Jaina Path of Ahimsa

Author(s): Vilas Sangve
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir Research Centre

Page 21

The Jaina Path Of Ahiṁsā
of perfection at the top of the universe, (d) they have no more to do with worldly affairs, (e) they have reached Mukti or Nirvāņa or Nivịtti, i. e. liberation, and (f) in their condition they have four enjoyments, viz., Ananta-darsana, i. e, unlimited perception, Ananta-jnana, i. e., perfect knowledge, Ananta-Virya, i.e., infinite power, and Ananta-sukha, i. e, unbounded happiness. In addition, from the Metaphysical point of view the difference between the Samsári-Jiva, i.e., the mundane soul, and the Mukta Jiva i. e. the liberated soul, consists in the fact that the former is permeated with subtle matter known as Karma, while the latter is absolutely pure and free from any material alloy.
Moreover, the mundane or embodied souls, i.e. the Saṁsāri Jivas, are further classified in different ways and this classification is a subject not only of theoretical but also of great practical interest to the Jainas. As their highest duty is not to injure any living beings, it becomes incumbent on them to know the various forms which life may assume,
(A) 'Samanska' and 'Amanaska' Jivas
The mundane souls are divided into two groups, viz., 'Samanaska Jivas', i. e. those who have a mind (i. e. , the faculty of distinguishing right or wrong) and 'Amanaska Jivas’i. e., those who have no mind.
(B) “Sthăvara’and 'Trasa’ Jivas
The mundane souls are also divided into two groups from another point of view, viz. 'Sthavara Jivas'are the immobile or one-sensed souls, that is, having only one sense, i. e. the sense of touch; and 'Trasa Jivas' are the mobiles, many-sensed souls, that is, having a body with more than one sense. Again, the mobile souls are those which being in fear have the capacity of moving away from the object of fear, and immobile souls do not have this capactity.
The Sthāvara, i. e., the immobile or one-sensed souls are further divided into following five kinds :
(a) Prthvikāya, i. e., earth-bodied souls, (b) Āpkāya, i. e. water-bodied souls, (c) Tejałkāya, i. e., fire-bodied souls, (d) Vāyukāya, i. e. air-bodied souls; and (e) Vanaspatikāya, i. e., vegetable-bodied souls.
The Trasa, i. e., the mobile or many-sensed souls are also further divided into four classes according to the possession of two or more of the five senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing: