Doctrine of Karman in Jain Philosophy

Author(s): Hiralal R Kapadia
Publisher: Vijibai Jivanlal Panalal Charity Fund Mumbai

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PREFACE TO THE GERMAN EDITION
other parts of the Jain literature.1 As the Purvas are said to have been, partially at least, in existence up till the year 1000 after Vira, the karman doctrine must have been, at the latest, completely developed at that time. The question now arises, whether this very complicated doctrine had already existed before that time or not, i.e., whether it is the product of a comparatively recent speculation, or had been already in its essential points contained in the sacred writings. A final judgment regarding this can only be arrived at through a comparison of the ideas developed in the karman works with those of the entire canon. I have not made such an examination. Nevertheless, as far as I could see, the most important karman doctrines are contained actually in the Siddhanta, of which any one can easily convince himself, if he but superficially consults the Sthānanga-Sutra, BhagavatīSūtra, Aupapātika-Sutra and Uttaradhyayana-Sutra. Many of the passages concerning karman appearing in these works contain only generalities; many, however give so many details that through them we may arrive at the result that already at the time of the canon the karman was developed in a high degree. That not only the principal points but many details of the karman theory are contained in the Angas and Upangas is proved by the numerous passages from the sacred writings which are quoted by the commentators and which often refer to quite special things.
Further, the fact that the karman writings go beyond that which has been laid down in the canon, but do not contradict it, follows already from the reason that they have not invoked upon themselves the reproach of heterodoxy. For, with a religious community that zealously guards the purity of their doctrine, as do the Jains, any
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sarvavinmulatā khyāpitā draṣṭavya. dṛṣṭivado hi bhagavata paramarhantyamahimnā virajamänena viravardhamanas vāminā sākṣād arthato' bhihitaḥ, sūtratas tu sudharmasvamina, tannisyandarupam cedam prakaranam ataḥ sarvavinmülam" (Kg. II, 116 af.) and
"Jo jattha apadipunno attho appagamena baddho vi |
tam khamiūna bahusuyā pūreūņam parikahantu". (6 Kg., v. 75, II, p. 213 b.). Cf. KP. 219 a:
"Iya kammappadio jahāsuyam niyam appamainā vi sohiyanābhogakayam kahantu varadiṭṭhivāyannu ".
1 According to Weber, Ind. Stud. XVI, 354, there is in the Vicaramṛtasamgraha (from the "Nandivṛtti ") the following indication:
"Sivaśarmasuryādibhir agreniyadipurvebhyaḥ samuddhṛtāḥ
śatakādikarma
granthāḥ".
2 Weber, Ind. Stud. XVI, 211 ff.; Klatt. Ind. Antiq. XI, 247b, 1882.
3 See especially its sutras 141-159.-H. R. K.
* See p. 93 (fn. 1) of this work and p. 218 of my work A History of the Canonical Literature of the Jainas.-H. R. K.
5 See Ovavaiya, Pannavaṇā and Jiväjivabhigama.-H. R. K.