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[405] त्रिंश अध्ययन
सचित्र उत्तराध्ययन सूत्र
TRIMSH ADHYAYAN :
TAPOMARGAGATI
Foreview
The title of this chapter is Tapomargagati or 'Endeavour on the Path of Austerity'. The theme discussed is to move or to endeavour on the path of austerity.
Austerity is the infallible means of shedding karmas, purification of soul and attaining liberation. It is such a special chemical that ends the feeling of oneness of soul and body and establishes soul in its pristine state revealing its intrinsic nature. It purifies the soul by heating and evaporating the filth of karmas. But it is necessary that austerity is in its right direction. It is imperative that it is aimed at shedding of karmas to gain purity of soul. Only that is right austerity.
Contrary to this, if austerity is associated with desire for mundane pleasures and comforts, name, ambition, fame, glory and the like, then it becomes pseudo-austerity or ignorant austerity and is nothing more than mortification of the body. Such austerity is not austerity, it is mere heat and that is the cause of misery to the soul. Such austerity does not temper karmas; it only distresses the soul and becomes the cause of transmigrating of the soul in cycles of rebirth in four realms. Therefore from the angle of benefit of soul, it ought to be right austerity only.
In the preceding twenty-eighth chapter the four causes for attaining liberation were described. Among them austerity was the last and infallible cause. There only names of austerities were mentioned; while in this chapter they have been elaborated in detail.
Primarily the austerities are of two kinds-1. external, and 2. internal. Each of these is further sub-divided into six types.
The six sub-categories of external austerity are-1. fasting, 2. eating less than full meal, 3. renouncing of taste (dainty food), 4. alms-seeking, 5. mortification of body, and 6. reclusive living..
There are many other categories of fasting and other austerities.
The greatest benefit of external austerities is that by practicing these one gets rid of obsession for the body, taste and eating as well as desire for comforts. But it is necessary for the external austerity to be of help in internal austerities.
Internal austerities are-1. atonement, 2. modesty, 3. service to others, 4. self-study, 5. meditation, and 6. dissociation (from the mundane).
Some of the benefits of these austerities are-cleansing of faults by atonement, politeness by modesty, feeling of altruism by service to others, knowledge by self-study, concentration of mind by meditation, freedom from fondness for self by dissociation. The ultimate benefit is liberation.
This whole theme has been elaborately discussed in this chapter. The chapter has 37 verses.
