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INTRODUCTION
A motivated act is followed by its consequence, which is obvious. You give food to a hungry man, the result is that not only the hungry man's hunger is removed but there arises a certain satisfaction in you for the time being. But religious minded men of all ages, especially people of ancient times, have believed that all motivated (not only motivated but also careless) actions bear fruits for the agent in the form of pleasant or unpleasant experiences, not necessarily in his present life, but unfailingly in his existences after his death. It may be stated that this belief in the after-death consequences in a person (though presently un-seen nevertheless sure) has been one of the patent incentives for his moral activities.
Nowhere perhaps has this belief been so strong as in ancient India, not even excluding its people of Buddhist persuasion.
The Jainas are also ardent believers in Karmas (acts) being indissolubly connected with their consequences to be experienced in future lives after the death of the man. Their Ācāryas have elaborately described the Karmas and the Karma-phalas and the central business of the present treatise is just a presentation of those descriptions of the Jaina Seers.
The book was written a pretty long time ago by the author as an essential supplement to his other works on the Jaina philosophy, viz., (1) his translation into English, of the 'Pramānnaya Tattvālokälankära' (Deva Suri's book on Jaina logic, psychology and epistemology), (2) 'Reals in the Jaina Metaphysics', (3) "The Jaina Prayer' (i.e., the Jain conception of God-hood).
As it was found that the publication of the entire book may take some time, it was thought expedient to publish it-part by part, in suitable journals and periodicals.
The book is now published after incorporating in it, the respective views of the different schools of Jainism on divergent points, on suggestions from scholars, to whom the author is thankful.
In conclusion, it is the pleasant duty of the author to acknowledge his sincerest gratitude to Sri Amritlal Doshi and to Sri Tajmal Bothra, but for whose active all round encouragement and co-operation, the publication of the book would have been impracticable.
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Howrah, 23-12-75.
HARI SATYA BHATTACHARYA
M.A. B.L, Ph. D
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