________________
Direct Knowledge
401
close to the right path and sometimes far away. In no case he is sure to get the right path. Three karanas and granthibheda
The soul, wandering thus, when reaches near the way, it is known as yathāpravstti-karana. It means a right step taken accidentally without deliberate attempt. This step is compared with a stone of hilly river, which becomes round, rolling in the current. Similarly, a soul suffering from miseries of the world and wandering through high and low kingdoms of the universe, accidentally reaches the stage when his reserve karmic matter comes within a fixed degree. It is said that in this stage the duration of all the karmans, except Āyuşya, comes within a period of one kotākoți (one crore multiplied into one crore) sägaropamal. But, this stage is not unique in the career of a soul. Every soul has reached it innumerable times without breaking the koot of passions, though he comes oftenly on that point.
The second step is apūrvakaraña. In this stage he unlooses the knot of passions. The aspirant, who has once attained this stage is sure to get liberation within a specified period; namely, ardhapudgala parāvartapa. This stage comes as a new step in the beginningless career of soul. This is why it is called. apūrvakarapa. 1. According to Jainism the attachment of karmic matter with
the soul lasts for a definite period only. It must detach by the expiry of that period; during which the new matter flows in and is attached with the soul for a shorter or longer period. The duration of this period is fixed according to the intensity of passions (kasayas). The maximum duration of MohanIya is seventy kodākoļi (one kcţi multiplied into one kcți) sāgaropama, a particular measurement of time. Jñānāvaraña, Darśanāvaraña, Vedaniya and Antarāya have thirty koờākodi. Nāma and Gotra have twenty and Ayusya has thirty-three sāgaropama only as their maxir mum duration.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
