First Steps to Jainism Part 2

Author(s): Sancheti Asso Lal, Manakmal Bhandari
Publisher: Sancheti Trust Jodhpur

Page 26

12
First Steps to Jainism
that knowledge is of five types and accordingly this Karma is also divided into five types--depending upon the type of knowledge these obstruct or obscure. These are briefly mentioned below :
(i) Sensory-knowledge-obscuring Karma (Mati Gyanavarniya) which obstruct the right sensory knowledge derived through the five senses viz., sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch as also the mind.
(ii) Study knowledge-obscuring Karma (Shrut Gyanavarniya) which obstruct the right study knowledge.
(iii) Remote knowledge-obscuring Karma (Avadhi Gyanavarniya)-which obstruct the determinate knowledge of remote physical objects derived directly without the help of sense and mind.
(iv) Mind reading knowledge obscuring Karma (Man-paryay Gyanavarniya) --which obscure the powers of mind reading which also may be termed as telepathy broadly.
(v) Omniscience obscuring Karma (Kewal Gyanavarniya) - which obscure the power of soul to acquire omniscience or unlimited knowledge.
25 B. Perception obscuring Karma (Darshanvarniya Karma) -
The word Darshan here is translated as Perception to distinguish it from the word Darshan which means faith and vision as mentioned in the first Sutra of Tatvarth Sutra--"Sanyag Darshan, Gyan, Charitrani Moksha Marg” Hence Darshan or perception here implies general or non-specific knowledge of things as opposed to specific knowledge which is meant by Gyan. The Bondage of Karma which obscure, the powers of general perception of the soul fall in this category. This general perception is of four types and the Karma obscuring these four perceptions are the types of perception obscuring Karma as listed below:
(i) Sight perception obscuring Karma (Chakshu Darshanavarniya) - The general perception which is acquired with the help of eyes or sight is sight perception and Karma obscuring this power is sight perception-obscuring Karma.
(ii) Non-sight perception obscuring Karma (Achksu Darshanvarniya)-The general perception which is acquired through the mind and senses other than eyes is non-sight Perception and Karma obscuring such powers are called nonsight obscuring Karma.
(iii) Remote Perception obscuring Karma (Avadhi Darshanavaniya)-This Karma obscure general perception of remote physical