Jaina Karmaology

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

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8. Mulacara and other texts indicate that if the living being does not have the modes of activities and passioned states, there may not be any cause of karmic bondage. This state starts from eleventh spiritual stage onwards where passions are subsided or destroyed. It means that there are all the four types of bondages until tenth spiritual stage. In higher stages, there are only two bonds - species and mass-point ones. The activities there are like non-functional and, hence, non-durational. The non-functionality of activities is generally stated as their nonexistence. It is due to the different types of bondages that the embodied soul takes birth and rebirth in various destinities in the world. Whenever the causes of bondage are non-functional and the earlier bound karmas are fruitioned and destroyed, the worldly soul acquires liberation-the highest goal of life.
What are the primary karmic species? The aphorism 8.4 describes about them:
ADYO JNANA-DARS ANĀVARANA - VEDANİYA - MOHANİYA - AYUH-NĀMA - GOTRA - ANTRAYAH 8.4
The primary species bondage (of karmas) has eight categories - (i) knowledge-obscuring (ii) conation-obscuring (iii) sensation/feeling producing (iv) deluding (v) life-span determining (vi) physique-making (vii) status-determining and (viii) obstructive karma. 8.4
1. Q. It is postulated that the eight primary karmic species beginning from knowledge-obscuring to the obstructive one are the only species bondages and none others. Thus, the term 'first primary species' (Adyo) has common location with the pluratity of eight classes. Hence, there should be plural number (Adyah) in the first term in the aphorism 8.4. A.
This is not correct. The descriptions could be made with respect to both-the substantive and modal-standpoints. The species bondage is one only with respect to general substantive standpoint. Hence, it is logical to have singular number in the word 'Adyo' (first). It has eight specific varieties which are prominently intended here. They are the modal aspects of the species bondage. Thus, there is plural number used for them in the aphorism. It is observed that there can be difference in number despite common location. This can be illustrated by common examples like,
"The listners (plural) do hold validity (singular)". "The cows (plural) are riches (singular)".