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Jaina Ethics
karmans is not a sudden phenomenon. It may be noted here that the conduct of a person in these four stages can not be termed as right as it does not necessarily lead to liberation. It is only after cutting the Gordian knot (granthibheda) through anivịttikaraņa that one attains the real spiritual insight.2 Till then, we can compare his condition with that of a wanderer who is sometimes nearer the real path sometimes away from it. But in no case does he find it. His coming nearer the real path is useful only if he finds it; otherwise he is again lost in the thickness of the jungle. We have spoken of the types of mithyātva in the second chapter.
It may be interesting to note here that amongst those who get liberation even anyalingasiddhas or those wearing the dresses of other religions are included. Commentaries on karmagranthas, however, make it clear that every word of the Jaina scriptures must be believed by a samyagdrsti.4
For those souls who are abhavya or jātibhavya and will never get liberation,5 the first punasthāna has neither beginning nor end; for those who get liberation it has no beginning but end and for those who having broken the knot, again descend to first stage, it has a beginning as well as an end. As every soul has some element of purity in it, this stage, though of complete darkness, is also considered to be guņasthāna in as much as it has also a ray of purity, just as even though the rays of the sun and the moon are completely obscured by clouds yet we cannot say that the light has been completely destroyed. If there had been a complete destruc
1. Uttarādhyayana, 28.30. Also Gomma ļasāra, Jivakānda, 12. 2. Supra, p. 209. 3. Sri Jaina Siddhāntabola saṁyraha, Vol. V, p. 119. 4. यतो भगवदर्हत्प्रणीतं सकलमपि द्वादशाङगार्थमभिरोचयमानोऽपि यदि तद् गदितमेकमप्यक्षरं न रोचयति तदानीमप्येष मिथ्यादृष्टिरेवोच्यते ।
--Karmagranthaţikā, Vol. II, Quoted by Muni Nathamala,
Faina darśana ke maulika tattva', Vol. II, p. 449. 5. Cf. Virasena on Satkhandāgama, 1.1.141. (Vol. I, p. 394).
Also Srāvakaprajñapti, 66-67. 6. तथाहि समुन्नतातिबहलजीमूतपटलेन दिनकररजनीकरकरनिकरतिरस्कारेऽपि Aaaa ACTHAIST: pt...."
- Karmagrantha, Vol. II, Quoted by Muni Nathamala, Jaina darśana ke maulika jñaptitattva'. Vol. II. p. 449.
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