________________
106
Eight Kinds of Material Karma
The material karma are of eight kinds: Knowledge-obscuring (jñānāvaraṇīya), perception-obscuring (darkanā varaniya), feeling-producing (vedantya), deluding (mohantya), life-span-determining (āyu), physiquedetermining (näma), status-determining (gotra) and obstructing (antarāya). Knowledge-obscurring, perception-obscuring, deluding and obstructing karmas obscure or obstruct the knowledge, perception, intrinsic conduct or bliss (sukha) and power (virya) of the soul and thus they are known as destructive (ghāti) karmas. The remaining four karmas are known as non-destructive (aghatt) because, for most part, they influence the body of a living being. The feeling-producing karma, however, may affect the soul like a destructive karma. It operates as a result of knowledgeobscuring and perception-obscuring karmas and with the help of deluding karma. In other words, if one does not have a rational outlook and knowledge (due to perception-obscuring and knowledge-obscuring karmas), and has indulgence (rati) and/or ennui (arati) (due to deluding karma), then feelings of physical pleasure and pain may lead to undesirable thoughts and emotions. Thereby the feeling-producing karma may influence the soul. Thus the feeling-producing karma has been placed between perception-obscuring and deluding karmas. This has been described by Acarya Nemicandra Siddhantacakravarti in Gommațasāra Karmakaṇda.(2)
JAIN JOURNAL
ghadimva veyaṇlyam mohassa bāleṇa ghādade jivam idi ghādiņam majjhe mohassadimhi paḍhidam tu 19
The feeling-producing karma by the force of deluding karma destroys the soul like a destructive karma. Therefore it is placed in the middle of destructive and before deluding karma.
ṇaṭṭhā ya rayadosā indiyaṇāṇam ca kevalimhi jado tena du sādāsādajasuhadukkham ṇatthi indiyajam 273
Because in the Omniscient (kevali), attachment and aversion, and sensual knowledge are destroyed, therefore in him there is no happiness or misery due to the feeling-producing karma which causes the feelings of sensual pleasure and pain.
Each kind of karma is further divided into a number of sub-classes. For example, the feeling-producing karma is divided into pleasantfeeling-producing (sātāvedaniya) and unpleasant-feeling-producing (asātāvedantya). Similarly, the deluding karma has been divided into two
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
