Gandharavada

SR No.: 006739
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Esther A Solomon
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyasabha
Publication Year: 1966
Total Pages: 400
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 18 MB

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inanaḥ-paryaya (intuition of mental modes) and kevala (pure and perfect knowledge). The soul in its pure state does not require any external help of the sense-organs, etc.; but these are helpful only in removing partially the karma-veil. Kevalajñāna is perfect and eternal, has an infinite number of things as its objects and persists in a pure condition eternally.
The soul though a real entity is not perceived because it is non-corporeal. That it is not perceived is no evidence of its being unreal. Charity, sacrifices, austerity, pursuit of knowledge, etc. can yield their fruit only if the soul is a real, persisting entity.
Souls can be classified as samsarin (worldly, transmigrating) and mukta (emancipated). The samsărin souls can again be saminaska (possessed of mind) and amanaska (devoid of mind) or trasa (dynamic) and sthăvara (stationary). Earth, water, and vegetation are sthāvara, and fire, wind air, those with two sense-organs, three-senses organs, etc. are trasa. Trasa souls are so called because they are capable of movement from one place to another and capable of effort to bring about pleasure and avoid pain. Fire and air are called trasa not because they possess this nature, but only because they resemble souls with two senseorgans, etc. with regard to movement. That is to say, trasa souls are of two kinds—labdhi-trasa (souls with two senses, etc.) and gati-trasa (air, fire). These latter are in reality sthāvara but are known as such on account of their having movement. Souls are again bhavya (those that can be emancipated) and abhavya (those that will never be emancipated).