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516
I am the Soul If the jiva does good karmas, it goes into the deva or manushya gati. There it enjoys the good results of the punya and experiences the material pleasures. If it does evil karmas, it goes into the naraka – tiryancha gatis and suffers them. As the evil result of papa it suffers sorrows. Thus the transition between gatis is always on, and it appears as if the jiva is never without karma.
Here in saying that “good deeds lead to results such as life in deva and other such gatis', the disciple has broken a myth and proved that he has understood things in proper perspective. There is a very mistaken belief prevalent in the community that moksa can be attained by doing punya. The belief goes that just as punya leads to means that fetch worldly pleasures, a vast accumulation of punya also leads to moksa, which is some supreme state even above the devaloka and that there the jiva enjoys happiness.
As a corollary to this belief, there is now also the myth prevailing that the deed of punya itself is Dharma. There is no Dharma other than that. So people do some charity etc., and are content that they have done Dharma. They take such Dharma as the way to moksa.
Both these beliefs are sheer ignorance. First of all punya is not Dharma. Punya is an asrava. Where there is asrava, there is karmabandha. As long as there is karma, there cannot be moksa nor can there be moksa as a result of karma. Therefore, punya is not Dharma. Asrava is adharma. Sanvar is Dharma. So there can be moksa through sanvar and not through asrava.
That which leads to the bondage of good karmas is punya asrava and that which dissolves the karma on the atma is Dharma. Moksa can be attained through Dharma.
Thus to break these myths, the disciple has spoken in very clear terms that jiva goes to deva gati to live out the effects of punya or good karma and to hell - naraka for suffering papa.
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