details the results of good and bad karma experienced by souls in different life forms and circumstances. The text is divided into two parts: the first part, which is extensive, describes the consequences of negative karma leading to suffering, and the second part, which is brief, describes the results of positive karma leading to happiness.
The Vipaksutra is presented as a dialogue between Jambuswami and Sudharmaswami, where Jambuswami asks questions about the various consequences of karma, and Sudharmaswami answers them. The text goes into great detail about the lives of various individuals, their actions, and the karmic results they experience, often spanning multiple lifetimes. It mentions many cities, gardens, and deities, providing insights into the social and cultural landscape of ancient India.
The summary highlights:
- The structure of the text: Two parts, ten chapters each, presented as a dialogue.
- Key figures: Jambuswami and Sudharmaswami, with numerous other characters introduced throughout the text.
- Themes: Karma, consequences of actions, reincarnation, suffering, happiness, and liberation.
- Detailed narratives: The text includes stories of kings, queens, merchants, courtesans, outcasts, and even animals, illustrating the effects of karma.
- Historical and cultural context: The text implicitly provides information about the social customs, rituals, and practices of the time.
- Commentary: The text is accompanied by the "Vipaka Chandrika" commentary by Acharya Ghasi Lalji Maharaj, which explains the verses in Hindi and Gujarati.
The provided text seems to be an index and introduction to the Vipaksutra, along with the beginning of the first chapter, discussing the city of Champanagari, the park Purnabhadra, and the presence of Acharya Sudharma and his disciple Jambuswami. It then moves into the discussion of karma and its consequences, using the story of Mrigaputra (son of the deer) as an example. Later sections delve into the lives of other characters like Ujjitaka, Abhaagnasen, and Sakata, illustrating various karmic consequences, including rebirth in hellish realms, animal forms, and eventual spiritual progress. The text emphasizes the principle of karma and its inescapable results, as taught in Jainism.