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that both mean the same thing, the term kriyāvāda became oblivious and the term karmavāda alone remained in the field. There is another reason also for this happening. It is that with the increase of subtlety and depth of Karma speculation the old Kriyā speculation drifted far away from the former. And at last the old kriyā speculation could not keep pace with the new karma speculation. So, now we have before us the kriya speculation simply as a background of or as a historical link with the karma speculation. We can have a glimpse into its nature through Kriyapada of Prajñāpanā, and Kriyāsthāna (2.2) and Pratyakhyānakriyā (2.4) of Sūtrakştānga. Moreover, the discussions about kriya and kriyāvāda, that we come across in Bhagavatt,' also suggest the importance of the Kriyā speculation in those ancient days. Gradually the importance of the Kriyā speculation waned and that of the Karma speculation increased. Satkhandāgama provides an evidence to this fact. It is replete with the Karma speculation. But therein we do not come across the kriyā speculation of the type found in the Agamas, especially Prajñāpanā and Bhagavati.
Again, it is necessary to note that there were believers in the Kriya, who did not accept material veil of the karma over and above acts (kriya).10 Their knowledge is described by the derogatory term, viz. vibhangajñana. This suggests that the tenet of the material veil of the karma, recognised in the Karma doctrine propounded in the Agamas, was not originally present in the Kriyāvāda at its early stages. If kriyā or karma (act) were regarded as giving its fruit and that too after a gap of so many years or lives, then kriyà (act) being destroyed as soon as it is performed the theoreticians could not help postulating karma as a veil or impression or disposition (ävarana, väsanā, saņskāra) resulting from the kriyā (act); and gradually it was concluded and determined that this karma which is viewed as a veil or impression should be material. Thus the two terms kriyā and karma which at one time conveyed the identical sense came to mean different things. Before they came to mean different things they had passed through various stages. First prānātipăta (injury to life) itself was known as kriya (1572), then the kriya (=kriyāphala = karma) generated by prāņātipāta came
8. In Bhagavatīsūtra we are told that kriyā precedes vedanā, further that
even a sramana (a monk) has kriyā which is caused by pramäda (spiritual lethargy) and yoga (mental, vocal and bodily activity) (Sū. 151, 152 (3.3)). Moreover, we are told that a person cannot attain liberation so,
long as he is possessed of kriyā-Sū. 153. 9. Ibid, 1. 10; 30. 1; 3. 3; 7. 1; 7. 10; 2. 8; 18. 8; 6. 3. Also see Bhagavatīsāra
pp. 34,597.. 10, Sthânặnga, 542.
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