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Jaina Logic
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(kūtasthanitya)', there would be no possibility at all of its assuming different states, transformations or modes. Hence the different activitiesgood or bad-and the different states of happiness and unhappiness, etc., would also be absolutely impossible. Not only the sentient soul but also all the insentient things are in constant flux of momentary changes. Everything undergoes incessant changes. Modes or forms of a substance are changing every moment. This means that the sentient soul which is permanent should not be regarded as absolutely permanent, but should also be regarded as impermanent insofar as its changing modes are concerned. Similarly, the insentient objects like a pot, etc., which appear impermanent should also be regarded as permanent from the standpoint of original persistent substance (say, clay in the case of a pot). Thus the doctrine of permanence-cum-impermanence? is logical and cogent.
Acārya Hemacandra gives a practical illustration in the context of his abovequoted two verses. He says: 'Jaggery (guda) and ginger (nāgaram or suņthi)
thorn has now pierced through the sole of my foot is the result of that act of mine." ita ekanavati kalpe śaktyä me puruso hataḥ /
tena karmavipākena pāde viddho 'smi bhikṣavaḥ // 1. Premanence (nityatā) is twofold—the absolutely unchanging permanence (kūtastha
nityatā) and permanence amidst change (pariņāmi-nityatā). The former is merely an abstraction, the latter is concrete reality. The term “kūțastha' employed for the absolutely unchanging permanence is formed of two words, viz., 'kūta' and 'stha'. Kuta means 'a peak of a mountain' or 'a hammer'. And 'stha' means 'abiding', 'stable'. So the term “kütastha' means 'abiding or stable like a peak of a mountain or a
hammer'. 2. jīvā nam bharte! kim sāsayā asāsayā ? Goyamā! jīvā siya sāsayā siya asāsayā / se kenatthenam bhamte! evam vuccai ...? Goyamā! davratthayāe sāsayā, bhavatthayāe asāsayā/"
-Bhagavatīsutra, Sataka 7, Uddeśa 2 Translation: *Are the souls, O Lord, permanent or impermanent? 'The souls, O Gautama, are permanent in some respect and impermanent in some respect'. 'With what end in view, O Lord, is it so said...? 'They are permanent, O Gautama, from the viewpoint of substance, and impermanent from the viewpoint of modes'. syātām atyantanāśe'sya kştanāśākytāgamau / na tv avasthāntaraprāptau loke bālayuvādivat //23// tasmad ubhayahānena vyāvyttyanugamåtmakaḥ / puruso 'bhyupagantavyaḥ kundalădișu sarpavat //28// In the above two and other verses from his Slokavārtika Kumārila Bhatta, a great Mimāṁsaka thinker, explains the soul as permanent-cum-impermanent.
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