Beyond Doubt

SR No.: 008705
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Padmasagarsuri
Publisher: Arunoday Foundation
Publication Year: 1988
Total Pages: 104
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Sermon
File Size: 16 MB

Page 80

Thus, the great scholar Vyaktabhuti also along with his 5001 students accepted Lord Mahavira as his Philosopher and guide and got immediately initiated like his brothers. The Lord gave him the title of the fourth Ganadhara' and imparted the knowledge of Utpada - Vyaya and Dhruvya i.e. Tripadi. Like the first three Ganadharas, Vyaktabhuti too constructed the Dvadashangi and thus made his life meaningful.
The fifth great scholar Sudharmaswami, followed his brothers along with his five hundred disciples to the Samavasarama. His doubt as revealed by Lord Mahavira was on the basis of the vedic verse
"पुरूषो वै पुरूषत्व - मश्रुते पशुः पशुत्वम् ।
13
The Lord said, "Oh Sudharma, the above vedic verse, is the base of your doubt. Your doubt is regarding the birth one takes after this life. You have interpreted the verse to be that a human being will be born as a human being in his next birth and an animal will be bom as an animal only in the next birth. When a maize seed is sown one reaps maize crop and when you grow some other seed you yield the respective crop. Mango seed will yield mango fruit and lemon seed yields lemon fruits. But in another text of thevedas it is said, " à ara : ut cel " i.e. the person who is being burned will be born as a jackal in his next birth.
Both the above vedic statements contradict each other. Both the statements cannot be true. If such is the case, how is the truth to be established? Oh, Sudharma, isn't this your doubt?" Sudharma, the fifth scholar in the order of the eleven scholars said, "Yes Oh Lord! what you say is indeed true. I am unable to understand that when a man can be born as an animal, why is it said that a man after death, in his next life will be born as a man only and an animal will take birth as an animal only. What is the