Jaina Karmaology

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

Page 58

Jaina Karmology
53 The bondage is defined as the acquirement of fine mattergic particles capable of being transformed into karmas due to the association of passions with the living (soul) one. 8.2 1.Q. Why there is inclusion of the term 'passion' (Kasaya) here again in this aphorism ? Is it just a repetition ? A. This is not so. It has been included with a special object. It is seen that the foods intaken in the stomach are metabolised according to the nature and strength of digestive fires (or gastric juices etc.). Similarly, the karmas intaken by the soul have their duration and intensity (of their bondage) corresponding to the mild, strong and medium power (nature) of the passional volitions. It is for the indication of this specific point that there is inclusion of the term 'passion' again in aphorism 8.2. ( This suggests a little more impotance of passions in the process of karmic bondage). 2-3. The term 'Jiva' (the mattergic living) is there in the aphorism to refute the opinion of the disputant about it in terms of its nonmattergicity and, hence, its inability to accept karmas (It indicates that the living one is mattergic and it intakes karmas). Alternatively, the term 'Jiva' means an entity with life-span. Hence, it indicates that it is only the life-spanned entity which intakes karmas. The non-lifespanned entity does not bind karmas.
4.Q. The aphorism has two words “karmaṇo yogyan' (capable of transformation into karmas). They could have been compounded into one word having the same meaning. Why there are two words with different case-endings ? A. It is because they represent two sentences with two meanings. The first sentence means 'the living beings get associated or activated with passions due to karmas (5th case).' This means that the karmas are the causes of passions. The living one becomes passioned because of the earlier-earned karmas. There is no passioning tint among those who have destroyed karmas or who are devoid of or free from bonding karmas. It also means that the wordly living beings and the karmas are begininglessly associated.
The second sentence means, "the living beings intake mattergies capable of transformation into the karmas." Here, the word' karma' has sixth (possessive) case ending as the cases change according to the meaning. Thus, the overall meaning of the aphorism