Dravya Sangraha

Author(s): Nemichandramuni
Publisher: Chandraprabha Digambar Jain Mandir Trust

Page 37

Dravya - Sangraha
Being void of Karmas, a Jíva resides at the top of the Loka, and the following eight qualities can then be found in it: Samyaktva, Jnana, Darsana. Vírya, Suksina, Avagahana, Agurulaghu, and Avyavadha. Samyaktva is perfect faith or belief in the Tattvas or essential principles of Jainism. Jnana and Darsana have been explained in Verses 4 and 5. Vírya (literally, power) is the absence of fatigue in having a knowledge of infinite substances. Suksma literally means fineness, and the possession of this quality nakes a liberated Jiva incapable of being perceived by the senses, which can perceive the gross bodies only. Ayagaha is interpenetrability, that is to say, one liberated Jiva can allow others to exist without obstruction, just as the light of a lamp does not prevent the interpenetration of the light of other lamps. Agurulaghu means "neither heavy nor light." By possessing this quality, a liberated Jiva does neither go up like a light thing nor go own like a heavy object, but remains stationary. Avyavadha is uudisturbable bliss in which the disturbance of equilibrium caused by happiness or misery is entirely absent. In a word, a liberated Jiva being freed from Karmas goes up to the summit of the Loka and remains there stationary, possessed of perfect faith, power and infinite Jnana and Darsana and enjoying eternal bliss without obstructing other Jivas of the same kind. Such a Jiva has a body slightly less than the final body as recognised in the Jaina canons.
A liberated Jiva, again, is eternal in its essential character, though perpetual modifications of it may go on in its condition. To give an example of such modifications, we may say that a ball of gold has certain essential characteristics and may always be said to possess these characteristics throughout its various modifications. Now, if we prepare a ring from this gold, we have an instance of a modification which arises (Utpada) from the original state of the ball of gold. Again, if the ring be destroyed, we shall have another modification consisting of the destruction (Vyaya) of the stage of existence of the ball of gold as a ring. Every substance in the universe is according to Jainism, possessed of the quality of permanency (Nii yatva), with gene ration (Utpada) and decay (Vyaya) of the modifications of itself. Being possessed of these qualities, is technically called 'Sat,' and this 'Sat' defines a substance (Dravya) in Jainism.
अज्जीवो पुरण रणेनो पुग्गल धम्मो अधम्म प्रायासं । कालो पुग्गल मुत्तो रुवादिगुरणो अमुत्ति सेसा दु ॥१५॥ Ajjivo puna neyo puggala dhammo adhmma ayasam Kala puggala mutto ruvadiguno amutti sesa du-(15).