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Sixth Chapter: PRATYAKHYAN
Introduction: Pratyakhyan is the sixth and the last avashyak. It is the canopy, the top. In the absence of pratyakhyan, earlier five avashyak are considered incomplete. Only with pratyakhyan, five earlier avashyak can be considered as properly concluded Why it so? It is because only through pratyakhyan, the karmic dirt withers away from the soul. Only after the final detachment and complete shedding, the soul is blessed with omniscience and perfect perception.
Pratyakhyan means discarding. There are infinite objects in the world. The desires of human beings are also endless. The conduct of two infinites creates madness and absence of satisfaction and peace. So, even the Indira in heaven and king emperor (Chakravarti) in the world does not feel satisfied with the worldly possessions and enjoyments. Happiness lies in satisfaction. But the living being seeks it in things of worldly enjoyment.
The enlightened persons after treading the path of spiritual uplift, found the gospel truth that real satisfaction does not lie in articles of worldly enjoyment. In fact it can be got by discarding them by detachment from them. As a result of this research, they propounded the rule of pratyakhyan and stated, O living being! You are soul; you are separate from physical substance. The key of your real happiness lies in total detachment from worldly substances.
Gautam Swami enquired from Bhagwan Mahavir, 'O Lord! What does a living beings derive from pratyakhyan.
The lord replied, 'Gautam! Through pratyakhyan a living being stops the inflow of karmas. He subdues his desire. He then becomes free from all desires and moves about in a state of total equanimity.
षष्ठ अध्ययन : प्रत्याख्यान
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Avashyak Sutra
