________________
151
Jaina Karmology (iv) Maturing-in-birth state karmas (i.e. life-span) mature through the births in different states.
9. The aphorism 8.23 is an answer to the question as to what happens to the earned karmas which have been experienced or fruitioned through pains or pleasure. It says that after fruition, the karmic obscuration or ornamentation is removed from the living being automatically at the end of their duration like the fall off of postmetabolised excretory materials from the ingested cooked foods. The falling off or shedding off process of karmas after the fruition or enjoyment is called 'shedding off or karmic dissociation.
10. This shedding off process has two varieties which have been mentioned in the commentary with proper illustration. It is not only that karmas shed off due to fruition, they can also be shed off due to austerities for which the word Ca' (also) has been given in the aphorism 8.23.
11. Vacaka Umasvati indicates that shedding off, destruction and fruition are generally synonymous terms with reference to karmic
process.
12.
The process of natural shedding off of karmic dust at the end of specific karmic duration is a continuous process for the worldly beings as the earlier bound karmas are regularly being shed off. This natural karmic shedding off should not be presumed the actual process as stated by Pt. Khubchand Shastri as new karmas are always influxing and binding along with shedding off.
The ideal 'shedding off reality is the process of prematural shedding off through restraints and austerities which result in ultimate liberation. This process yields the result before the destined durational time.
However, as both the 'shedding off processes involve karmic shedding, they are termed as 'shedding off" in general.
13. It is pointed that the ripening or experiencing capacity of a karmic. species is dependent upon the nature of the specific species itself. Thus, the ripening nature can not be separated from the nature of the species. It is its intrinsic property. Hence, there should be no fruitional intensity bond separately It should be included in the
species or configuration bond itself.
However, this cannot be so as (1) both have different causes for bonding. The cause of bonding of species bond is activity' while
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org