Jaina Perspective in Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Ramjee Singh
Publisher: Parshwanath Shodhpith Varanasi

Page 44

From Nescience to Omniscience
three (mithya-darśana, kaşaya and yoga or simply kaşaya and yoga) or four.1 In short, nescience or mithyatva is at the root of all evils and the cause of worldly existence. The Jainas do not like to bother about its whence and why. It is coeval with the soul, hence eternal and beginningless. Both the questions of the Self and Nescience are accepted as facts on the basis of uncontradicted experience. As the bondage is determined by the karmas, the nature of bondage is determined by the nature of karmas. There are eight fundamental varities2 of these karmas, i. e., jñānāvaraṇīya, darśanāvaraṇīya, vedanīya, mohanīya, ayu, nāma, gotra and antaraya with their different sub-divisions.3 Vidyananda Swami in his Tattvartha-Śloka-Varttika says that as Right Attitude, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct constitute the path to liberation,5 the anti-thesis of this Trinity, i. e., Wrong Attitude, Wrong Knowledge and Wrong Conduct must lead to the bondage. If the very outlook is wrong, one cannot expect right knowledge and there cannot be right conduct without right knowledge. 6 There is close relation between knowledge and action. Conduct is the fulfilment of knowledge. Theory without practice is useless as practice without theory is blind. Knowledge enlightens, penance purifies and restraint
1. Tattvartha-Sutra, Bhasya by Phulchanda Siddhanta Shastri, pp. 367-368.
2. Adhyatma-Kamala-Martanda of Kaviraja Malla, IV. 2., p. 89.
3. Tattvartha-Sutra, VIII. 4; Karma-Grantha, I. 2; DravyaSangraha by Nemichand, 31; Prasamarati prakarapa of Umaswati, 34.
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4. Mehta, M. L.: Outlines of Jaina Philosophy, pp. 135-138, p. 146 ( 5, 9, 2, 28, 4, 103, 2 and 5 divisions).
5. Bhasya on Tattvartha-Sutra, I. 1, p. 72.
6. Tattvartha-Sutra, I. 1.
7. Uttaradhyayana-Sūtra, XXVIII. 30.