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The Jaina world of Non-living
1. The term 'Paraspara' means mututal or reciprocal actions. The word 'upagraha' means help, support or assistance. The living beings function in a way to assist each other. 2. The mutual help can be exemplified by the relationship between the master and servant and teacher and the taught. The master helps the servant by giving him money and wages. The servants assist him in serving him in such a way that results in his welfare and protects him from the evil. The teacher teaches the taught what is good for this world and for the other world. He also encourages him to observe according to his instruction. The taughts also assist him through their devoted following and service. 3. Q. The topic of the functions of the realities is continuing. Hence, the repetition of the word 'upagraha' is not necessary in this aphorism.s A. This is not so: This has the object of indicating that the pleasure, pain, life and death - the four as mentioned in the previous aphorism 5.20 are the main mutual functions of the reality of the living. There is no other new or specific one in addition. 4. Moreover, it also indicates that there is no rule that there is always the case of mutual assistance as in the case of copulating where 'men and women assist each other. In case of pleasure, a living being may cause pleasure to self alone or cause pleasure to one, two or many living beings through his pleasure. Similar is the case with pain also. Sometimes two or more living beings create pleasure or pain for themselves and also cause the same to one, two or others. A similar illustration may be given in case of life and death. Thus, only reciprocity is not a general rule. Supplementary Notes 1. The commentary deals with the following points : (a) The term 'mutual' (paraspara) has been defined as reciprocal help.
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