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DRAVYA-SA.IGRAHA, 17.
53
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 Varallhamana Purana by Sakala-Kirti:
"जीवपुद्गलयोर्धर्मः सहकारी गतेर्मतः। अमूर्तो निष्कियो नित्यो मत्स्यानां जलवद् भुवि ॥"
(Canto XVI. verse 29.) i.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 Pañchástikâya Samaysára ve have:
'उदयं जह मच्छाणं गमगाणग्गहयरं हवदि लोए । तह जीवपुग्गलाणं धम्मं दव्वं वियाणे हि ॥"
(Verse 83.) i.e., "Know that, as water helps the morement of fish, so Dharma (helps the morement of) Jiva and Pudgala."
Amrita Chandra Sûri has written in his Tattvarthasara, "That is called Dharma which help the motion of things which have begun to move by themselves. Jivas and Puigalas resort to Dharma when they are going to move, as fish take the help of water in their movement.”
"क्रियापरिणतानां यः स्वयमेव क्रियावताम् । आदधाति सहायत्वं स धर्मः परिगीयते ॥ जीवानां पुद्गलानां च कर्त्तव्ये गत्युपग्रहे । जलवन्मत्स्यगमने धर्मः साधारणाश्रयः॥"
[तत्वार्थसारः३।३३।३४।। 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 ॥”
1 [धर्मशर्माभ्युदयम् । :१ । ८३।] i.e., “That which becomes the fulcrum of motion of substances, like Jivas, etc., as water is to fish is called Dharma by those versed in the Tattvas."
"जलवन्मत्स्ययानस्य तत्र यो गतिकारणम् । जीवादीनां पदार्थानां स धर्मः परिवर्णितः॥ लोकाकाशमभिव्याप्य संस्थिता मूर्त्तिवर्जितः। नित्यावस्थितिसंयुक्तः सर्वज्ञज्ञानगोचरः॥"
[चन्द्रप्रभचरितम् । १८ । ६९-७० ]
