First Steps to Jainism Part 2

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

Page 91

Freedom of will-The Five Samvay
77
काल कर्ता विकर्ताच, सर्व मन्यद कारणम्, नाशोविनाशमैश्वर्यम् सुख दुख भवाहरो ।
In simpler terms Kaalvadies held that it is only when appropriate time comes the seeds will grow and trees will bear fruits inspite of all efforts made; thus holding supremacy of Time.
No wonder, therefore, that Kaal or Time was defined as the supreme God of destruction as Mahakaal, which could not only annihilate everything but also hold everyone accountable after death in the form of Yamraj and his subordinates.
(b) Swabhava or nature or disposition--It was advocated by some that it is the inherent nature or disposition of the thing or its swabhav which produces the results. Just as only clay can be moulded into a pot and not cotton, which can produce cloth, all efforts aimed otherwise shall be in vain.
This school of thought known as Swabbavvadi claimed :
कःकण्टकानां प्रकरोति तैक्षण्यं, विचित्र भावं मग पक्षिणां । स्वभावतः सर्वमिदं प्रवृतं, न कामचारोऽस्ति कुतः प्रयत्नः ।।
It follows that according to Swabhavvadis like Prahlad (described in Mahabharat-Shanti Parva) only such of the seeds will grow which have the nature of fertility-infertile or dead seeds will not grow irrespective of watering, manuring etc. It was, therefore, held that disposition or swabhav was the determining factor in the success or failure or pain and pleasure in the world.
(c) Niyati or Destiny-Believers in destiny, pre-destination or Niyativadies have been quite common in the East or the West in the past and the present. They believe that everything is pre-destined and whatever has to happen-good or bad- will happen. Contrarily whatever is not pre-destined to happen will never happen All efforts to undo or oppose pre-destination will be in vain.
One of the greatest exponents of Niyati was Goshalak (and his Ajeevaka) who was a contemporary of Lord Mahaveer and who held that whatever has to happen in whatever form and method has to happen like that, no body can stop the destiny :