Jinamanjari 1998 09 No 18

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 60

Q. The Jaina system proclaims that the true deity is omniscient, detached and sermoniser of beneficience. If Jina Mahavira was devoid of karmic stains, he would be body-less, and hence, he could not be a sermoniser. Had he stains of karmas, he could not be a true deity, and as such, he could not be a beneficiary sermoniser. His words could not be scripture if he is not a true deity, jsut as the words of the rogues will also have to be called scripture. A. To be precise, Arihanta has not been assumed to be devoid of karmic stains but devoid of ghātiya karmas, which are the basic roots of all evils. It is only these karmas which lead to the loss of deity-hood or divinity. The Enlightened Mahavira does not have the destructive karmas and therefore, he has true dietyhood in him.
Q. Considering that Arihanta has no ghātiya karmas but has only aghātiya karmas, how could he be called the true deity ? A. Listen, aghātiya karmas are not contradictory for deityhood. Had they been so, they would not have been referred as non-destructive, and their designation itself therefore reenforces the view that aghātiva karmas do not contravene the deityhood.
This fact can be explained in the following way. Arihanta is devoid of delusion, and hence, he could not have attachment or aversion due to āyus (life duration), nāma (physical characteristics), and gotra (status determinig) karmas, which are not the causes of evil. However, vedaniya (feel producing) karma produces feelings of sufferings with the help of ghātiya ones. As the Arihanta does not have these karmas, vedaniya karma alone cannot perform its function, just as there could be no germination of seed without the soil and water. If Vedanıya karma is capable of creating sufferings without ghātiya karmas, there will be no propensity to observe ratnatraya without hindrance. Further more, he will have natural desire for food and water on account of Vedanīya karma, and it results in moha. Q. Arihanta does not take food due to desire; but does he take for the observance of restraint, meditation and knowledge ? A. It is totally wrong. He does not take food for acquiring knowledge since he has already acquired samyag jñāna. Neither for restraint, as he has acquired the state of absolute restraint. Similarly not for meditation as he has learnt completely about the three worlds, and nothing left for him to be meditated upon. He is no more a worldly being looking for strength, increased life-span, tastes and pleasures. Q. What is wrong in considering non-omniscient's words as scripture?
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