________________
80
JAINA CULTURE
power-obscuring karmas is thirty kotakoți săgaropamas, of the deluding-karma is seventy kotakoti sägaropamas, of the physique-making and status-determining karmas, is twenty koțakoți sägarnpamas and of the age-determining karma is thirty-three sägaropamas. The minimum length of duration of the comprehension-obscuring, apprehension-obscuring, deluding, age-determining and power-obscuring karmas is antar-muharta ( within forty-eight minutes ), of the physiquemaking and status-determining karmas is eight muhurtas and of the feeling-producing karma is twelve muhurtas. Intensity :
As a sweet dish has in different kinds of preparation a more or less sweet taste, so also the nature of karma varies according to its circumstances in a more or less intense manner. The intensity of the effect of karma as well as the length of its duration depends upon the weakness or strength of our passions. The stronger the passions the lengthier and intenser are the duration and fruition of sinful karmas. As regards the case of virtuous karmas, the length of duration varies according to the strength of passions and the intensity of fruition varies inversely according to the strength. Regarding sinful karmas, the intensity of fruition varies in accordance with the length of duration. The more sinful a person is, the duration of his sinful karma is longer and the fruition thereof is stronger. With an increased purity the length of the duration as well as the intensity of the fruition of sinful karmas decreases, while only the intensity of virtuous karmas grows.
Quantity :
The universe-space is densely filled up with karmic particles. A particular soul attracts only those particles which are within its reach and not those lying outside, just as fire seizes only that inflammable material which is lying within its reach. There is constant influx of karmic matter