Istopadesa The Golden Discourse

Author(s): Vijay K Jain
Publisher: Vikalp
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/007695/1

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Acarya Pujyapada's Istopadesa - THE GOLDEN DISCOURSE AcArya pUjyapAda viracita iSTopadeza PO DOO INN Tape SEO BAGUS Foreword by: Acarya 108 Vidyanand Muni VIJAY K. JAIN

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Acarya Pujyapada's Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse AcArya pUjyapAda viracita iSTopadeza

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Acarya Pujyapada's Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse AcArya pUjyapAda viracita iSTopadeza Foreword by: a 108 Vidyanand Muni Vijay K. Jain vikalpa

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Front cover: The eye-catching, palm-size, black idol of Lord Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara, in Jain Temple, Jalalabad. This antique idol is considered to be endowed with miraculous powers. Jalalabad is a small historical town situated on Delhi-Saharanpur Road, 41 km from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Pic by Vijay K. Jain (2002) Acarya Pujyapada's Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse Vijay K. Jain Non-Copyright This work may be reproduced, translated and published in any language without any special permission, provided that it is true to the original and that a mention is made of the source. ISBN 81-903639-6-4 Rs. 450/ Published, in the year 2014, by: Vikalp Printers Anekant Palace, 29 Rajpur Road Dehradun-248001 (Uttarakhand) India www.vikalpprinters.com E-mail: vikalp_printers@rediffmail.com Tel.: (0135) 2658971 Printed at: Vikalp Printers, Dehradun (iv)

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Adya mitAkSara AcArya vidyAnanda muni kavi, vaiyAkaraNa aura dArzanika ina tInoM vyaktitvoM kA ekatra samavAya AcArya devanandi-pUjyapAda meM pAyA jAtA hai| AdipurANa ke racayitA AcArya jinasena ne inheM kaviyoM meM tIrthakRta likhA hai kavInAM tIrthakRddevaH kiMtarAM tatra varNyate / viduSAM vAGmaladhvaMsi tIrthaM yasya vacomayam // 1-52 // jo kaviyoM meM tIrthaMkara ke samAna the athavA jinhoMne kaviyoM kA patha-pradarzana karane ke lie lakSaNa grantha kI racanA kI thI aura jinakA vacanarUpI tIrtha vidvAnoM ke zabda sambandhI doSoM ko naSTa karanevAlA hai, aise una devanandi AcArya kA kauna varNana kara sakatA hai! jJAnArNavaH ke racayitA AcArya zubhacandra ne inakI pratibhA aura vaiziSThya kA nirUpaNa karate hue smaraNa kiyA hai apAkurvanti yadvAcaH kAyavAJcittasambhavam / kalaGkamaGginAM so'yaM devanandI namasyate // 1-15 // jinakI zAstra paddhati prANiyoM ke zarIra, vacana aura citta ke sabhI prakAra ke mala ko dUra karane meM samartha hai, una devanandi AcArya ko maiM praNAma karatA huuN| AcArya devanandi-pUjyapAda kA smaraNa harivaMzapurANa ke racayitA jinasena prathama ne bhI kiyA

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hai| unhoMne likhA hai indracandrArkajainendravyADivyAkaraNekSiNaH / devasya devavandyasya na vandyante giraH katham // arthAt jo indra, candra, arka aura jainendra vyAkaraNa kA avalokana karanevAlI hai, aisI devavandya devanandi AcArya kI vANI kyoM nahIM vandanIya hai ! unake sAhitya kI yaha stuti - paramparA dhanaMjaya, vAdirAja Adi pramukha AcAryoM dvArA bhI anubhUti huii| AcArya pUjyapAda kI jJAnagarimA aura mahattA kA ullekha ukta stutiyoM meM vistRta rUpa se AyA hai| isa prakAra AcArya pUjyapAda apane samaya meM eka prasiddha AcArya hue, jinhoMne aneka granthoM kI racanA kara sva-para kalyANa kiyA hai| 'iSTopadeza' nAmaka grantha meM 51 zlokoM dvArA jina-adhyAtma kA sAra samajhAyA gayA hai, isameM vyakta kie gae bhAva bahuta gambhIra evaM ciMtana-manana karane yogya haiN| jaise ki yajjIvasyopakArAya taddehasyApakArakam / yaddehasyopakArAya tajjIvasyApakArakam // 19 // jo jIva ke lie upakArI hai vaha deha ke lie apakAraka hai aura jo deha ke lie apakAraka hai vaha jIva ke lie upakArI hai| 'iSTopadeza' nAmaka grantha ko sAmAnya vyakti bhI par3ha kara AtmakalyANa kara sakatA hai| jIvana aura jagat ke rahasyoM kI vyAkhyA karate hue, mAnavIya vyApAra ke preraka, prayojanoM aura usake uttaradAyitva kI sAMgopAMga vivecanA AcArya pUjyapAda ke granthoM kA mUla viSaya hai| unake vaiduSya kA anumAna 'sarvArthasiddhi' grantha se kiyA jA sakatA hai| naiyAyika, vaizeSika, sAMkhya, vedAnta, bauddha Adi vibhinna darzanoM kI samIkSA kara inhoMne apanI vidvattA prakaTa kI hai| nirvacana aura padoM sArthakatA ke vivecana meM AcArya pUjyapAda kI samakakSatA koI nahIM kara sakatA hai| AcArya pUjyapAda apane samaya ke eka prasiddha kavi, lekhaka, vyAkaraNAcArya hue| inhoMne stotra, stuti, jainendra vyAkaraNa, iSTopadeza Adi aneka granthoM kI racanA kara mumukSu jIvoM kA kalyANa kiyA hai| 'iSTopadeza' nAmaka grantha kA aMgrejI bhASA meM anuvAda zrI vijaya kumAra jaina evaM prakAzaka vikalpa priMTarsa dvArA kiyA jA rahA hai| yaha AdhyAtmika jijJAsu ke lie adhyayana-adhyApana meM eka mahattvapUrNa kRti hogii| isa prakAzana kArya hetu anuvAdaka aura prakAzaka ko merA maMgala zubhAzIrvAda / mArca 2014 kundakunda bhAratI, naI dillI (vi) zubhAzIrvAda AcArya vidyAnanda muni

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT All Il that is contained in this book has been excerpted, translated or taken to conserve the essence of the sacred scriptures. The contribution of the following publications in the preparation of the present volume is gratefully acknowledged: 1. AcArya jinasena viracita AdipurANa (2004), bhAratIya jJAnapITha, nayI dillI, dasavA~ saMskaraNa. 2. zrI zubhacandrAcArya viracita jJAnArNavaH (1981), zrI paramazruta-prabhAvakamaNDala, zrImad rAjacandra Azrama, agAsa, paJcama saMskaraNa. 3. siddhAntAcArya paM. phUlacandra zAstrI dvArA sampAdita, AcArya pUjyapAda viracita sarvArthasiddhi (2010), bhAratIya jJAnapITha, nayI dillI, solahavA~ saMskaraNa. 4. zrI mannemicandra siddhAntacakravarti viracita trilokasAra (1974), zrI zAntivIra digambara jaina saMsthAna, zrImahAvIrajI. 5. zrImad devanandi - aparanAma - pUjyapAdasvAmi viracita iSTopadeza (1986), zrI paramazruta-prabhAvaka-maNDala, zrImad rAjacandra Azrama, agAsa, tRtIya saMskaraNa. 6. zrI samantabhadrAcArya viracita ratnakaraNDaka zrAvakAcAra, zrI bhAratavarSIya anekAnta vidvad pariSad, sonAgira (ma.pra.). 7. Ajit Prasada (1933), "Purushartha-Siddhyupaya by Shrimat Amrita Chandra Suri", The Central Jaina Publishing House, Lucknow. 8. Chakravarti Nayanar, A. (Prof.) (2009), "acarya Kundakunda's Pancastikaya-Saara", Bharatiya Jnanpith, 18 Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi, Third Edition. 9. Chakravarti, A. (Ed. & Tr.) (2008), " Acarya Kundakunda's Samayasara", Bharatiya Jnanpith, 18 Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi, Fifth Edition. 10. Ghoshal, Sarat Chandra (Ed.) (1986), "Dravya - Samgraha by Muni Nemichandra Siddhantideva", Shri Chandraprabh Digamber Jain Mandir Trust, Bombay. (vii)

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11. Ghoshal, Sarat Chandra (2010), "Apta Mimamsa of Acharya Samantabhadra", Bharatiya Jnanpith, 18 Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi. 12. Jain, Champat Rai (1986), "Ishtopadesha' By Acarya Devanandi alias Pujyapada and commented as 'The Divine Discourse"", Shri Paramashruta Prabhavaka Mandal, St. Agas, Post Boria, Via Anand (Gujarat). 13. Jain, Champat Rai (1975), "The Key of Knowledge", Today & Tomorrow's Printers & Publishers, New Delhi, Fourth Edition. 14. Jain, S.A. (1960), "Reality: English Translation of Shri Pujyapada's Sarvarthasiddhi", Vira Sasana Sangha, Calcutta-37. 15. Jain, S.C. (Dr.) (2003), "Vimaladasa's Saptabhangi Tarangini", Bharatiya Jnanpith, 18 Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi. 16. Jain, S.C. (Dr.) (2008), "Yogasara Prabhrta", Bharatiya Jnanpith, 18 Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi, 2003. 17. Jain, Vijay K. (Ed.) (2012), "Acharya Kundkund's Samayasara - with Hindi and English Translation", Vikalp Printers, Dehradun. 18. Jain, Vijay K. (Ed.) (2013), "Acarya Nemichandra's Dravyasamgraha - with Authentic Explanatory Notes", Vikalp Printers, Dehradun, 2013. 19. Jain, Vijay K. (Ed.) (2011), "Acharya Umasvami's Tattvarthasutra - with Hindi and English Translation", Vikalp Printers, Dehradun. 20. Jain, Vijay K. (Ed.) (2012), "Shri Amritchandra Suri's Purusarthasiddhyupaya - with Hindi and English Translation", Vikalp Printers, Dehradun. 21. Jaini, J.L. (1930), "The Sacred Books of the Jainas, Vol. VIII, Samayasara of Shri Kunda Kunda Acharya", The Central Jaina Publishing House, Lucknow. 22. Jhaveri, B.J. (1977), "Consideration of Self in Jaina Philosophy", published in "Mahavira and His Teachings", Bhagvan Mahavira's 2500th Nirvana Mahotsava Samiti, Bombay. 23. Kalghatgi, T.G. (1984), "Jaina View of Life", Lalchand Hirachand Doshi, Jaina Samskriti Samraksaka Sangha, Sholapur, 2nd Edition. 24. Tukol, K.T. (1980), "Compendium of Jainism", Prasaranga, Karnatak University, Dharwad. (viii) V.K.J.

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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE OF VIJAY K. JAIN aving had his schooling from Mhow and Bhopal in Madhya LI Pradesh, Vijay K. Jain (b. 1951) did his graduation in Electronics Engineering from Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, and Post-Graduation in Management from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Mr. Jain had been associated, as a visiting faculty teaching marketing management and entrepreneurship, with several institutions including National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), and University of Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee). He is an Ex-President of Dehradun Management Association. He has written/edited several books: Marketing Management for Small Units, Management Publishing Co. (1988). Jain Dharma: Mangal Parichaya, Management Publishing Co., (1994). From IIM-Ahmedabad to Happiness, Vikalp Printers, Dehradun, (2006). Acharya Umasvami's Tattvarthsutra - with Hindi and English Translation, Vikalp Printers, Dehradun, (2011). Acharya Kundkund's Samayasara - with Hindi and English Translation, Vikalp Printers, Dehradun, (2012). Shri Amritchandra Suri's Purusarthasiddhyupaya - with Hindi and English Translation, Vikalp Printers, Dehradun, (2012). Acarya Nemichandra's Dravyasamgraha - with Authentic Explanatory Notes, Vikalp Printers, Dehradun, (2013). Mr. Jain is the proprietor of Vikalp Printers, a high-end printing and publishing firm, based in Dehradun. (ix)

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PREFACE The Jaina Scripture - Incontrovertible and Indispensable he Supreme World Teacher (Lord Jina or Tirtharkara) is the embodiment of ultimate bliss - indescribable, beyond the realm of senses - that results due to the union of the Effulgence of Knowledge Divine, that is, all-embracing Omniscience which reveals the reality of all substances and their infinite modes, and victory over attachment and aversion. Omniscience shines like a multitude of rays originating from a single source but revealing the whole universe. Or, it shines like the su coming out of the clouds. The Omniscient Lord is really qualified to preach the gospel to the world. His auspicious body (paramaudarika sarira) acquires most splendid attributes, free from eighteen imperfections, worthy to be venerated and worshipped by the lords of the men and the four classes of devas. The attributes of His auspicious body include victory over gravitation, no further need of food and water, the eyelids are never closed, no perspiration, no shadow, and the hairs and nails do not grow any more. Peace and plenty must prevail wherever He goes. Naturally hostile animals become as friends in His presence, and flowers and fruits bloom out of season. The devas erect a heavenly Pavilion (samavasarana) befitting Lord's glory, and there the World Teacher sits, facing the East, a few inches above the huge golden lotus placed on a throne of heavenly gems. The Lord appears to be looking in all the four directions. His voice is without the movements of the glottis or lips, and is, therefore, termed anaksari (without letters). The Lord's divine voice, as a result of one of the eight splendours (pratiharya), is heard and enjoyed by all present in their respective tongue (ardhamagadhi bhasa). The World Teacher is the sun that blossoms the soul-lotus of the worldly beings. His divine discourse is the rain of nectar-water that washes away the dirt of ignorance from all souls. He is a wish-fulfilling tree (kalpaveksa) for all those aspiring for liberation. When the life karma of the World Teacher is within one muhurta (48

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minutes), He embraces the highest order of pure concentration and annihilates the four non-destructive (aghatiya) karmas achieving the ultimate goal that a soul may aspire to reach, i.e. liberation (nirvana). Liberation signifies that there is nothing left to strive for or look forward to. His soul is purged of all karmic impurities and becomes pristine like pure gold, free from dirt and alloys. He crosses the worldly ocean of transmigration. He lives eternally in the supreme state of infinite knowledge and bliss. Only a disciple of exceptional brilliance and accomplishment (riddhi) is able to fully assimilate, without doubt, delusion, or misapprehension, the irrefutable teachings of a Tirthankara. The presence of such a worthy disciple or Apostle, called a Ganadhara, is mandatory in the congregation before the Tirthankara delivers His sermon. As per the divine discourse of the World Teacher the Apostle composes the most sacred Scripture comprising twelve departments (Dvadasanga), also referred to as eleven Angas and fourteen Purvas since the twelfth Anga includes the fourteen Purvas, that contain the true description of His teachings. The Scripture composed by the Apostle is a thorough description of the path leading to liberation, contains the true nature of all substances, is incontrovertible as it faithfully reflects the Words of the World Teacher, and has the power to vanquish all anxieties and inquisitiveness of the knowledgeable soul aspiring to tread the same path. The men of ordinary intellect cannot reach the depth of the teachings contained in the Scripture. After the nirvana of the twenty-fourth Tirthankara Lord Mahavira (599-527 BCE), Ganadhara Gautamasvami, the Apsotle, compiled His teachings in the form of the most sacred Scripture (Dvadasanga). Subsequently, the knowledge contained in the Scripture was transmitted orally by the teachers to the disciple saints. It is generally accepted by the Digambara sect of Jainas that the comprehensive knowledge contained in the original Angas and Purvas was gradually lost during the course of around six hundred years following the nirvana of Lord Mahavira as it was transmitted orally from one generation of Acaryas to the next. Acarya Bhutabali was the last ascetic who had partial knowledge (of a single Anga) of the original Scripture. (xi)

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Learned Acaryas later on started to restore, compile and put into written words the teachings of Lord Mahavira, that were the subject matter of Dvadasanga. Acarya Dharasen, during the late first century to early second century CE, guided two Acaryas, Acarya Pushpadant and Acarya Bhutabali, to put these profound tenets in the written form. The two Acaryas wrote, on palm leaves, Satkhandagama - among the oldest known Digambara Jaina texts. Around the same time, Acarya Gunadhar wrote Kasayapahuda. Since then an enormous amount of magnificent Jaina literature has been created by the most learned Acaryas. Only a part of this ocean of literature on various aspects of Jaina faith and philosophy may be available today in readable form. We articulate, with utmost reverence, the names of many distinguished Jaina Acaryas, and read their works with great devotion. Prominent Jaina Acaryas whose works have exerted the greatest influence on the thinkers as well as the practitioners, ascetics and laymen, include Acarya Kundkund, Acarya Umasvami, Acarya Samantabhadra, Acarya Pujyapada, Acarya Amritchandra, Acarya Nemichandra Siddhanta Cakravarti, Acarya Jinasen, Acarya Shubhachandra, and Acarya Amitagati. Acaryas themselves practise the five-fold observances in regard to faith (darsanacara), knowledge (jnanacara), power (viryacara), conduct (caritracara), and austerities (tapacara) and guide disciples to follow these observances. They are worthy of meditation; I bow my head in reverence to them. All bhavya souls have the potential to attain liberation, the state of infinite knowledge and bliss. It is pertinent, therefore, to acquire the true knowledge about the divine attributes of the perfected souls and also the path that leads to the attainment of such attributes. By the adoration of the supreme attributes of the World Teacher we confess our deficiencies, on the one hand, and proclaim our aspiration to reach the same supreme status, on the other. Study of the sacred Scripture is recommended to attain purity of faith which leads to the belief that all objects other than the pure Self are alien and worth renouncing. A person with right faith believes in sevenfold realities - the soul, the non-soul, influx, bondage, stoppage, gradual dissociation, and liberation - as ascertained in the Scripture. (xii)

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Acarya Pujyapada Acarya Pujyapada's compositions have been enlightening, since last fifteen centuries, learned ascetics, scholars and the laity, on complex issues including the reality of substances and the path to liberation. He wrote in Sanskrit, in prose as well as verse forms. Over time, the language of his compositions may have lost its mass appeal but the subject matter continues to remain utterly relevant. His expositions reflect a divine understanding of the spiritual subjects and of the objects that are beyond sense-perception. Unmatched brilliance and lucidity mark his writings. Three other names of Acarya Pujyapada find mention in Jaina literature: Deva, Devanandi, and Jinendrabuddhi. Acarya Pujyapada was a Digambara ascetic of a high order, abounding in faith, knowledge, and conduct, the cornerstones of the path leading to liberation. He was a master grammarian and an authority on secular subjects including linguistics, poetics and Ayurveda. Acarya Pujyapada was born in a Brahmin family of Karnataka. His parents were Madhava Bhatta and Shridevi. Kanakagiri, an important Jaina heritage centre situated at a distance of about 50 km from Mysore, Karnataka, was his abode. He lived around 5th century CE. He was a renowned Preceptor of the Nandi Sangha, a part of the lineage of Acarya Kundakunda (circa 1st century BCE to 1st century CE). His writings reveal both the transcendental and the empirical points of view, and are helpful to the ascetics as well as the laity. He has expounded on the writings of Acarya Kundakunda and Acarya Umasvami (alias Acarya Umaswati). Deep influence of Acarya Samantabhadra is conspicuous in his works. That Acarya Pujyapada was held in great esteem by the subsequent Jaina pontiffs is evident from the following two excerpts from the writings of learned Jaina Acaryas: Acarya Shubhachandra in Jnanarnavah: apAkurvanti yadvAcaH kAyavAkcittasambhavam / kalaGkamaGginAM so'yaM devanandI namasyate // 1-15 // We make obeisance to Acarya Devanandi (alias Acarya Pujyapada) (xiii)

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whose expressions wash away all dirt due to the activities of the body, speech, and mind. Acarya Jinasena in Adipurana: kavInAM tIrthakRddevaH kiMtarAM tatra varNyate / fagui a13-4meafu def aa aai404 111-52||| How can one portray Acarya Devanandi (alias Acarya Pujyapada) who is like a ford-maker (Tirthankara, the World Teacher) among the poets and whose sacred articulation removes the faults of verbal expression of the scholars? It is mentioned in Jaina inscriptions and literature that Acarya Pujyapada had the supernatural power to visit the Videha kshetra to make obeisance to the Tirthankara Lord Seemandharasvami. It is believed that on account of his vast scholarship and deep renunciation, his feet were worshiped by the devas and, therefore, the name Pujyapada. The sacred water that anointed his feet could transform iron into gold. He used to visit holy places in celestial carriages and during one such occasion he lost his eyesight. He then composed Santyastaka and regained his sight. But after this incident, he took to samadhi and courted voluntary, pious and passionless death by relinquishing his body. Acarya Pujyapada authored several important works: Jainendra Vyakarana - a comprehensive work on Sanskrit grammar, considered to be an essential reading for the student of Jaina literature. Sarvarthasiddhi - an authoritative commentary on Tattvarthasutra by Acarya Umasvami, a compendium of Jaina metaphysics and cosmology. Samadhitantra (also known as Samadhisataka) - a spiritual work consisting of 105 verses outlining the path to liberation for an inspired soul. Istopadesa - a concise work of 51 didactic verses leading the reader from the empirical to the transcendental, from the mundane to the sublime, through an experiential process of self-realization, rather than through a metaphysical study of the soul-nature. (xiv)

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Dasabhakti - a collection of the adoration of the essentials that help the soul in acquiring merit. The essentials include the Supreme Beings, the Scripture, the Perfect Conduct, and the sacred places like the Nandisvara Dvipa. Some other works, including santyastaka (hymn in praise of Lord Shantinatha), Sarasamgraha, Cikitsasastra and Jainabhiseka, are also believed to have been authored by Acarya Pujyapada. All his compositions hold a highly revered place in Jaina literature due to their lucid style, precise expression and masterly exposition of the subject. I make obeisance humble at the holy feet ofAcarya Pujyapada. Acarya Vidyanand Firm in his resolution and deep in the knowledge of the right path as revealed by Lord Jina, Acarya Vidyanand embraces excellent austerities. The lamp that destroys the darkness of delusion and illuminates the right path burns constantly in his heart. Equipped with the true knowledge of the reality of substances and the ability to discriminate between what is beneficial for the soul and what is not, he commits himself to the observance of the five supreme vows (mahavrata), three kinds of controls (gupti), and fivefold regulation of activities (samiti). Devoid of the three stings (salya) of deceit (maya), desire for enjoyment of pleasure and splendour (nidana), and perverse faith (mithyatva), the Acarya is constantly engaged in the study of the Scripture and the Self. He believes that the pure Self is the only object worth cherishing. The pure Self has no delusion, is distinct from attachment and aversion, and knowledge itself. He is free from all corrupting dispositions. He performs penances with due control of the senses and desires, with full vigour and intensity. Acarya Vidyanand, at the age of eighty-nine, has the rare ability to endure bodily pain and suffering. Since last fifty-one years, as a Digambara Muni, he has been cheerfully practising the mortification of the body (kayaklesa tapa) in order to subjugate attachment to pleasures, and proclaim the glory of the teachings of Lord Jina. Knowing that the mortification of the body leads to the control of the senses, he lets his naked body endure extreme weather conditions and hardships. As per the (xv)

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Scripture, once the senses are controlled it becomes easy to control the straying of the mind and when the straying of the mind is controlled real meditation takes place. Meditation is the cause of the destruction of all obstructive forces, the karmas, which hinder spiritual progress. Meditation, therefore, is said to be the supreme kind of austerity; all other austerities are supplementary to it. Acarya Vidyanand has deep knowledge of the Scripture, still he continues to devotedly study the profound works of the great Acaryas of the yore not only to attain greater purity of conduct but also to propagate the teachings to the large number of disciples and followers. His unbounded adoration of the Scripture gets manifested in his discourses. Acarya Vidyanand unreservedly showers his blessings on all undertakings that help in propagating the Truth as revealed by the Scripture. He is the inspiration and the auxiliary cause (nimitta karta) behind the present work. Though the auxiliary cause by itself doesn't perform the activity, all our actions stand in need of the proper auxiliary cause. I bow my head to Acarya Vidyanand, the great global Preceptor of the twentieth and the twenty-first century. Acarya Vidyanand Muni at Kundkund Bharti, New Delhi (2012). I bow to Elacarya Pragyasagar who, out of his adoration for this great work by Acarya Pujyapada, not only himself read the manuscript with keen interest but also got it proofread by a learned professional. I must gratefully mention the names of two noble ladies, Ms. Monica DeSouza and Ms. C. Ince, who very kindly read the manuscript and helped me remove many infelicities of expression attributable to my inadequacy and inadvertence. March 2014 Dehradun, India (xvi) Vijay K. Jain Pic by Vijay K. Jain (2012)

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OM namaH siddhebhyaH Acarya Pujyapada's Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse AcArya pUjyapAda viracita iSTopadeza maMgalAcaraNa yasya svayaM svabhAvAptirabhAve kRtsnakarmaNaH / tasmai saMjJAnarUpAya namo'stu paramAtmane // (1) INVOCATION I make obeisance to the Omniscient Supreme Being who has attained, by own effort, the purity of His soul-nature by destroying all karmas. EXPLANATORY NOTES The soul (jiva) is characterized by consciousness - cetana or upayoga. In its pure form, cetana is perception and knowledge, perfect and unalloyed. The whole of the reality forms an object of perception and knowledge to the soul. In this pure state the soul is devoid of pain and anguish of the world, and absorbed in everlasting bliss. The state of bliss transcends senses, surpassing all conceivable domains, incomparable, self-generated and

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse therefore independent of any outside agent, indestructible and divine. The soul becomes clear, incorporeal, free from all karmas (bhava-karma, dravya-karma and nokarma), epitomizing calmness, motionless, self-realized, and the embodiment of perfect knowledge. This is the intrinsic quality (svabhava guna) potentially present in all souls and which manifests explicitly in the Siddha jiva or the realized Self. The svabhava guna of the soul gets corroded due to the interference of karmas. Karmas make consciousness - perception and knowledge - imperfect and impure. Due to karmas, many extrinsic qualities like delusion, attachment and aversion, set into the soul's disposition. These extrinsic qualities (vibhava gunas) need to be got rid of to attain purity of the soul. When the four inimical (ghatiya) karmas deluding (mohaniya), knowledgeobscuring (jnanavarniya), perception-obscuring (darsanavarniya), and obstructive (antaraya) are destroyed, omniscience is attained. These four karmas are called destructive (ghatiya) karmas as these interfere with the four infinitudes - infinite bliss, infinite knowledge, infinite perception, and infinite are the intrinsic characteristics of the soul. energy- which - Omniscience is the infinite, all-embracing knowledge that reflects, as it were in a mirror, all substances and their infinite modes, extending through the past, the present and the future. Omniscience is the natural attribute of the pure souls. The Self attaining omniscience becomes an Arhat, the true guide to put us on the right path and worthy to be venerated and worshipped by the lords of the world. The Arhat, the World Teacher or 'Jina', is free from eighteen imperfections, and possessed of forty-six distinctive attributes. The divine attributes and splendours of the Arhat are described thus in the Scripture: The Arhat is free from these eighteen imperfections: 2

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Verse 1 1. janma - (re)birth; 2. zara -old-age; 3. trisa - thirst; 4. ksudha-hunger; 5. vismaya - astonishment; 6. arati - displeasure; 7. kheda - regret; 8. roga - sickness; 9. soka - grief; 10. mada-pride*; 11. moha - delusion; 12. bhaya - fear**; 13. nidra - sleep; 14. cinta - anxiety; 15. sveda - perspiration; 16. raga - attachment; 17. dvesa - aversion; and 18. marana - death. Forty-six divine attributes of the Arhat comprise four infinitudes (ananta catustaya), thirty-four miraculous happenings (atisaya), and eight splendours (pratiharya). * Pride is of eight kinds: pride of knowledge (jnana mada), veneration (puja mada), lineage (kula mada), caste (jati mada), strength (bala mada), accomplishments (riddhi mada), austerities (tapa mada), and beauty (sarira mada). * Fear is of seven kinds: fear relating to this life (ihaloka bhaya), of the life beyond (paraloka bhaya), of death (marana bhaya), of pain and suffering (vedana bhaya), of being without protection (atrana bhaya), of divulgence of one's deeds (agupti bhaya), and of the unexpected (akasmika bhaya).

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse The four infinitudes (ananta catustaya) comprise: 1. ananta jnana - infinite knowledge; 2. ananta darsana - infinite perception; 3. ananta sukha-infinite bliss; and 4. ananta virya -infinite energy. Of the thirty-four miraculous happenings (atisaya), ten appear naturally at the time of birth, ten on attainment of infinite knowledge (kevalajnana), and the remaining fourteen are fashioned by the celestial devas. The eight splendours (pratiharya) are: 1. asoka vrkna - the Ashoka tree; 2. simhasana - bejeweled throne; 3. chatra - three-tier canopy; 4. bhamandal - halo of unmatched luminance; 5. divya dhvani - divine voice of the Lord without lip movement; 6. puspa-varsa - shower of fragrant flowers; 7. camara - waving of sixty-four majestic hand-fans; and 8. dundubhi - dulcet sound of kettle-drums and other musical instruments. The Omniscient ultimately destroys, with the powerful fire of concentration, the other four main types of karmas, called nondestructive (aghatiya) karmas - the feeling (vedaniya), the agedetermining (ayuh), the physique-making (nama), and the statusdetermining (gotra). He then attains complete emancipation or final liberation. The released pure soul (Siddha jiva), in the absence of karmas which lead to wandering in different states of worldly existence, darts up to the summit of the universe and remains there for eternity. The eight supreme qualities of the liberated souls, indicating perfection par excellence, are: ..... ..................

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Verse 1 1. ksayika-samyaktva - infinite faith or belief in the tattvas or essential principles of reality. It is manifested on the destruction of the faith-deluding (darsana mohaniya) karma. 2. kevalajnana - infinite knowledge, manifested on the destruction of the knowledge-obscuring (jnanavarniya) karma. 3. kevaladarsana - infinite perception, manifested on the destruction of the perception-obscuring (darsanavarniya) karma. 4. anantavirya - literally, infinite power; it is the absence of fatigue in having knowledge of infinite substances. It is manifested on the destruction of the obstructive (antaraya) karma. 5. suksmatva - literally, fineness; it means that the liberated soul is beyond sense-perception and its knowledge of the substances is direct, without the use of the senses and the mind. It is manifested on the destruction of the lifedetermining (ayuh) karma. 6. avagahan - inter-penetrability; it means that the liberated jiva does not hinder the existence of other such jivas in the same space. It is manifested on the destruction of the name-determining (nama) karma. 7. agurulaghutva - literally, neither heavy nor light. Due to this quality of agurulaghutva, the jiva continues to manifest through its form, complete and perfect. This supreme quality is manifested on the destruction of the status-determining (gotra) karma. 8. avyabadha - it is undisturbed, infinite bliss, manifested on the destruction of the feeling-producing (vedaniya) karma. 5

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse yogyopAdAnayogena dRSadaH svarNatA matA / dravyAdisvAdisampattAvAtmano'pyAtmatA matA // (2) As particular ore, on the availability of proper purifying agents, gets to its intrinsic identity, that is, gold, similarly, the soul, on the manifestation of its aspects like substance, attains self-identity (emancipation). EXPLANATORY NOTES Jaina logicians describe every fact of reality according to four different aspects: its substance (dravya), space of its existence (ksetra), time of its existence (kala), and its nature (bhava). Every object admits of a four-fold affirmative predication (svacatustaya) with reference to its own substance (svadravya), own space (svaksetra), own time (svakala), and own nature (svabhava). Simultaneously a four-fold negative predication is implied with reference to other substance (paradravya), other space (paraksetra), other time (parakala), and other nature (parabhava). The substance of an object not only implies its svadravya but differentiates it from paradravya. It becomes logically necessary to locate a negation for every affirmation and vice-versa. We must not only perceive a thing but also perceive it as distinct from other things. Without this distinction there cannot be true and clear perception of an object. When the soul, on the availability of suitable means, admits of the four-fold affirmation with respect to svadravya, svaksetra, svakala, and svabhava, it also admits of the four-fold negation with respect to paradravya, paraksetra, parakala, and parabhava. The substance of the emancipated soul is incorporeal (amurta)

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Verse 2 with consciousness (upayoga) as its differentia; it is devoid of any corporeal substance. It has a form slightly less than that of the final, superior body and resides at the summit of the universe; it is not of any other shape or size, and is not to be found anywhere else. Its existence is eternal; it is free from any future liability of transmigration. It is possessed of eight supreme qualities; it is devoid of the influence of eight kinds of karmas. So long as the soul is associated with karmic bondage and it remains in the company of the non-self, which includes the body, it is not possible to make these four predications about it. There is difference between the body and the soul as these are perceived by different types of cognition. The body is known through the instruments of senses and the soul is known by selfexperience. The soul has consciousness (cetana) and is incorporeal (amurta), whereas the body has no consciousness and is corporeal. In its worldly state a soul is always accompanied by a body. This perhaps is the cause of confusion about the relationship between the two. The term body, in association with the soul, implies the gross body (audarika sarira) as of human beings and plants and animals, transformable body (vaikriyika sarira) as of celestial and infernal beings, the projectable or assimilative body (aharaka sarira) as originating in a saint of the sixth stage in order to resolve a doubt or to ascertain the nature of a minute object or to dispel non-restraint, the luminous (electric) body (taijasa sarira) which is the cause of brilliance or which is caused by brilliance, and the karmic body (karmana sarira) which is composed of subtle, very fine karmic matter. The last two bodies are a constant companion of the soul in all its transmigrating wanderings and are destroyed only at the time of final emancipation. Though karma is the cause of all types of bodies, the last is the storehouse of karmic matter arising due to the effects of all our actions, desires and passions, virtuous or evil. 7

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse The karmana sarira is the compound arising from the union or fusion of spirit and matter and is subject to modification from time to time. Every organism or a samsari jiva, thus, is an organic unity of two distinct entities, soul (jiva) and matter (pudgala). The entire universe is full of molecules of fine matter, technically called vargana, that possess the capacity for transforming themselves into karmic matter. Through the disturbance caused to the soul by its modifications, these molecules are attracted and get bound with the soul as karmic matter. The soul and the karmic matter have distinct characteristics of their own. The karmic matter, by itself, does not destroy the attributes of the soul, nor does the soul destroy the attributes of the karmic matter. There is no mutual relation of the destroyer and destroyed between the two. These are not mutually hostile or inimical. A crystal, which is pure, does not alter its colour by itself, but when in proximity with a coloured (say, red) object seems to acquire a red tinge; similarly, the soul is pure and does not acquire modifications like attachment by itself. But due to dispositions like attachment, its purity gets tainted. In discussing the relation between the soul and the karmic matter, Jainism makes an important distinction between the material or substantial cause (upadana karta) and the auxiliary or external cause (nimitta karta). The Self is the substantial cause of psychical states and matter is the substantial cause of organic states. And yet psychical states and organic states are external causes of each other. One psychical state is produced by an immediately preceding psychical state, and determined externally by an organic state. In like manner, one organic state is determined by immediately preceding organic state and conditioned externally by a psychical state. There is similar parallelism that explains the causal inter-relation between the Self and the body. The Self is the substantial cause of an emotion while karmic matter is the

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Verse 2 auxiliary or external cause. The former is the entity that is transformed from the cause to the effect and the latter assists the process. As is evident, the importance of the material or substantial cause is far greater than that of the auxiliary cause. A strong auxiliary cause is unable to produce the change in the absence of the material cause, though the material cause itself always stands in need of the proper auxiliary cause. The karmic matter cannot get itself bound with the soul unless the soul first gets into a state of 'weakness', overcome by passions. The passionate states of the soul are themselves generated by the operative karmas associated with the soul in the form of the karmana sarira. The psychical states of the soul are produced and destroyed by the operation of various species of karmas bound with it. Also, various species of karmas bound with the soul are produced and destroyed by the psychical states of the soul. In this way, the soul and various species of karmas get bound to each other. This bond is the cause of the worldly cycle of births and deaths. Thus, the psychical states of the soul are held to be the substantial cause of bondage. On account of these psychical states the karmic matter gets attracted and deposited on to the soul, shrouding its light and glory. All karmic matter associated with the soul turns into bonds of various kinds of karmas. These bonds are of four kinds according to the nature or species of karma, duration of karma, intensity of fruition of karma, and the quantity of space-points of karma. The bonds have an expiry date after which the karmas 'fall off' or disappear. But before the expiry of that period, due to the activities of the body, mind and speech, and the passions and emotions, these create a fertile ground for fresh karmic matter to get associated with the soul. Thus the process of falling off of old and bondage of new karmas goes on incessantly. The wise, after knowing the true nature of the soul and the karmic matter, engages himself in the practice of ridding his soul of 9

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse the bondage of karmic shackles. He reckons that the soul is pure consciousness and all other dispositions are alien to it; only the various forms of karmas have kept it confined to and whirling in the mire of the world. After completely annihilating karmas associated with the soul, there is no cause for the soul to further wander in worldly existence. He turns his soul inwards and avoids all outward concerns. Once the pure Self is realized, there is no fear of coming back to samsara as no force, no influence, no power, howsoever strong, can affect it. The soul gets to its pure, pristine state characterized by supreme bliss, omniscience and other inherent attributes, and remains as such for ever. 10

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varaM vrataiH padaM daivaM nAvratairvata nArakam / chAyAtapasthayorbhedaH pratipAlayatormahAn // Verse 3 EXPLANATORY NOTES (3) It is better to observe vows and austerities that lead to birth as a celestial being than to lead a vowless life of sensual pleasures that leads to birth as an infernal being. The difference between the two can be summed up by an analogy: when two persons have to wait for the arrival of another person, one spends his time in the comfort of the shade, while the other in the heat of the sun. Desisting from injury, falsehood, stealing, unchastity, and attachment are the five vows. The householder observes these vows partially but the ascetic to a very large extent. We know that our activities of the body, mind, and speech, when actuated by passion, result into bondage of karmas to our soul. Virtuous activity is the cause of merit (punya) and wicked activity is the cause of demerit (papa). Bondage of karmas that cause merit provides us with pleasant feeling, propitious life-span, auspicious rebirth, and high status. Although our ultimate goal is to attain liberation for our soul, but many a time we are not able to give up our desires completely. Still we restrain ourselves from undesirable activities by observing vows. In other words, we follow restraint with attachment. Such restraint is among the causes of influx of karmas leading to the celestial birth. Right belief is also the cause of influx of life-karma leading to the celestial birth. The ultimate destination of all bhavya souls (having potential 11

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse to attain liberation) is the supreme and everlasting state of knowledge, faith, bliss and power. Who in his senses would opt for this short life as a human being to be withered away in just acquiring, and then indulging in, the objects of sense-pleasures? The man well-versed in the Scripture is aware that the ultimate goal of liberation may be far away in time. Life as a human being, though short, provides a great opportunity to mould the future course of the soul for an exceedingly long period of time. As an instance, the minimum life-span in the heaven of Saudharma kalpa is a little over one palyopama and the maximum lifetime is little over two sagaropamas. The term palyopama is defined in detail in the Jaina scriptures; suffice it to say here that from the worldly standards it is an exceedingly long period of time. And a sagaropama is 1015 times a palyopama! Life-spans in the hells too are very long; the maximum duration of life in the seven infernal regions is one, three, seven, ten, seventeen, twenty-two, and thirtythree sagaropamas, respectively. The only way to rid the soul of its associated karmic filth and thus make it suitable for pious incarnations like celestial life, or birth in the regions of enjoyment (bhogabhumi), is by cheerfully accepting the observance of the vows and leading a well-regulated life. It, therefore, makes great sense to lead a seemingly difficult life of observing vows and austerities during one's incarnation as a human being. .. 12

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yatra bhAvaH zivaM datte dyauH kiyad dUravartinI / yo nayatyAzu gavyUtiM krozArddhe kiM sa sIdati // Verse 4 EXPLANATORY NOTES (4) When through meditation on the soul a man can attain the supreme status, that is, liberation, how far can the heavens be from him? Will a person accustomed to carrying a load to a distance of four miles get tired if he has to carry it just one mile? The Three Jewels (ratnatraya) of right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct, together, constitute the path to liberation. Belief in the nine substances as these are is right faith. Knowledge of these substances without doubt, delusion or misapprehension is right knowledge. Being free from delusion and passions is right conduct. As mentioned earlier, omniscience is attained on the destruction of the deluding, the knowledge-obscuring, the perception-obscuring and the obstructive karmas. As long as the deluding karmas are very powerful, spiritual progress is very slow, if not impossible. How are the deluding karmas destroyed? The potential soul becomes a right believer and with growing purity of thought activity, starts its journey of spiritual progress. From the empirical point of view, souls are divided into fourteen classes or spiritual stages (gunasthana). Acarya Pujyapada's Sarvarthasiddhi delineates the fourteen spiritual stages (gunasthana) as under: 1. mithyadrsti - deluded 13

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse 2. sasadanasamyagdysti - downfall 3. samyagmithyadrsti - mixed right and wrong belief 4. asamyatasamyagdrsti - vowless right belief 5. samyatasamyata - partial vows 6. pramattasamyata - imperfect vows 7. apramattasamyata - perfect vows 8. apurvakarana - new thought-activity 9. anivittibadara-samparaya - advanced thought-activity 10. suksmasamparaya - slightest delusion 11. upasanta-kasaya - subsided delusion 12. ksina-kasaya - destroyed delusion 13. sayogakevali - Omniscient with vibration 14. ayogakevali - non-vibratory Omniscient It is clear that real spiritual progress starts only after the acquisition of right faith. Right faith arises from innate disposition or by acquisition of knowledge. In both instances of right faith the internal cause is the same, namely the subsidence, destruction, or destruction-cum-subsidence of faith deluding karmas. Right faith is characterized by eight qualities: freedom from doubt (nihsankita), freedom from worldly desire (ninkanksita), freedom from revulsion (nirvicikitsa), freedom from superstitions (amudhadrsti), charitable forbearance and concealment of defects in others (upaguhana), ensuring steadfastness of right faith and o swerve from the path to liberation (sthitikarana), propagation of the true path (prabhavana), and joy and affection towards the right path and its followers (vatsalya). The Three Jewels (ratnatraya) of right faith, knowledge, and 14

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Verse 4 conduct certainly lead to liberation, and not to any other state of existence. However, due to the Self getting involved in virtuous dispositions (subhopayoga), bondage of virtuous karmas takes place leading to birth in auspicious abodes including the heavens. Only those who are born in the middle world in the regions of labour attain liberation, as liberation is possible only in this terrestrial world of human effort. In the lands of paradise and in celestial regions, the desires are fulfilled instantaneously without any effort. Hence there is no room for observing right conduct, one of the three prerequisites to attain liberation. Persons with right faith, till they finally attain liberation, are destined to superior states of existence thereby getting reborn in auspicious environments only. It is said in the Scripture that persons with right faith will be reborn among the fourth order of devas - heavenly (vaimanika) devas - and not among the three lower orders, namely the residential (bhavanavasi), the peripatetic (vyantara), and the stellar (jyotiska) devas. Those persons who are characterized by right belief and practice restraint with attachment, and restraint-cum-non-restraint, will also be reborn in the higher heavens of Saudharma kalpa and so on and not among the three lower orders of celestial beings. Adapted from: Jain, S.A. (1960), "Reality: English Translation of Shri Pujyapada's Sarvarthasiddhi", Vira Sasana Sangha, Calcutta-37, p. 183. Acarya Samantabhadra in Ratnakarandaka-Sravakacara highlights the propitious outcomes of being endowed with right faith: ojastejovidyAvIryyayazovRddhivijayavibhavasanAthAH / mahAkulA mahArthA mAnavatilakAbhavanti darzanapUtAH // (36) 15

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse Those whose hearts have become pure through right faith are endowed with splendour, physical strength, knowledge, valour, fame, happiness, superiority and wealth. They are born in noble families, possess the ability to realize the highest ideals of life and are among the best of men. 16 aSTaguNapuSTituSTA dRSTiviziSTAH prakRSTazobhAjuSTAH / amarApsarasAM pariSadi ciraM ramante jinendrabhaktAH svarge // (37) Those who have the right faith are born in the heavens, become devotees of Lord Jina (the Victor), are endowed with eight kinds of miraculous powers and great splendour. They enjoy themselves for long millenniums in the company of the devas and the devis. devendracakramahimAnamameyamAnam rAjendracakramavanIndrazirorcanIyam / dharmendracakramadharIkRtasarvalokam labdhvA zivaM ca jinabhaktirupaiti bhavyaH // (41) A bhavya devotee of Lord Jina who has the right faith acquires immense glory as the lord of the congregation of the celestial beings, as the king of kings (cakravarti) owning the divine discus, the lords of the earth must worship him with their heads, and finally after attaining to the supremely worshipful status of godhood reaches nirvana.

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hRSIkajamanAtaGkaM dIrghakAlopalAlitam / nAke nAkaukasAM saukhyaM nAke nAkaukasAmiva // Verse 5 (5) The residents of the heavens enjoy happiness that appertains to the senses, free from disruptions, lasts for an exceedingly long period of time and has no parallel outside the heavens. EXPLANATORY NOTES Devas are born in special beds (upapada) and possess transformable bodies. Just like the rising of the sun, they get to the auspicious completion (paryapti) of organs and capacities within 48 minutes (antarmuhurta) of their birth. Completion is of six kinds - taking in of the molecules to form the body, development of the body, development of the sense organs, development of the respiratory organs, development of the organ of speech, and development of the mind. Other devas flock to celebrate the arrival of a new deva with music and beating of drums. Elated with his glory, the deva, through the power of clairvoyance, recollects his past virtuous deeds because of which he has acquired such a status. Extolling the virtues of the true religion, he goes to worship Lord Jina with sacred substances. Heavenly beings, up to those born in the sixteen heavens derive extreme happiness by attending to and celebrating with gusto the five most auspicious and principal events (pancakalyanaka) in the life of the World Teacher (Tirthankara). Acarya Umasvami's Tattvarthasutra and its commentary, Sarvarthasiddhi by Acarya Pujyapada, have ascertained that the 17

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse Residential devas and others up to those in Aisana kalpa enjoy sexual pleasure like human beings as they are actuated by karmas causing affliction and unease. Engrossed always in happiness, devas do not realize the passage of time. In Sanatkumara and Mahendra kalpas the devas as well as the devis derive the highest pleasure by mere touch of the body. In Brahma, Brahmottara, Lantava and Kapistha kalpas the devas experience the highest pleasure by looking at the charming and lovely forms and the beautiful and attractive dresses of the devis. In Sukra, Mahasukra, Satara and Sahasrara kalpas the devas derive the highest enjoyment by listening to the sweet songs, the gentle laughter, the lovely words and the pleasant sounds of the ornaments of their devis. In Anata, Pranata, Arana and Acyuta kalpas the devas get the utmost pleasure the moment they think of their devis. The rest of the devas - in nine Graiveyaka, nine Anudisa and five Anuttara vimanas - are without sexual desire. Copulation (pravicara) is merely a palliative for pain caused by the sexual desire. In the absence of such pain or unease, they have no need for a palliative. Acarya Nemichandra's Trilokasara depicts the extreme happiness appertaining to the lords of the men and the devas but holds it as insignificant as compared to the supreme happiness enjoyed by the Siddha Paramesthi: cakkikuruphaNisureMdesahamiMde jaM suhaM tikAlabhavaM / tatto aNaMtaguNidaM siddhANaM khaNasuhaM hodi // (560) The happiness appertaining to the king of kings (cakravarti), the resident of the regions of enjoyment (bhogabhumi), the lord of the lower celestials, the lord of the heavenly kalpas, and the lord of the heavens beyond the kalpas, is successively infinitely more. The supreme happiness or bliss that appertains to the Siddha Paramesthi, however, can only be described as: "Just ... .. ........ .. 18

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Verse 5 one instant of bliss that the Siddha Paramesthi enjoys is infinitely more than the combined happiness that all the above mentioned worldly jivas enjoy during the course of their past, present and future lives." The above statement, though made metaphorically, is sufficient to suggest that the supreme happiness of the Siddha Paramesthi is indescribable; it is beyond the senses, self-dependent, and devoid of fluctuations or impediments whatsoever. The happiness of the worldly jivas, on the other hand, is sense-perceived, dependent on outside objects, and characterized by unease or anxiety. As the tongue of a man suffering from acid reflux is not able to savour the most delectable food, similarly, the soul which is soiled with karmic dirt is not able to feel or depict the supreme, unbounded happiness that appertains to the liberated soul. 19

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse vAsanAmAtramevaitatsukhaM duHkhaM ca dehinAm / tathA hyudvejayantyete bhogA rogA ivApadi // (6) Pleasure and pain that appertain to the body are only notional; these are aberrations in the natural state of bliss that appertains to the soul. In an agitated state of the mind, sensual pleasures result into disquiet like that caused by an illness. EXPLANATORY NOTES For long, we have been led to believe that we are the enjoyers of worldly pleasures and pains. We do our utmost to attract pleasures and repel pains. Our passionate thought activities cause bondage of karmas, good or bad, virtuous or wicked. Merit bondage is like fetters made of gold and demerit bondage is like fetters made of iron. On account of our desires we experience happiness or misery. Our desires create in our souls a disposition favourable for the karmic molecules to settle in. Due to our ignorance, the process of passionately reacting to happiness or misery and settling in of fresh karmic molecules in our souls goes on, till snapped by self-exertion. The knowledgeable soul is aware of the fruits of karmas but does not enjoy them. A wise person, therefore, does not get particularly elated on the approach of desirable objects or circumstances and dejected when undesirable conditions supervene. It is only from the empirical point of view (vyavahara naya) that the soul is said to be the enjoyer of the fruits of karmas in the form of pleasure and pain; from the transcendental point of view (niscaya naya), the soul experiences only consciousness (cetana), 20

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Verse 6 concomitant with perception (darsana) and knowledge (jnana). The statement that pleasure and pain that appertain to the body are only notional requires a little elaboration. Those who have achieved success in worldly affairs have been able to search for happiness in many objects and places. In each new object and place they found a sense of enjoyment for a while but were soon back to square one. As soon as the novelty was over and the force of contrast dulled, it no longer remained charming, and they had to search for something afresh. The fact of the matter is that happiness comes not from without; it depends on ourselves. We are responsible for our happiness and really no outside help or device is needed to get it. It follows that worldly success is not the same as happiness. The question arises as to what is the proper object for us to cherish. Money has failed to procure happiness whenever it has been put to test. There are many millions of people of money who are unhappy. Can it be status, family, children, fame and the like which are known to have afforded pleasure in the past? Surely not, for what they provide us with is ephemeral, and adulterated with suffering as their parting is certain. It can be shown with respect to every worldly object that it cannot be happiness itself. Happiness cannot be found in any object that we zealously seek. The highest aspiration of man can only be to attain Divinity for his soul which gives rise to unalloyed bliss and happiness, and freedom from pain and suffering. The realization of this supreme status is possible with own exertion, never by favour or grace of another. The reason for this is that Divinity is the essential nature of the soul, which, in the condition of impurity, or imperfection, is not manifested owing to the bondage of different kinds of karmas. So long as a soul does not have faith in its true nature, it cannot exert itself to realize its natural perfection and joy. Right faith, 21

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse right knowledge, accompanied by right conduct, that is, exertion in the right direction for the destruction of the karmic bonds is the sure way which leads to the attainment of the goal of supreme bliss. Joy, or happiness, has the element of freedom in it. It is a state of gladness or exultation, and indicates exhilaration of spirits. Joy is a state of exhilaration which is manifested in consequence of some lasting and permanent good, i.e., by removal of some fetters of bondage. The idea of pleasure cannot keep pace, in any sense, with that of joy. While true joy is the sense of permanent freedom from some irksome liability or limitation, pleasure is only temporary, and conveys no idea of freedom. The emotion of joy springs up in consequence to the belief that never again the same thing be striven for. The sense of freedom from future straining and striving is the direct and immediate cause of joy. Feeling of delight and joy signifies mental ease, i.e., freedom from care, hence the state of buoyancy and light-heartedness, which is a necessary concomitant of release from anxiety. It can easily be seen that pleasure and pain are both in the nature of affection or modification of the soul, since nothing corresponding to these has ever been known to exist in the external world, and also since nothing but own states or affections can be felt by an individual. Indian classical music can be a source of much delight to a connoisseur, and the same music may be repulsive for a glitzy high-flyer. Also, the extent of grief that a five-year old girl would experience at the loss of her favourite doll can be far greater than that experienced by a rich, fifty-year old man at the loss of his car. It is clear, therefore, that pleasure and pain both are emotions and depend on our internal state rather than on any outside object. An agreeable disposition of the soul-substance occasions a feeling of pleasure while an opposite kind of sensation arises from a disagreeable affection. Pleasure is essentially fleeting, transient, full of trouble in its procurement, and liable to give birth to 22

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Verse 6 suffering and pain. Pleasure and pain are two sides of a coin; neither can be had alone by itself, and the latter being mostly the lot of living beings in the world. Man alone, of all beings in the world, is endowed with the capacity, and enjoys the opportunity, to think of his destiny. He alone has the power of shaping his future, for weal or woe, as he pleases. But this capacity is hopelessly crippled by his wrong desires - the sensual desires. The greatest defect of materialism is that it prevents man from the realization of his divine nature by unduly developing the sensual side of life. If sense-gratification be the only form of enjoyment to be found in Nature, perfection in happiness cannot be thought of in connection with the soul. Fortunately, however, there is another kind of joy which is possible for living beings. This consists in the natural 'pulsation' of pure delight, which becomes an inseparable companion of the soul the moment the individual establishes himself fully in own pure Self. ... 23

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse mohena saMvRtaM jJAnaM svabhAvaM labhate na hi / mattaH pumAn padArthAnAM yathA madanakodravaiH // After consuming intoxicating grain called 'kodrava', the man loses his power to know, with due discrimination, the real nature of things; in the same way, the knowing Self, when covered with delusion, fails to comprehend the true nature of substances. (7) EXPLANATORY NOTES Knowledge becomes fallacious without the power of discrimination between the right and the wrong. In an inebriated state, a man may consider the mother as the wife and the wife as the mother. This knowledge is obviously untrue. On some other occasion he may consider the mother as the mother and the wife as the wife according to his whims. Even this knowledge is untrue as it is only accidental, not based on the power of discrimination. 24 To be able to ascend the spiritual ladder, the potential Self first becomes a right believer and with growing purity of thoughtactivity the deluding (mohaniya) karmas are destroyed progressively. Deluding karmas are of two kinds, faith deluding (darsana mohaniya), which delude right belief, and conduct deluding (caritra mohaniya), which hinder right conduct. Faith deluding karmas are subdivided into wrong belief (mithyatva), mixed right and wrong belief (samyagmithyatva), and right belief slightly clouded with false belief (samyaktva). On the rise of the first kind of karma, wrong belief, the individual turns away from the path revealed by the Omniscient Lord, becomes indifferent to

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Verse 7 the true nature of reality and is incapable of discriminating between what is beneficial to him and what is not. Such perverse attitude, owing to partial cleansing or purification, appears along with its purified state and becomes mixed right and wrong belief. When perverse attitude is restrained by virtuous thought activity, the faith deluding karmas become quiescent and no longer obstruct right belief. The individual then is said to be having right belief with slight or occasional wrong belief. The Jainas liken the three classes of faith deluding karmas to the results arising from eating the grain 'kodrava' by a man. If the grain be eaten without any preparation it causes the most intense giddiness, enough to bewilder the man; such is the effect of wrong belief (mithyatva). If the husk of the grain be removed before eating, the effect is less stupefying; akin to mixed right and wrong belief (samyagmithyatva). If the grain be thoroughly cleansed, the occasional slight uneasiness it may cause is comparable to right belief slightly clouded with false belief (samyaktva). Wrong belief may be innate or acquired. The manifestation of disbelief in the true nature of reality, on the rise of perversity karma, without teaching by others, is the first variety. The second variety, which is based on the teaching by others, is described as consisting of five perversities: absolutistic attitude (ekanta), contrary attitude (viparita), doubtful attitude (samsaya), nondiscriminatory attitude (vainayika), and ignorant attitude (ajnanika). The identification of a thing and its attributes as 'this alone' or 'thus alone' is absolutistic attitude. 'Everything is permanent,' or 'Everything is momentary,' are example of absolutistic attitude. 'An ascetic with material possessions is a passionless saint,' or 'The Omniscient Lord takes morsels of food,' are contrary attitudes. The indecisive view, whether the three gems of right faith, right knowledge and right conduct lead to liberation or not, is doubtful 25

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse attitude. 'All gods are one,' and 'All religions are the same,' are nondiscriminating attitudes. Incapacity to examine what is good and what is bad for oneself is the ignorant attitude. Sensory knowledge, scriptural knowledge, and clairvoyance become erroneous when these coexist in the soul with wrong belief. It is similar to the milk kept in a bitter gourd. The milk becomes unpalatable on account of the defect of the receptacle. In the same manner, even right sensory knowledge, scriptural knowledge, and clairvoyance become erroneous when conditioned by wrong belief. The conduct deluding karmas are subdivided into passions (kasaya), and quasi-passions (nokasaya) - those that have the tendency to colour or stain the purity of the soul, and those that do no not have that tendency, respectively. There are four primary passions: anger (krodha), pride (mana), deceitfulness (maya), and greed (lobha). The quasi-passions are nine: laughter (hasya), attraction (rati), displeasure or repulsion (arati), grief (soka), fear (bhaya), disgust (jugupsa), male sex passion (pumveda), female sex passion (striveda), and neuter sex passion (napumsakaveda). Belief in substances, souls and non-souls, as these actually are, is right faith. The Omniscient Lord has called right knowledge (samyagjnana) as the effect and right faith (samyagdarsana) as the cause. Therefore, it is appropriate to venerate and acquire right knowledge after the acquisition of right faith. Having acquired right faith, detailed cognition of substances, without fallacies of doubt (samsaya), perversity (vimoha or viparyaya), and indefiniteness (vibhrama or anadhyavasaya), is right knowledge. Doubt (samsaya) means swaying of the mind without being able to assert the true nature of a thing. After acquiring the belief that bondage of virtuous karmas leads to birth in the heavens, entertaining skepticism about its validity is an instance of doubt. The cognition of an object as something which is contrary to its true 26

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Verse 7 nature is perversity (vimoha). For example, if we perceive nacre to be silver, we have knowledge vitiated by perversity. Indefiniteness (uibhrama) is vacillation about the real nature of a thing due to the shrouding of the intellect. For example, when we touch something while moving, we may be conscious that we have touched something but are unable to say, with any certainty, what it was, our knowledge is enshrouded in indefiniteness. 27

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse vapuhaM dhanaM dArAH putrA mitrANi zatravaH / sarvathAnyasvabhAvAni mUDhaH svAni prapadyate // (8) Entities, like the body, the house, the wealth, the wife, the son, the friend, and the foe, have attributes which are distinct from the soul; still, a deluded person considers these as his own. EXPLANATORY NOTES The soul (jiva) is eternal. It is incorporeal and formless (amurta). It is different from the body or the sense organs. But it is coextensive with the body it occupies. The term jiva represents a living being. It denotes a spiritual entity. Its essential nature is cetana or consciousness. It has lived in the past, lives in the present and will continue to live in the future. Thus it is beginningless and has an unending continuous existence of a spiritual nature. The soul that lives in the concrete world of biological kingdom, associated with a gross body as well as the subtle karmic body, is the samsarijiva. The soul that has transcended the cycle of samsara and has attained its nature of intrinsic purity as a result of the destruction of the associated karmic mire is the liberated soul, the Siddha jiva. This conception of jiva may be said to be the central doctrine of the Jaina philosophy. All samsari jivas are embodied according to their individual spiritual status, and are subject to the cycle of births and deaths. The body, associated with each soul, is subject to growth, old age, decay and death. Death entails that the soul must quit the existing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

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Verse 8 body to acquire a fresh body consistent with and determined by the record of the karmic conditions, of which the soul itself is a repository. One of the most contentious issues in metaphysics is the relationship between the soul and the body. The Jaina metaphysics holds that the two are entirely different entities but live together for a certain period of time and then depart. The forms of physical matter are characterized by touch, taste, smell and colour. The soul of a samsarijiva is associated with bodies - gross and subtle - fashioned by the karmic matter which is essentially physical in nature. Owing to the presence of internal causes due to karmas, and with the instrumentality of external causes that are seen in the external world, the feelings of delight or anguish, amenity or affliction, and pleasure or pain, are produced. The soul and the physical karmic matter are so intricately woven that we fail to distinguish between the functions or attributes of the two. The soul is non-material from a non-absolutistic sense only. It is not true that the soul is only non-material. From the point of view of the modes in bondage, owing to the influence of karmas, the soul is corporeal in the embodied state. From the point of view of its pure nature, the soul is incorporeal. Though the soul is one with the body in the embodied state, it is different from the body because of its distinctive characteristics. The corporeal nature of the soul is predicated in the non-absolutistic or relativistic sense only. From one point of view the soul is incorporeal, but from another point of view it is corporeal. A person is deluded when he identifies an animate object, soul (jiva), as inanimate, and an inanimate object, non-soul (ajiva), as animate. The consciousness of different classes of jivas manifests in different degrees. Earth, water, fire, air, and plants have the lowest level of consciousness - only tactual sensation. Their 29

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse consciousness level is so low that to many these beings may seem to be lifeless. The Omniscients and the liberated souls possess the highest degree of consciousness. In between these two extremes, there are jivas having senses from two to five, such as the worm, the ant, the bee, and the man, each manifesting successively higher degree of consciousness. Acarya Kundakunda's Samayasara explains beautifully the difference between the Self and the non-self: (1-20-20) ahamedaM edamahaM ahamedasseva homi mama edaM / aNNaM jaM paradavvaM saccittAcittamissaM vA // Asi mama puvvamedaM ahamedaM cAvi puvvakAlamhi / hohidi puNo vi majhaM ahamedaM cAvi hossAmi // evaM tu asaMbhUdaM AdaviyappaM karedi sNmuuddho| bhUdatthaM jANaMto Na karedi du taM asaMmUDho // (1-21-21) (1-22-22) One who erroneously considers any alien objects such as an animate being (wife, son), an inanimate thing (riches such as gold and silver), and mixed animate-inanimate object (land, cattle) as 'I am this substance,' or 'It is I,' or 'I am its,' or 'It is mine,' or 'It was mine in the past,' or 'I was identical to it in the past,' or 'It shall be mine in future also,' and 'I shall also be like it in future,' has only superficial awareness (bahiratma). But one who understands the real nature of the Self does not entertain such erroneous notions and, therefore, possesses intimate knowledge (antaratma). aNNANamohidamadI majjhamiNaM bhaNadi poMggalaM davvaM / baddhamabaddhaM ca tahA jIvo bahubhAvasaMjutto // (1-23-23) 30

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Verse 8 (1-24-24) savvaNhuNANadiTTho jIvo uvaogalakkhaNo NiccaM / kiha so poMggaladavvIbhUdo jaM bhaNasi majjhamiNaM // jadi so poMggaladavvIbhUdo jIvattamAgadaM idaraM / to sakkA vottu je majjhamiNaM poMggalaM davvaM // (1-25-25) The Self, deluded with wrong knowledge and influenced by wrong belief and passions, declares that physical objects like the ones intimately bound to him (the body) and the ones not so bound to him (the wife, the son), belong to him. The Omniscient Lord has declared that consciousness is soul's distinctive characteristic. How can such an entity be regarded as physical matter? How can one say that a particular physical matter belongs to him? If it were possible for the soul to become a physical matter and for the physical matter to become a soul (having consciousness), then only it would have been right to say that a particular physical object belongs to the soul. Jain, Vijay K. (2012), "Acharya Kundkund's Samayasara", Vikalp Printers, p. 14-15. A deluded person breeds attachment to the body which is intimately bound to him, and with persons or objects like friends, clothes, houses, riches and geographical territories, which are not so bound to him. He desires their possession, ownership and company, and their separation brings about grief to him. He spends his whole life in acquiring and then protecting them, and their inevitable separation causes unbearable misery to him. 31

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse digdezebhyaH khagA etya saMvasanti nage nage / svasvakAryavazAdyAnti deze dikSu prage prage || At dusk, birds from different directions and regions get themselves perched on trees, but at the break of the day, fly off, in their pursuits, to different directions and destinations. (9) EXPLANATORY NOTES In the present verse, Acarya Pujyapada provides us with an insight into the life of a transmigrating (samsari) soul. Transmigration means metempsychosis - a new birth after death. A particular state of existence in the transmigrating life of a soul is like a bird spending the night, with fellow birds, on a tree. At the break of the day, they all leave their resting place and proceed to onward destinations. Due to our wrong beliefs we give undue and misplaced importance to our so-called possessions, animate and inanimate, of the present life. These possessions include our body, relations like husband or wife, sons, daughters, friends and peers, and things that we acquire with great effort, like land, business and wealth. 32 A transmigrating soul can be in any of the four states of existence, technically called caturgati. These four states of existence are the infernal state, the subhuman state of animals and plants, the human state, and the celestial state. All transmigrating souls remain embodied according to their individual spiritual

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Verse 9 status. It has been said in the Scripture: The soul indeed has taken in (enjoyed) successively all the molecules of matter in the entire universe and has cast them off. And the soul has been revolving many times over in the cycles of matter. There is no point in the entire space of the universe which has not been the seat of birth of the soul. In this way, the soul has wandered in the entire universe space many times over. The transmigrating soul has been born and dead many times, in the ascending as well as in the descending aeons. Owing to its association with wrong belief, the soul has wandered, with different lifetimes, in all the states of existence, from the infernal regions up to the upper Graiveyaka heavens. Owing to its association with wrong belief, the soul is plunged in all the stages of the four types of bondage - nature, duration, intensity, and space and wanders in the cycle of thought activity. Adapted from: Jain, S.A. (1960), "Reality: English Translation of Shri Pujyapada's Sarvarthasiddhi", Vira Sasana Sangha, Calcutta-37, p. 57-60. It is owing to the influence of the associated material impurities that the soul wanders about in the samsara, seeking pleasure and happiness. Under the blinding influence of the karmic matter, it identifies itself with the body. Its natural rhythm of freedom is consequently lost and it undergoes all kinds of changes of form and state in the course of transmigration. Although characterized by pure knowledge and perception, it wanders about, over and over, without a break, in places inhabitable and uninhabitable. We have lived lives with life-spans ranging from inside 48 minutes (antarmuhurta) to innumerable millions of years. Some 33

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse incarnations must have provided us with exceptional status and glory. What material possessions have we been able to accumulate over such a long journey of our existence? Our present life, with a maximum life-span of just a few scores of years, has to come to an end in due course of time. None of our so-called "possessions' - body, friends, clothes, houses, riches - is going to accompany us to our next birth. The Acarya, therefore, has likened our present incarnation to a migratory bird spending the night on a tree. 34

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Verse 10 virAdhakaH kathaM hantre janAya parikupyati / 25:1Ini ya usz Falei Gusa uradi (10) There is no reason why a person who inflicts pain or suffering on someone else should get angry when that individual does the same to him. He who knocks down the 'trayangura' with both his feet is himself bound to be felled due to the nature of the equipment. EXPLANATORY NOTES The law of Natural Justice, with which we all are governed, is allencompassing, astute, precise, infallible, and ruthless. The law encompasses all embodied beings as they are bound with the karmic matter. It puts to scrutiny all our actions - of mind, speech, and body - and, thus, takes into account our thought-activities too whether or not we are able to implement these. It delivers exactly the required reward or punishment that our activities entail. It is a foolproof system as it does not hinge on external evidences or arguments. The verdicts are implemented ruthlessly; if not during this birth, during the next birth or births. There is the principle of causality in the region of karmas which is independent of all human and divine intervention. The man who denies what he has seen with his eyes is punished by nature with as unerring a judgment as he who puts his hand on fire. Only in the former case we are not able to see the causality of the punishment meted out; may be his eyes should be deprived of normal vision in the life to come. When we dispense cruel propensities like slaughtering helpless and dumb animals for food or trade, we may ........................ 35

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse be opening the doorway of the animal kingdom for our future incarnations. Humane tendencies, like mildness in disposition, make us suitable for reincarnation as a human being. All our actions of mind, speech and body, under the influence of passions that may manifest in the form of anger, pride, deceitfulness, and greed, attract subtle particles of karmic matter which find lodgment in our soul, clogging its natural tendencies. And when the time comes, these particles of karmic matter play a crucial role in not only determining the form and state of existence that must be enforced on us, but remain clung to our soul till shed through our own effort, or on fruition. There is reciprocity of action between living beings; they are the cause of pleasure and pain to one another. Our interactions with other living beings, while influencing the purity of own soul, have a corresponding influence on the other souls. Love begets love. The same is true of our other emotions. When we hurt someone out of anger, we are likely to engender the same negative emotion of anger in that person. A victim of such negative emotion, his soul attracts subtle particles of karmic matter which, sooner or later, implore it to take revenge upon us. The reaction may fructify in the current birth or in some future incarnation. How sometimes we encounter a stranger exhibiting strong positive or negative emotions towards us, much to our bewilderment! We are thus subjected to rewards and punishments for all our actions. It is in this context that we say, "As you sow, so shall you reap." The cycle of action and reaction goes on incessantly over many births. The only way out of this degenerating cycle is by ridding our soul of passions and observing equanimity. So far as our interaction with other living beings is concerned, the golden rule is, "Don't hurt anyone and maintain composure if someone hurts you." 36

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Verse 11 rAgadveSadvayI dIrghanetrAkarSaNakarmaNA / ajJAnAt suciraM jIvaH saMsArAbdhau bhramatyasau // (11) Our soul, due to nescience (ajnana), keeps on pulling either end of the long rope - one end symbolizing attachment (raga) and the other aversion (dvesa) - and, as a consequence, whirls round in the cycle of births and deaths (samsara) for a very long time. EXPLANATORY NOTES Attachment and aversion are the soul's own psychical modes brought about by nescience which, in turn, is due to the soul's association with karmic matter. Psychical modes are the sole province of the soul and are not present in any physical matter. Karmic bondage causes dispositions like attachment, and such dispositions cause karmic bondage. Harmful psychical dispositions (bhava), brought about by delusion (moha) are those that mislead cognition, i.e., the faculty of perception and belief (darsana mohaniya), and those that mislead the will or conduct (caritra mohaniya). Cognition and will, together, manifest in volitional states, marked by virtue or vice. If the object of cognition and will is desirable and good, the volitional state is virtuous, resulting into happiness. If the object be undesirable and bad, the volitional state is evil, resulting into misery. To a worldly soul with nescience, psychical modes of attachment and aversion will occur naturally. On account of these psychical modes, the soul is driven into a state of weakness and karmic matter, virtuous or vicious, clings to it, causing karmic 37

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse bondage. Karmic bondage leads the soul into any of the four states of worldly existence (caturgati). Life as an infernal being, as plant or animal, as a human being, and as a celestial being, are the four states of existence. The class of karmas that determines the physique is the name karma (namakarma) and the subclass is the state of existence (gati-namakarma). The change of the state of existence does not presuppose the loss of the identity of the soul. The very same soul survives after each change, maintaining its self-identity. Entering into a state of existence, the soul builds up its own appropriate body. As every embodied being is endowed with one or more senses, the environment becomes an object of perception. From perception emanates attachment or aversion towards the object of perception and thus the cycle of karmic bondage, to state of existence, to body, to senses, to perception, to attachment and aversion, and to karmic bondage, continues ad infinitum. It is a beginningless cycle which ends only in the case of the souls that have the potential to attain liberation (bhavya jivas), in due course of time. The bhavya jiva, through his own effort, destroys the dirt of karmic matter that clings to his soul, attaining thereby its pure, effulgent state characterized by omniscience and other divine attributes. 38

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vipadbhavapadAvarte padikevAtivAhyate / yAvattAvadbhavantyanyAH pracurA vipadaH puraH // Verse 12 (12) In a water-wheel used to hoist water, as one bucket is emptied many others are ready to be emptied; in the same way, in our worldly life, before we get over one misery, many more are ready to overtake us. EXPLANATORY NOTES Due to ignorance and consequent delusion we engender in our souls emotions of attachment and aversion. Attachment causes us to seek association of desirable objects, and aversion dissociation of undesirable ones. When desirable objects such as the son, the wife or the wealth are lost we are grieved. Contact of undesirable objects such as a foul or hostile environment causes us pain. On deprivation of desirable objects, we think repeatedly of regaining them and on association of undesirable objects, of getting rid of them. When there is pain caused by disease such as gout and rheumatism, we think continually about the means to subdue it, and get cured. Engrossing oneself in pleasures not attained is another kind of sorrowful thought activity. We also spoil our tranquility by causing injury to others, telling lies, stealing, and thoughts of safeguarding of wealth and other possessions. All the above mentioned thought activities are evil or inauspicious, cause sorrow, and extend transmigration. The wrong believer is perennially beset with fear, a harbinger of worldly pain. Jaina texts classify fear (bhaya) into seven kinds (see 39

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse footnote on p. 3). Fear relates to the imagined outcomes not only pertaining to this life but also the life beyond. All kinds of sufferings result into the feeling of pain. Different kinds of sufferings manifest different affective expressions. The feeling of sadness at the loss of something desirable causes sorrow. The feeling of distress owing to disgrace causes agony. Howling out of anguish is moaning. Damage to vitalities or physical injury causes discomfort and painful sensation. Loud outcry or wailing when afflicted is lamentation. All the above mentioned sorrowful and painful conditions are but the destiny of a typical worldly man, considered to be one of the prized states of existence. It is in this context that the Acarya says that the worldly life is so full of pain and suffering that before we get over one misery, many more are ready to overtake us. Only our karmas enshroud the natural attributes of the soul. The right believer knows that the soul reaps the fruits of the past karmas in many forms including body formation, state of existence, duration of life, and feelings of pleasure and pain. Determined to regain the lost purity of his soul, he allows neither the riches nor the calamities to cast their shadow on it. Neither does he get overflowed with pride or joy on the gain of desired objects, nor downcast with sorrow or grief on the loss of agreeable objects and on contact with disagreeable ones. 40

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Verse 13 dura]nAsurakSyeNa nazvareNa dhanAdinA / svasthaMmanyo janaH ko'pi jvaravAniva sarpiSA // (13) The man who considers wealth, which involves hardship in its acquisition and protection, and perishes ultimately, as a source of well-being is like the man who, down with a fever, erroneously imagines to have regained vigour after consuming clarified butter (ghee). EXPLANATORY NOTES Modern-day behavioural scientists, on the basis of studies involving sample groups, have concluded that money, at least up to a certain level, can make one happy. Divergent views have been put forward about the level of income after which money seems not to contribute much to an increase in happiness. Suggestions have been made about the way one should spend disposable income to buy happiness. These include spending money on others in the form of shared experiences, buying all sorts of insurances, going on stress-free vacations, having expensive and lavish dinners, and gaining more leisure time by hiring people to help around. All these suggestions presuppose that the main purpose in life is to make it 'rosier' through pleasant experiences, and retaining fond memories to live with. There is absolutely no vision beyond the present life. Profound ideas like acquiring faith and knowledge, observing vows such as non-injury and limiting possessions, fasting, giving up of external and internal attachments, selfrestraint, enduring afflictions, austerities, concentration and meditation are foreign to these studies. Those who proclaim that 41

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse money can buy happiness know neither the true nature of happiness nor the true value of money. Not knowing the true nature of happiness, we wrongly assume that wealth can be a source of happiness. We need to correct this by first knowing the truth and then making efforts to provide our souls with a breath of fresh air. We have to think beyond the superficial challenge of competitiveness, as the yardstick for measuring happiness is not the performance and achievement of others but our own inherent potential in this majestic challenge of life. It is any day better to be happy inside and a pauper outside, than to be a wreck inside and a potentate outside. Our career-oriented education system and societal norms lead us to believe that the amount of wealth a person owns is the safest, most trustworthy parameter to assess his level of success and, therefore, happiness. Driven by this delusion, we start exerting ourselves in the pursuit of wealth at an early age. Our lust keeps on increasing and we do not mind using any means, fair and foul, to get more. As we make more money, our expectations and desires rise in tandem. Not knowing where to stop in our mission to make more money, we work even harder, not to be daunted by the insane working hours or the symptoms of ailments making inroads in our bodies. We are so enamoured by our notion of success that we fail to realize that a terrible compromise with happiness is surreptitiously being worked out within us. Trying to be happier, we keep on doing those very things which go against the idea of realizing our soul's natural perfection and joy. We are, at best, on a hedonic treadmill - we have to keep on working just to stay in the same place. We may feel 'great' counting the money that we have amassed, notwithstanding the harm that we may have caused to our soul and body. Safe-keeping of the assets acquired must now attract our attention. We rack our brains devising means to not only protect 42

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Verse 13 these from burglars but also from decay, depreciation, and decomposition. But the inevitable cannot be averted. With the passage of time, as our senses debilitate, a feeling of utter helplessness starts overtaking us. The folly of our efforts becomes clear, albeit too late. Stark reality that we must leave behind, voluntarily, all material possessions strikes in our face. There is no escape from this plain truth; if we do not volunteer to do it ourselves, death will perform the act for us, rather ruthlessly. The idea of separation from our prized possessions leaves us in great pain and misery. Enjoyment of a few pleasures in the past is no solace to a grieving soul. Realization of this basic truth early in life can save us from much hardship and agony later on. 43

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse vipattimAtmano mUDhaH pareSAmiva nekSate / dahyamAnamRgAkIrNavanAntaratarusthavat // The man who fails to realize that afflictions that befall others will one day run into him is like the man who, sitting on the top of a tree in a burning forest, feels safe while the deer and other animals are being consumed by the fire. (14) EXPLANATORY NOTES We are extremely fortunate to be in a position to ponder over matters pertaining to life and death. In the present era and in this part of the cosmos, human beings have a life expectancy at birth of around three to four score years depending largely on the conditions of public health, medical care and economic circumstances prevailing in different parts of the world. Globally, cessation of a very large number of pregnancies takes place each year because of causes natural or induced, and millions of infants and children die before their fifth birthday. Many live in condition of bare subsistence and it is not expected of them to think beyond the necessities of life, their immediate needs. Even today, a large number of people ever remain shrouded in absurd superstitions due to reasons beyond their control, includng lack of education, and cultural and religious inheritances. 44 All human beings who have not met with an untimely death pass through eight experiential stages in life - birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, youth, adulthood, old age, and death. We are mostly dependent on others till we reach the stage of youth. In

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Verse 14 these formative years, most decisions pertaining to our upbringing are taken by others. As we reach adulthood, we become aware of our inherent likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and start pondering over matters like our objectives and goals in life. We take decisions on our career, family, and social life. By the time we reach the stage of advanced adulthood we have enough experience to look back to and vision to look forward to. We are mature enough to understand the meaning of life, its pleasures and pains. We are able to observe the ups and downs in the lives of people around us. More importantly, we are able to reflect on whether there is something we must do regarding the direction of our life, or live life just as it comes. In our worldly life we seek pleasure and try to avoid pain and suffering. No sooner do we make headway in acquiring and then using an object of pleasure than a feeling of its inadequacy creeps into our mind. We want something superior in terms of both, the quality and the quantum of pleasure. We become slaves of pleasure. Typically, we over-indulge at night, get a terrible hangover the next morning, but crave for the same thing again at the fall of night. We get overpowered by the senses and become addicted to pleasure. As the harmful effects of this addiction on our mind and body surface in due course of time, the realization dawns that perhaps we have moved too far ahead in the wrong direction. We get disheartened to see that pleasure is short-lived and is followed, sooner or later, by pain and suffering. Despondency sets in; we wish to do something about it but it is too late by then. Wise men start looking at the realities of life and ways to cope with these as soon as the realization dawns that they have just one or two score years of the present life left. They clearly apprehend that the worldly existence is full of misery; disease, old age, separation from kith and kin, accident, natural disaster, failure, and death are but some of the realities of life that one has to run into. They 45

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse take corrective actions to make the best use of the remaining years. While they commiserate with people living in conditions of poverty, deprivation, impairment or disease, they do not allow despondency to set within themselves. They are not particularly attracted towards the pleasures that worldly objects have to offer. They realize that pain and suffering are inextricably linked to the worldly life and are attributed to our karmas. Our virtuous karmas in the past have provided us with whatever good and enjoyable we have in this life and we must now make efforts to engage ourselves only in actions that will provide us with joyous feelings in the remaining years of this life, and the next. 46

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Verse 15 AyurvRddhikSayotkarSahetuM kAlasya nirgamam / vAJchatAM dhaninAmiSTaM jIvitAtsutarAM dhanam // (15) The passage of time increases wealth due to the accrual of interest but draws nearer the end of life. Those who look forward to increasing wealth, therefore, have no love for their lives. EXPLANATORY NOTES It is in the nature of most worldly men to daydream and become restive thereby. When in school, how we wish to go to college and 'enjoy life! When in college, we wish to finish our studies soon and become a doctor, an engineer, a bureaucrat, a businessman, or whatever. When we become what we had wished for, growth becomes the watchword. The concept of growth keeps us occupied for a major part of our working lives. As we climb the hierarchical ladder, a stage must arrive when we should feel contented in having everything that we had ever wished for but, ironically, that does not happen. Our passion to reach even higher rungs of the ladder, in fact, intensifies. To take examples from the higher echelons of society, a brigadier wishes to become a general, a secretary wishes to become a chief secretary, and a chief engineer wishes to become an engineer-in-chief. A businessman's yearning for expansion and increase in profits continues unabated. A politician's desire to do good to the people remains ever unfulfilled and in order to assume a bigger, more important role in 'nation-building' he keeps on trying to improve his image and popularity. We all keep on working harder 47

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse and smarter to make our dreams come true. As water flows into the lake by means of streams, so does the karmic matter flow into the soul through the channel or medium of activity. The inflow of the karmic matter into the soul is called influx (asrava). Karmas are said to be of two kinds, namely, merit (punya) and demerit (papa). Virtuous activity is the cause of merit and wicked activity is the cause of demerit. The threefold nature of activity is admitted: bodily-activity, speech-activity and thoughtactivity. Killing, stealing, and copulation are some wicked activities of the body. Harsh and uncivil language is a wicked speech-activity. Thoughts of violence, envy, calumny are examples of wicked thought-activities. The opposites of these are virtuous activities. That activity which is performed with good intention is virtuous and that which is performed with evil intention is wicked. From the empirical point of view, activity which purifies the soul is merit (punya) resulting, among other things, in happy feeling. Activity which keeps the soul away from good is demerit (papa) resulting, among other things, in unhappy feeling. There are three ways an individual may be involved in performing an activity. He may perform it himself. Or he may get it performed by someone else. Or he may approve of what has been done by someone else. In all three cases, the responsibility of the action lies, partly or fully, on the individual and he is liable to attract karmic bondage. The nature of influx and its consequence in terms of bondage (bandha) differ from person to person. For a person actuated by passions it extends transmigration and for a person free from passions it prevents or shortens it. Passions are primarily of four kinds - anger (krodha), pride (mana), deceitfulness (maya), and greed (lobha). Passions are the cause of the union of the karmic matter with the soul. The soul gets bound with karmas of different kinds depending on the intensity and the nature of passions. In other words, physical matter present coextensive with the soul gets 48

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Verse 15 transformed into karmas, owing to our activities and passions. It is thus clear that as we advance in life we must be able to control and restrain our activities and passions as these lead to bondage of karmas. By the stage of advanced adulthood we must be in a position to understand the harmful effects of our activities and passions. All activities, hitherto performed by us with great passion, need to be curtailed. With each passing day we have less time on hand to rectify the situation as life is getting shorter by the moment. 49

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse cinizi sera fanufani: ufurifa u: 1 svazarIraM sa paGkena snAsyAmIti vilimpati // The poor man who accumulates wealth so as to be able to spend it in future on virtuous activities, like giving of gifts, is like the man who deliberately soils his body with mud thinking that he will clean it later on by bathing. (16) EXPLANATORY NOTES The process of money-earning involves activities - of the mind, the speech and the body - and passions. Activities and passions cause bondage of karmas. As we desire something intensely we become passionate and, as a consequence, anger, pride, deceitfulness, and greed, stream out. Due to passions we indulge in many kinds of sinful activities including hurting others, telling lies, stealing, unchaste conduct, and excessive attachment to worldly objects. We play tricks upon others, speak what is not true or laudable, use wrong weights and measures, pry upon others' faults or weaknesses, promote dissatisfaction in others, subvert laws, rules and regulations, and become slack in the observance of vows. A large heap of evil karmas is thus engendered while we engage ourselves in the money-earning process. 50 If we entertain the idea of 'owning' an object, we become anxious not to lose it; fear sets in, and we must resort to safeguarding the object. Fear paralyzes healthy action, generates worry, and is exceedingly pernicious to life. Fear is the antithesis of self-composure, and the cause of cowardice and terror. In

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Verse 16 safeguarding anything, violence, mental or physical, is bound to result. Under such an environment, mutual trust, goodwill, and fellow-feeling, cease to exist. By entertaining such emotions in our minds we not only make our present unpleasant and distressing but also make our future liable to suffer from the same kinds of feelings due to the influx of karmas. The man who, in spite of possessing great self-esteem, a magnificent body, and noble virtues, loses his composure and independence for the sake of money is like the majestic elephant which has been tamed for use as a carrier. As per an old dictum, virtue does not come from money, but from virtue comes money and every other good of man, public as well as private. It is futile to try to turn around the sequence of this flowchart. Let virtue be your priority; health, goodwill, status, and, most importantly, joyous feelings will follow. There is no point soiling your happiness in pursuit of something that you must ultimately leave in a flash. 51

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse Arambhe tApakAn prAptAvatRptipratipAdakAn / BR Hotel 5114 1417 Galei to: Had meit: 11 (17) Which wise man would relish sense-gratifying objects, consumable and non-consumable, that cause unease in acquisition, insatiateness on enjoyment, and despair on separation, with unbridled infatuation? EXPLANATORY NOTES Human effort in the field of science and technology, particularly over the last one hundred years, has largely been concentrated on providing mankind with advanced gadgets for physical well-being, comfort, and entertainment. Most mundane activities can now be performed at incredibly faster speeds than before, giving us much more free time. Innovative ways to please our senses have been discovered. Finest objects of indulgence, including clothing, cuisine, resorts, cars, smartphones, internet, and cinema, are on hand to divert our minds away from boredom. And all these objects are getting obsolete at an amazing pace. The acquisition of such objects of indulgence becomes the driving force in our lives. We spend an awful amount of time and energy to acquire these, indulge for a while, but soon get disenchanted and yearn for something superior. We progressively move from a compact car to a luxury car, from a bed-a-night resort to a five-star hotel, from a shantytown to a large city, from a neighbourhood grocery store to a shopping mall, and from a humble man to a self-aggrandizer. We make extraordinary effort to .. ........ .. ... 52

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Verse 17 accumulate all possible paraphernalia of physical well-being that is on sale. Over time, while our senses debilitate the lust for more and newer objects remains unabated. Not being able to keep pace with the flood of products and services that are launched everyday in the market, disquiet sets in. This, in a nutshell, is the life of a typical worldly man. Medicine has provided us with tranquilizers that can reduce stress and tension, but not with a drug that can rejuvenate and help us move towards positive thinking, inner peace, and purity of the Self. All these attributes have to come from within. The very essence of Divinity consists in freedom from worry, anxiety and boredom. The man who is happy has no time for gossip and teaparty chit-chats; he does not look outside to bring him recreation. Renunciation rather than acquisition is a source of inner peace. What can a man do to get himself unmoved by the strong current of disquiet that the alien sense-perceived objects cause? Acarya Kundakunda in Samayasara pronounces the proper approach for non-indulgence in alien objects: jaha majjaM pivamANo aradibhAveNa Na majjade puriso| davvuvabhoge arado NANI vi Na bajjhade taheNa // (7-4-196) A person consuming alcoholic drink can still remain sober due to his strong sense of non-indulgence, similarly, the knowledgeable person, remaining detached from the enjoyment of alien substances, does not attract bondage. sevaMto vi Na sevadi asevamANo vi sevago ko vi| YRUIDIGT cho thy fa up a repuit f H afc 11 (7-5-197) The right believer (due to the absence of attachment), while getting involved in sensualities, really does not indulge in them, 53

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse but an ignorant person (due to the presence of attachment), even if not involved in sensualities, really indulges in them. This is akin to a person performing certain acts but, in reality, is not responsible for them. Note: An assistant, on behalf of the owner of a business, performs all duties, but is neither the owner of the business, nor shares its profit or loss. In the same way, the right believer, due to the absence of attachment, is non-indulgent, and the wrong believer, due to the presence of attachment, is indulgent. Jain, Vijay K. (2012), "Acharya Kundkund's Samayasara", Vikalp Printers, p. 93-94. The knowledgeable man runs the affairs of his life with a sense of detachment, not abandoning himself to sense-gratification. He indifferently experiences the pleasant or painful feelings due to the fruition of karmas and, in due course of time, the karmas wear themselves down. 54 Jaina religious texts are replete with the examples of kings and emperors, possessing unmatched glory, power and wealth, taking recourse to renunciation, and absorbing themselves in the task of self-purification that leads to liberation. Emperor Bharata, the illustrious son of Lord Rishabha Deva, the First Tirthankara, was undoubtedly one of the greatest rulers on this earth, enjoying unimaginable splendour, power and influence. He ruled his kingdom with a strong sense of justice for many years, never abandoning himself to sense-gratification. One day he discovered a white hair in his head and taking it to be the messenger and herald of old age, immediately decided to become a Digambara ascetic (muni). Because of his growing renunciation over the years, he destroyed his inimical karmas in an antarmuhurta (less than 48 minutes) and became Omniscient. He attained to the Supreme Purity (nirvana) at the end of his worldly life.

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Verse 18 bhavanti prApya yatsaGgamazucIni zucInyapi / sa kAyaH santatApAyastadarthaM prArthanA vRthA // (18) Knowing that on contact with the body even pure objects are rendered impure, and that the body is home to many afflictions and woes, to provide it with the objects of pleasure makes no sense. EXPLANATORY NOTES Jaina thinkers consider the soul (jiva) and the non-soul (ajiva) as two distinct substances. The former is conscious and incorporeal while the latter is unconscious and corporeal. The soul is an eternal, spiritual substance; it has neither beginning nor end. The body is perishable. Every embodied being has a soul as well as a gross body. The soul, although coextensive with the body it occupies, is different from the body or the sense organs. In our worldly existence we are identified with our body and this, perhaps, is the cause of all the confusion. This identification of the soul with the body is the outcome of our delusion. Consciousness is the essence of the soul. The body is unconscious physical matter. Depending on the life-span that has been assigned to us by our karmas, our soul inhabits the body, our worldly identity. What we are able to see is the gross body. There are two other kinds of bodies, the luminous body, and the karmic body, which accompany the soul throughout its transmigratory journey. That which is the cause of brilliance or which is caused by brilliance is the luminous body. The body composed of karmic matter is the karmic body. These two 55

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse bodies are extremely fine and face no impediment anywhere up to the end of the universe. Each of our senses - touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing - is of two kinds, physical and psychical. The physical sense consists of the accomplishment of the organ itself (nirvrtti), and its completion by means or instruments (upakarana). The psychical sense consists of attainment of capacity (labdhi), and attention or active consciousness (upayoga). The soul makes use of the physical sense to gain knowledge in the presence of the attainment of capacity. Attentive disposition of the soul for that purpose is the active consciousness. A physical sense has 'life' and meaning only till the time it is complemented by the psychical sense. Only so long as the body is in the company of the soul does it have charm and worth. A corpse generates repugnance; it requires soon to be suitably cast aside as its shelf-life is very little. Acarya Amitagati, in Yogasara Prabhrta, distinguishes thus between the body and the soul: deha-saMhati-saMsthAna-gati-jAti-purogamAH / vikArAH karmajA sarve caitanyena vivarjitAH // 56 (2-35) The body, its molecular interfusion, its structure, its state of existence, and its class, are all karma-generated transformations that cause aberrations in the consciousness of the soul. It is thus clear that the body is karma-generated physical matter. It is home to numerous diseases, and objects like urine, faeces, saliva, mucus, and blood, the sight of which can easily turn one squeamish. Unrestrained sense-indulgence is the cause of many ailments that our body is subjected to, besides of filling it up with stinking refuse. There can be no objective in life more laudable than soul

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Verse 18 development. The karmas cannot be destroyed so long as attention is not completely withdrawn from the physical body and the senses, and directed inwardly, without wavering or hesitancy. It makes no sense to use our body as an instrument of sense-indulgence rather than as an aid to soul-development. 57

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse yajjIvasyopakArAya taddehasyApakArakam / yaddehasyopakArAya tajjIvasyApakArakam // (19) Actions that are intended for the enrichment of the soul discard the welfare of the body, and the actions intended for the welfare of the body undermine soul-enrichment. EXPLANATORY NOTES The soul and the body are two distinct entities; the soul is a spiritual substance with consciousness as its primary attribute and the body is an inanimate object comprising physical matter. All our actions in the direction of enriching the soul would, as a corollary, undermine the well-being of the body. Fasting and meditation are helpful aids to purify the soul but ignore the immediate needs of the body. Renunciation and austerities help the soul by saving it from harmful desires but deprive the body of the objects of its guard and embellishment. An ascetic striving after emancipation endures, without regret or remorse, bodily hardships and afflictions. He unreservedly endures the torments of extreme hunger, parching thirst, biting cold, and oppressive heat of the sun. Afflictions caused by insect-bites, roaming bare-foot on thorny roads, sitting in a particular posture for a long time, lying down on uneven and hard ground, and even serious disease, do not swerve him from the path. He embraces blameless nakedness like that of the child and is always free from the excitement of passions and agitations of the senses. Engaged continually in cleansing the soul from the mire of 58

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Verse 19 karmic impurities, he has no desire left to take bath and cleanse his body. Having learnt the truth about bondage and emancipation, the saint is indifferent to the pleasures of the senses. He has no thought or desire for the well-being of the body and does not adorn it. For him the body is just an aid for acquiring the Three Jewels (ratnatraya) of merit - right faith, right knowledge and right conduct - and safeguarding them. He accepts pure, properly prepared food only once in a day, that too less than his fill, in order to keep his body intact, just as lubrication is indispensable to the running of the wheel. Although his physical frame reduces to a mere assemblage of skin, bones, and arteries, it becomes auspicious, adorable and worshipful. Due to severe austerities, he may have even developed extraordinary powers of cure but being devoid of passions, attachment and aversion, he does not use these powers to cure himself. No wonder, with the passage of time, the purity of his soul increases manifold as his karmic body is purged of many kinds of harmful karmic matter. Our gross body must undergo changes due to the substance of time (kala). Gradual, imperceptible changes take place in it incessantly, every instant. If gradual, imperceptible changes do not take place there can be no perceptible change either. We do not develop wrinkles or grey hair all of a sudden. When we perceive major transformations or changes in our body, which truly are results of minute changes taking place every instant, we term these changes as due to 'aging'. The substance of time, which itself is without activity, is the auxiliary cause of the minute changes taking place in all substances. Conventionally, however, we talk of time as the past, the present and the future, or years, days and hours. Changes, minute as well as perceptible, must take place in our body and this process cannot be subverted. The body must undergo transformations due to the substance of time. And on the 59

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse completion of the age-karma the soul must depart from the body to its new abode. Our efforts to nourish the body at the expense of the soul, therefore, are short-sighted and are bound to result into suffering. 60

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Verse 20 itazcintAmaNirdivya itaH piNyAkakhaNDakam / dhyAnena cedabhe labhye kvAdriyantAM vivekinaH // (20) One can obtain either the divine, wish-fulfilling jewel (cintamani) or the pieces of oilcake (khali) through the power of meditation; which of these will a man of discrimination wish for? EXPLANATORY NOTES Concentration of thought on one particular object is meditation (dhyana). In other words, checking the ramblings of the mind is meditation. Thought is characterized by throbbing or quivering, as it embraces several objects. Concentration is turning the thought away from several objects and fixing it on one. There are four types of meditation: (1) the sorrowful (arta), (2) the cruel (raudra), (3) the virtuous (dharmya), and (4) the pure (sukla). These four types of meditation are divided into two classes, inauspicious and auspicious. The former two are inauspicious as these lead to the influx of evil karmas and, therefore, causes of transmigration. The latter two are auspicious as these are capable of destroying karmas and lead to liberation. Sorrowful concentration consists in thinking again and again for removal from proximity disagreeable objects like an enemy; for regaining the lost agreeable objects like wealth; for removal of the pain caused such as by a disease; and enjoyment in future of pleasures not attained. Cruel concentration consists in thinking again and again of ........................ 61

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse injuring others; telling lies; stealing; and safeguarding of possessions. Virtuous concentration consists in deliberating on the reality of substances as revealed by Lord Jina; misfortune on the adoption of wrong faith, knowledge and conduct; fruition of karmas; and the structure of the universe. Pure concentration is of four kinds; the first two kinds are attained by the spiritually advanced saints, well-versed in the Scripture, and the last two kinds arise in Omniscients with and without activity, who have destroyed the entire obscuring karmas. With the help of the first two kinds of pure concentration, the four inimical karmas are burnt by the Self and the effulgent omniscience sparkles. The pure Self shines like the sun coming out of the clouds. The Omniscient is worthy to be venerated and worshipped by the lords of the world. When the duration of His life, feeling, body-making, and status-determining karmas is within one muhurta, He attains remarkable exertion and embraces the third and then the fourth kind of pure concentration in order to annihilate all remaining karmas. The Self then becomes utterly pure, gets liberated, and attains eternal bliss While the sorrowful and cruel concentrations cause the influx and bondage of karmas, the virtuous and pure concentrations cause the stoppage of the influx of new karmas as well as the dissociation of the existing karmas. 62

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svasaMvedanasuvyaktastanumAtro niratyayaH / atyantasaukhyavAnAtmA lokAlokavilokana: // EXPLANATORY NOTES Verse 21 The soul is the knower of the universe (loka) and the nonuniverse (aloka), of the nature of infinite bliss, coextensive with the body, eternal, and is known adequately through self-realization. (21) jIvo uvaogamao amutti kattA sadehaparimANo / bhottA saMsArattho siddho so vissasoDDagadi // Acarya Nemichandra, in Dravyasamgraha, has defined the nature of the soul as under: (2) Jiva is characterized by consciousness (cetana) that is concomitant with upayoga perception (darsana) and knowledge (jnana), is incorporeal (amurta), a causal agent (karta), coextensive with the body, enjoyer of the fruits of karmas (bhokta), having the world as its abode, emancipated (Siddha), and of the nature of darting upwards. First and foremost, consciousness is the distinctive characteristic of the soul. The manifestation of consciousness follows two channels, one of conation and the other of knowledge. It is due to this characteristic of active or attentive consciousness that the soul is distinguished from the body, though it is one with the body from the point of view of bondage. Gold and silver remain 63

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse distinct by their attributes although mixed together. The soul which is non-material somehow assumes material form on account of its beginningless bondage with karmic matter. It dwells in small and big bodies by contraction and expansion, as the light of the lamp. As a lamp illumines the whole of the room in which it is placed, so does a soul contract or expand according to the size of the body it inhabits. From the pure, transcendental point of view (niscaya naya), the soul is devoid of five colours, five kinds of taste, two kinds of smell, and eight kinds of touch and, therefore, it is incorporeal. When it is sullied with the karmic dirt, only then, from the empirical point of view (vyavahara naya), the soul is said to be having corporeal form. Attachment, aversion, pride, anger and similar psychical attributes belong only to an embodied soul. The experience of the pure soul results into the attainment of perfect knowledge which involves the knowledge of the universe - the three worlds (loka) - and the non-universe (aloka), along with the knowledge of the soul. Perfect knowledge does not require the instrumentality of the senses and the mind as we notice in case of the worldly souls. A perfect soul, thus, comprehends itself with its perfect knowledge. But the soul that has not yet attained perfect knowledge and is still on the path to attain it, can also get the knowledge of the pure soul with the help of the scriptural knowledge, free from all blemishes. The difference between the two kinds of comprehension is that the former is direct, completely vivid, errorless, and encompasses all substances, while the latter is indirect and vivid only partially. The experience of the identity of the pure soul is possible only when one is well able to control the senses against sensual perceptions, and the mind against mental ramblings. 64

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Verse 22 saMyamya karaNagrAmamekAgratvena cetasaH / AtmAnamAtmavAn dhyAyedAtmanaivAtmani sthitam // (22) The man who has overpowered his senses through the fire of concentration of the mind should, seated in his own Self, contemplate on the Self, through the medium of the Self. EXPLANATORY NOTES The soul is characterized by its essential attribute of knowledge, and the knowledge and the knowable have equal extension and magnitude. The soul when characterized by knowledge remains at its own place but it emanates its brilliance so as to cover the entire range of knowables. This relationship between the soul and the knowledge on the one hand, and between the knowledge and the knowable on the other, is nature-born. As an eye catches the form of an object but does not get transformed into the form of that object, in the same way, knowledge knows the knowable without getting transformed into the identity of the knowable. When perfect and full knowledge dawns in a soul as a result of the total destruction of the obstructive karmas, it continues to shine endlessly enlightening the contents of the universe - all objects of the past, the present, and the future. Such knowledge knows no obstruction and it is par excellence; it comprehends all objects directly and simultaneously and does not suffer from successive manifestation of knowledge. The pure and conscious identity of the soul can be felt, albeit 65

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse momentarily, by one who is attentive to it and has completely suspended the activity of the senses and the mind. Such a shortlived glimpse of the Ideal can be experienced by a practitioner in the course of his effort in the direction of self-realization. The ideal soul, free from attachment and aversion, can also be known through unblemished scriptural knowledge by those who possess such inclination and also the cognitive capacity to think about the reality. The association of attachment and aversion with the soul vitiates its purity and, therefore, the quality of knowledge. And, as a result, the purity of conduct also gets vitiated. Hence, to attain the purity of conduct in the soul, knowledge must not be contaminated with attachment and aversion and also delusion, manifested in the form of passions like anger, pride, deceitfulness and greed. Violence, falsehood, theft, unchastity, and attachment for possessions flee, without leaving a trace behind, from knowledge which has attained the form of the pure soul. Passions are highly inimical to the pure functioning of knowledge. Hence, elimination of passions from knowledge is a prerequisite to attain the purity of the soul. It is a grave mistake to lose interest in the spiritual purity of the soul and get allured by the outside objects of sensegratification. Only the Three Jewels (ratnatraya) comprising right faith, right knowledge and right conduct, have the power to lead the soul to its final goal of emancipation. The man who aims at realizing the purity of his soul must steadfastly remain engaged in meditating on the pure Self. Then alone will he be able to cast off the dust of karmas clung to his soul from beginningless time. Meditating on the pure Self is the only certain and unfailing means to achieve the highest aim of human life. Life in other forms is not sufficiently evolved to achieve the supreme status of self-realization. 66

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Verse 23 ajJAnopAstirajJAnaM jJAnisamAzrayaH / dadAti yattu yasyAsti suprasiddhamidaM vacaH // (23) Devotion to ignorance imparts nescience, and devotion to learning imparts knowledge; it is a well known fact that only that which one possesses can be given to the other. EXPLANATORY NOTES Jainism lays great emphasis on the acquisition of right faith to be able to make any progress on the path leading to liberation. When accompanied by wrong faith, knowledge and conduct too get vitiated. Faith and knowledge arise in the soul simultaneously. For instance, when the clouds disappear, both the heat and the light of the sun are manifested simultaneously. Similarly, when right faith is attained by the soul owing to the subsidence, destruction, or destruction-cum-subsidence of faith-deluding karmas, right sensory knowledge and right scriptural knowledge are attained by the soul at the same time by the removal of wrong sensory and wrong scriptural knowledge. It is on the basis of right faith that knowledge acquires the attribute 'right'. Knowing substances, souls and non-souls, as these actually are is right knowledge. The attribute 'right' is intended to ward off uncertainty, doubt and error in knowledge. Right knowledge provides the foundation that is necessary for the conduct to be 'right'. It is clear that wrong knowledge results due to the soul's association with wrong faith, and right knowledge results from the 67

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse soul's association with right faith. What causes the comprehension of reality otherwise is wrong faith. Wrong faith irrigates the garden of karmas and extends transmigration. The Self overwhelmed by wrong faith considers the true nature of a substance as a wrong one, falters in his assessment of the reality, and engages in conduct that is harmful to spiritual progress. Just as an inebriated man loses his power of discrimination, wrong faith distorts ocular perception. Those who do not understand the difference between the soul and the non-soul become blind to discrimination between the beneficial and the non-beneficial and yearn for the pleasures of the present alone. The very first requisite for self-exertion that leads to removal of the veils of karmic matter from the soul is right faith, since people live up to their beliefs. The most malignant passions (kasaya) prevent the acquisition of right faith and, as a consequence, right knowledge. Without right faith and right knowledge, conduct cannot be thought of as 'right'. It is thus mandatory to venerate and adore right faith which is like a beacon light to guide the barge of life. Right faith involves an unwavering mental assent and belief in the nature of substances, soul and non-soul, as per the teachings of Lord Jina. Only through the devotion to the Ideal, and not through fanatical doting on a chimerical idol, can one ever hope to acquire right faith. The Tirthankaras, who not only have Themselves achieved the divine status of omniscience and supreme bliss but also shown the world the right path to reach to the same status, are just the right Ideals to receive our devotion and daily adoration. Right faith needs to be reinforced by right knowledge derived from study, meditation and listening to the discourses of the true saints. Acarya Amitagati, in Yogasara Prabhrta, has emphasized the importance of proper discrimination between the right and the wrong while acquiring knowledge: 68

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Verse 23 jJAnasya jJAnamajJAnamajJAnasya prayacchati / ArAdhanA kRtA yasmAd vidyamAnaM pradIyate // (6-34) Adoration of (right) knowledge results in the gain of (right) knowledge and adoration of wrong knowledge results in the gain of wrong knowledge for only that can be given which one possesses. No man endowed with the capacity of thinking and the power of discrimination will ever want to make prolonged, concerted efforts for accomplishing a goal in a particular direction only to realize later that the efforts were misdirected. We must, therefore, earnestly seek right faith and right knowledge as we embark on the spiritual path. In the life of the man who has acquired right faith and right knowledge, the observance of the prescribed rules of conduct becomes a natural course. 69

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse parISahAdyavijJAnAdAsravasya nirodhinI / jAyate'dhyAtmayogena karmaNAmAzu nirjarA // (24) When one meditates on the soul, unmindful of the trials and tribulations of life, the influx of karmas gets blocked and their shedding takes place. EXPLANATORY NOTES The activities of the mind, the speech and the body find correspondence in the substance of the soul in the form of the vibrations of the soul-units. The activities, technically called 'yoga', are the auxiliary cause of the inflow of three types of fine matter into the soul through the channels of mind, speech, and body - mano vargana, bhasa vargana, and kaya vargana. The vibratory activity on the part of the soul, under the influence of its passionate manifestations, is the cause of bondage of karmic matter with the soul. Wrong faith, non-restraint, negligence, passions and activities are passionate manifestations that assist the vibratory activity of the soul. Owing to the potency of these passionate manifestations, the soul attracts subtle matter capable of turning into karmic matter, which then interpenetrates the space-points of the soul causing bondage. Thus, the subtle matter present coextensive with the soul becomes transformed into karmic matter owing to the presence of activities and passions. Sinful activities that prompt one to indulge in violence, untruth, theft, unchastity and possessions are the gateway for the 70

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Verse 24 inflow of karmic matter towards the soul and subsequent bondage. Passions in the form of anger, pride, deceitfulness, and greed are manifestations of the soul due to its bondage with karmic matter. Karmas obscure the purity of the soul as the clouds cover the bright sun. The soul suffers obscuration of its natural attributes due to the associated karmic dirt. Redemption and purification of the soul is possible if the gateway for the inflow of karmic matter is closed and the karmas already associated with it are allowed to be cast off by blocking new passionate manifestations. The obstruction of the inflow of karmic matter is called stoppage (samvara). It is of two kinds, psychic stoppage (bhava samvara) and material stoppage (dravya samvara). The cessation of activities that lead to transmigration is psychic stoppage; it is followed by material stoppage as the taking in of karmic matter is cut off. Acarya Kundakunda's Pancastikaya-Sara explains the nature of stoppage of karmas (samvara) as under: jassa jadA khalu puNNaM joge pAvaM ca Natthi virdss| savaraNaM tassa tadA suhAsuhakadassa kammassa // (143) As long as a person pure in life is really free from action conducive to pleasure or pain through thought, speech and body, he is protected from karmas, beneficial and harmful, that is, these karmas are prevented from approaching him. Chakravarti Nayanar, A. (2009), "Acarya Kundakunda's Pancastikaya-Sara", Bharatiya Jnanpith, New Delhi, Third Edition, p. 117. The soul is the most worthy object to meditate on. Affective states of desire and aversion, and activities of thought, speech and body are the conditions that attract karmas, good and evil, towards the soul. A seasoned practitioner observes several restraints and controls in order to attain purity of meditation. He curbs his 71

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse activities, embraces moral virtues, reflects constantly on the world realities, endures afflictions and hardships, and practises external and internal austerities. He does not swerve from the path taught by Lord Jina, and by following the path aright he blocks the influx of karmas. He experiences the fruits of maturing karmas without passions, destroys these gradually, and attains emancipation. 72

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Verse 25 kaTasya kartAhamiti sambandhaH syAdvayordvayoH / dhyAnaM dhyeyaM yadAtmaiva sambandhaH kIdRzastadA // (25) When someone says, "I am the maker of the mat," the interrelationship between two different entities, the doer of activity and the object of activity, is clear. But in real meditation, as the soul becomes the instrument as well as the object of meditation, how can there be any duality? EXPLANATORY NOTES Jainism recognizes that the theory of karmas is adequate to explain the whole world of experiences that a transmigratory soul is subjected to. It throws on the individual himself, without the intervention of any outside agency, divine or mundane, the responsibility of what he thinks, speaks, and does. As a corollary, the man has unqualified religious independence and freedom and, as such, he only is the architect of his fortune. With right effort in the right direction, he is potentially capable of attaining perfection. The man who distinguishes between the substance of the soul and all other substances meditates on the pure, effulgent state of the soul through the instrument of the soul imbued with the Three Jewels (ratnatraya) of the path to liberation. He reckons that no substance other than the soul is potent to either assist or obstruct the functioning of the soul. Our body, relations, friends, appurtenances, attachments and aversions, passions, and so many adjuncts of worldly life are but substances other than the soul. The meditator builds a shield around his soul to protect it from the influence of these extraneous 73

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse substances. The question of deriving pleasure or pain from these substances does not arise. The greatest obstacle in the way of spiritual progress of the soul is delusion which is due to its association with karmas. The soul's pure faculties of faith, knowledge and conduct get perverted; its understanding of what is desirable and what is not gets clouded. As soon as delusion is liquidated, the soul is fit to regain its purity. On the removal of delusion, riddance of the soul from all extraneous substances becomes easy. Realization dawns that nothing but the pure soul is the truly worthy object to reflect and meditate upon. 74

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badhyate mucyate jIvaH samamo nirmamaH kramAt / tasmAtsarvaprayatnena nirmamatvaM vicintayet // EXPLANATORY NOTES Acarya Kundakunda has expounded in Samayasara: jaha NAma ko vi puriso rAyANaM jANidUNa saddahadi / to taM aNucaradi puNo atthatthIo payatteNa // Verse 26 The soul that entertains infatuation with the outside objects gets into bondage of karmas and the soul that entertains no such infatuation is freed from bondage. Try persistently, therefore, to renounce all infatuation. evaM hi jIvarAyA NAdavvo taha ya saddahedavvo / aNucaridavvo ya puNo so ceva du moMkkhakAmeNa // (26) (1-17-17) (1-18-18) The man desirous of monetary benefits, after identifying the king by his crown and other insignia of royalty, exerts to serve him faithfully; in the same way, one who desires emancipation should know the soul as a king, put faith in it, and attend to it in right earnest. Further, kamme Nokammamhi ya ahamidi ahakaM ca kammaNokammaM / jA esA khalu buddhI appaDibuddho havadi tAva // (1-19-19) So long as the soul believes that it comprises the karmic matter 75

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse - the subtle karmic matter (dravya karma), the psycho-physical karmic matter (bhava karma), and the quasi-karmic matter (particles of matter fit for the three kinds of bodies and the six kinds of completion and development) (nokarma) - and that the subtle karmic matter and the body building karmic matter are its constituent parts, it remains lacking in discriminatory knowledge. Jain, Vijay K. (2012), "Acharya Kundkund's Samayasara", Vikalp Printers, p. 12-13. The pure soul with right knowledge neither assimilates nor renounces the karmas; the soul vitiated by wrong knowledge assimilates and renounces the karmas. Karmas and their fruits are material and hence other than the soul. While stationed in the midst of karmas, the man of discrimination is not soiled by the karma-dirt. As infatuation caused by attachment to possessions (parigraha), internal and external, gets vanquished, and as the mind becomes steady through constant practice, one becomes capable of meditating on the pure soul. Ten kinds of external possessions and fourteen kinds of internal possessions are said to be the causes of infatuation. The external possessions are (1) land, (2) houses, (3) gold, (4) silver, (5) cattle, (6) grain, (7) maid-servants, (8) male-servants, (9) clothes, and (10) utensils. The fourteen internal possessions are (1) wrong belief, (2) malesex passion, (3) female-sex passion, (4) neuter-sex passion, (5) joking, (6) zest, (7) boredom, (8) grief, (9) fear, (10) disgust, (11) anger, (12) pride, (13) deceitfulness, and (14) greed. These possessions cause the loss of equilibrium of the mind. The man void of such possessions can concentrate his mind on the pure soul and attain excellent meditation. 76

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Verse 26 Meditation which is directed towards the pure Self is the means of self-realization. Ignorance that stupefies the faculties of perception and will must be got rid of. There should be neither attachment nor hatred towards the objects of the environment. There should be unruffled peace in thought, speech and body. Meditation attended by such circumstances manifests like the fire that destroys the rubbish heap of the karmas. 77

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse eko'haM nirmamaH zuddho jJAnI yogIndragocaraH / GEM: FATIGT HAT HT: Hasfu Hafen 11 (27) I am one, without infatuation, pure, all-knowing, and capable to be known by the Master Ascetics. All attachments, internal and external, are totally foreign to my nature. EXPLANATORY NOTES The soul in its pure nature is recognized to be entirely free from karmic shackles and yet in the worldly state it is always found in association with karmic matter from beginningless time. Due to the operation of deluding karmas, it has got so intimately attached to karmic matter and impure thought-activities that, oblivious to reality, it is absorbed in mundane pleasures. A soul which is absorbed in right belief, knowledge and conduct is 'svasamaya' - the real Self, and the one degraded to an empirical ego enmeshed in karmic conditions is 'parasamaya'- the impure self. The challenge before the man is to reach to the beautiful Ideal that is the real Self, the sublime reality of every soul. Recognition of the true nature of the soul, therefore, is the most desirable thing in this grand pilgrimage to the land of peace and purity. Conduct, faith, and knowledge have been said to be the attributes of the soul from the empirical point of view (vyavahara naya). From the transcendental point of view (niscaya naya) the soul has no compartmentalized knowledge, conduct or faith, it just has pure consciousness. The empirical point of view does not reveal the 78

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Verse 27 ultimate truth; only the pure, transcendental point of view reveals the ultimate truth. As per the teachings of Lord Jina, the pure, transcendental point of view is worth knowing as the soul which takes refuge in the ultimate truth is surely the right believer. For the man who is in the impure state, like the householder engaged in virtuous activity, the empirical point of view is recommended. In order to facilitate proper understanding, the wise teacher (Acarya) emphasizes on some special qualities of a substance to describe it so that the pupil is able to distinguish it from other substances. This division of the qualities of a substance is done only for practical purposes to make it understood. The substance is really an indivisible whole, and can be known truly only by the realization of its entire wholeness. For practical purposes we speak of the attributes of the soul of which the most important are the Three Jewels (ratnatraya) of right faith, right knowledge and right conduct. He who realizes this does not lose himself in distinctions but becomes absorbed in the pure Self and enjoys the nectar of the soul's eternal essence. The practical standpoint explains that the path to liberation is a combination of right faith, knowledge and conduct, while the real standpoint insists on real meditation that entails absorption in the pure Self. A soul having capabilities so high should remain true to its nature. To become subject to karmic bondage is against the nature of the soul. Absolute oneness of the soul can be realized when it is freed from karmic bondage. It then becomes distinct, untouched by others, not other than itself, indivisible whole (incorporeal), and absorbed in own blessedness. 79

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse duHkhasandohabhAgitvaM saMyogAdiha dehinAm / tyajAmyenaM tataH sarvaM manovAkkAyakarmabhiH // (28) The soul, due to its association with the non-soul body and the like, has to live through many afflictions. I, therefore, renounce all such association, along with the activities of the mind, speech and body. EXPLANATORY NOTES From the empirical point of view (vyavahara naya), the soul is said to be the enjoyer of the fruits of karmas in the form of pleasure and pain, but from the transcendental point of view (niscaya naya), the soul experiences only consciousness (cetana), concomitant with perception (darsana) and knowledge (jnana). The ignorant, engrossed in the nature of various species of karmas, enjoys the fruits of karmas (in the form of pleasure and pain), and the knowledgeable is aware of the fruits of karmas but does not enjoy them. The right believer calmly bears the fruits of karmas and is not affected by them. Experiencing the fruits of karmas, the Self who identifies himself with those fruits of karmas, thereby getting happy or miserable, bonds himself again with the seeds of misery in the form of eight kinds of karmas. To attain excellent meditation one should turn all one's faculties inwards. To reach this stage it is necessary to check the activities of the body, mind and speech which produce disquietude of the soul. Clinging to the idea of self-realization and fortified against the influx of karmas, the Self meditates, with due control of 80

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Verse 28 the senses, on the pure soul with a view to wash off the karmic dust. The man has to be equipped with 'samvara'or fortification round the Self against the influx of karmas, desirable and undesirable. Instead of diverting attention to environmental objects, thought is to be fixed on the Self. This reflection upon the Self is to be made secure enough by controlling the senses. The man meditating on the pure Self under such circumstances is sure to attain the purity of the Self by completely washing off the karmic dust. In the man who has neither desire nor aversion, and who is free from ignorant attachment to sense pleasures and, therefore, from the activity of the thought, speech and body, there flames forth the fire of meditation that burns out all karmas, beneficial and baneful. Such a man, through own enterprise, which manifests in the form of right faith and knowledge, gets protection from virtuous as well as wicked activities that cause merit and demerit. He remains detached from the body and, devoid of external and internal attachments, conquers desires. He contemplates on the Self, through own Self. He does not reflect upon the karmas and the quasi-karmic matter (nokarma), which are external to him. The Self with such distinctive qualities experiences oneness with the Self. Such a Self, contemplating on the Self, becomes of the nature of right faith and knowledge, and being immersed in the Self, attains, in a short span of time, the status of the pure Self that is free from all karmas. Acarya Nemichandra, in Dravyasamgraha, outlines the essential requirements for real meditation: mA ciTThaha mA jaMpaha mA ciMtaha kiMvi jeNa hoi thiro| appA appammi rao iNameva paraM have jjhANaM // (56) Do not make bodily movements, nor utter any words, nor dilute the focus of mind; remaining engrossed in your pure Self is real meditation. 81

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse When the threefold activity of the body, the sense-organ of speech, and the mind is curbed well, there is no room for passionate dispositions in the soul. Without passion and activity, complete stoppage of karmic influxes takes place. Without influxes, there can be no karmic bondage. Without karmic bondage there can be no quasi-karmic matter (nokarma). And without quasi-karmic matter, the cycle of births and deaths ceases to exist. 82

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na me mRtyuH kuto bhItirna me vyAdhiH kuto vyathA / nAhaM bAlo na vRddho'haM na yuvaitAni pudgale // Verse 29 (29) I do not die; what should I fear death for? I do not suffer from disease; what can cause me pain? I am not a child; I am not an old man; I am not a young man. All these attributes are found only in physical matter. EXPLANATORY NOTES The Acarya in this verse highlights that the modifications that our body is subjected to are not the modifications of the soul and, as such, he marks the body and the soul as two entirely distinct substances. The body is made up of sense organs but the soul is devoid of the senses. The body is devoid of knowledge but the soul is the essence of knowledge. The body is perishable but the soul is imperishable. The body experiences birth, survival and extinction. It has a beginning and an end but the soul has neither beginning nor end. Our desires for the gratification of the senses - touch, taste, and the rest - cause us injury, bondage, disgrace, and anguish, which are responsible for plunging the soul into the ocean of misery. In different incarnations, due to bondage, the soul has suffered millions of afflictions. In the course of its mundane existence, innumerable bodies have been discarded by the soul. He who contemplates thus is alarmed at the transient nature of the body and miseries of transmigration. When a man turns his consciousness exclusively to the Ideal of 83

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse the pure soul, he is saved from indulging in activities that result in perennial entrapment in the world. Knowing the body as unconscious, mortal, and a product of karmas, one who does not undertake activities pertaining to the body performs the essentials of detachment from the body. The soul has the intrinsic attribute of darting upward and the body, being physical matter, is an instrument of pulling the soul downward. The body, being a direct outcome of karmas, is absolutely worth dissociation and detachment for anyone who is treading the path to liberation. Only with such discrimination between the soul and the body can one develop interest and inclination towards the soul and disinterest and disinclination towards anything that is antithetical to the soul. 84

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Verse 30 bhuktojjhitA muhurmohAnmayA sarve'pi pudgalAH / ucchiSTeSviva teSvadya mama vijJasya kA spRhA // (30) Owing to delusion, I have enjoyed and then discarded, many times over, all existing material objects. Now that I have acquired wisdom, what wish could I have to enjoy those leftovers again? EXPLANATORY NOTES The soul and the karmic matter have been together in worldly existence from beginningless time. If we hold that this relationship must have a beginning, then the soul must have been pure before the time the bondage took place. But then there must have been some cause for the pure soul to fall into the labyrinth of the world. Only karmas can drag back the soul into the worldly embodiments; without karmas the fall is impossible. So both logically and existentially the beginningless relationship between the soul and the matter is the only consistent position. It is, however, admitted that in spite of their beginningless association neither the soul nor the matter gains the attributes of the other. Their relationship is explained by the theory of material or substantial cause (upadana karta) and the auxiliary or external cause (nimitta karta) in Jaina philosophy. In the past innumerable millions of years, our soul has taken in (enjoyed) successively all the molecules of matter in the entire universe and has cast them off. It has been born and dead many times, in the entire space of the universe. It has experienced all four 85

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse states of existence the infernal state, the subhuman state of animals and plants, the human state, and the celestial state, many times over. It has indulged in all objects of sense-gratification. And it has suffered unimaginable torments in its states of existence. We can choose to continue with existence that is perennially subjugated by karmas. Or, we can choose to subjugate karmas by adopting the path of right faith, knowledge and conduct. It is rare to get birth as a five-sensed being; greater is the difficulty to get human birth. Even if human birth is attained, it is difficult to attain a good family, keen senses, health, and suitable environment. When all these are attained, if right belief is not acquired, human birth becomes useless. If one loses the condition of a human being due to negligence or over-indulgence, it is difficult to attain it once again. The way to make human birth meaningful for all times to come is through renunciation of worldly pleasures, meditation accompanied by austerities, propagation of true faith, and finally attaining an auspicious death. 86 1

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Verse 31 karma karmahitAbandhi jIvo jIvahitaspRhaH / Faltayhtar Fallef ont at 7 alwayfa 11 (31) Karmas work in their interest and the soul works in its interest. It is but natural; who does not wish to expand own influence? EXPLANATORY NOTES In this verse, the Acarya has metaphorically expressed the functioning of the karmas vis-a-vis the soul. Karmas bound with the soul have the tendency to interfere with its natural functioning. Due to the influence of the karmas, the soul gets into a state of weakness and then acts in a manner inimical to its natural tendencies. The affinity between the soul and the karmic matter may be explained by the fact that the former is the knower and enjoyer of the latter. The soul is the enjoyer, and the matter, the object of enjoyment; hence the relation between them is that of the subject and the object. The interaction between the soul and the matter can take place only when the former is actuated by a desire for the enjoyment of sense objects, and, conversely, matter can affect the soul only when the soul is rendered vulnerable by its passions. The man under the influence of karmas cannot resist temptations and falls prey to four types of passions - anger, pride, deceitfulness, and greed. As a consequence of the rise of passions in the soul, physical matter gets bonded with it, transforming itself into karmic matter, which then becomes known as the karmas of 87

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse various kinds. The four types of passions, mentioned above, are subdivided into four classes each according to their potency: 1. anantanubandhi - most malignant: that which leads to endless cycle of worldly existence owing to wrong faith. 2. apratyakhyana - highly malignant: that which arrests even partial abstinence of the householder. 3. pratyakhyana - malignant: that which enables the householder's vows to be observed but stands in the way of the more rigorous vows of the ascetic. 4. sanjvalana - gleaming: that which disturbs perfect conduct. It gleams along with self-restraint or even in its presence self-restraint shines. It only debars the soul from pure self-concentration. The potency of the four classes of passions has been likened to a line drawn on stone, on earth, on dust, and on water, respectively. 88 The task in the path of spiritual progress, essentially, is to rid the soul of all karmic dirt already associated with it, while ensuring that no fresh particles of dirt are able to settle in. There are in all fourteen stages of spiritual progress (gunasthana) which constitute the journey of the soul from the lowest stage of bondage and ignorance to that of full illumination and godhood. (see p. 13-14) The last stage of ayogakevali accomplishes complete liberation. On the termination of the ayuh karma, which determines the association of the soul with the body, the ayogakevali is freed from all kinds of fetters of matter and immediately ascends to the Holy Abode of Gods Siddha Sila to reside there in everlasting enjoyment of omniscience, infinite bliss, and all other divine attributes. -

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Verse 32 paropakRtimutsRjya svopakAraparo bhava / upakurvanparasyAjJo dRzyamAnasya lokavat // (32) Engage in doing own good rather than of others; this is the way of the world. It is out of ignorance that you engage in the service of visible objects like the body, and not the Self. EXPLANATORY NOTES The experience of the soul, on one hand, and of the objects of the external world, on the other, is altogether different. When the attention is turned inward, one gets the overwhelming experience of the soul without the help of the sense organs. The knower becomes the object of knowledge; the distinction between the knower and the known vanishes. Outward attention, through the instruments of the senses, reveals the body and other objects of the external world. Such knowledge is temporal and transient; it fades out as the senses die away. Nothing but woe is in store for the man who spends all his time and energy on visible objects like the body, family, friends, business, home, and all other paraphernalia of the external world. All these objects appear very attractive and pleasant at first and few, indeed, appreciate that there could be a more sublime goal in life than their acquisition and enjoyment. Fewer still are those who secure freedom and happiness by renouncing desires for such objects. We all perform work for worldly gains and to avoid stagnation. A transition must take place in our lives when the purpose of work 89

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse shifts from enjoyment of worldly objects to enjoyment of the true Self. This transition can take place only when we renounce our desires since these keep us entangled in delusion. Desires, which truly are confessions of our deficiencies, cause us to work for those objects which hinder our freedom and, therefore, keep us away from real happiness. If we do not renounce our worldly attachments ourselves, Nature will compel us to do so, sooner or later, causing us terrible anguish. He only is wise who, at an appropriate stage in life, uses his freedom and power to cheerfully detach himself from the worldly objects of attachment and enjoyment, and seek blessedness that appertains to the true Self. 90

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Verse 33 gurUpadezAdabhyAsAtsaMvitteH svaparAntaram / jAnAti yaH sa jAnAti mokSasaukhyaM nirantaram // (33) The one who has understood the distinction between the Self and the non-self through the teachings of the preceptor, constant practice, and self-reflection, foresees constantly the happiness that appertains to the liberated soul. EXPLANATORY NOTES The notion that the man who practises renunciation and austerity leads a difficult life of deprivation and hardship is not true; in fact, it is utterly misplaced. Renunciation and austerity are voluntary dispositions resulting from an understanding of the true nature of the worldly objects, freedom from attachment and, consequently, from desire for their acquisition and enjoyment. The attention of the practitioner of renunciation is directed towards the Self rather than the environmental objects. The state of pure bliss is within us and only due to ignorance we cover it up with layers and layers of impurities. As soon as we recognize the enormity of harm done to our souls through vicious living, we start appreciating the idea of giving up and renunciation. The process of renunciation is full of exhilaration and joy as it draws the soul nearer the goal of power and blessedness. All attachment, including that for laudable ideals which cause the influx of meritorious karmas, leads to contamination of the purity of the soul. Meritorious karmas may provide pleasant outcome but the soul gets scarred. It is like burning sandalwood for fire; it smells 91

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse sweet nevertheless burns. Only when the man gets rid of attachment to all external objects will he be able to conquer the miseries of life and inherit the Kingdom of Liberation (nirvana). Real meditation is based on right belief, right knowledge and right conduct, and unrelated to objects alien to the soul. It is the cause of shedding of karmas. The superficiality of any relation of the soul to alien objects is well understood, and severed. There is no possibility of desire springing up in the heart for the acquisition and enjoyment of alien objects. A state of desirelessness means the absence of spiritual discord; spiritual harmony repels the influx of karmas and as the already existing karmas are destroyed by meditation, the destruction of ignorance is imminent. Inner purity is thus gained. The soul makes significant strides in its voyage to the hitherto unseen and unexplored haven that leads to liberty and bliss. 92

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Verse 34 svasmin sadabhilASitvAdabhISTajJApakatvataH / svayaM hitaprayoktRtvAdAtmaiva gururAtmanaH // (34) As the soul longs for own well-being (liberation), promulgates the path that leads to it, and engages in its realization, therefore, it is its own preceptor. EXPLANATORY NOTES In the true sense, the soul indeed is the real path to liberation. Well established in itself, it neither perceives alien objects as its own, nor gives up its intrinsic nature. Faith, knowledge and conduct, together, constitute the intrinsic nature of the soul. As the object and its qualities are not distinct, the soul is described as identical with the constitutive elements of faith, knowledge and conduct. These elements also constitute the path to liberation. Hence the intrinsic nature of the soul is the real path to liberation; it does not stand in need of an outside preceptor to either know the truth or the path to be followed. The perfected soul becomes all-knowing and all-perceiving. Right understanding of the pure soul is attained by the soul itself, not by any other means. Those who expect the purity of the soul to come from anything outside entertain perverted vision. The soul is absolutely not touched or purified by other substances howsoever propitious these may seem. It is in this context that the practice of renunciation of all external concomitances of the soul is considered so worthwhile. 93

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse We all experience knowledge in our souls. There is no distinction between knowledge and the owner of knowledge. The soul is known by itself and not by the indirect, sensory knowledge as the senses do not constitute knowledge. Persons with vitiated intellect know the knowable but not the knower. How can a lamp not be perceived by the light it emits? Knowledge and soul are indistinguishably identical to one another as heat to the sun. It is the nature of the soul to enlighten the Self as well as the outside objects simultaneously. All learning of the Scripture leads to this one conclusion: meditation on the Self is the only sure means to achieve the goal of self-realization. 94

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nAjJo vijJatvamAyAti vijJo nAjJatvamRcchati / nimittamAtramanyastu gaterdharmAstikAyavat // Verse 35 (35) It is not possible for the Truth to be acquired by those not qualified for its acquisition, and the knower of the Truth cannot become devoid of it. Teaching by others is an external facilitator just as the medium of motion (dharma) is to the movement of objects. EXPLANATORY NOTES Jaina metaphysics divides souls into two distinct classes: 1) those having potential to attain liberation (bhavya), and 2) those incapable of attaining liberation (abhavya). The bhavya souls possess the capacity for liberation as they, at some point of time, are destined to follow the path shown by Lord Jina. The abhavya souls are so fated that they will never make the necessary effort to attain liberation. The distinction among the souls is based on the possibility of their choosing the right path for liberation. The abhavya souls will never choose the right path and, therefore, wander in the labyrinth of mundane life for all time to come. A prerequisite for choosing the right path for liberation is to acquire right faith. The soul that will acquire right faith is bhavya, and is endowed with the capacity for liberation. The soul that will not attain right faith is abhavya, and is not endowed with the capacity for liberation. The question of cherishing right faith does not arise in the case of the abhavya soul. The man incapable of attaining liberation, even after the study of the Scripture, derives no good from the lesson because of the 95

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse want of right faith. As he is devoid of right faith, right knowledge is a distant dream for him. Without right faith and right knowledge, his mastery of the Scripture cannot make him knowledgeable. Such a person takes interest in religious conduct with the sole aim of attaining worldly enjoyments. He does not have faith or interest in the true religion that is instrumental in the dissociation of karmas. In the depth of his heart there lingers a desire for sense-pleasures. His religious conduct may cause him bondage of meritorious karmas, and endow him with birth in the heavens but never the ultimate state of self-realization. He may become well-versed in the Scripture and may even follow the practical conduct of a layman or a saint, yet all this is useless so far as liberation is concerned. It is only the correct knowledge of the real point of view which is the cause of self-realization. The Truth that infinite knowledge, infinite perception, and infinite bliss are inseparable from the pure Self is understood only by the faithful (bhavya). The unfaithful (abhavya) is not capable of appreciating the Truth and, therefore, not fit to attain the ultimate state of self-realization. He remains far from the nectar-beverage of the supremely real joy of liberation and is engrossed perpetually in the water-mass of a mirage fashioned by sense-pleasures. 96

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Verse 36 abhavaccittavikSepa ekAnte tattvasaMsthitaH / abhyasyedabhiyogena yogI tattvaM nijAtmanaH // (36) The Yogi whose mind is without perturbation and is established in the knowledge of the Self should diligently practice meditation on the nature of the soul, in solitude. EXPLANATORY NOTES In the primary stage of meditation it may be necessary to concentrate on objects other than the Self. The five Supreme Beings (Panca Paramesthi) or the supreme mantra of thirty-five letters, are of great help in steadying the mind. When the mind becomes steady through constant practice as aforesaid, the Yogi arrives at a stage when he meditates on the nature of the soul. He is void of all possessions, external and internal. His mind is free from agitation caused by the desire for sense-pleasures. He overcomes disposi as based on delusion, and attachment and aversion in respect of desirable and undesirable objects. Acarya Shubhachandra has enumerated eight virtues required of the meditator. He should: 1. be an aspirant after liberation, it being the ultimate object of meditation; 2. be free from worldly attachments; 3. keep his mind calm, free from all anxiety; 97

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse 4. have control over wanderings of the mind; 5. have a stable body which can stay firm in postures of meditation; 6. have control over senses as sense-pleasures and meditation lead to opposite directions; 7. observe vows as these help in steadying the mind; 8. remain steadfast in the face of afflictions or hardships. Adapted from: 98 "Acarya Shubhachandra's Jnanarnavah", Shrimad Rajachandra Ashram, Agasa, Fifth Edition (1981), p. 65. Environmental disturbances can generate disquiet in the mind of the Yogi and, therefore, solitude is recommended. The Masters have stipulated full control of the mind, speech, and body for real self-contemplation. Acarya Jinasena in Adipurana has recommended that the physical environment as well as the posture of the Yogi should be conducive for meditation: The Yogi, well-versed in the Scripture, chooses for meditation a place that is not a thoroughfare and free from disturbances. A vacant house, a burial ground, a thin forest, the bank of a river, a hilltop, a cave, the hollow of a tree, or any other place which is pious and pleasant like a temple, can be chosen. The place should be free from excessive sunlight, heat or cold, strong wind, persistent rain, small creatures, and waterfall. Gentle breeze is a help. Seated on an even ground in the paryanka asana (also known as padmasana), the Yogi keeps his body relaxed and still during the course of meditation. In the sitting posture of paryanka asana, the legs are interlocked, with the right one placed on the left thigh and the left on the right. The open right hand is placed on the open left hand and the palms face upwards. Keeping the

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Verse 36 eyes just about open and fixed on the nose, breathing softly, and aligning the lower jaw with the upper jaw, the Yogi controls the ramblings of the mind. As per his convenience and training, he may fix his mind on the heart, top of the head, forehead, navel, or any other place. He remains unmoved by the afflictions or sufferings and, with a tranquil mind, concentrates on the nature of substances, souls and non-souls, as revealed by the Scripture. The Yogi should get himself perched on an even ground which allows the body to remain steady and the mind to concentrate on the desired object. The sitting posture, the paryanka asana, is recommended. The standing posture, the kayotsarga asana, is also recommended. In this asana, the Yogi stands upright with feet firmly planted on the ground, at a distance of about two inches from each other. The arms, with open hands, hang naturally by the sides maintaining a slender distance from the body. Both these postures are most conducive to bodily steadiness and firmness. Adapted from: "Acarya Jinasena's Adipurana", Bharatiya Jnanpith, Tenth Edition (2004), p. 480-481. 99

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse yathA yathA samAyAti saMvittau tattvamuttamam / tathA tathA na rocante viSayAH sulabhA api // yathA yathA na rocante viSayAH sulabhA api / tathA tathA samAyAti saMvittau tattvamuttamam // (37) As the Yogi advances in the realization of the pure nature of his soul, even close at hand objects of sense-indulgence appear increasingly unattractive. (38) As even the close at hand objects of sense-indulgence start appearing unattractive, the Yogi increasingly comes closer to the realization of the pure Self. EXPLANATORY NOTES 100 The realization of the pure Self cannot be attained without shedding attachment to external objects. Even the traditional religious reverence for the Ideal is only a stepping stone for the spiritual goal; a means to an end. At the highest level, the soul only is of eternal value and the absolute object of realization. Deluded by the objects of worldly pleasures, the man runs after these and wastes long years in their indulgence. As his appetite remains unsatiated, he longs for greater and greater indulgence. Such is the nature of worldly pleasures. The Yogi, in contrast, may appear to be in proximity to and indulging in worldly objects, but in reality he is detached from them and neither enjoys pleasure nor

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Verse 37, 38 suffers pain due to these objects. He considers wealth and other worldly objects as the friends of karmas and, therefore, not in a position to grant happiness to the soul. The experience of the worldly objects depends on the limited and indirect knowing capacity of the senses; the experience of the inner Self depends on the unlimited and direct knowing capacity of the soul. When the individual's whole attention is turned inward, there results an overwhelming experience of the pure Self. The outside objects of sense-indulgence then appear totally unattractive and inconsequential. Victory over passions and senses is achieved through the observance of the rules of conduct, as prescribed by Lord Jina. As passions and senses are subdued, interest in the study of the soul is enkindled and that is followed by meditation. Meditation is the culmination of the process of self-study and consists in fixation of the mind on the Ideal of the pure soul. With full detachment from all worldly objects, the Yogi centres his attention on the purity of the soul. He renounces all concerns with worldly activity, the source of the contamination of the purity of the soul. Meditation secures him against allurements of the objects of the world. He loses all interest in them and if approached by such objects, he remains inattentive to them. The pleasures of the world no longer are able to attract and vitiate his mind. The purity of the soul becomes the subject as well as the object of meditation. 101

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse nizAmayati nizzeSamindrajAlopamaM jagat / spRhayatyAtmalAbhAya gatvAnyatrAnutapyate // (39) The whole world appears illusory to the Yogi engaged in the process of self-realization. If ever he gets entangled in any worldly object, he expiates his transgression. EXPLANATORY NOTES To be able to undertake the noble task of meditating on the pure soul, the Yogi has to first train his mind by following certain rules of conduct as laid down in the Scripture. Acarya Nemichandra pronounces in Dravyasamgraha: tavasudavadavaM cedA jjhANarahadhuraMdharo have jamhA / tamhA tattiyaNiradA talladdhIe sadA hoha // (57) The soul which practises austerities (tapas), acquires knowledge of the Scripture (sruta), and observes vows (urata), becomes capable of controlling the axle of the chariot of meditation. So always be engrossed in these three to attain that state of real meditation. The Yogi thus prepares for fixing his thought on the Self rather than on the environmental objects. He holds neither attachment nor aversion towards the objects of the environment. He controls his senses, gets rid of delusion, and attachment and aversion in respect of desirable and undesirable objects. He gets void of all 102

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Verse 39 desires. He does not make bodily movements, does not utter any words, and does not dilute the focus of his mind. He becomes the embodiment of unruffled peace, in thought, speech and body. Meditation attended by such circumstances manifests as the fire that destroys the rubbish heap of karmas and reveals the sterling beauty of the pure Self. The path is difficult and transgressions are liable to take place in the journey. The Yogi is ever eager to preserve the purity of his mind undefiled and resorts to corrective measures as soon as a taint of blemish is noticed in thought, word or deed. Expiation is very pleasing to him as proper conduct cannot be attained without the rectifying penance. He washes away all taints of evil by selfcontemplation, repentance, confession, and renunciation, i.e., the determination not to do it again in the future. 103

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse icchatyekAntasaMvAsaM nirjanaM janitAdaraH / nijakAryavazAtkiJciduktvA vismarati drutam // (40) The Yogi longs for solitude and distances himself from interaction with men. If due to some reason he has to communicate with them, he soon puts it out of his mind. EXPLANATORY NOTES Through gradual practice of self-concentration the Yogi excludes everything that is extraneous to the soul, bringing him nearer the goal of self-realization. He eulogizes the pure soul, and its attributes. He pays homage and respect to the pure souls that have actually attained final release from the world. This humility imparts firmness to his steps on the right path. He renounces all relation with the karmas done in the past and maturing at present, thus stopping the inflow of fresh karmic matter to the soul. He does not engage in activities relating to his body or physical well-being. He withdraws from the ways of the world, both externally and internally. The soul gets engrossed in emotional states of attachment and aversion only due to delusion, a result of ignorance. When an individual's mind is not absorbed in the pure soul, he takes interest in objects external bringing about intemperate reactions of pleasantness and unpleasantness. Only the impure state of the soul allows the dispositions of attachment and aversion to set in. The Yogi engaged in self-realization has no time or inclination 104

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Verse 40 to interact with the external environment. The external objects generally remain unnoticed by him as he pays no attention to them. His interaction with the people is minimal and without passions. For the few people he has to interact with occasionally, he engenders no lasting emotions of attachment or aversion. The Yogi is a man of few words and the words he chooses are sweet, positive and helpful. As soon as his interaction with the outside world is over, he presents himself again to the service of the King, the pure Self. 105

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse bruvannapi hi na brUte gacchannapi na gacchati / sthirIkRtAtmatattvastu pazyannapi na pazyati // The Yogi who is established firmly in self-identity does not speak while speaking, does not walk while walking, and does not see while seeing. EXPLANATORY NOTES The Yogi, established in self-identity, devoid of attachment and aversion, knows the sweet-bitter taste of the fruition of karmas but remains a non-enjoyer. He knows the nature of different kinds of karmic bondage involving merit (punya) and demerit (papa), and their fruition, but never produces or enjoys them. Acarya Kundakunda expounds in Samayasara: jaha sippio du kammaM kuvvadi Na ya so du tammao hodi / taha jIvo vi ya kammaM kuvvadi Na ya tammao hodi // jaha sippiDa karaNehiM kuvvadi Na ya so du tammao hodi / taha jIvo karaNehiM kuvvadi Na ya tammao hodi // (41) 106 (10-42-349) (10-43-350) jaha sippiDa karaNANi ya giNhadi Na ya so du tammao hodi / taha jIvo karaNANi ya giNhadi Na ya tammao hodi // ( 10-44-351) jaha sippiu kammaphalaM bhuMjadi Na ya so du tammao hodi / taha jIvo kammaphalaM bhuMjadi Na ya tammao hodi // (10-45-352)

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Verse 41 As an artisan (a goldsmith, for example), does his work to produce earrings but does not become identical with it, so also the Self produces karmic matter like knowledge-obscuring karma, but does not become identical with it. As an artisan (a goldsmith, for example), uses tools like a mallet to produce earrings but does not become identical with them, so also the Self acts through the instruments of mind-, speech-and physical-activity to produce karmic matter like knowledgeobscuring karma, but does not become identical with them. As an artisan (a goldsmith, for example), takes up tools but does not become identical with them, so also the Self adopts the instruments of mind-, speech- and physical-activity but does not become identical with them. As an artisan (a goldsmith, for example) enjoys the fruits of his work (earrings) but does not become identical with the fruits, so also the Self enjoys the fruits of karmas (in the form of pleasure and pain) but does not become identical with them. Jain, Vijay K. (2012), "Acharya Kundkund's Samayasara", Vikalp Printers, p. 165-166. The same is true of the Yogi. After realizing that only the Self, and nothing else, belongs to him, he disowns all alien substances. He renounces attachment to all alien substances, animate and inanimate. Even while stationed in the midst of karmas he is not soiled by the karmic dirt, just as gold remains uncontaminated in the midst of mire. His apparent activities of speaking, walking and seeing are performed mechanically, without passions, and, therefore, do not cause bondage of karmas. 107

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse kimidaM kIdRzaM kasya kasmAtkvetyavizeSayan / svadehamapi nAvaiti yogI yogaparAyaNaH // (42) The Yogi engrossed in self-realization is far removed from all inquisitive dispositions about the soul, such as, what is it? what is its nature? whom does it belong to? where does it come from? and where does it reside? He is free from the awareness of even his body. EXPLANATORY NOTES The Self and the karmic bondage are differentiated on the basis of their own intrinsic nature. These two are chiselled (separated) with the help of the instrument of self-discrimination. The karmic bondage should be discarded and the pure soul ought to be realized. Through self-discrimination, the Yogi realizes that 'I' is really the 'pure consciousness' and all other dispositions are alien to him. He contemplates that the object of self-realization is just the Self. All thoughts on any other object, including the body, disappear. The soul ventures into the depth of its own pure nature where there are no wavering thoughts. Immersed in the deep and vast ocean of soulhappiness, unruffled by any thoughts or passions, the self-absorbed soul enjoys rapturous rhythm of bliss indescribable. No outside ency, not even one's own body, can be of any help in reaching to this state of soul-happiness. The soul devoid of devotion to the Self is not in its pristine nature. Any lapse from the condition of self-devotion is necessarily a fault, which becomes the cause of the inflow and bondage of karmic matter, virtuous and wicked. From the pure point of view, 108

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Verse 42 good and bad are equally undesirable, equally mundane, and worthy of renunciation. The soul's safety lies in itself, in loneliness. Meditation on the oneness of the Self accomplishes the goal of getting absorbed in self-devotion. Any intermission in this selfdevotion is the means to wander in the mundane world. The knowing soul transcends inquisitiveness, analysis and logical arguments which are employed by the intellect to reach at the truth. Knowledge is intrinsic to the soul. Because the soul always knows, therefore, the knower soul is enlightened. The knowledge is not separate from the knower. Those who establish themselves on to the path to liberation, meditate only on the pure soul. The Yogi, therefore, leaving all attachments, meditates on the pure soul and attains real happiness. 109

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse yo yatra nivasannAste sa tatra kurute ratim / yo yatra ramate tasmAdanyatra sa na gacchati // (43) Wherever the man sets his abode, he gets attached to the place and thereafter does not wish to go elsewhere. EXPLANATORY NOTES Typically, the man gets attached to his place of residence and does not entertain the idea of leaving it. The same is true of the Yogi who, having experienced the joy of self-realization, does not wish to go back to worldly pursuits. Having acquired right faith, he regards all external objects as alien and does not wish for the company of these objects. Fixed in non-attachment, he knows the sweet-bitter taste of fruition of karmas but remains a non-enjoyer. He does not desire virtue or merit, food or drink, family or friends. There is neither attachment nor aversion towards the objects of the environment. The Yogi directs all his efforts towards increasing the purity of meditation, thereby reaching a step nearer the goal of selfrealization. He practises austerities, acquires knowledge of the Scripture, and observes vows, with a view to reaching that state of real meditation. Austerities, external and internal, are the means of stopping the influx of new karmas and the destruction of existing karmas. Study of the intricate nature of reality on the authority of Lord Jina is essential for bringing home the truth of the worldly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

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Verse 43 existence as well as the ways and means to attain liberation. Observance of the vows is essential to self-control and regulation of activities, without which the influx and bondage of karmas cannot be checked. The Yogi, thus regimented, enjoys unruffled peace of mind, speech and body. He becomes capable of meditating on the Self. He attains still greater purity of the mind, destroys the entire conductdeluding karmas and becomes free from passions. And when he destroys all the four types of destructive karmas with the help of pure concentration, he becomes a Jina, the Conqueror. The radiance of meditation reveals to him the unrivalled beauty of the pure Self, infinite knowledge, and perception of unimaginable splendour and magnificence. 111

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse agacchaMstadvizeSANAmanabhijJazca jAyate / ajJAtatadvizeSastu badhyate na vimucyate // (44) The Yogi, not digressing from the contemplation of the Self, does not think about the nature of alien objects, and, as he remains inattentive to alien objects, not only is he not bound by karmas but gets released from them. EXPLANATORY NOTES The idea of meditation is to reach a stage of spiritual excellence where the faults and obstructions associated with the soul are destroyed. This can be likened to purifying a piece of gold which might have external impurities like dross and internal impurities like silver and copper. By washing and scouring the external impurities can be removed and by melting the internal impurities can be removed. In the soul, karmas externally produce faults such as attachment, delusion and nescience, and internally obstruct right faith and knowledge. When these faults and obstructions are removed the soul becomes pure and fit for attaining omniscience. To the soul whose stains of infatuation are destroyed, there exists no attachment for sense objects because it abstains from activity towards the 'other' whereof that infatuation is the root. Realization dawns that no external substance could be its resting place. The restraint of the internal faults follows as it has nothing else but only the Self for refuge. Thereupon, through the disappearance of flightiness caused by infatuation as well as internal faults, comes steadfastness in its innate nature of unlimited knowledge 112

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Verse 44 and perception. And that, because of being an unperturbed, deeply attentive thoughtfulness proceeding from the soul's own nature, is real meditation. All impurities of the wavering mind, like attachment, aversion and delusion, which disturb concentration, are washed away by being detached from the sense-objects. As the Yogi establishes himself in the innate nature of the soul, the process of its purification begins. Real meditation, the supreme kind of austerity, is the chief cause of the stoppage of influx as well as the dissociation of karmas. It leads to positions such as the lord of the celestial beings (devas), and, with progressive cleansing of the soul from the mire of karmic impurities, to perfect conduct, faith, and knowledge, which are capable of destroying all kinds of cobwebs of worldly suffering and constitute the immediate cause of complete emancipation of the soul, that is, liberation. 113

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse paraH parastato duHkhamAtmaivAtmA tataH sukham / ata eva mahAtmAnastannimittaM kRtodyamAH // An alien object is always alien and is the cause of suffering; the soul is always own and is the cause of happiness. All great sages, therefore, have exerted themselves only for the sake of the soul. (45) EXPLANATORY NOTES The senses are the indirect means of knowledge and whatever these comprehend is partial like the perception of an elephant by several blind persons, each of whom touches only different parts of its body and forms a wrong idea of the animal. Based on the senses, the comprehension of reality by the ordinary human beings, similarly, is partial and is valid only from a particular point of view. A substance (dravya) is subjected to constant flux of modifications and while looking at its present state, we must not absolutely deny its past or future states. 114 The Jaina view considers the soul's journey to be a continuous process which necessarily extends beyond its present incarnation. All our actions, while impacting the present life have a bearing on our future incarnations too. If we take such a far-sighted and enduring view of life, many of our perceptions on issues like self and non-self, merit and demerit, pleasure and pain, rich and poor, friend and foe, beneficial and harmful, are bound to get reassessed and redefined. Acarya Amitagati, in Yogasara Prabhrta, avers:

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baDizAbhiSavacchedo dAruNo bhogazarmaNi / saktAstyajanti saddhyAnaM dhigaho ! mohatAmas // Verse 45 (7-46) In the course of pleasure born of worldly enjoyments there is extremely unbearable pain like that caused to the fish by the cut of the fish-hook fitted with a piece of meat. Unfortunately, those engrossed in pleasure abandon the way of right meditation. Oh, damn the darkness (ignorance) caused by delusion! AtmatattvamajAnAnA viparyAsaparAyaNAH / hitAhitavivekAndhAH khidyante sAmpratekSaNAH // (7-47) Those who do not know the principle of the soul, who are experts in the opposite (principle of the non-soul), who are blind to discrimination between the beneficial and the nonbeneficial, and who perceive the pleasures of the present alone, suffer restlessness. Jain, S.C. (Dr.) (2003), "Acarya Amitagati's Yogasara Prabhrta", Bharatiya Jnanpith, p. 167. The Yogi who has rid himself of all delusion regards everything alien, howsoever attractive it may appear in the present, as the harbinger of suffering. He relies solely on the Self to attain the everlasting bliss that essentially appertains to the Self, cannot be found anywhere else, and is, therefore, independent of all outside agencies. ... 115

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse avidvAn pudgaladravyaM yo'bhinandati tasya tat / na jAtu jantoH sAmIpyaM caturgatiSu muJcati // (46) Believing the matter to be the soul, the ignorant gets attached to it and, as a result, the matter does not leave the soul in its four states of existence (caturgati). EXPLANATORY NOTES Every soul present in the three worlds - the lower world, the transverse world, and the upper world - has been in transmigratory existence since beginningless time. Being propelled by the mechanism of karmas, the soul wanders in the cycle of births and deaths, undergoing millions of afflictions. There are four states of worldly existence (caturgati) - the infernal state, the subhuman (plants and animals) state, the celestial state, and the human state. Acarya Amritchandra elucidates in Purusarthasiddhyupaya: jIvakRtaM pariNAmaM nimittamAtraM prapadya punaranye / svayameva pariNamante'tra pudgalAH karmabhAvena // As a consequence of the rise of passions like attachment in the soul, physical matter gets bonded with the soul, transforming itself into karmic matter, like knowledge-obscuring karma. (12) pariNamamAnasya citazcidAtmakaiH svayamapi svkairbhaavaiH| bhavati hi nimittamAtraM paudgalikaM karma tasyApi // (13) 116

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Verse 46 The soul loses its pure consciousness as a result of bondage with karmic matter, like knowledge-obscuring karma, and, as a consequence, entertains passions like attachment. Jain, Vijay K. (2012), "Shri Amritchandra Suri's Purusarthasiddhyupaya", Vikalp Printers, p. 10-11. This cycle of passions causing bondage of karmas, and bondage of karmas causing passions, continues incessantly unless snapped by own effort. There are two ways by which karmas get dissociated from the soul. First, karmas fall off on fruition in natural course at the end of their duration, after yielding the fruits - pain or pleasure. The auspicious as well as the inauspicious karmas reach the stage of fruition gradually and then dissociate from the soul. This is involuntary dissociation of karmas. As per the Scripture, the maximum duration of the four inimical types of karmas, the deluding, the knowledge-obscuring, the perception-obscuring, and the obstructive karmas, is seventy, thirty, thirty, and thirty sagaropama kotikoti, respectively. The minimum duration of these four inimical types of karmas is up to one muhurta. The minimum duration of the deluding karmas occurs in case of the ascetic in the ninth stage of development. The minimum duration of the knowledge-obscuring, the perception-obscuring, and the obstructive karmas is obtained in case of the ascetic in the tenth stage of development. Second, karmas are being made to ripen prematurely by one's own effort, just as mango or other fruits are made to ripen through special contrivances. This type of dissociation does not wait for the ripening of karmas in natural course of things and is achieved through penance and other austerities. The knowledgeable soul strives to attain its purity through this method. 117

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse AtmAnuSThAnaniSThasya vyavahArabahiH sthite: / jAyate paramAnandaH kazcidyogena yoginaH // The Yogi established firmly in the Self, away from worldly occupations, experiences supreme kind of happiness in his being. (47) EXPLANATORY NOTES Meditation on the soul, without diversion of the mind to anything else, is essential for the expulsion of karmas from the soul. One who has left all possessions, external and internal, who does not engage himself in any activity, who has conquered his senses, and who has lost all interest in the worldly conduct of life, washes off the dirt of karmas in its entirety. The true Yogi disentangles the bonds of karmas existing with the soul in no time, just as the strong wind drives away the expanse of dense clouds. The yoga which results into the comprehension of the pure soul has been described as the real yoga. Such yoga is the way that leads to the gain of the pure soul through the comprehension of the soul free from all that is foreign to it. Such a rare comprehension of the pure soul is possible only on the destruction of the obstructive karmas. Thus, yoga performs two functions: first, it destroys the obstructive karmas and, second, it leads to the comprehension of the pure soul. 118 The excellent bliss generated by yoga is free from the terror of sensuality, is identical with tranquility, is stable, resides in the soul

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Verse 47 itself, and grants riddance to the soul from birth, old age and death. These characteristics mark a release of the soul from the turmoil of worldly existence. Worldly occupations of all kinds are not in any way connected with the soul and therefore termed 'other' than the soul. All that is dependent on the 'other' is distress and all that is dependent on the soul is bliss. As such, the enjoyments generated by the rise of meritorious karmas too are distress on account of dependence on the 'other'. The knowledge of the pure soul through the Self is bliss. Such knowledge drifts towards meditation; in fact, the knowledge itself is transformed into meditation. As the Yogi ascends the stages of meditation, he reaches nearer and nearer the aim of uniting and identifying himself with the pure soul. As the karmas associated with the soul are washed away, there remains nothing to disturb the rhythmic pulsation of the soul. The pure soul, with bliss as one of its innate attributes, shines in its pristine glory. ... 119

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse Anando nirdahatyuddhaM karmendhanamanAratam / na cAsau khidyate yogI bahirduHkheSvacetanaH // (48) The supreme happiness that is generated in the soul acts like the fire that burns the accumulated karmic fuel, and the Yogi remains impervious to external pain, maintaining tranquility. EXPLANATORY NOTES The purpose of meditation is to get complete release from the bondage of karmas. Observing vows and tenfold virtues, controlling and regulating activities, contemplating on the true nature of reality, enduring pain and suffering, carrying out external and internal austerities, and following the rules of conduct, help in the stoppage and shedding of karmas. The Yogi, with the help of these essentials, goes deeper and deeper into the Self and achieves greater purity of meditation as he purges his soul of the karmic mire. The Yogi endures twenty-two hardships or afflictions (parisaha) involving bodily discomfort and mental disquiet. He subjugates these afflictions so as not to swerve from the path of stoppage and shedding of karmas. The twenty-two afflictions are hunger, thirst, cold weather, hot weather, insect-bite, nakedness, displeasure, disturbance due to feminine attraction, discomfort arising from roaming, discomfort of posture, uncomfortable couch, insult (scolding), assault (injury), not to beg for favours, lack of gain (not getting food for several days in several homes), illness, pain 120

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Verse 48 inflicted by blades of grass, unclean body, (absence of) reverence and honour, (conceit of) learning, despair or uneasiness arising from failure to acquire knowledge, and disbelief due to delay in the fruition of meritorious deeds. He endures these afflictions without evil thoughts thereby attaining great stoppage of karmas as influx caused by attachment and aversion is obstructed. The Yogi striving after the purity of the soul makes absolutely no compromise with his own mental state while enduring these afflictions. He does not surrender his tranquility in order to save himself from pain and unrest caused by such assaults. In fact, as he advances on the path to self-realization and as he starts getting a first-hand experience of the happiness that appertains to the Self, he raises his concentration level to the extent that it acts as an impregnable shield against all assaults. He concentrates only on the Self, impervious to all worldly anxieties. 121

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse avidyAbhiduraM jyotiH paraM jJAnamayaM mahat / tatpraSTavyaM tadeSTavyaM tadraSTavyaM mumukSubhiH // (49) Self-knowledge is the excellent and supreme light that destroys the darkness of ignorance. It is pertinent, therefore, that the aspirant after liberation should query about it, long for it, and live through it. EXPLANATORY NOTES The Self is knowledge, absolute and without differentiation. When the karmic clouds disperse gradually, self-knowledge increases in its brilliance and ultimately reaches its unmatched luminance. When such knowledge is obtained, it is self-realization. Nescience gets destroyed and all that which pertains to the non-self disappears from reckoning. There is no more inflow of karmic matter, the previously bound karmas are destroyed and the soul regains its pristine nature. Acarya Kundakunda explains the virtue of self-knowledge with matchless lucidity in Samayasara: NANaguNehi vihINA edaM tu padaM bahU vi Na lhNte| taM giNha NiyadamedaM jadi icchasi kmmprimokkhN|| (7-13-205) Bereft of the virtue of knowledge, many people, even though they make several efforts, are not able to attain this knowledge. As such (O bhavya - potential aspirant to liberation!) if you wish to be free from karmic bondage, embrace this eternal knowledge. 122

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wafte zal furazi zigeot alfe forcanafte i deNa hohi titto hohidi tuha uttamaM sokkhaM // Verse 49 (7-14-206) (O bhavya - potential aspirant to liberation!) Always adore this knowledge, in this only always remain contented, and fulfilled. You will attain supreme bliss (through knowledge-adoration, knowledge-contentment, and knowledge-fulfillment). Jain, Vijay K. (2012), "Acharya Kundkund's Samayasara", Vikalp Printers, p. 99-100. All learned Acaryas lay great emphasis on the importance of acquiring self-knowledge. Following the strict rules of discipline as well as observing the austerities, without the virtue of selfabsorption, are of no avail for the man who wishes to acquire selfknowledge. The aspirant after liberation must discard all thoughtactivities and take shelter in the knowledge of the pure soul with firm and unshakeable conviction. Self-knowledge is the bright fire that burns material karmas to ashes and frees the soul from karmic bondage. Self-knowledge should be the foundation of all practices, rituals and conduct. The path to self-realization unmistakably passes through self-knowledge. 123

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse jIvo'nyaH pudgalazcAnya ityasau tattvasaMgrahaH / yadanyaducyate kiJcit so'stu tasyaiva vistaraH // (50) The soul is distinct from the matter and the matter is distinct from the soul; this is the quintessence of reality. All the rest of articulation is but an elaboration of the same. EXPLANATORY NOTES From the transcendental point of view (niscaya naya) the soul is free from bondage, untouched by others, distinct, steady, inseparable from its attributes of knowledge and faith, and free from union with any other substance. It is devoid of colour, taste, smell, and touch, and, therefore, incorporeal. It is beyond perception through the senses, without sound, cannot be apprehended through a symbol, and its form or shape cannot be portrayed. It is characterized by consciousness - knowledge and perception. When it is sullied with karmic dirt, only then, from the empirical point of view (vyavahara naya), the soul is said to be having corporeal form. Due to its intimate bond with the karmic matter, which includes the body, we say, from a particular point of view, that the soul is the producer of karmic matter, and from another point of view that it gets involved in psychic dispositions like attachment and aversion. Acarya Nemichandra asserts in Dravyasamgraha: poMggalakammAdINaM kattA vavahArado du nnicchydo| cedaNakammANAdA suddhaNayA suddhabhAvANaM // 124

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Verse 50 From the empirical point of view (vyavahara naya), the soul is said to be the producer of karmic matter (like knowledgeobscuring karma); from the impure transcendental point of view (asuddha niscaya naya), the soul is responsible for its psychic dispositions (like attachment and aversion); but from the pure transcendental point of view (suddha niscaya naya), the soul is consciousness - pure perception and knowledge. Let us look through this elaborate and highly relevant discussion on how the soul is viewed from different points of view: To start with there are two main aspects of Nayas: Niscaya and Vyavahara. The former represents the true and complete point of view. There is no distinction between the dravya and its gunas. The self is looked at as a whole with all the wealth of its attributes. The latter represents the partial point of view. The complex nature of the self is analyzed into its diverse qualities, and our attention may be directed to any particular attribute with which the self may be identified at the moment. Further the former, Niscaya Naya, is divided into Suddha Niscaya Naya and Asuddha Niscaya Naya. Suddha Niscaya Naya holds the self in its pure and unconditioned nirupadhi state. Disentangled from all its material environment and limitation the self radiates in its pristine glory through all its wealth of infinite qualities. This aspect where the self is in its qualities and its qualities are pure and unalloyed expression of the nature of this self is the topic of Suddha Niscaya Naya. The second, Asuddha Niscaya Naya, contemplates the self as caught in the meshes of the material environment, the sopadhi state. The presence of upadhi makes it impure or asuddha. Its intrinsic glory is dimmed but still it is viewed as a whole with its complete nature as expressed in its attributes though somewhat warped by alien influences. This is the self according to 125

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse the Asuddha Niscaya Naya. Similarly, the Vyavahara point of view is divided into two main heads: Sadbhuta Vyavahara and Asadbhuta Vyavahara. The term sadbhuta implies the intrinsic nature of the thing. Here the question is not about the purity or impurity of the thing. The term Vyavahara as already explained implies the analysis and differentiation of attributes from the underlying dravya. Jnana or thought is certainly an attribute of the self. To speak of jnana as identical with the self is to adopt Sadbhuta Vyavahara Naya. The term asadbhuta implies the importation of alien qualities into the self. Some of the organic instincts and emotions are distinctly due to the physical constitution. Nevertheless such instincts and emotions are associated with the self from the point of view of Asadbhuta Vyavahara Naya. Similarly the karmic constituents which are intrinsically physical may be said to belong to the self and modify its manifestations. Each of these two again is divided into two other minor kinds upacarita and anupacarita. Upacarita is usage sanctified by convention but having no other intrinsic justification. It is a sort of metaphorical application; whereas anupacarita is just the opposite of the above. It stands on its own intrinsic merit and has no metaphorical and transferred import. Thus finally we have four kinds of Vyavahara Naya: 1. anupacarita sadbhuta vyavahara naya, 2. upacarita sadbhuta vyavahara naya, 3. anupacarita asadbhuta vyavahara naya, and 4. upacarita asadbhuta vyavahara naya. Now the first is mainly vyavahara inasmuch as it analyzes the attributes of the thing, is sadbhuta inasmuch as it emphasizes the genuine and intrinsic attributes, and is anupacarita inasmuch as it is free from figurative and transferred implication. The illustration of this: The self is of the nature of 126

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Verse 50 jnana or knowledge. The second Naya is vyavahara for the reason stated above and sadbhuta for the same reason and upacarita because the epithet is figurative and transferred. When we speak of jnana or knowledge as Pramana or the criterion of truth we are thinking of the objects of knowledge or artha. Artha itself may be spoken of as a manifestation of knowledge or jnana-vikalpa. To speak of artha or the object as a manifestation of knowledge is only figuratively true in the case of external objects. These being physical in nature are acetana and yet as objects of knowledge may be spoken of as manifestation of jnana. What intrinsically belongs to the self is transferred to the object because of the relation brought about by the process of knowledge. The third Naya is anupacarita asadbhuta vyavahara. The only term that demands explanation is asadbhuta here. It refers to the identification of the Self with some alien properties. For example, to consider one's own body as oneself which is generally done in ordinary life is Asadbhuta Vyavahara. This is not merely figurative as the statement is sanctioned by the intimate interrelation that exists between the soul and the body. Hence 'This body is mine,' or 'I am this,' pointing to the body is justified according to anupacarita asadbhuta vyavahara nava. The last Nava is the upacarita form of the same. Here the alien quality or the thing with which the self is identified lacks that intimate relation that exists between the soul and the body. To call the ornaments as one's own, to claim certain individuals as one's relatives, to possess certain things as one's own property, in short, to identify one's personality with alien things and persons is possible only in a figurative sense. Each personality is distinct from and alien to the others, though all by coexisting together may partake of common environment and enter into definite relations. Still from the metaphysical point of view, one's 127

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse destiny is in one's own hands. Therefore the popular identification of the self with the other things said to be owned by it is a figurative and transferred predication or upacarita asadbhuta vyavahara naya. These four kinds of Vyavahara Naya together with the two Niscaya Naya constitute the six Nayas which are specially employed to fathom the depth of human personality. Chakravarti Nayanar, A. (2009), "Acarya Kundakunda's Pancastikaya-Sara", Bharatiya Jnanpith, New Delhi, Third Edition, Introduction, p. lxx-lxxii. The right believer knows that the soul is distinct from all surrounding objects, animate or inanimate, and these objects cannot be his possessions. He takes his body also in the same light. His passionate thoughts are impermanent and are due to material causes. These also cannot be his possessions. His only possession is his soul, eternal and pure. 128

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Verse 51 iSTopadezamiti samyagadhItya dhImAn, mAnApamAnasamatAM svamatAdvitanya / muktAgraho vinivasan sajane vane vA, muktizriyaM nirupamAmupayAti bhavyaH // (51) Thus, on reading and understanding the essence of this Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse - the potential aspirant to liberation (bhavya), the city-dweller or the woodsdweller, through self-knowledge, maintaining equanimity in honour and disgrace, obtains the matchless treasure of liberation (moksa). EXPLANATORY NOTES Acarya Pujyapada concludes this treatise with a mention of its significance; read and assimilated properly it will lead every potential soul that follows the proper rules of conduct to the ultimate goal of liberation. Mull over, from all angles, the following salient messages derived out of this charming composition, Istopadesa: 1. The purity of the soul-nature is attained only through self-effort, on the destruction of the associated karmic matter. 2. The karmic matter gets bound with the soul as it gets into a state of 'weakness', overcome by passions. 129

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse 3. It makes great sense to lead a seemingly difficult life of observing vows and austerities rather than a vowless life of sensual pleasures. 4. Persons with right faith are destined to be reborn only in superior states of existence till they finally attain liberation. 5. The supreme happiness of the liberated soul is beyond description. 6. Sense-gratification and worldly prosperity are not the same as happiness. 7. Belief in substances, souls and non-souls, as these actually are, is right faith. The man with wrong belief fails to comprehend the true nature of substances. 8. Though the soul is coextensive with the body it occupies, the two are entirely different entities. These remain together for a certain period of time and then depart. 9. Our present life as a human being is short and none of our possessions is going to accompany us to our next birth. 10. We are subjected to internal as well as external rewards and punishments for all our actions; as you sow, so shall you reap. 11. On account of psychical modes of attachment and aversion, the soul is driven into a state of weakness, and karmic matter, virtuous or vicious, clings to it. 12. The transmigrating life is full of pain and suffering; before we get over one misery many more are ready to overtake us. 130

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Verse 51 13. It is better to be happy inside and a pauper outside, than to be a wreck inside and a potentate outside. 14. Wise men clearly apprehend the miseries of worldly existence and take steps which will provide them succour in this life, and the next. 15. As we advance in life we must be in a hurry to control and restrain our activities and passions as these lead to the bondage of karmas. 16. A large heap of evil karmas is engendered while we engage ourselves in the money-earning process. 17. The wise man does not abandon himself to sense gratification. Renunciation rather than acquisition is a source of inner peace. 18. It makes no sense to abandon our body, home to numerous diseases and refuse, to sense-indulgence. 19. Our efforts to nourish the body at the expense of the soul are short-sighted and are bound to result into suffering. 20. Inauspicious meditation leads to the influx of evil karmas and the auspicious meditation to the destruction of karmas. 21. The soul is of the nature of perfect knowledge and infinite bliss, coextensive with the body, and eternal. 22. Meditating on the pure Self through the medium of the Self is the only certain and unfailing means to achieve the highest aim of self-realization. 23. The very first requisite for self-exertion that leads to the removal of the veils of karmic matter from the soul is the acquisition of right faith. 131

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse 24. When one meditates on the soul, the influx of karmas gets blocked and their shedding takes place. 25. Nothing but the pure soul is a truly worthy object to meditate upon. The soul should be the instrument as well as the object of meditation. 26. The soul that entertains infatuation with the objects of the environment gets into bondage of karmas. 27. Recognition of the true nature of the soul is the most desirable thing in the grand pilgrimage to the land of peace and purity. 28. Free from ignorant attachment to sense pleasures and activities of the thought, speech and body, the knowledgeable person is aware of the fruits of karmas but does not enjoy them. 29. The body, being a direct outcome of karmas, is absolutely worth detachment for anyone who is treading the path to liberation. 30. The way to make human birth meaningful is through renunciation of worldly pleasures, meditation, austerities, propagation of true faith, and finally attaining an auspicious death. 31. Due to the influence of karmas, the soul gets into a state of weakness and acts in a manner inimical to its natural tendencies. 32. He only is wise who uses his freedom and power to cheerfully detach himself from the worldly objects of attachment and enjoyment. 33. The process of renunciation is full of exhilaration and joy as it draws the soul nearer the goal of power and blessedness. 132

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Verse 51 34. The intrinsic nature of the soul demonstrates the real path to liberation; it does not stand in need of an outside preceptor to either know the truth or the path to be followed. 35. The bhavya soul possesses the capacity for liberation as it is destined to follow the path shown by Lord Jina. The abhavya soul is so fated that it will never choose the right path and, therefore, wander in the labyrinth of mundane life for all time to come. 36. The Masters have recommended solitude besides full control of the mind, the speech, and the body for real self contemplation. 37. The Yogi may appear to be indulging in worldly objects, but in reality he is detached from them and neither enjoys pleasure nor suffers pain due to these objects. 38. When the Yogi's whole attention is turned inward, the outside objects of sense-indulgence appear totally unattractive and inconsequential. 39. The Yogi is ever eager to preserve the purity of his mind undefiled and resorts to corrective measures as soon as a taint of blemish is noticed in thought, word or deed. 40. The Yogi's interaction with the people is minimal and without passions; he engenders no lasting emotions of attachment and aversion for them. 41. Even while stationed in the midst of karmas, the Yogi is not soiled by the karmic dirt, just as gold remains uncontaminated in the midst of mire. 42. The Yogi engrossed in self-realization meditates on the all knowing, pure soul and transcends inquisitiveness, analysis, and logical arguments to reach at the truth. 133

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse 43. The Yogi who has experienced the joy of self-realization does not wish to go back to worldly pursuits. 44. The Yogi washes away all impurities of the wavering mind, like attachment, aversion and delusion, by being detached from the sense-objects. 45. The Yogi relies solely on the Self to attain the everlasting bliss that essentially appertains to the Self, cannot be found anywhere else, and is, therefore, independent of all outside agencies. 46. Propelled by the mechanism of karmas, the soul wanders in the cycle of births and deaths indefinitely, till it finally exerts to get rid of all karmas. 47. The Yogi, away from worldly occupations, experiences supreme kind of happiness that is free from the terror of sensuality, and is identical with tranquility. 48. The Yogi goes deeper and deeper into the Self and achieves greater purity of meditation as he purges his soul of karmic mire. 49. Self-knowledge is the bright fire that burns material karmas to ashes and frees the soul from karmic bondage. 50. The right believer knows that his only possession is his soul, eternal and pure. All other objects, animate or inanimate, cannot be his possessions. In Istopadesa, Acarya Pujyapada has shown the experiential path leading to the ultimate goal of self-realization. It appears a distant dream and unattainable goal only so long as the passions and desires continue to impair the natural tendencies of the soul. As the soul gradually gets rid of these negative emotions, positive outcomes can be perceived in terms of increased serenity and 134

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Verse 51 moderation of worldly anxieties pertaining to health and wealth, kith and kin. Such outcomes are unfailing indication that the grand pilgrimage to reach the goal of the divine happiness that appertains to the liberated soul has begun. On the way, the ephemeral happiness of the lords of the men and the long-lasting happiness of the devas await unsolicitedly to garland and embrace the pilgrim. Victory to the World Teacher; victory to the Apostle; victory to the Preceptor; victory to the Scripture; victory to the Three Jewels; victory to the Self; victory to the Reader! 135

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GENERAL INDEX abhavya - not having potential for liberation 95, 96, 132 absolutistic attitude 25 Acarya(s) - Preceptor xi, xii, xvi, 34, 40, 79, 83, 87, 123 Acarya Amitagati xii, 56, 68, 114, 115 Acarya Amritchandra xii, 116, 117 Acarya Bhutabali xi, xii Acarya Devanandi xiii, xiv Acarya Dharasen xii Acarya Gunadhar xii Acarya Jinasena xii, xiii, 98 Acarya Kundakunda (also Acharya Kundkund) xii, 30, 31, 53, 54, 71, 75, 76, 106, 107, 122, 123, 127 Acarya Nemichandra xii, 18, 63, 81, 102, 124 Acarya Pujyapada v, vi, xii-xvi, 1, 13, 17, 32, 128, 133 Acarya Pushpadant xii Acarya Samantabhadra xii, 15 Acarya Shubhachandra xii, xiii, 97, 98 Acarya Umasvami xii, 17 Acarya Vidyanand v, vi, xv, xvi Acyuta kalpa 18 Adipurana xiv, 98 affliction(s) vi, 18, 29, 41, 44, 55, 58, 72, 80, 83, 98, 99, 116, 120, 121 aghatiya - non-destructive (karmas) xi, 4 agupti bhaya - fear of divulgence of one's deeds 3 agurulaghutvalight 5 - neither heavy nor aharaka sarira - projectable or assimilative body 7 Aisana kalpa 18 ajnana - nescience 37 ajnanika - ignorant attitude 25 akasmika bhaya - fear of the unexpected 3 aloka - non-universe 63, 64 amudhadrsti - freedom from superstitions 14 amurta - incorporeal, formless 6, 7, 28, 63 anadhyavasaya - indefiniteness 26 anaksari - Lord's divine voice without the movement of glottis or lips x ananta catustaya - the infinitudes 3, 4 ananta darsana - infinite perception 4 ananta jnana - infinite knowledge 4, 5 ananta sukha - infinite bliss 4, 5 ananta virya - infinite energy 4, 5 anantanubandhi - most malignant (passions) 88 Anata kalpa 18 anger 26, 36, 48, 50, 64, 66, 71, 76, 87 137

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse animate 29, 30, 32, 58, 127, 133 anivrttibadara-samparaya * advanced thought-activity 14 antaratma - intimate knowledge 30 antaraya - obstructive (karmas) 2 antarmuhurta - within 48 minutes 17, 33, 54 Anudisa vimanas 18 anupacarita asadbhuta vyavahara naya 126, 127 anupacarita sadbhuta vyavahara naya 126 Anuttara vimanas 18 Apostle xi, 135 apramattasamyata - perfect vows 14 apratyakhyana - highly malignant (passions) 88 apurvakarana - new thoughtactivity 14 Arana kalpa 18 arati - displeasure 3, 26 ardhamagadhi bhasa - Lord's divine voice heard by all in their respective tongue x Arhat the World Teacher or 'Jina' 2, 3 arta dhyana - the sorrowful meditation 61 asadbhuta vyavahara naya - 126 asamyatasamyagdrsti - vowless right belief 14 asana - a posture in yoga 98, 99 ascetic(s) 11, 25, 54, 58, 78, 88, 117 asrava influx 48 atisaya - miraculous happenings 3, 4 138 atrana bhaya - fear of being without protection 3 attachment 2, 3, 8, 11, 13, 15, 31, 37-39, 41, 50, 53, 54, 59, 64, 66, 73, 76-78, 81, 90-92, 97, 100, 102, 104-106, 109, 110, 112, 113, 116, 117, 121, 124, 125, 130, 131-133 audarika sarira - gross body 7 austerity(ies) xv, 3, 11, 12, 41, 58, 59, 72, 86, 91, 102, 110, 113, 117, 120, 123, 130, 132 asuddha niscaya naya - impure transcendental point of view 125, 126 auxiliary cause 8, 9, 59, 70, 85 avagahan - inter-penetrability 5 aversion 2, 3, 37-39, 59, 64, 66, 71, 73, 81, 97, 102, 104-106, 110, 113, 121, 124, 125, 130, 133, 134 avyabadha - undisturbed, infinite bliss 5 ayogakevali - non-vibratory Omniscient 14, 88 ayuh- age-determining karmas 4, 5, 88 bahiratma - superficial awareness 30 bala mada - pride of strength 3 bandha - bondage 48 bhasa vargana - fine matter that inflows through the channel of speech 70 Bharata, the Emperor 54 bhava - nature, psychical disposition 6, 37, 71, 76

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bhava karma - psycho-physical karmic matter 76 bhava samvara - psychic stoppage (of karmas) 71 bhavanavasi - residential devas 15 bhavya - having potential for liberation 11, 16, 38, 95, 96, 122, 123, 128, 132 bhaya - fear 3, 26, 39, 40 bhogabhumi - regions of enjoyment 12, 18 bhokta - enjoyer of the fruits of karmas 63 bliss 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 12, 18, 20-22, 62, 63, 68, 88, 91, 92, 96, 108, 115, 118, 119, 123, 130, 133 body 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 17, 18, 20, 21, 28, 29, 31-36, 38, 40, 42, 45, 48, 50, 51, 55-60, 62-64, 70, 71, 73, 76, 77, 80-84, 88, 89, 98, 99, 103, 104, 108, 111, 114, 121, 124, 126, 127, 130-133 boredom 52, 53, 76 Brahma kalpa 18 Brahmottara kalpa 18 cakravarti - king of kings 16, 18 caritra mohaniya - conduct deluding (karmas) 24, 37 caritracara - observance in regard to conduct xii caturgati - the four states of worldly existence - 32, 38, 116 celestial birth 11 cetana - consciousness 1, 7, 20, 28, 63, 80 Chakravarti Nayanar, A. 71, 127 General Index cinta - anxiety 3 cintamani-wish-fulfilling jewel 61 clairvoyance 17, 26 cognition 7, 26, 37 conation 63 concentration 4, 41, 61, 62, 65, 88, 104, 111, 113, 118, 121 conduct deluding karmas 24, 26 consciousness 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 20, 2831, 55, 56, 58, 63, 78, 80, 83, 108, 117, 124, 125 contrary attitude 25 corporeal 7, 29, 55, 64, 124 cruel concentration 61, 62 darsana - perception 4, 5, 21, 24, 26, 37, 63, 80 darsana mohaniya - faith deluding (karmas) 5, 24, 37 darsanacara - observance in regard to faith xii darsanavarniya - perception obscuring (karmas) 2, 5 death 3, 9, 23, 28, 32, 37, 40, 43, 44, 45, 82, 83, 86, 116, 118, 131, 133 deceitfulness 26, 36, 48, 50, 66, 71, 76, 87 deluding karmas 2, 5, 13, 14, 24-26, 67, 78, 111, 117 delusion vi, 2, 3, 13, 14, 24, 37, 39, 42, 55, 66, 74, 85, 90, 97, 102, 104, 112, 113, 115, 133 demerit bondage 20 desires 7, 11, 15, 20, 23, 31, 42, 58, 75, 81, 89, 90, 102, 133 139

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse destruction (of karmas) 13, 14, 22, 28, 65, 67, 110, 118, 128, 130 destruction-cum-subsidence of karmas) 14, 67 destructive karmas - ghatiya karmas 2, 111 deva(s) - celestial being(s) 4, 15-18, 54, 113, 134 dharma - medium of motion 95 dharmya dhyana - the virtuous meditation 61 dhyana - meditation 61 Digambara muni - an ascetic free from all vestiges of clothes xv, equanimity 36, 128 external possessions 76 faith-deluding karmas 14, 24, 25, 67, 117 falsehood 11, 66 fasting 41 fear 3, 10, 26, 39, 50, 76, 83 fruition of karmas 54, 62, 106, 110 54 Ganadhara - the Apostle xi Ganadhara Gauatamasvami xi gati-namakarma - karma that determines the state of existence 38 ghatiya - inimical, destructive (karmas) 2 gotra - status determining karmas 4,5 Graiveyaka 18, 33 greed 26, 36, 48, 50, 66, 71, 76, 87 grief 3, 22, 26, 31, 40, 76 gunasthana - spiritual stages 13, Divinity 21, 53 doubt 7, 13, 14, 25, 26, 67 doubtful attitude 25 dravya - substance 2, 6, 71, 76, 114, 125, 126 dravya karma - karmic matter 2, 76 dravya samvara - material stoppage (of karmas) 71 Dravyasamgraha 63, 81, 102, 124 duration bondage 9, 33 Dvadasanga - the Scripture comprising twelve departments xi, xii dvesa - aversion 3, 37 88 gupti - three kinds of controls xv happiness 16-23, 33, 37, 41, 42, 51, 89-91, 101, 108, 109, 114, 118, 120, 121, 130, 134, 135 hasya - laughter 26 heaven, heavenly 12, 13, 15-18, 26, 33, 96 hells 12 ekanta - absolutistic attitude 25 Elacarya Pragyasagar xvi emancipation 4, 6, 7, 58, 59, 66, 72, 75, 113 empirical point of view 13, 20, 48, 64, 78-80, 124, 125 ignorance 20, 39, 67, 77, 88, 89, 91, 92, 104, 115, 122 ignorant attitude 25 ihaloka bhaya - fear relating to 140

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General Index this life 3 inanimate 29, 30, 32, 58, 127, 133 incorporeal 2, 6, 7, 28, 29, 55, 63, 64, 79, 124 infatuation 52, 75, 76, 78, 112, 131 infernal 7, 11, 12, 32, 33, 38, 86, 116 infinite bliss 2, 4, 5, 63, 88, 96, 130 infinite energy 2,4 infinite knowledge 2, 4, 5, 96, 111 infinite perception 2, 4, 5, 96 influx 11, 48, 51, 61, 62, 70, 72, 82, 91, 92, 110, 111, 113, 120, 130, 131 injury 11, 39-41, 83, 120 intensity bondage 9, 33 internal possessions 76 Jain, S.A. 15, 33 Jain, Vijay K. vi, 31, 54, 76, 107, 117, 123 Jainism 8, 67, 73 janma - (re)birth 3 jati mada - pride of caste 3 jnana - knowledge 3-5, 21, 26, 63, 80, 126 jnana mada - pride of knoweldge 3 jnanacara - observance in regard to knowledge xii Jnanarnavah xiii, 98 jnanavarniya - knowledge obscuring (karmas) 2,5 jiva - soul 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 19, 28-30, 38, 55, 63 jugupsa - disgust 26 jyotiska - stellar devas 15 kasaya - passions 26,68 kala - substance of time 6, 59 kalpavrksa - the wish-fulfilling tree x Kapistha kalpa 18 karma - of four kinds 10 karma(s) 1, 2, 4, 7-11, 13-15, 18, 20, 21, 24-26, 29, 35, 38, 40, 46, 48-51, 54-57, 60-63, 65-68, 7078, 80-82, 84-88, 91, 92, 96, 101, 103, 104, 106, 107, 110-113, 116-123, 125, 130-133 karmana sarira - karmic body 7-9 karmic body 7, 28, 55, 59, 64 karmic bondage 7, 37, 38, 48, 79, 82, 106, 108, 122, 123, 133 karta - causal agent 63 kaya vargana - fine matter that inflows through the channel of body 70 kayaklesa tapa - mortification of the body xv kayotsarga asana - a standing posture in yoga 99 ksetra - space of existence 6 ksina-kasaya - destroyed delusion 14 ksudha - hunger 3 kevalajnana - infinite knowledge 4 khali - pieces of oilcake 61 kheda - regret 3 knowledge 1-5, 12-14, 16, 20, 21, 24-27, 30, 31, 33, 41, 53, 54, 56, 59, 62-69, 74, 76, 78-81, 83, 86, 87, 89, 92-94, 96, 97, 102, 107, 109-114, 116, 117, 119, 121-125, 128, 130, 131, 133 141

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse knowledge-obscuring karma 2, 13, 87, 107, 116, 117, 125 kodrava - an intoxicating grain 24, 25 krodha - anger 26, 48 kula mada - pride of lineage 3 73, 76, 77, 79-81, 86, 92, 94, 97, 98, 101-103, 109-113, 115, 119, 120, 130, 131, 133 merit bondage 20 metempsychosis 32 mind 9, 11, 17, 20, 26, 35, 36, 45, 50, 52, 61, 64-66, 70, 76, 80-82, 97-99, 101-104, 107, 111, 113, 118, 121, 132, 133 misery 20, 31, 37, 39, 40, 43, 45, 80, 83, 130 mithyadrsti - deluded 13 mithyatva - wrong belief xv, 24, 25 moha - delusion 3, 37 mohaniya - deluding (karmas) 2, 24, 37 moksa - liberation 128 money 21, 41, 42, 50, 51, 130 muhurta - 48 minutes x, 62, 117 muni - ascetic 54 labdhi - attainment 56 Lantava kalpa 18 liberated soul(s) 5, 19, 28, 30, 91, 130, 134 liberation 4, 11-15. 25. 38. 54. 61. 67, 73, 79, 84, 88, 92, 93, 95-97, 109, 111, 113, 122, 123, 128, 130, 132, 133 life-span 11, 12, 33, 34, 55 lobha - greed 26, 48 loka - universe 63, 64 Lord Jina x, 16, 17, 62, 68, 72, 79, 95, 101, 110, 132 Lord Mahavira xi, xii luminous body 55 DU mada - pride 3 Mahasukra kalpa 18 mahavrata - supreme vows XV Mahendra kalpa 18 mana - pride 26, 48 mano vargana - fine matter that inflows through the channel of mind 70 mantra - sacred formula 97 marana bhaya - fear relating to death 3 marana - death 3 maya - deceitfulness xv, 26, 48 meditation xv, 41, 58, 61, 68, 72, nakedness 58, 120 nama karma - physique-making karma 4, 38 napumsakaveda - neuter sex passion 26 Natural Justice, law of 35 nature bondage 9, 33 negligence 70, 86 nescience 37, 67, 112, 122 nidana - desire for future pleasures xv nidra - sleep 3 nihkanksita - freedom from worldly desire 14 nihsankita - freedom from doubt 14 ...................... 142

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General Index nimitta karta - external cause xvi, 8,85 nirvana - the state of liberation xi, 16, 54, 92 nirurtti - accomplishment of the sense organ 56 nirvicikitsa - freedom from revulsion 14 niscaya naya - transcendental point of view 20, 64, 78, 80, 124 126, 128 nokasaya - quasi-passions 26 nokarma - quasi-karmic matter 2, 76, 81, 82 non-discriminatory attitude 25 non-injury 41 non-restraint 7, 15, 70 non-self 7, 30, 91, 114, 122 events in the life of the World Teacher (Tirthankara) 17 Pancastikaya-Sara 71, 128 papa - demerit 11, 48, 106 paraloka bhaya - fear relating to the life beyond 3 paramaudarika sarira - auspicious body of the Omniscient Lord x parasamaya - the impure self 78 parisaha - endurance of afflictions 120 parigraha - possessions - 76 paryanka asana - a sitting posture in yoga 98 paryapti - completion or development 17 passions vi, 7, 9, 26, 31, 36, 48-50, 58, 59, 66, 68, 70-73, 87, 88, 101, 105, 107, 108, 111, 116, 117, 128, 130, 132, 133 penance 103, 117 perception 1, 2, 4-6, 13, 21, 33, 37, 38, 63, 64, 68, 77, 80, 96, 111, 114, 117, 124, 125 perception-obscuring karma 2, 13, 117 physical matter 29, 31, 37, 48, 55, 56, 58, 83, 84, 87, 116 physical sense 56 pleasure(s) 11, 12, 18, 20-22, 26, 29, 33, 36, 39, 40, 43, 45, 46, 55, 59, 61, 68, 71, 74, 78, 80, 81, 86, 96-98, 100, 101, 107, 114, 115, 117, 120, 130, 132, 133 possessions 25, 32, 34, 39, 41, 43, 62, 66, 70, 76, 97, 118, 127, 130, 134 obscuring karma(s) 2, 13, 62, 87, 107, 116, 117, 125 obstructive karma(s) 2, 13, 65, 117, 118 ocular perception 68 omniscience x, 2, 10, 13, 14, 38, 62, 68, 88, 112 Omniscient Lord x, 24-26, 31 Omniscient(s) x, 1, 4, 14, 24-26, 30, 31, 54, 62 padmasana - a sitting posture in yoga 98 palliative 18 palyopama - a measure of time 12 Panca Paramesthi - the five Supreme Beings 97 pancakalyanaka - five principal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse prabhavana - propagation of the true path 14 pramattasamyata - imperfect vows 14 Pranata kalpa 18 pratiharya - splendour x, 3, 4 pratyakhyana - malignant (passions) 88 pravicara - copulation 18 pride 3, 26, 36, 40, 48, 50, 64, 66, 71, 76, 87 psychical sense 56 psychical state 8, 9 pudgala - matter 8 pumveda - male sex passion 26 puja mada - pride of veneration 3 punya - merit 11, 48, 106 pure concentration 62, 111 pure Self 10, 23, 62, 66, 77, 79-81, 96, 100, 101, 103, 105, 111, 130 pure soul 2, 4, 13, 64, 66, 74, 76, 83, 85, 93, 101, 102, 104, 108, 109, 118, 119, 131, 132 Purusarthasiddhyupaya 116, 117 quasi-karmic matter 76, 81, 82 quasi-passions 26 raga - attachment 3, 37 rati - attraction 26 Ratnakarandaka-Sravakacara 15 ratnatraya - the Three Jewels 13, 14, 59, 66, 73, 79 raudra dhyana - the cruel meditation 61 renunciation vi, 53, 54, 58, 86, 91, 93, 103, 109, 130, 131 144 restraint-cum-non-restraint 15 riddhi - accomplishment xi riddhi mada - pride of accomplishments 3 right belief 11, 14, 15, 24, 25, 78, 79, 86, 92 right conduct 13, 15, 21, 24, 25, 59, 66, 79, 92 right faith 13-16, 21, 25, 26, 59, 6669, 79, 81, 86, 95, 96, 110, 112, 130, 131 right knowledge 13, 21, 25, 26, 59, 66-69, 76, 79, 92, 96 Rishabha Deva, Lord 54 roga - sickness 3 sadbhuta vyavahara naya - 126 samsara - the transmigratory world 10, 28, 33, 37 samsari jiva - worldly soul 8, 28, 29 samsaya - doubtful attitude 25, 26 samvara - stoppage (of karmas) 71, 81 samyatasamyata - partial vows 14 sagaropama - an exceedingly large measure of time 12, 117 Sahasrara kalpa 18 Samayasara 30, 31, 53, 54, 75, 76, 106, 107, 122, 123 samiti - fivefold regulation of activities xv samyagdarsana - right faith 26 samyagjnana - right knowledge 26 samyagmithyadrsti - mixed right and wrong belief 14 samavasarana - Lord's Pavilion x

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samyagmithyatva - mixed right and wrong belief 24, 25 samyaktva - right belief slightly clouded with false belief 5, 24, 25 Sanatkumara kalpa 18 sanjvalana - gleaming (passions) 88 sarira mada - pride of beauty 3 salya - sting xv Sarvarthasiddhi vi, xiv, 13, 15, 17, 33 sasadanasamyagdrsti - downfall 14 Satara kalpa 18 Saudharma kalpa 12, 15 sayogakevali - Omniscient with vibration 14 scriptural knowledge 26, 64, 66, 67 Scripture(s) 2, 12, 15, 33, 39, 54, 62, 94-96, 98, 99, 102, 110, 117, 135 Self, the 2, 8, 15, 30, 31, 53, 62, 65, 68, 80, 81, 89, 91, 97, 102, 107109, 111, 112, 115, 118-122, 125-127, 131, 134, 135 self-contemplation 13, 98 self-exertion 20, 68, 130 self-identity 6, 38, 106 self-knowledge 122, 123, 128, 133 self-realization 63, 66, 77, 80, 94, 96, 102, 104, 108, 110, 121-123, 131, 133, 134 self-restraint vi, 41, 88 sense(s) 1, 5, 7, 12, 17, 19, 21-23, 28-30, 38, 42, 45, 52-58, 64-66, 81-83, 86, 87, 89, 93, 96-98, 100102, 112-114, 118, 124, 127, General Index 130-134 sense-gratification 23, 54, 66, 86, 130 sense-indulgence 56, 57, 100, 101, 130, 132 sense-pleasures 12, 96, 98 sensory knowledge 26, 67, 94 sensual pleasures 11, 20, 130 Siddha jiva - liberated soul 2, 4, 28 Siddha Paramesthi 18, 19 Siddha Sila - Holy Abode of Gods 88 simhasana - bejeweled throne 4 sinful activities 50, 70 soka - grief 3, 26 sorrowful concentration 61, 62 soul 1, 2, 4-13, 19-23, 26, 28-33, 3540, 42, 43, 48, 55-60, 63-68, 70, 71, 73-76, 78-80, 83-85, 87-89, 91-95, 97, 99-102, 104, 108, 109, 112-125, 127-134 soul-enrichment 58 space bondage 9, 33 speech 9, 11, 17, 35, 36, 48, 50, 70, 71, 77, 80-82, 98, 103, 107, 111, 131, 132 spiritual 13, 14, 24, 28, 32, 55, 58, 66, 68, 69, 74, 88, 92, 100, 112 splendour(s) 2-4, 16, 54, 111 sruta - knowledge of the Scripture 102 state of existence 15, 32, 36, 38, 56 status-determining karma 62 stealing 11, 39, 48, 50, 62 sthitikarana - steadfastness of right faith 14 striveda - female sex passion 26 145

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse subhopayoga - virtuous dispositions 15 subsidence (of karmas) 14, 67 substantial cause 8, 9, 85 suddha niscaya naya - pure transcendental point of view 125 sukla dhyana - the pure meditation 61 Sukra kalpa - 18 suksmasamparaya - slightest delusion 14 suksmatva - fineness 5 svabhava guna - intrinsic quality 2 svacatustaya - the four-fold affirmative predication 6 svasamaya - the real Self 78 sveda - perspiration 3 unchastity 11, 66, 70 unconscious 55, 84 universe 4, 7, 8, 33, 56, 62-65, 85 upacarita asadbhuta vyavahara naya 126, 127 upacarita sadbhuta vyavahara naya 126 upadana karta - substantial cause 8,85 upaguhana - concealment of defects 14 upakarana - completion of the sense instrument 56 upapada - the seat of birth of celestial and infernal beings 17 upasanta-kasaya - subsided delusion 14 upayoga - active consciousness 1, 6, 56, 63 tactual sensation 29 taijasa sarira - luminous (electric) body 7 tapa mada - pride of austerities 3 tapas - austerities 102 Tattvarthasutra 17 Three Jewels 13, 14, 59, 66, 73, 79, 135 Tirthankara x, xi, xiii, xiv, 17, 54, u 20 68 vaikriyika sarira - transformable body 7 vaimanika - heavenly devas 15 vainayika - non-discriminatory attitude 25 vargana - molecules of matter fit to be transformed into karmic matter 8 vatsalya - joy and affection towards the right path and its followers 14 vedana bhaya - fear relating to pain and suffering 3 vedaniya - feeling karmas 4, 5 vibhava guna - extrinsic quality 2 vibhrama - indefiniteness 26, 27 transcendental point of view 20, 64, 78-80, 104, 125 transmigration xi, 7, 32, 33, 39, 48, 61, 68, 71, 83 trayangura 35 trisa - thirst 3 Trilokasara 18 146

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vice 37 vimoha - perversity 26, 27 viparita - contrary attitude 25 viparyaya - perversity 26 virtue(s) 17, 37, 51, 72, 110, 120, 122, 123 virtuous concentration 62 virya - power 4, 5 viryacara - observance in regard to power xii vismaya - astonishment 3 vow(s) 11, 12, 14, 41, 50, 88, 98, 102, 110, 111, 120, 130 vrata - observance of vows 102 vyantara - peripatetic devas 15 vyavahara naya - empirical point General Index of view 20, 64, 78, 80, 124, 126128 wealth 16, 28, 32, 39, 41, 42, 47, 54, 61, 101, 125, 134 World Teacher x-xiv, 135 wrong belief 14, 24-26, 31-33, 76, 130 wrong faith 62, 67, 68, 70, 88 yoga 70, 118 Yogasara Prabhrta 56, 68, 114, 115 Yogi 97-113, 115, 118-121, 133, 134 zara - old-age 3 zest 76 ** 147

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse Other sacred Jaina texts from Vikalp Printers: Acharya Umasvami's Tattvarthsutra WITH HINDI AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION AcAryazrI umAsvAmI viracita tattvArthasUtra Foreword by: Acharya 108 Vidyanand Muni 148 Edited by: Vijay K. Jain Published: 2011 Hard Bound * Printed on Art Paper Pages: xii + 163 * Size: 16 x 22.5 cm Acharya Umasvami's Tattvarthsutra WITH HINDI AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION AcAryazrI umAsvAmI viracita tattvArtha sUtra Wan parasparopagraho jIvAnAm Foreword by: Acharya 108 Vidyanandji Muniraj Edited by: Vijay K. Jain ISBN 81-903639-2-1 Rs. 250/ Tattvarthsutra is invaluable for understanding life, and pursuit of happiness. The hardships and afflictions that we have to endure are of own making. Our deeds, driven by passions, lead to sufferings and reproach in this world and the next. Virtuous activity alone, which is the cause of merit (punya), leads to joyous feeling, auspicious life, charming and lustrous physique, and high status. Our ultimate goal is the attainment of the divine attributes, in fullness and perfection, of our souls. We can reach the goal only through the three-fold path of right faith, right knowledge and right conduct.

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zrImadAcArya kundakunda viracita samayasAra Foreword by: Acharya 108 Vidyanand Muni English Translation, and Edited by: Vijay K. Jain Acharya Kundkund's Samayasara WITH HINDI AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION * Published: 2012 Hard Bound Printed on Art Paper Pages: xvi + 208 * Size: 16 x 22.5 cm * * * Acharya Kundkund's Samayasara WITH HINDI AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION The most profound and sacred exposition in the Jain religious tradition. zrImadAcArya kundakunda viracita samayasAra Foreword by: Acharya 108 Vidyanand Muni English Translation, and Edited by: Vijay K. Jain ISBN 81-903639-3-X Rs. 350/ As Acharya Vidyanand writes in the Foreword of Samayasara, it is the ultimate conscious reality. The enlightened soul has infinite glory. It has the innate ability to demolish karmas, both auspicious as well as inauspicious, which constitute the cycle of births and deaths, and are obstacles in the path to liberation. Samayasara is an essential reading for anyone who wishes to lead a purposeful and contented life. It provides irrefutable and lasting solutions to all our problems, concerning worldly ways as well as spiritual curiosities and misgivings. 149

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse * Shri Amritchandra Suri's Purusarthasiddhyupaya Realization of the Pure Self WITH HINDI AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION English Translation, and Edited by: Vijay K. Jain * zrI amRtacandrasUrI viracita puruSArthasiddhayupAya Foreword by: Acharya 108 Vidyanand Muni Published: 2012 Hard Bound * Printed on NS Maplitho Paper Pages: xvi + 191 * Size: 16 x 22.5 cm 150 Shri Amritchandra Suri's Purusarthasiddhyupaya (Purushartha Siddhyupaya) Realization of the Pure Self WITH HINDI AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION zrI amRtacandrasUriviracita puruSArthasiddhayupAya 56 Foreword by: Acharya 108 Vidyanand Muni English Translation, and Edited by: Vijay K. Jain ISBN 81-903639-4-8 Rs. 350/ Shri Amritchandra Suri's Purusarthasiddhyupaya is a matchless Jaina text that deals with the conduct required of the householder (Sravaka). In no other text that deals with the conduct required of the householder we see the same treatment of complex issues such as the transcendental and the empirical points of view, cause and effect relationships, and injury and noninjury, maintaining throughout the spiritual slant. The basic tenet of Jainism - non-injury or Ahimsa - has been explained in detail in the book.

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* Acarya Nemichandra's Dravyasamgraha With Authentic Explanatory Notes * AcArya nemicandra viracita dravyasaMgraha English Translation, and Edited by: Vijay K. Jain Foreword by: Acarya 108 Vidyanand Muni Published: 2013 * Hard Bound Printed on NS Maplitho Paper * Pages: xvi + 216 Size: 16 x 22.5 cm Acarya Nemichandra's Dravyasamgraha With Authentic Explanatory Notes AcArya nemicandra viracita dravyasaMgraha Foreword by: Acarya 108 Vidyanand Muni English Translation, and Edited by: Vijay K. Jain ISBN 81-903639-5-6 Rs. 450/ Dravyasamgraha is one of the finest classical Jaina texts, composed by His Holiness Acarya Nemichandra (c. 10th century CE). It deals primarily with the Realities (tattvas) that contribute to world process. The conduct required for attaining the ultimate goal of liberation follows from the knowledge of these Realities. Both, the transcendental and the empirical points of view, have been considered while explaining the nature of substances, souls and non-souls. It will be of much use to scholars worldwide interested in pursuing the study of Jaina epistemology. Vikalp Printers Anekant Palace, 29 Rajpur Road, Dehradun-248001, India E-mail: vikalp_printers@rediffmail.com Tel.: (0135) 2658971 151

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Istopadesa - The Golden Discourse Devanagari IAST a A i I u U P Zhong 152 o au R 5 a GUIDE TO TRANSLITERATION aH ka kha ga a i IN i u TSy e ai 0 au A. ! 2. m h ka kha ga Devanagari IAST gha na gha Ga ca cha ja jha oe Ta ho Da h9 Na ta tha da dha na ca cha ja jha na ta tha da dha na ta tha da dha na Devanagari IAST pa pha ba bha ma ya ra la va za Sa sa ha kSa hc tra jJa zra *IAST: International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration pa pha ba bha ma ya ra la va sa sa sa ha ksa tra jna sra

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His Holiness Acarya Pujyapada, who graced this earth around 5th century CE, had crafted some valuable gems of Jaina doctrine, including Sarvathasiddhi and Istopadesa. Concise but deep in import, Istopadesa unambiguously establishes the glory of the Self. It is an essential reading for the ascetic. The householder too who ventures to study it stands to benefit much as the work establishes the futility of the worldly objects and pursuits, and strengthens right faith, the basis for all that is good and virtuous. Acarya 108 Vidyanand Muni Istopadesa by Acarya Pujyapada is a concise work of 51 didactic verses leading the reader from the empirical to the transcendental, from the mundane to the sublime, through an experiential process of self-realization, rather than through a metaphysical study of the soul-nature. ISBN 81-903639-6-4 Rs.: 450/ JOULOS WS vikalpa Vikalp Printers