________________
KUMAR: PHILOSOPHY OF SALLEKHANĀ
viii. antarāya-k-hindering the capability of soul of resolution and
enjoyment.
The eight karmas are subdivided into two groups5:
a. Destructive or obstructive (Ghatiya karmas) and b. Non-destructive karmas (Aghātiya karmas).
Ghatiya karmas consist of 4 types: jñanavarana, darśanavaraṇa, mohaniya and antarāya, but the aghatiya has also 4 karmas viz. āyus, nāma, gotra and vedaniya. Ghātiya karmas obstruct the spiritual progress of the soul and act as brakes in achieving success in different fields of human activities. They are the cause of ignorance, indecisiveness, infatuation and imbalance in thought, speech and action. Aghatiya karmas determine and regulate the duration of life and matters allied to it: nature of personality, such as height, body, size, colour etc.; status of family, race etc; and pleasures, pains, sorrows etc. in one's life on earth. In that way atoms of karmas obstruct not to play the soul to his real game, and conclude as main obstruction to achieve supreme goal.
Philosophy of Sallekhanā
Philosophy inserted in the concept of sallekhanā is to inhibit the influx of new karmas and to annihilate the old karmas associated in the self from time immemorial. They veil the soul in such a way that one cannot use his natural and infinite power to remove them. Jainism believes that the natural form of a self can be obtained, but it takes time and needs some appropriate means to discard the veil of karmas of the self. Sallekhana is the means through which one can obtain that lost quality.
77
Passion in different forms deforms the real nature of soul." Soul becomes self and self changes into mundane being. It possesses the senses of sentientity and attachment with different worldly things like relatives, wealth, land, comforts, enjoyments etc. He indulges in attaining more and more material things, if he succeeds he becomes happy. The adoptation becomes his nature and it grows higher and higher, his desires are not fulfilled by the worldly things, because it is infinite like space.' Ultimately he becomes unsatisfied and tries to catch all things by unfair means.
5. Karmagrantha, Pt-I, Muni Mishri Lal, p.15.
6. Sthānāngasütra, Ed. Madhukara Muni, Byavara 1981, 5/2. Daśavaikālika, Ed. Madhukara Muni, Byavara 1993, 8/36-39. Tattvārthasūtra, Sanghavi, 8/1.
7. Uttaradhyayanasutra, Sadhvi Candana, 9/48.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
