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102
the soul moves into a new embryo within a single moment (samaya) after death of the previous body.
32
JAINISM: A THEISTIC PHILOSOPHY "GOD IN JAINISM"
The karmas accumulated determine its existence and status in the next life. The soul moves one to other according to its fruition of karmas. The time gap between death in a particular life and rebirth in the next life is called antarakāla. This duration of time varies from one to three or four samayas. In the antarakāla the gross physical body has already left, jīva is without the gross physical body and is seeking to get into the new body. This process of movement from the old body to the new body is called antarala-gati. This may be "rju" (short and direct) and Vakra (curved and indirect). The direction of the movement depends upon its previous performances. If the directions are straight and direct, it is called rjugati. If the direction of the movement is uneven and indirect, it is called vakragati. The direct movement (rjugati) requires one samaya and the least effort on the part of the jiva to enter from the previous to the next life. When soul departs from the previous bodies, it acquires the speed of that body and it goes to its next destination like an arrow In the case of the curved direction it has to make certain efforts. When the soul reaches the point of curve, the previous body is to some extent arrested, and then the jīva (soul) has to depend on the energy of the sūkṣma (subtle) karmic body. The time required for traversing the distance from birth to another birth in the next body depends on the number of curve in the direction of the next body.
33
.
If there is only one curve, then it will require two samayas, for two curves it requires three samayas and for three curves it requires four samayas and so on. Generally, the universe is extended in three directions like; upward, downward, in the case of the
32 Sarvarthasiddhi2.29, Tattvartha-sutra, II.30 and also see note 1 in S. A. Jain "Reality", P-70
33 Tattvärtha-sūtra, II.26, 27,29, Sarvärthasiddhi, II.25, 26,27 & 28
See also, Devendra Muni Shastri, "A Source Book in Jaina Philosophy', 1983 P-495
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