Epitome of Jainism

SR No.: 006737
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: K B Jindal
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi
Publication Year: 1988
Total Pages: 248
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 13 MB

Page 127

Gommatsara, Jiva-kand
115 of Divine Ominscience. It confines itself to a short account of Spritual Stages and Soul-quests which are the well-known Jaina ways of considering the soul.
Jîva Kânda is only the first Part of the great work Gormatasara; the second Part being the Karma Kánda. The two Parts together are a brief expansion and explanation of the beautiful little Dravya Sangraha, by the same author. "Jîvamajîvar Davvam” (aha a), the living and the non-living substances are the opening words of Dravya Samgraha. Gommațasára simply deals with these two mighty categories with the living. soul in the Jiva Kanda, and with the non-living Karmic maiter in the Karma Kanda.
Dravya Samgraha is ihe barest enumeration of the topics of Jainism with their main divisions and sub-divisions. It consists of 58 Gâthâs in 5 Parts,
Jiva Kanda consists of 734 Gâthâs in 22 Parts or 20 Chapters and 2 Appendices.
The topics in the 20 Chapters are introduced in Gatha 2, viz. 14 spiritual stages (Guņa-Sthâna); 14 soul-classes (Jîva Samāsa); 5 kinds of capacity to develop (Paryâpti); 19 vitalities (Prâņa); 4 kinds of animate feelings or impulse (Samjña) : and 14 Soul-quests (Mârgana); also 12 kinds of conscious attentiveness (Upayoga).
In the 20 chapters, the 14 soul-quests alone form 14 chapters, the others take one chapter cach. Gâthâ 4 tells us how Soul-classes, Developableness, Vitalities, Rationality and Attention are included in the 14 Quests, and therefore the chief considerations in treating of the soul are:
14 Spiritual stages, the degree to which the mundane soul has advanced
in its freedom from wrong-belief, vowlessness, negligence, passions and vibratory activity; and
l-quests, the conditions, circumstances, and equipments which help us to identify the soul when we are seeking to mark it in
infinity of mundane existences. These two are also interconnected. The stages classify the soul briefly the quests take them up in greater detail
The stages are named in Gâthâs 9-10.
मिच्छो सासरण मिस्सो अविरदसम्मो य देसविरदो य । विरदा पमत्त इदरो अपुव्व अरिणयट्टि सुहमो य ।।६।। उबसंत खीरगमोहो सजोगकेवलिजिणो अजोगी य। चउदस जीवसमासा कमेण सिद्धा य णादव्वा ।।१०।।
The English translation is :
“Delusion (Mithyâtva), downfall (Sâsâdana), mixed (Miśra), vowless right-belief (Avirata Samyaktva), partial-vow (Deśa-Virata); imperfect vow (Pramatta-Virata), the other perfect vow (Apramatta-Virata), new thought-activity (Apûrva Karana), advanced thought-acitvity