Dravya Sangraha

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

Page 43

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Dravya Sangraha
Jiva move. Dharma does not make these move, but only assists them in their movement when they begin to move. In all works in Jain literature, we have nearly the same illustration given of Dharma, The illustration is as follows: As fish move in water, without being impelled in their movement by water, but only receiving assistance of the water in their movement, so Pudgala and Jiva move, assisted by Dharma, but not impelled by it. Dharma has no form, is eternal and void of activity. These characteristics of Dharma has been thus enumerated in Varadhamana Purana by Sakala-Kirti :
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"जीवपुद्गलयोर्धर्मः सहकारी गतेर्म्मतः 1
निष्क्रियो नित्यो मत्स्यानां जलवद् भुवि ॥ " (Canto XVI. verse 29 )
2.e. "Dharma is known to be the helper of motion of Jiva and Pudgala, is formless, inactive and eternal. (It acts like) water to fish in the world."
In Panchastikaya Samaysara we have:
"उदयं जह मच्छारणं गमरणागुग्गहयरं हवदि लोए ।
"
तह जीवपुग्गलारणं धम्मं दव्वं वियाहि ॥
(Verse 85)
i.e.
"Know that, as water helps the movement of fish. so Dharma (helps the movement of) Jiva and Pudgala."
Amrita Chandra Suri has written in his Tattvarthasara, "That is called Dharma which helps the motion of things which have begun to move by themselves. Jivas and Pudgalas resort to Dharma when they are going to move, as fish take the help of water in their movement." "क्रियापरिगतानां यः स्वयमेव क्रियावताम् ।
दधाति सहायत्वं स धर्मः परिगीयते 11 जीवानां पुद्गलानां च कर्त्तव्ये गत्युपग्रहे । जलवन्मत्स्यगमने धर्म्मः साधारणाश्रयः || ” [ तत्वार्थसारः ३ । ३३ । ३४ ।
1 ]
In Jain Kavyas also we have the same illustration of Dharma, and we shall only quote two such passages here:
"धर्मः स तात्विकैरुक्तो यो भवेद् गतिकारणम् । जीवादीनां पदार्थानां मत्स्यानामुदकं यथा ॥ "
[ धर्मशर्माभ्युदयम् । २१ । ८३ । ]