Jain Journal 1971 01

SR No.: 520021
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1971
Total Pages: 54
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 3 MB

Page 25

JANUARY, 1971
dispositions. Hence creation proceeds in two ways-elemental and intellectual."27
The verse shows the reciprocity between intellectual dispositions and elemental development, wonderfully resembling with the Jaina explanation of psychic karmas (bhava karma) and material karmas (dravya karma) respectively. Commenting on the above verse Vacaspati argues against a supposed objection possibly levelled with this explanation, that the argument runs in a vicious circle, that "Each may well be the cause of the other in succession, as the seed is of the tree and the tree of the seed. Even if one pushes the argument upto the so-called first creation, we can go further back and trace the causes in the impressions of dispositions or elements' left over from a prior creation. There is no real difficulty, as we do not admit the world to have had an absolute beginning."28 If this explanation is taken to be valid, there remains no virtual difference with the Jaina explanation of creation, that posits no beginning for it. The Samkhya maintains, that the subtle body of a bound spirit does exist even at the time of deluge, which becomes the basis of next evolution. This process of evolution and involution of the Samkhya can, to a certain extent, be compared with the cycle of periodic change of the whole cosmos in the progressive (utsarpiņi) and regressive (abasarpiņi) trends, each divided into six successive periods in Jainism.29 In this way, the Jaina may also be understood, in a limited sense, to be the advocate of evolution and involution with regard to the individual bodies. Categories in general, in his opinion, remain fixed, in which no one is created, nor is destroyed, while according to the Samkhya philosophy they are created aswell as dissolved, but peculiarly enough, the subtle bodies (sūkṣma śarira) are sustained even on the eve of complete deluge. Here a question may be raised, as to what type of unique elements are these subtle bodies made of, which do not merge into the initial stage of the prakṛti? Since it cannot come from any source other than the prakṛti, then why is it saved from being one with the Primal Nature at the time of deluge? It seems quite an unintelligible position of the Samkhya creation. The evolution of universal categories looks, hereby, a system of multiple difficulties. But the Jaina explanation of similar type of creation of individual bodies on the basis of the theory of fixed universal categories seems satisfactory, when he explains that one spirit may assume only five types of bodies, i.e. physical (audarika), fluid (vaikriyaka), assimilative
27 c.f. Samkhya Karika, 52.
28 c.f. lbid., 52, 85.
29 Tattvartha Sutra, 3-27.
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