Facets of Jaina Religiousness in Comparative Light

Author(s): L M Joshi
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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JAINA CONCEPTION OF THE HOLY PENTAD
Haribhadra an arhat deserves adoration and offerings because of excellence in good qualities (paja-dakṣina-guna-prakarsad arhataya arhantab). He also notes the popular tradition of the fame of an arhat as the 'foe-destroyer' (hatäritvät arhantah)." An arhat is called kṣinäsrava, one whose äsravas or defiling influxes have been destroyed; nihklesa, one whose afflictions, karmas, and birth have been eradicated; vastbhata, one who has become independent by becoming free from all bonds; kṛtakṛtya, one who has discharged one's obligation (who has done what was to be done); apahṛtabhāra, he who has laid aside his burdens; anupräpta-svakärtha, he who has achieved his end; samyagajñā-suvimukta-citta, he whose mind has been delivered from all bonds by means of right knowledge, and so on."5
A formula of arhatship, often repeated in Pali texts, reads thus: "Knowledge. and vision arose in me-'my liberation is unshakable'. This is the last birth, there is now no more rebirth."""
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Acarya Buddhaghosa has sought to explain the word arhat (arahanta) in some detail. He points out five reasons for remembering the Buddha as an arhat. He says: tattha ärakatta, arinam arānañ ca hatattä, paccayadinam arahatta, papakarane rahabhāvā ti imehi tava käranehi so Bhagava araham ti anussarati." This passage has been rendered thus: "Herein, what he recollects firstly is that the Blessed One is accomplished (arahanta) for the following reasons: (i) because of remoteness (araka), and (ii) because of his enemies (ari), and (iii) the spokes (ara) having been destroyed (hata), and (iv) because of his worthiness (araha) of requisites, etc., and (v) because of absence of secret (rahābhäva) evil-doing." Remoteness (draka) refers to the fact that the Buddha is utterly remote from all defilements (sabbak ileschi suvidûravidûre thito); the word enemics (arīnam) refers to the group of passions which he destroyed. by his sword of wisdom; the word spokes (aranam) refers to the spokes of the wheel of repeated becoming (samsaracakka) which were destroyed by him at the Seat of Enlightenment; the word worthiness (araha) refers to the fact that the Buddha is the most worthy of offerings and adoration, and the word absence of secret (rahabhava) refers to the fact that the Buddha has no secret or hidden evil. For these reasons he is called accomplished (arahanta),
It may be pointed out here that although Arhat is one of the names of the
Abhisamayalankara-Alokavyākhyā (Darbhanga edition), p. 273.
Ibid., loc. cit.
Samyuttanikaya (Nalanda edition) vol. II, p. 144.
Visuddhimagga, Varanasi edition, p. 411; Harvard University edition, pp. 163ft.
The Path of Purification, translated by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, pp. 206ff. See Paramatthamanjūsātākā, vol. I (Varanasi edition), pp. 411-422.
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