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## 108]
[Essential Sutra]
The good or bad fruits of actions performed by the soul in the past are experienced by it. If one receives the fruits of actions performed by another, then the actions performed by oneself become meaningless.
In other words, the soul receives the good or bad fruits of the actions it performed in the past. If one receives the fruits of actions performed by another, then it is clear that the actions performed by oneself become useless.
Further, the same text says:
No one gives anything to anyone except the karma earned by the embodied soul.
Thinking thus, become single-minded, focus on yourself. Abandon the notion that someone else gives something.
This is the true soul-doctrine of Jainism, and it awakens the infinite, boundless potential of the soul. This is the great mantra of not becoming a beggar by showing weakness before anyone. This is the ultimate perspective. Then why are the Tirthankaras called the giver of fearlessness, etc.?
The solution to this question is that there are two types of causes for every action - material and instrumental. The accomplishment of an action is due to both types of causes, not just one. Just as clay is essential for making a pot, similarly, the potter, the wheel, etc., are also essential instrumental causes. According to this rule, the material cause of one's own liberation - moksha - is the soul itself, and the instrumental causes are the Tirthankaras, the Dharma Sangha, etc., who embody the Dharma. From a practical perspective, the instrumental cause is also called the doer. Therefore, in the present text, the Tirthankaras are called "givers" from the perspective of practical reality, because they are the teachers of the path, by following which the soul becomes fearless for all time. The word "fearlessness" also means "self-control." Since the Tirthankaras are the teachers of self-control, they are also the givers of fearlessness. Similarly, one should understand the meaning of the epithets "giver of sight," etc.
Meaning of specific words - Bhagavantam - to the Tirthankaras. The word "Bhag" has six meanings - 1. Aishwarya - wealth, 2. Form, 3. Fame, 4. Beauty, 5. Dharma, and 6. Effort. Those who possess these six qualities in their entirety and in the most excellent form are called Tirthankaras.
Aigara Adikara - the one who does the first action. Dharma, although being the nature of a thing, is timeless.
1. Aishwaryasya samgrasya rupasya yashasas shriyah.
Dharmasya ath prayatnasya, shannām bhag iti ingana.
- Dashavaikalikachurni-Jinadas