Jaina Philosophers On Nature Of Liberation

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The second and the third reason for the jiva's upward motion, that is, freedom from (karmic] ties and severance of (karmic) bondage seem rather similar. Why, then, list them separately? This is a question that Akalanka also considers, anticipating an opponent asking whether 'this is a case of repetition (anuvāda-prasanga), because there is no distinction in the meaning (artha) of "freedom from (karmic) ties" and "severance of [karmic) bondage").57 Akalanka answers: 'This is not so. Why? Because there is distinction in meaning. If they were imitating (anupraveśa) each other, there would be no distinction between stability (avasthāna) and bondage (bandha). “[Karmic] ties" means merely "meeting each other (paraspara-prāpti-mātra), therefore there is a difference in meaning.'»58 The meaning of Akalanka's objection is not entirely clear, but he seems to be referring back to the idea of karmic ties providing stability for the jiva, like the potter and the potter's wheel provide stability for the stick, albeit in samsāra and therefore against the jiva's natural impulse of upward motion. He indicates that the discussion about karmic ties is primarily about the samsāric stability that ensues from the jīvas and karman coming together, 'meeting each other', an ensnaring and deceptive stability that upon its destruction gives way to the jīvas' eternal stability at the top of the cosmos. On the other hand, the discussion about the severance of the karmic bondage is not at all about stability, but rather about bondage itself.
The last reason that Umāsvāti lists for the liberated jīva's upward motion is that the upward motion is jīva's [innate] modification (pariņāma). SS 10.7 $933 explains: 'Just as a flame of a lamp, owing to its own-nature (svabhāva), darts up, undisturbed with regard to the wind that is by its own-nature blowing sidewards, in the same way a liberated self without the hindrance of karman, which causes transformations into different birth-states, also soars upwards because upward motion is its own-nature. This reason approaches the issue of the motion of the liberated jīva from the point of view of own-nature, that is, the inalienable character of an existent. As the own-nature of jīvas is such that they move upwards, they move upwards as soon as the manifestation of their own-nature is no longer hindered. As pointed out above, this innate motion can be assisted by other factors, which TBh 10.6 indicates in the following way: 'Owing to the upward gravitation as well as the causes of the previous impetus and so forth, originates a modification of its (i.e. jīva's] motion (gatipariņāma) through which there occurs the motion of one achieving perfection (sidhyamānagati). It is upward, not downward or sideward. While the Digambaras use the example of
the flame in order to illustrate the manifestation of the innate motion of existents, TBh Skinterestingly chooses the same example that the Digambaras use to illustrate the second reason for the upward motion of the liberated jiva, that is, freedom from (karmic) ties. Śvetāmbara commentaries evidently see a strong connection between these two reasons, as