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Bhagavai 7:1:10-15
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philosophy, the soul is neither of the shape of an atom nor of any intermediate shape, being as boundless as space.
According to Vedānta philosophy, only the Brahma is the ultimate reality and ubiquitous. So the motion of the liberated soul is out of the question. In Buddhism, the soul is an indeterminate entity. As such, the query about the liberated soul is quite irrelevant. In Jain philosophy, the soul is coextensive with the body. The abode of the liberated soul is at the top of the cosmos. The liberation of the soul takes place in the world of human beings, and on being liberated it soars up to the abode of the liberated soul.? Under such circumstances, the question cropped up before the Jain philosophy about the cause of the motion of the soul-It is the body which is the driving force behind the motion of soul. Then how is it possible that the liberated soul (which is akarma) which is without body can undertake motion? The Sūtra here advances four reasons to answer the query
1. Nissangatā etc.-(Nissangatā)-the freedom of the soul from besmearing or soiling by the karmic matter, nirañjanatā —immaculateness (untaintedness) of the liberated soul freed from and gati-pariņāma—the
innate mode of the soul for the upward motion. 2. Bandhana-chedana—The severance of the karmic bondage of the soul. 3. Nirindhanatā—The release of soul like smoke from the burnt out fule
(i.e., karmic charcoal). 4. Pūrva-prayoga—The antecedent impetus,
Let us discuss them in detail: 1. Nissangată, Nirañjanatā and Gati-pariņāma
The example of the gourd-fruit has been used to explain nissangată, niranjanatā, and gati-pariņāma.
A dried gourd-fruit, on account of its coating of clay sinks down in water to the bottom. When made clean of the coating, it rises up to the surface of the water. Similarly on being freed from karma, the soul soars up to the top of the cosmos.
Umāsvāti has given four reasons for the upward motion of the liberated soul.? Among them, the fourth reason is tathāgati pariņāma—the innate mode of soul for upward motion. The author of TBh. has defined a universal law that out of the two substances capable of motion, viz., matter and soul, matter (being possessed of the property of gravity) tends to pull downwards while the soul (being possessed of the property of freedom from gravity) tends to fly upwards by nature. The soul laden with karma may move downwards, horizontally sidewards or upwards; the soul, freed from karma, undertakes only upward motion; so the principal reason for the upward movement of liberated soul is the innate mode of the soul itself. 2. Bandhana-chedana
In the bound state, on account of effect of karma, the soul moves downwards, horizontally or upwards. In the freed state, on account of the severance of the bondage, the soul moves upwards. To explain this, the author of the text (Bha. 7/ 13) has given the examples of pods and fruit of castor-oil plant. In TBh., an illustration of basket of bamboo bound very tightly by a rope is also given.
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