Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
388
In the Mahapurana, the Uttara Purana, Sri Krishna asked, "Even in these, there is no characteristic of the soul. Is it subtle, endowed with qualities, and a consumer of its own actions, arising and perishing with the body?" 19
"It is known, it is equal to the body, it is self-aware, it is aware of happiness and other things, it is bound by karma since beginningless time, and it wanders in the four states of existence." 195
"If it is a worthy soul, it attains the eight qualities of liberation, having obtained the means of liberation, such as time, and having destroyed the eight karmas. It becomes equal to the ultimate body." 196
"It resides above the three worlds, because its nature is to ascend." 197
"Thus, the Lord of the world, Neminath, spoke about the true nature of the soul." 197
"All the worthy souls agreed, saying, 'It is so.' But the unworthy and the distant-worthy, being tainted by the rise of false belief, could not abandon their beginningless desires, which increase worldly existence." 198
"Devaki then asked the venerable Varadatta Ganadhara, 'O Lord, two by two, six monks came to my house for alms. I felt affection for all six of them as if they were my own family. What is the reason for this?'" 199
"Thus, the Ganadhara began to tell the story as follows: In the city of Mathura, in the Bharat Kshetra of Jambudvipa, there lived a king named Shurasen, the ruler of the Shourya country. In that same city, there were seven sons of the merchant Bhanudatta. Their mother's name was Yamunadatta. Among the seven sons, Subhanu was the eldest, followed by Bhanukirti, then Bhanushur, then Shuradev, then Shuradatta, and finally Shurasen. Both parents were adorned by these seven sons, and they attained the householder dharma due to the fruits of their virtuous deeds." 201-204
"One day, having heard about the nature of dharma from the Acharya Abhayanandi, both King Shurasen and the merchant Bhanudatta adopted excellent restraint. Similarly, the merchant's wife, Yamunadatta, took initiation from an Aryika named Jindatta." 205-206
"After the departure of their parents, the merchant's seven sons became attached to the seven vices. They fell into sin, lost all their wealth, and were banished from their country by the king." 207
1. Guṇī la. 2. Agrahīvāśul.