Studies in Jaina Philosophy

SR No.: 001616
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Jain Cultural Research Society
Publication Year: 1951
Total Pages: 366
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, Knowledge, Yoga, & Epistemology
File Size: 9 MB

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JAINA DOCTRINE OF KARMAN
[CH.
fragment of the pure and perfect knowledge ever uncovered. Even as a cloud, however dense and dark, cannot completely cover the lustre of the sun or the moon, exactly so the karman covering the pure and perfect knowledge cannot cover the whole knowledge of the soul, because that would mean the conversion of the spirit into matter.2 The remainder knowledge is variously covered by the other four subtypes of knowledge-covering karman. But a ray of knowledge still remains uncovered even in the lowest form of existence called nigodastate where the soul's physical organism is the least developed. The function of the karman covering pure and perfect knowledge is to cover the wholeness or fullness of knowledge while the function of the other four sub-types of the knowledge-covering karman is to effect privation of the remainder knowledge. Pure and perfect knowledge is never possible when the karman covering it is in the rise, while the other types of knowledge are possible even when there is the affecting rise (vipākodaya) of the karmans covering them. It is in view of this fact that the karman covering pure and perfect knowledge is regarded as 'completely obscuring' (sarva-ghātin) while the other sub-types of the knowledge-covering karman are considered only as 'partially obscuring' (deśaghātin). Similar is the case of the karman covering pure and perfect intuition and its relation with the other three sub-types of the intuition-covering karman. The five 'sleeps' are also 'completely obscuring' in the sense that they cover the perception of things, and not in the sense that they cover perception itself. There is of course some sort of consciousness even in the state of sound sleep. The example of dark and dense cloud applies equally well in the case
1 Cf. iha kevala-jñānävaraṇasya svāvāryaḥ kevala-jñāna-lakşaņo guṇaḥ, sa ca yadyapi sarvätmanā ''vriyate tathāpi sarvajīvānām kevala-jñānasyā 'nantabhāgo 'nāvşta evā 'vatişthate, tadävarane tasya sāmarthyabhāvāt. yad āhuḥ sri-Devardhivacakavarāḥ: savva-jivāņam pi ya nam akkharassa anantabhāgo niccugghāņio citthai (Nandisūtra)-Kg2, p. 12.
2 Cf. yatha 'tibahale jalada-pațale samunnate bahutarāyā āvstatvāt sarvă 'pi sūryā-candramasoh prabhā 'nenā 'vrte 'ti vacana-racanā pravartate, atha cã 'dyäpi kācit tatprabhā prasarati-'sutthu vi meha-samudae hoi pahä сandasūräņam' (Nandisutra)-iti vacanād anubhava-siddhatvāc ca, tathā 'trāpi prabala-kevalajñānāvaraṇāvrtasyā 'pi kevalajñānasyā 'nantabhāgo 'nāvsta evā 'ste. yadi punas tam apy ävrnuyāt tadā jīvo 'jīvatvam eva präpnuyāt. yad uktam Nandyadhyayane: jai puņa so vi āvarijjā tā ņam jīvo ajīvattanam pāvijā---Kg2, p. 12.
3 Cf. so 'pi cā 'vašisto 'nantabhāgo jaladhara-'nāvsta-dinakara-kara-prasara iva kata-kutyādibhir mati-śrutā-'vadhi-manahparyāya-jñānāvaranair avriyate, tathāpi käcid nigodāvasthāyām api jñāna-mätrā 'vatişthate-Kg2, p. 12.
4 The three sub-types are: cakşur-darśanāvarana, acakşur-darśanāvarana and avadhi-darśanā varaņa.