Adhyatmabindu

Author(s): Mitranandvijay, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 12

4
Now the question is as to wbo from among these four Harşavardhanas is the author of Adhyatmabindu. As the oldest manuscript available to us obelongs to V. S.: 1750 we cannot place the author after that year. And .dooking to the literary activities of Harşavardhangani, a pupil of of Ratnasekharasari, we are inclined to believe that he is the author of Adhyatmabindu. This is simply a conjecture and we are ready to revise it in view of fresh evidences.
SUBSTANCE OF THE TEXT
DVĀTRIMŚIKĀ I Benediction : In the benedictory verse the author pays homage to Jinendra (the Conqueror par excellence) who possessed the excellence of Infinite knowledge, who was attended by wonderful happenings in Nature and who preached the meaning of Scriptures not known to the followers of other schools.
Purpose of Writing the Commentary : The author declares, in the introductory remarks to the first verse, that he has undertaken the task of commenting on the first Dvātrimsika of Adhyatmabindu, which is devoted to the exposition of the nature of pure soul, for the benefits of the liberables who, though interested in the realisation of pure soul, are puzzled by various conflicting opinions and practices.
Title of the work : The author explains the term 'Adhyatmam' occurring in the title of the work. Primarily it means a work the subject-matter of which is soul. Secondarily, it means thought-activity that refutes the position that soul is doer and enjoyer. It means discriminative knowledge,
Discriminative Knowledge : This knowledge enables us to distinguish clearly and rightly soul from non-soul. The task of distinguishing soul from non-soul is very difficult because soul has become one with the karma particles since beginningless time. Only through the power of discriminative knowledge we can distinguish it from foreiga elements, first having determined its special conduct and nature. Once one convincingly realises the releaving fact that soul is essentially different from karma matter he necessarily destroys the fourfold karmas, viz. mohaniya (obscuring right conduct and right faith), jñānāvaraniya (determinate-cognitionobscuring), darśanavaraniya (indeterminate-cognition-obscuring) and antaraya (power-obstructing). It is these karmas that obscure the nature of soul. On the destruction of these four types of karinas one becomes omniscient.
Mandane Souls : The cycle of births and deaths has no beginning. Mundane souls take birth and die. Like a wheel they go round and round in the world, taking birth in the class of living beings in which they had