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Chapter 9: Pupil's Third Doubt regarding the Soul being Kartä
After learning about the existence and everlastingness of soul, the pupil thinks that if the soul is inherently endowed with infinite enlightenment and blissfulness, why has the worldly soul been wandering from birth to birth while undergoing unhappiness and distress? Moreover, why should there be so much diversity in embodiment and the antecedent situations? While pondering over it the idea comes to his mind that Karma could be the reason, and if it is so, the question would be: 'How does Karma arise?'
The theory of Karma is generally acceptable to all the Aryan philosophies, but Jainism has gone deeper into the matter. It states that by virtue of indulging in craving and aversion the worldly soul continually acquires Karma. There are many types of Karma, but Jainism classifies them in eight broad categories. Four of them like age span, status, etc. do not affect the nature of soul and are therefore treated as Aghäti or nondefiling Karmas. The remaining four are called Ghäti or defiling ones. Of the latter four, Mohaniya (Deluding) Karma is considered the most hurtful, because that Karma does not allow the worldly soul to make out its true nature. As such, that Karma is mainly responsible for soul's wandering from birth to birth.
In addition to specifying different types of Karma known as Prakruti, Jainism also specifies its duration known as Sthiti, its intensity known as Ras or Anubhäg, and extent of the bondage known as Pradesh. It points out that Mithyätva, Avirati, Pramad, Kashäy, and Yog are the five factors that lead to acquisition of Karma. Mithyätva denotes wrong perception, Avirati denotes absence of restraint, Pramäd denotes indolence, Kashay denotes defiling instincts, and Yog denotes undue or invigilant exercise of the physical, verbal and mental faculties. Of these five factors, Mithyätva is the most significant.
The pupil has not gone very deep in the theory of Karma. He is not sure about soul's acquiring of the bondage of Karma. If it acquires, the pupil wonders how it could be acquiring that bondage. Several alternatives occur to him. Would Karma be clinging to the soul of its own accord? Or would it be within the nature of soul to acquire Karma? Or would God or Nature be prompting it to do so? In the following three stanzas he presents his doubt relating to these alternatives.
Kartä Jiv Na Karmano, Karma Ja Kartä Karma; Athavä Sahaj Swabhäv Kän, Karma Jivano Dharma.
The Soul cannot be Karta of Karma, Karma itself might be prompting the karma; alternately, it might be the soul's innate nature, or it may be its property to acquire Karma. (71)
Explanation & Discussion:
The pupil states that there is no evident reason for a soul to acquire karma. When it is aware that it has to bear the consequences, why would it act in a way that would lead to the bondage of Karma? It is therefore possible that the existing Karma might be prompting new particles of Karma to turn towards the soul and they might be clinging to
