Tattvartha Sutra

SR No.: 006796
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sukhlal Sanghavi, K K Dixit
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 596
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Tattvartha Sutra, & Tattvarth
File Size: 10 MB

Page 253

80
TATTVĀRTHA SŪTRA
Answer :. Certainly, a soul is possessed of an infinite number of qualities and modes, but upayoga is the most prominent of them all. For being of such a nature as enlightens itself as well as what is not itself upayoga is alone in a position to acquaint us with itself as also with the remaining modes. Besides, whatever things present or absent are cognized by a soul, whatever ascertainments and reservations are made by it, whatever pleasure and pain are experienced by it are so dealt with by it through the instrumentality of upayoga. Hence upayoga is the most prominent of its modes.
Question : Is the defining characteristic of a thing different from its nature ?
Answer : No.
Question : But then those five types of bhāva which are above declared to be constituting the nature of a soul are equally its defining characteristic. What is the use then of mentioning another defining characteristic in this connection ?
Answer : The unique properties too are not all alike. Thus some of them are such as doubtless reside in the definiendum concerned but they sometimes do so and sometimes do not; again, some are such as do not reside in all the cases of the definiendum. As against these, some unique properties are such as reside in all definiendum in all the three phases of time and reside in all of its cases. Now upayoga is alone to be found in all the cases of the definiendum in question—that is, in all the souls—in all the three phases of time. That is why it alone is separately mentioned as the defining characteristic and thereby it is indicated that the types of bhāva upaśama etc. doubtless constitute the nature of a soul but that neither are they found in all the souls nor are they found there in all the three phases of time. Thus the one pāriņāmika bhāva, jivatva or being a soulwhich is tantamount to upayoga—is alone what is found in all the souls and found there in all the three phases of time. That is why it is it alone which is here separated out from the remaining types of bhāva and mentioned as the defining characteristic of a soul.