Jain Journal 1979 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 34

JULY, 1979
sense of wisdom prajñavādāmsca bhāṣase etc. The reader should note the use of the plural in prajñāvāda.
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The concept of cakra (wheel) is very common to Jainism and Buddhism, the Asoka Cakra having been adopted by us as our national emblem. I read a reference to the same idea, although, I am afraid, its great significance has not been adequately brought out by critics. The word cakra (wheel) occurs in verse 16 of the third Discourse. The verse reads as evam pravartitam cakram etc. I may add that the word pravartita is eminently Jaina and Buddhistic.
Jaina thinkers refer to eight kinds of Karma: jñānāvaraṇīya, darśanavaraniya, mohaniya, gotra, nāma, ayuşya and antaraya which cloud or obscure the soul's access to right knowledge (samyak jñāna), right faith (samyak darsana), right conduct (samyak caritra). The terms avarana and mohana occur more than once in the Gītā as applied to knowledge and conduct. I have not come across the use of the word darsana meaning faith or śraddha, though there are several references to śraddha (faith) in the text of the Gita. The relevent verses are 38,39,40 of the third Discourse. Even the illustrations are the same as in Jaina philosophical literature. Sri Krsna says that true knowledge is wrapped up by ignorance just as flame is enveloped by smoke, as mirror is wrapped up by dirt, as embryo is wrapped up in aninion. The verses start as dhūmenāvriyate etc., āvṛtam jñānametena etc., etairvimohayatyeṣa jñānamävṛtya etc.
The word mohana, which is the same as the Jaina use of mohaniya, is found in verse 8 of the fourteenth Discourse, and verse 39 of the eighteenth Discourse, wherein Sri Krsna observes that tamas deludes (mohana) all beings (XIV, 8) and that happiness deludes the self in the beginning and by succession (anubandha) on account of sleep, indolence and indifference (pramāda). The word anubandha in the verse is essentially Jaina.
The concept of bhavana is basic to Jainism and Buddhism. Haribhadra Suri has given an elaborate dissertation of the idea in his Dharmabindu. The Gita refers to the concept several times as if it were expounding the Jaina creed! The homelessness of the Yati is referred to as also the udāsīna bhāvanā in verse 16 of the twelfth Discourse, as for instance, a person who is anapekṣa udāsina sarvarambha parityāgi is dear to Sri Krsna.
A terse dissertation is found of this kind of bhāvanā in verse 20 of the fifth Discourse, where Sri Krsna observes na prahṛṣyet priyam