ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 01

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 38

He has no weapons or clothing, is devoid of censurable signs and symptoms like sex feeling, anger, pride, deceit, greed, foul dispositions and emotions etc. Through his sermons, he establishes the true religious path (Dharma-Tirtha) which prevails in the universe so that the mundane beings attain the welfare of their soul. He is seen to possess different glories and greatnesses which are the cause for worldly people to believe in his being supreme soul. He is adored by the Ganadharas (the principal disciples of a ford-maker) etc for their own spiritual benefit. Thus he becomes adorable in all respects. To these i.e. Arihantas, (Todarmal) offers his salutations.
3.0 Siddhas (The liberated non-corporal pure souls) Meaning: Those great souls i.e. Arihantas who have destroyed the bondages of all the eight types of karmas (4 obscuring and 4 non obscuring) thereby become possessed of the eight infinite attributes and stay at the summit of the universe forever (i.e. free from the transmigration cycle), and are the most exalted and indestructible supreme perfect souls and called 'siddhas' (just consciousness and matter associated or disembodied omniscient). Todarmal in his book 'Mokşa-mārga-prakāśaka'has described their characteristics as under:
3.1 Characteristics of Siddhas (Non-corporal Liberated Souls) He (the true believer who having renounced the householder's life) and followed the monk's conduct thereby attained the four infinities (infinite knowledge- perception-bliss and energy) after destruction of four obscuring Karmas. After lapse of sometime of so doing, he then destroyed the four non-obscuring as well. At this stage he leaves his supernatural body, reaches the summit of the universe by virtue of its nature i.e. upward motion very fast as he got release from the association of all foreign substances with his soul. His pure soul retains the form and size (slightly less) it had as Arihanta.
Since all types of karmas i.e. counter effect producing impurities; physical (no-karmas) and psychic impure dispositions like attachment- aversion etc had been destroyed by such a soul; all spiritual attributes like right belief- knowledge-conduct etc. get fully manifested in their natural states in his soul. Similarly such a soul with bliss as its nature continues to enjoy it forever. Siddhas also become the efficient cause for the capable souls (with potential for becoming pure soul) to attain the discriminative knowledge of the self-substance, non-self
9 Natthattha Kammabamdha, Atthamahāguna Samannida Paramā. Loyaggathida niccha, Siddhā te erisa homti./ Niyamasāra by Kundakunda, Verse 72:
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