Book Title: Gandharavada
Author(s): Esther A Solomon
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyasabha

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Page 272
________________ 183 with Agnibhūti. It may be argued that we directly apprehend parents etc. as the cause of body, etc. and so there is no need to imagine the existence of invisible karma. But it is not so, Children of the same parents are unlike one another; some may be good to look at, while others may be ugly and it is on account of this that karman as distinct from the visible causes, parents, etc. has to be recognised. And this karman has again to be recognised as of the form of punya and pāpa; for punya - karman can be inferred as the cause of subha (good) body, etc. and păpa-karman as the cause of aśubha (bad, inauspicious) body, etc.. Moreover the cause in the form of good action gives rise to good karman or punya and foul action as the cause gives rise to bad karman or pápa. Hence the two types of karman—pāpa and punya-are different by their very nature. It has also been said :"Iha dřstahetvasambhavikāryavišeşāt kulālayatna iva; hetvantaram anumeyam tat karma śubhāśubham kartuḥ”. --"When a particular effect does not arise from visible causes, another cause has to be inferred like the effort of the potter, and that is the śubha (good) or aśubha (bad) karman". Moreover, Acalabhrātā must recognise the existence of subha and aśubha karman relying on the words of Mahavira who is omniscient (1918-20). The two-fold classification of karma into punya and papa can be established in a different way also. Pleasure and pain are effects and they must have a befitting cause (agreeing with their nature). Atoms are the befitting cause of jar and threads of cloth; similarly punya-karma is a befitting cause of pleasure and pāpa-karma of pain, and the two should be regarded as distinct (1921). One may raise an objection here that if karman is the cause of pleasure and pain and if it is in conformity with the effect, then it too should be arūpin (without form ) and if it has form, it is not a befitting cause, since pleasure and pain are not corporeal, whereas karman would be corporeal (1922). Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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