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NandiSootra
COMMENTARY - At the end of the shaileshi state the soul is finallyfree from the taijas (the radiant component of the constitution of abeing) and Karman (the karmic component of the constitution of abeing) bodies.
This state is known as moksha or liberation or Siddhandimension, after shedding all the eight categories of karmas, suchliberated souls, by virtue of their being devoid of karmas, arecompletely free of this world or the cycles of rebirth. By class they areone or alike, and in number they are infinite.
The quality of Kewal-jnana and the status of all Siddhas are same and unchanging. However, in order to make the concept comprehensible to commonman it has been divided in some categories with reference to parameters like time, place, mode etc.
In order to vivify the form of Siddha with reference to worthiness, time, place and other such parameters commentator (vratt) Acharya Malayagiri has explained the two categories of Siddha, based on thetime of transcending, with the help of eight dears (ports). These two categories are
Anantar-Siddha or those who have transcended just one samaya back; and Parampar-Siddha or those who have transcended more than one samaya back.
The eight dears (ports; here it means the parameters defining the passage into the state) are-1. Astik dwar or satpad-prarupana (theparameter of right faith), 2.Dravya dwar or dravyapraman (theparameter of matter), 3.Kshetra dwar (the parameter of area), 4. Sparsha dwar (the parameter of contact),
5. Kaal dwar (theparameter of time), 6. Antar dwar (the parameter of gap or void), 7.Bhava dear (the parameter of mode), and 8.Alpabahutva dear (the parameter of less and more).
In order to fully understand these eight primary parameters each one of them is further divided into 15 secondary parameters-1. Kshetra, 2.Kaal, 3.Gati, 4. Ved, 5. Teerth, 6.Ling, 7. Charttra, Buddha, 9. Jnana, 10.Avagahana, 11.Utkrisht, 12.Antar, 13.Anusamaya, 14.Samkhya,and 15. Alpabahutva.
1. ASTIK DWAR OR SATPAD PRARUPANA (THE PARAMETEROF RIGHT FAITH)
In absence of the belief in the existence of Siddha the journey onthe spiritual path does not even begin. Therefore, the recognition ofthe status of Siddha is the first primary parameter.
The fifteensecondary parameters to help understand this are as follows
1. Kshetra dwar (the parameter of area) - Beings living in the 15 karmabhumi (lands of activity) of adhai-dveep (two and a halfcontinents) attain the Siddha status. In context of transmigration, beings transmigrated from two oceans, lands of inactivity, antardveep (the middle continents), Panduk forest in the higher direction and Adhogamini Vijaya in the lower direction also become Siddha.
2. Kaal dwar (the parameter of time) - The status of Siddha can be attained during the period starting from last part of the third epoch of a regressive cycle of time, covering the fourth epoch and going up to 64 years in the fifth epoch. During a progressive cycle of time this status can be attained during the third epoch and a small part of the fourth epoch.
3. Gati dwar (the parameter of incarnation-dimension or the state of existence) - The status of Siddha can be attained only from the human dimension and no other. That too only those who are born after transmigrating from the first four Hells; the dimensions of earth-bodied, water-bodied and gross plant-bodied beings, Aagam- 44 - Nandi Sootra
44 ~ Compiled by- Deepratnasagar
