Agam 05 Ang 05 Study Of Bhagvati Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra

Author(s): Suzuko Ohira
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

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and VII.8.292 for their entire contents, which we place in the fourth-fifth canonical stages.
VII.7.290 mentions that kṣina-bhogis (persons with weakened bodies) can still enjoy objects of pleasure through their efforts, and will, etc., therefore they can attain mahanirjara and mahaparyavasana (i.e., reward of rebirth in heaven or liberation) by renouncing enjoyment. It is explained that chadmasthaadho'vadhikas can gain reward of rebirth in heaven, and parama vadhikakevalis can achieve immediate liberation. Here a parama vadhika is treated equal to a kevali as to his capacity of achieving mokşa. This seems to imply that there was a time when a paramavadhika was considered to be equal to a kevali as to his capacity of perceiving the material substances in loka, and can thereby attain immediate salvation. The above rule that a kevali alone can accomplish liberation evolved later than this concept. We can place this text in the late third canonical stage.
The Prajnapana XXIII does not touch upon the problem of paramavadhikas. It seems that the distinction between adho'vadhika and parama vadhikas disappeared rather soon. In relation to chadmastha-avadhikas' capacity of knowing and seeing paramānu-skandhas, XVII.8.640 touches upon the theme of kramavada or non-simultaneous operation of jnana-dar'sana of a paramavadhika and a kevali. A similar discussion pertaining to a kevali is conducted in the Prajnapana XXX.663. Let us place this text in the late third-fourth canonical stages.
A kevali is said in V.4.191 to be able to know and see a person who will be emancipated in this birth, which an ordinary person can do only by hearing about it from authoritative persons. This amounts to saying that a kevali alone can perceive lesya or the total karma matter of a being. Then it is said in XIV.10.537 that both a kevali and a siddha can distinguish an ordinary person, possessor of avadhi, possessor of paramavadhi and siddha, as well as all the cosmographic regions, atoms, composites with two to ananta prades as as they really are. These texts may belong to the late third-fourth canonical stages. 'V.4.193 reads that a kevali can know and see the final karmic particle of an emancipating soul and its final expulsion. This text may fall in the fourth canonical stage, for the Prajnapana XV.442 takes up a similar problem. as to Vaimanika devas (this however pertains to avadhi).
V.4.184 says that a kevali can hear all sounds near around him or afar, while an ordinary man can hear sounds which come within earshot. It goes on to say that a kevali can know and see the finite (mita) and infinite (amita) objects along with their entire natures (bhavas) in all directions at all times, because the illuminating capacity of his jnana-dar'sana is infinite (ananta) and unobstructed(niravarana or uncovered). This reasoning is repeated in V.4.197,