Agam 05 Ang 05 Study Of Bhagvati Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra

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

Page 286

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about adrst a, which then works upon him favourably or unfavourably accordingly.
We learn further from the Vai's eşikasutra in this connection: "Ablution, fast, brahmacarya, residence in the family of the preceptor, life of retirement in the forest, sacrifice, gift, oblation, directions, constellations, seasons, sacred hymns and religious observances conduce to adrsta (VI.2.2). Observance of four asramas becomes the source of adharma and dharma depending on unfaithful and faithful actions (VI.2.3). Application to dharma and adharma has desire and aversion for its antecedents (VI.2.17). The accumulation of dharma and adharma causes the conjunction of the soul with its body and senses (i.e. life), and the disappearance of them causes their disjunction (i.e. death)(V1.2.18). It has been expounded that salvation results from the soul's actions (VI.2.19)."
A comparison of the contents of dharma-adharma expressed in the Vaiseșikasūtra above and the synonyms of dharma-adharma listed in the Bhagavatisütra XX.2.663 evinces that dharma and adharma connote observance and non-observance of the rules of ethical practice in each school. Adrșt a which embodies itself in a favourable or unfavourable way according to the religio-moral actions of dharma-adharma, is said by the Vaiseșikas to be the cause of motion in the natural phenomena that is inexplainable by empirical experience. This doctrine of adrst a and the concepts of dharma-adharma were seized upon precisely as they are by the then Jaina theoreticians to solve their critical issue in hand - the issue of demonstrating why jivas and pudgala exist only in loka but not in aloka. Here surfaced the problem of a siddha's ascent to Siddhasila at the time of his deliverance.
The Tattvarthasutra X.6 reads, "This ascent(of a liberated soul) occurs because the soul is previously impelled, because it is free from attachment, because its bondage has been snapped, and because it is of the nature of darting upwards." Its bhasya reads as follows. “Why a liberated soul cannot go beyond loka? It is replied -Because dharmastikaya does not exist. Dharmastikaya is indeed the conditional cause of motion for jivas and pudgala. It doesn't exist there. Therefore, since there is no causal condition of motion, motion cannot occur in aloka. It is just like a gourd sunk to the bottom of water which doesn't move upwards nor sideways. A liberated soul darts upwards to the end of loka, where it remains still and does not move."
Now, the Digambara edition of the Tattvarthasutra X.7 was produced by bringing together upakarikas 10-12 and 14 that are attached to Umasvati's own bhāşya on his Tattvärthasutra X.7.' It reads, "(The liberated soul darts upwards) like the potter's wheel, like the gourd devoid of mud, like the shell of the castor-seed, and like the flame of a candle." These four illustrations given in this Digambara sutra X.7 are arranged so that they can elucidate the four reasons of a liberated soul's ascent listed in sutra X.6. 'A candle flame' is used here as an illustration of the reason for a siddha's ascent, and "because it is of the nature of darting upwards" is suggestive
of the "upward motion of fire" caused by adrsta in the Vai'seşikasutra V.2.14.