Agam 15 Upang 04 Pragnapana Sutra Part 02

SR No.: 001064
Original Sutra Author: Shyamacharya
Author: Punyavijay, Dalsukh Malvania, Amrutlal Bhojak
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay
Publication Year: 1971
Total Pages: 934
Language: Prakrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari, Agam, Canon, Metaphysics, & agam_pragyapana
File Size: 16 MB

Page 292

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CHAPTER II
DWELLING PLACES OF LIVING BEINGS
There are two main classes of living beings, i. e. those that are in bondage and those that are liberated. Various sub-classes of these two are mentioned in the first Pada. Now next it is necessary to know as to which parts of the world are inhabited by this or that class of living beings. So, this topic is discussed in the Sthana Pada. There are two types of dwelling places, viz. permanent and temporary. Here the permanent dwelling place, that is, the dwelling place which a living being inhabits from its birth to death is described as 'svasthana'. A living being becomes the inhabitant of a temporary dwelling place in two ways. Hence two types of temporary dwelling places are recognised, viz. upapāta and samudghata. According to Jaina philosophy, as soon as a living being dies in his previous life, that is, as soon as the lifespan of the previous birth of a living being ends, karmas determining personality (nāmakarma), social status (gotrakarma) and life-span (ayukarma) of that living being in its new birth start operating and hence that living being is known by a new name no sooner than the life-span of its previous birth ends. For instance, suppose there is a living being who is a god in this life and is to become a human being in the next life. Now as soon as its life-span of this birth as a god ends it is known as a human being. Let us note that according to the Jainas soul is not ubiquitous.1 Hence after death it is required to travel from the place of its death to the place of new birth. Before the living being of our present instance starts its journey, it has left devaloka (celestial regions) and before it ends the journey it has not reached manuṣyaloka (regions where human beings dwell). So, the space it passes through in its journey from devaloka to manuṣyaloka is also called its sthana (dwelling place). This dwelling place is termed upapātasthāna. It is obvious that this dwelling place is temporary and occasional. But even then it is inevitable. Hence while discussing the topic of dwelling places of living beings, we should take it into account. The third type of dwelling place is called samudghatasthana. It is our daily experience that when a man gets angry his face becomes red; similarly, when one experiences some pain, there occur changes in his bodily system. According to Jaina philosophy, at such occasions the pradeśas (units) of a living being get expanded. In technical language this expansion is
1. For the discussion about the magnitude or size (parimana) of soul one may refer to Introduction to Ganadharavada (Malvania), p. 92.