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THE ESSENCE OF JAINA SCRIPTURES
For here, in the case of a soul which is subject to samsara and with transformations (vivartana) every moment conditioned by the vicinity of a beginningless karmic matter as accessory-condition (upadhi), every deed is originated (read nirvrttasti) from (the soul's) innate nature. Therefore among the modifications such as man, etc., to which the soul is subject, there is no one, carved out (tankotkirna), whom we could call “the real one,” since each later one is disqualified, as being the fruit of actions directed to the destruction of the respectively precedent, or they may be regarded as fruit of action, due to the soul being still encumbered with infatuation. The action, namely, of a thinking being (chetana) is an evolution of his thinking, characterized by a previous and subsequent state. And this evolution bears fruit for the soul imbued with infatuation, since it causes effects such as human life, etc., in the same way as the evolution of an atom, which is connected with another atom, causes an effect such as a double-atom (diatomic molecule).
But, when, at the disappearance of the conjunction with infatuation, it does not produce any effect such as the state of man, etc., -as the evolution of the atom, which has ended its connection with another atom has no longer the double atom as effect--the action is without fruit and is called the highest dharma, since it is the own nature of highest substance. 50
Now he explains how for the soul the modifications man etc., are the results of actions:
II.25. Karmic matter called (physique or body-making] “name karma (nama-karman)”1 dominating by its own nature or class or karma, the nature of the soul, makes it (the self) man, animal, hellinhabitant or god (celestial being). (117)
The action is indeed self's karma, because it is “the thing to be attained” (prapta) 52 by the self; and matter, whose evolution is attained (prapta) by that occasion (i.e. the action of the self which acts as the auxiliary cause (nimitta) thereof), is likewise karman; moreover, the modifications, such as man, which are its (It, i.e. of the karman in the precedent meanings) effects, may be called the fruit of deed, because they arise from the soul's deed, which is the principal-cause (mula-karana). For, when there is no deed, matter is not karman, because the modifications, which are its effects, do not arise.
How now do these (modifications of the self) attain the nature of
