Facets of Jaina Religiousness in Comparative Light

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

Page 68

JAINA CONCEPTION OF THE HOLY PENTAD
59
The siddhas are in peace that passeth understanding. They are in nirvāṇa, free from all traces of karma, change, and unrest. They are in supreme bliss. They are eternally pure (siddhā suddhā sadā honti).83
A soul or self (ātman) can become a siddha without becoming an arhat. Every arhat becomes a siddha after discarding his physical frame. Tirthařkara Mahāvīra's enterance into siddha-sthāna is described in the following words : "Śramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvīra died, passed away, left the world, cut off the ties of birth, old age, and death; he became a siddha, awakened, released, and maker of the end; finally liberated and emancipated from all sufferings.'84
The siddhas are described as those who, having burnt up the impurities of karma with the fire of meditation, have become eternally immaculate and of the nature of wisdom.85 A siddha is holiness embodied. Holiness is release from karmas (karmavipramokşo mokṣaḥ). Although a siddha is of the nature of pure release, certain attributes are said to be inseparable from siddha-gati viz. faith, wisdom, vision, and perfection (samyak tva-jñāna-darśana-siddhatva). In addition to these, infinite energy and infinite bliss also characterize a siddha. According to one view, the siddhas have the forms of their last bodies.86 Schubring informs us that "they measure two thirds of the body they had in the last moment of their earthly existence."87 This view is opposed to that found in the Acārāngasūtra which we have quoted earlier (see above footnote 82). Another text also states that released state is formless (amutta, amūrtatva): “There exist perfect wisdom, perfect bliss, perfect energy, perfect view, formlessness, existence, and spatiality" (vijjadi kevalaņāņam kevalasokkham ca kevalam viriyam kevaladitthi amuttam atthittam sappadesattam/).88 It is stated that nirvāņa means siddha, and siddha means nirvana.89
Vīrasenācārya points out that the siddhas are firmly established, having accomplished their task, having achieved their aim, and having destroyed eight kinds of karmas (siddhā nişthitāḥ kṣtak rtyāḥ siddhasādhyāḥ naștäştakarmāṇaḥ). The difference between an arhat and a siddha consists in this that the former has destroyed four kinds of ghātikarmas while the latter has destroyed eight kinds of karmas
83. 84. 85.
86
Gommațasāra, Jivakānda, verse 732. Kalpasūtra, 124. Paramātmaprakaśa, verse 1. Tattvarthasūtra, x. 2, 4 and Sarvärtha siddhi, p. 360. The Doctrine of the Jainas, p. 329. Niyamasara, verse 181. Ibid., verse 182.
87. 88. 89.