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CHAPTER - V
THEISM AND DOCTRINE OF KARMA
V. (i) Introduction
Karma theory is the most important doctrine in Indian thought and it has profound influence in the life of people in India. In this world there is evident inequality in the status and experiences of individuals. Some are happy and others are unhappy and miserable. Very often virtuous man lead miserable life and evil, corrupt men are happy. Several attempts have been made in the different philosophies of the world to find out an adequate solution to the problem of inequality in life. The Indian philosophers presented the theory of karma as a possible solution to the inequality in the life of human beings.
There have been other theories, besides theory of karma, which have attempted to explain the inequality in the life of human beings. Some of them are discussed here.
Theory of time (Kālavāda) Theory of nature (Svabhāvavāda) Theory of necessity (Niyativāda) Accidentalism (Yadschhāvāda) Theory of elements (Bhūtavāda) Theory of creator (Puruşavāda) Theory of fate (Daivavāda)
Theory of self-effort (Puruşārthavāda) 1) Kālavāda (Theory of Time): The various states of existence and happiness and misery of individual being are determined by Kāla (time). Kāla is the determining principle which creates and
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Pt. Dalsukh Malvania, “Ātmamīmāṁsā”, P- 86-94, Jaina Sāhitya kā Brhad Itihāsa, Part 4, P-8, Dr. Mohan Lal Mehta, Jaina Dharma aura Darśana, P 416-424, Devendra Muni Shastri (DMS), “A source Book in Jaina Philosophy”, (1983), P 414
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