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T. G. Kalghatgi
Lesya is of two kinds: dravya leiya and bhava lesya. Dravya leiya refers to the Karmic material affecting the organism and radiating the colour, which may be called transcendental colouration. Thus, the effect of Karma is two-fold. Draya lesya is due to the operation of the Karma in matters affecting the nature of the organism. It may probably refer to the colour of the body. We are told that the denizens of hell are black in colour. Celestial beings get different colours on the basis of the impact of different Karma. So is the case with human beings. This distinction may be referred to the racial colours and the innumerable distinctions in the individual shades of colour. Bhava lesya refers to the psychic conditions affecting the individual in creating an aura round the organism. The psychic conditions create reflexes, and they, in turn, may give rise, through some form of rediation, to some kinds of colouration round the organism. This may not be ordinarily visible to the eye, but only to persons disciplined in Yoga12
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Further distinctions are made in lesya. Six types of primary colours are suggested. Three of them refer to evil minded persons. The six lesyas are (1) black (Krsna) (2) blue, (nila), (3) dove-grey (Kapota), (4) yellow (pita), (5) pink (Padma) (6) white (Sukla). For instance a man who is wicked and cruel gets the black lesya. A man who is affected by anger and envy and who loves pleasure gets the blue lesya. One who is disciplined develops the red lesya. One who has subdued the passions has yellow. One who is engrossed in meditation of the 'dharma' and truth has the white lesya. But the fully liberated souls have no lesya at all13. The ethical significance of this doctrine has been emphasized in this distinction. The lesyas are treated as an index of temperament of character. Leiyas have a moral bearing14. The Jainas give the example of six travellers in the forest. They see a tree full of fruits. They want the fruits of that tree. But their way of securing them widely differ. The man with a black lesya intends to uproot the tree; that with a blue, to cut the trunk; that with a grey, to cut the branches; that with a yellow, to take the twigs only; the man with the pink lesya intends to pluck the fruits, while the one who has a pure white lesya is content to take whatever fruits have fallen on the ground,15
There are degree of expression of lasya in terms of time and intensity. We are told in the case of black leiya the duration varies from half a mahārta to thirty-three sagaropama. The effect of the blue leiya varies from half a muhurta to ten sagaropama plus one palyopama and part of asamkhyeya, So is the variation in the duration of other lesyas.
12. Gomma asara: Jiva Karda XV, also Uttaradhyayana Sutra. XXXIV.
13. Uttaradhyayana Sutra: Lect. XXXIV. SBE Vol. II. Footnote.
14. Radhakrishnan (S): Indian Philosophy. Vol. I. p. 320. Footnote. 15. Commajasära Jivakāṇḍa. Ch. XV-V, 507-509,
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