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jiva by austerity, restraint etc. what change is really wrought in the essential being of jīva that mokṣa should be regarded as krtaka, caused or artificial ? When the jar is destroyed with a stick, there is no special change by way of addition, in the sky or space. Mokşa is destruction of karma; on this ground it should not be regarded as non-eternal, the destruction being caused by austerity, etc. like the destruction of jar brought about by a stick. Such an argument would mean that one has not understood the conception of destruction of jar or of karma. Destruction of jar means nothing else than the existence of ākāśa alone, and no change is brought about in akāśa thereby, since it remaining the same is eternal. Similarly in the present. case, destruction of karma signifies the jiva existing by itself; it is not different from the soul, nor is there any change brought about in the jiva by it, for it too like the sky or space is eternal. Hence emancipation is neither caused (or artificial) nor non-eternal. If it is said that mokṣa is in a way non-eternal, Mahāvīra has no objection to it, for each and every thing is eternal-cum-non-eternal, being of the nature of both dravya (basic substance) and paryāya (modes). But mokṣa is not absolutely non-eternal (1837-39).
Mandika should not have any suspicion lurking in his mind that the karmic matter which has been thrown away by the soul after its dissociation from it will continue to exist in the loka (cosmos, inhabited universe) in which the jiva also exists and so they will come into relation, even as ákāśa dissociated from jar comes into contact with its kapā las (potsherds); and again the soul will be bound by karmic matter. The free soul will not be bound again, since there is no cause for bondage as is the case with a guiltless or innocent person. The activities of mind-speechbody are causes of bondage and an emancipated person not having a body will not indulge in these. Bondage does not occur simply on account of contact (relation) with the matter of karma-groups, for such a bondage exists in all kinds of souls and this would be ati-prasanga (absurd over-extension). Mere relation of jīva and karmic matter is not bondage which occurs only on account
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