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(Translation with Jain terms preserved)
(498)
Even from dharma, the fruit is mostly inauspicious; even from sandalwood, the fire here burns. 160
Yogadrishtisamuchaya
Alas - the fruit that arises even from dharma is mostly inauspicious for living beings. The fire that arises even from sandalwood burns.
Vivechana
"Even from the cool sandalwood, the fire burns the forest; similarly, the fruit arising from dharma also appears inauspicious to the mind... That quality, Shri Cha Sajja 1-5."
In the above, the fruit alone is called a companion of sin, and therefore its renunciation is emphasized for the seeker of liberation. But what about the fruit obtained from dharma, i.e., merit acquired through virtuous deeds? The answer given here is that even the fruit arising from dharma, i.e., the acquisition of merit through auspicious activities, often becomes disproportionate and unfavorable for living beings in the realms of gods and humans, because it tends to generate carelessness. Here, the term "mostly" is used to indicate an exception, referring to the pure fruit that does not lead to carelessness, such as that obtained by the Tirthankaras and others, which is entirely pure, and in which there is an abundance of spiritual wisdom and devotion to dharma.
The well-known example given here is that even sandalwood, which has a cool nature, produces fire that burns. Similarly, in this world, it is observed that the fire produced from sandalwood consecrated with true mantras does not burn, but the ordinary fire does burn.
In the first celestial realm, how does carelessness occur? It arises from the fruition of the merit acquired through virtuous deeds. There, in the divine vimanas (celestial abodes), the devas (celestial beings) are spontaneously born from lotus-like emergence platforms. That place is delightful, providing pleasure to the senses, ever-festive, filled with the sport of song and music, resounding with the words "Victory! Live!" There, the mighty, all-beautiful devas, devoid of the seven bodily constituents and radiant with the luster of the body, attain the supreme divine form through incomprehensible merit-yoga.