Jaina Karmaology

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 140

Jaina Karmology
135 1. The commentary deals with the following points : (a) The aphorism 8.14 mentions the maximum duration of four primary karmic species. There are two types of bonds of karmic durations: (1) maximum duration and (2) minimum duration. This aphorism initiates the description of maximum duration bondage. The duration is defined as a period of existence or association of karmic species with the living beings. (b) The maximum duration of knowledge-obscuring, conation obscuring, feeling-producing and obstructive karmas is 30 x 10" Sagaropama years each. This duration refers to the mind-instinct based five - sensed completioned living beings. (c) The maximum durations of these species and for other classes of completioned and non-completioned living beings has also been mentioned in semi-aphorism 8.14.7. (2) Vidyānanda says that the duration of karmas is authentic as there is no contradictory evidence against it. Püjyapāda and Bhaskarnandi have added that the maximum duration of 30 Sāgaropamas refers to the wrong-faithed five-sensed completioned beings ( and not to the right-faithed ones). It is surprising how Akalanka omitted this point. (3) It should be noted that whenever karmic bonding takes place with the living being, all the four types of bondages mentioned in 8.3 are formed at the same time. (4) It may be kept in mind that besides maximum duration, there is minimum duration of karmic species also. Besides, there could be an intermediate duration too which is more than minimum duration and less than maximum duration.
This has innumerable alternatives or varieties which could be represented as below: Varieties of Intermediate duration bond = [(Maximum-Minimum)
duration-1] Samayas Alternatives of intermediate duration bond = ((Maximum - Minimum)
duration -1 +2 ] Samayas The number of varieties and alternatives have been expressed in terms of number of Samayas here. Thus, they may have innumerable varieties.