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

Page 296

IV. IV]
STATES AND PROCESSES OF KARMAN
259
understood, and so needs no separate explanation. Next we come to nidhatti and nikācanā.
Nidhatti is a process whereby a karman is made incapable of all processes (karanas) except the two viz. 'increased realization' and 'decreased realization'. The manifestation of energy responsible for such process is nidhatti-karana. Under particular dispositions, the soul binds karman in such a way that the latter is so irrefrangibly pasted with the soul that it becomes incapable of all possible changes except the two. In nikācană, however, even these two are impossible. This is the difference between nidhaiti and nikācanā. It follows, therefore, that the manifestation of energy which is responsible for such bondage with the karman as has its nature, duration, intensity and numerical strength unalterably fixed from before, in other words, whose course of fruition is predetermined from the very time of bondage, is nikācana-karana.?
As regards the states of 'existence' (sattā), 'period of non-production' (abädhā), and ‘rise' (udaya) of a karman, it is perhaps not necessary to explain their meanings which follow from the etymological meaning of the terms themselves. A karman is regarded to be in existence unless and until its last particle has fallen off from the soul. This whole existence of the karman is called sattā. 'Period of nonproduction' and ‘rise' we have already explained. We can here distinguish between affecting rise (vipākodaya) and non-affecting rise (pradeśodaya). The affecting rise of a karman is attended with the effect of the karman on the soul while the non-affecting rise is fruition without any effect on the soul. The soul can, by manifestation of requisite energy, lessen the intensity of fruition, and when the lessening is so great that the karman almost loses all its effect on the soul, the fruition of that karman is non-affecting. Let us now record some comparative remarks on these processes and states of karman.
It is of course not possible to find exact parallels of these states and processes in the non-Jaina systems. It is, however, possible to interpret some ideas of the Yoga school in terms of the Jaina conceptions. And this has been done by the great Jaina scholar of modern times Upādhyāya Yašovijaya. He has suggested such comparisons in his brief Commentary on Patañjali's Yogadarśana. Thus, in his
1 nidhiyate udvartanāpavartană-'nya-seşa-karaņāyogyatvena vyavasthāpyate yayā sã nidhattih–Ibid., p. 19 (2).
2 nikācyate sakala-karaņāyogyatvenā 'vaśyavedyatayā vyavasthāpyate karma jīvena yayā să nikācana-Ibid.
3 This Commentary has been edited by the great savant Pt. Sukhlalji. The reader is requested to go through the learned introductory portion of the edition which was published by Shri Atmanand Jain Pustak Pracharak Mandal, Roshan Muhalla, Agra, (1922).