Jain Journal 1990 01

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

Page 18

JANUARY, 1990
(f) Bhava-Moksa and Dravya-Moksa :
The jiva attains mokṣa when it is free from the snares of karma (karma-phalavinirmuktah mokşa). The mokşa is either bhava (objective) or dravya (subjective). When the Soul is free from four ghati karmas (jñānāvaraniya, darśanavaraniya, mohaniya, antaraya), it is bhāva-mokşa, and when it is free from aghati karmas (nāma, āyu, gotra, vedaniya) it is dravya-mokşa. Bhāva-mokṣa is negative since it is in this state the Soul is in the process of nirjara, of course which is almost complete. But after freedom from aghāti karmas (action-currents of non-injury), the Soul attains a state of never-ending blissful beautitude. A person attains the state of omniscience when mohaniya (deluding), jñānā varaṇīya (knowledge-obscuring), darśanā varaṇiya (faith-obscuring) and antarāya (obstructive) karmas are destroyed. 54 After the attainment of kevalajñāna, a person is free from all kinds of karmas and attains final liberation.55 The Soul comes into its own and regains infinite knowledge, infinite faith, infinite bliss, and infinite power.
(g) The Abode of Moksa :
When the jiva attains freedom, it rises higher and higher and reaches the summit of lokākāśa which is called siddhasila (region of the free and liberated). It may be pointed out that this is a new conception. The Vedic conception regards ātmā as all pervasive and the Buddhist do not point any such thing as atman, hence they do not posit a locus of mokşa (mokşa-sthāna). The nature of Soul is ever-progressive and never regressive. The Mandali sect of the Jainas regard that there is no such fixed place of mokşa but it is ever-progressing, in the nature of an ideal. But the Jaina concept of dharma and adharma (medium of motion and rest) present in each object leads us to think that there must be a fixed state where the motion must stop. The Hindu conception of vaikuntha or paramadhāma is that of kingdom of God, not of Man.
Conclusion
Moksa in Jainism is not the product of something new. It is a rediscovery of man himself through self-realisation. True happiness lies within. 'Look within'-is what Jainism says. Self-realisation is the
54 Tattvartha-sutra, X. 1. 55 Ibid.
81