Ashtakprakaranam

SR No.: 001665
Original Sutra Author: Haribhadrasuri
Author: Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 190
Language: Sanskrit, Hindi, English
Classification: Book_Devnagari, Religion, worship, & Principle
File Size: 8 MB

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types : mournful meditation, delusion-infested and imbued with right knowledge. The meditation caused by the loss of favourites etc. is mournful meditation. It leads, sometimes, to suicide etc. One's detatchment from this world swayed by heretic dogmas, is delusion-infested renunciation. Contrary to these, if one renounces the world, on realisation that soul's affliction is due to the cycle of birth, it is renunciation in true sense, imbued with right knowledge. It ensues from the enlightened knowledge of Reals.
In the eleventh, Tapāstakam Haribhadra refutes the opponent's contention, “asuterity is nothing but affliction like that of an oxen etc.” Against it, Ācārya argues that if we identify misery with penances, all the miserable creatures will become devout. According to Ācārya, their ( opponent's ) proposition also implies that all hellish beings would be considred great devouts and conversely, ascetics, blessed with the pleasure of tranquility, as non-devouts. Their view, that austerity, neither proved logically nor depicted in canons, is injurious to soul, is also refuted.
The twelfth Vādāştakam categorises Vāda ( Discussion or debate ) as three-fold : Dry discussion, Disputation and Virtuous or Righteous Discussion. When a Jaina monk debates with extremely arrogant debator, hostile to Jina religion, it is Dry Discussion. In this debate if monk prevails, the subjugated one may take recourse to suicide etc. while the defeat of monk is likely to cause disgrace to the Jina-order.
The second type of debate, called Disputation, is predominated by trick or fallacy and futile reply. This debate is unadvisable to monk because victory by fair means is rare here. Lastly, that between a monk and an intelligent and impartial one, having knowledge of his sacred books, is called Righteous Debate.
According to the thirteenth Dharmavādāstakam the topic or theme of the religous or virtuous debate is useful for emancipation. It comprehends the virtues, essential for religious conduct of respective systems, i.e., Jaina, Bauddha, Sārkhya, Vaiseșika etc.
Ācārya suggests that discussion on the definition of valid know