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Jain Terms Preserved:
The deer, being ignorant, does not know its own benefit and harm through intellect, and continues to cause its own harm and loss. It goes to those uneven, high and low places where traps, snares etc. are laid. Its feet get entangled in the bondage and it gets destroyed, perishes.
Commentary - To illustrate the state that it attains, the author says - That deer is 'ahitātmā', i.e. one who does not do good for his own self, 'ahitaprajñānaḥ', i.e. one who has intellect that causes harm. Being such 'ahitaprajñāna', it goes to the uneven place having traps, snares etc. and if it falls there, it gets bound by those traps etc. and attains various states of misery and calamity. In that bondage, it meets its destruction, i.e. death.
Thus, there are some Śramaṇas (ascetics) who are 'mithyādṛṣṭi' (of wrong belief), 'anārya' (devoid of noble qualities), who doubt and fear in the observances where there should be no doubt, and do not doubt in those which are doubtful and fearsome.
Commentary - Having illustrated with the example, the author himself explains the purport - Just as the deer, being enveloped in ignorance, attains various calamities, similarly, some Śramaṇas, being of particular heretical beliefs, are 'mithyādṛṣṭi', i.e. of perverted view, and 'anārya', i.e. devoid of noble qualities. They doubt and fear in the observances which are not to be doubted, and do not doubt in those which are doubtful and fearsome, like the deluded deer.