________________
PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
367
first they are all required to be equated. For this purpose the soul has to perform an operation known as 'Kevali-SamudGhata' which has been described by us in the fifth discourse at the proper occasion.
(14) THE STAGE OF OMNISCIENCE WITHOUT ENCUMBRANCE
(Ayogi—Kevali—Guna-Sthana)
The Omniscient soul with encumbrance abstains itself from mental, oral and any physical activities and tears off all the encumbrances. This is the stage of full-fledged omniscience.
We shall explain to you how it abstains itself from such operations. Threefold operations are gross and fine. It controls gross mental operations by means of gross physical operations. Then it controls gross oral operations. Thus out of three gross operations two are dismissed and one continues. Thereafter, the soul, with the help of fine physical operation destroys gross physical operation, fine mental operations and fine oral operation. In this case only fine physical operation continues. By this time it performs the Second variety of pure meditation to destroy fine physical operation. At this juncture all the regions of the soul become motionless like the mount Meru. This phenomenon is technically known 'Shaileshikaran' (Mount like-tranquilization). The stage prevails only for a small period of time equivalent to the pericd required to pronounce "A, I, U, R, L” (short). On this moment fourth variety of 'pure meditation' known as 'Samuchchhinna-Kriya-Nivrutti' (Total annihilation of all operations) is entertained. When this meditation ends, the soul having consumed all sorts of soft karmas ascends high up vertically to the apex of the universe with intrinsic buoyancy. The location where the soul rests is called 'Siddhasheela'—the slab of salvation. Here the soul rests for eternal times. At this time the Soul possesses two third dimensions of the total dimensions of his last existence.
The elevation of the soul is to be attributed to four factors : Preparations, non-attachment, disruption of fetters and motion. Just as an arrow, or a potter's wheel is motivated with anterior application of force, the soul is also motivated by anterior preparations. Just as a gourd plastered with earth rises up in water when the plaster dissolves, the soul getting rid of Karmic plaster rises