________________
Bhagavai 7:6:113-116
- 571 :
They commit such karmas by inflicting on many animates, living beings, souls and living organisms, sorrow and grief by subjecting their body to decay, by making them cry, by beating them and by torturing them. Thus indeed, O'Gautama! the souls commit (bind) feeling-producing karmas quâ pain. The same holds good in the case of infernals and all soul-groups ...... up to the Empyrean gods.
Bhasya
1. Sūtras 113-116
There are two kinds of compassion: one involving activity and one involving inhibition. In Bhagavān Mahāvīra's view, only the non-violence in the form of self-restraint is to be observed. Compassion is a variety of non-violence, and so the defining characterstic of non-violence can be self-restraint alone. The Sūtra in explaining the practical aspect of compassion has described it categorically as 'not to inflict any pain'; it, however, has not prescribed it as "to conferring any pleasure." The compassion as conferring pleasure may be suitable to the popular social life, but is not suitable to the dharma, i.e., spiritual discipline of self-restraint.
A man indulging in ārambha, i.e., any activity, involving violence, causes suffering to others. On the other hand, on awakening of the feeling of compassion in him, he restraints his activity of ārambha, thus desisting from inflicting any pain to others. The nature of such compassion has a universal feature which is valid at all times, at all places and is absolutely free from any taint and blemish.
In Bhagavati 3/145, there is the reading dukkhāvanayāe. In the present text the reading is dukkhanayāe. For semantics, see Bhāsya 3/145. Umāsvāti has mentioned many causes for binding sātavedaniya karma (feeling-producing karma quâ pleasure): (1) compassion for living beings (2) compassion for the observers of religious vows (3) charity (4) self-restraint with attachment etc., i.e., self-restraint (ascetic conduct) with attachment, restraint-cum-non-restraint, involuntary falling away of karma and activity in the form of austerity of deluded person (5) forbearance (6) purity (freedom from greed).
In the present Agama (Bhagavati), the causes of binding of sātavedaniya karma have been mentioned. Among them also only compassion has been mentioned." The mention of the other causes by Umāsvāti is a subject of investigation. Siddhasenagaņī has made this list larger. The text of Bhagavati appears to be ancient. The Tattvärtha Sūtra is a later development,
Akalanķa has explained compassion as follows--the compassion means the mental agitation due to experiencing the pain of others as one's own on account of the moistening of one's mind due to compassion.
Umāsvāti has given six causes of the bondage of asātavedanīya karma (feeling-producing karmas quâ pain). These are very similar to perpetrating pain etc. to others as mentioned in the Bhagavati. See table:
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org