Mahavira Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth Part 1

Author(s): Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya Mumbai
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 472

SVABHAVAVADA (NATURALISM) : A STUDY : 11
“...... They teach that there is an essential force of nature at work in the continuance of activity, like the essential heat of fire and the essential liquidity of water. Some explain that good and evil and existence and non-existence originate by natural development (Svabhāva); and since all this world originates by natural development, again therefore effort is vain. That the action of each sense is limited to its own class of object, that the qualities of being agreeable or disagreeable is to be found in the objects of the senses, and that we are affected by old age and afflictions, in all that what room is there for effort? Is it not purely a natural development? The oblation devouring fire is stilled by water, and the flames cause water to dry up. The elements, separate by nature, group themselves together into bodies and, coalescing, constitute the world. That, when the individual enters the womb, he develops hands, feet, belly, back and head, and that his soul unites with that body, all this the doctors of this school attribute to natural development. Who fashions the sharpness of the thorn or the varied nature of beast and bird ? All this takes place by natural development. There is no such thing in this respect as action of our own will, a fortiori no possibility of effort."4
In the Nyāyasūtral Gautama states by way of Purvapaksa that things originate without any cause like the sharpness of thorns. Vātsyāyana, in his commentary to the Nyāyasūtra, explains the sūtra by adding a few examples.
In the Māthara-vrttis to the Samkhya-kārika (v. 61), along with
यदिन्द्रियाणां नियतः प्रचारः प्रियाप्रियत्वं विषयेषु चैव । संयुज्यते यजरयातिभिश्च कस्तत्र यत्नो ननु स स्वभावः ।। अद्भिर्हताशः शममभ्युपति तेजांसि चापो गमयन्ति शोषम् । भिन्नानि भूतानि शरीरसंस्थान्यैक्यं च गत्वा जगदुद्वहन्ति ।। यत्पाणिपादोदरपृष्ठमून्धी निर्वर्तते गर्भगतस्य भावः । यदात्मनस्तस्य च तेन योग: स्वाभाविकं तत्कथयन्ति तज्ज्ञाः ।। कः कण्टकस्य प्रकरोति तक्ष्ण्यं विचित्रभावं मृगपक्षिणां वा । स्वभावतः सर्वमिदं प्रवृत्तं न कामकारोऽस्ति कुतः प्रयत्नः ॥
-Buddhacarita IX. 57 (b)-62 4 Translation by E. H. Johnston, Calcutta, 1936 5 अनिमित्ततो भावोत्पत्तिः कण्टकतेण्यादिदर्शनात् ।
अनिमित्ता शरीराद्युत्पत्तिः । कस्मात् । कण्टकतैक्ष्ण्यादिदर्शनात् । यथा कण्टकस्य तेक्ष्ण्यम् , पर्वतधातूनां चित्रता, ग्राव्णां श्लक्ष्णता, निनिमित्तं चोपादानवच्च दृष्टं तथा शरीरादिसर्गोऽपीति ।
-Nyāyasūtra-Bhāşya IV. 1. 22 6 अपरे स्वभावमाहुः । स्वभावः कारणमिति । तथा हि
येन शुक्कीकृता हंसाः शुकाश्च हरितीकृताः ।