________________ Pancastikaya-samgraha EXPLANATORY NOTE At the beginning of this mega-chapter, Acarya Kundakunda makes obeisance to Lord Mahavira, the 'apta' or the Supreme Lord, and declares the subject-matter of his discourse. In the present era, Lord Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara, is the last revealer of the true 'dharma' that guides the potential souls. He is the cause of freedom from rebirth or of liberation (moksa); by following the path shown by Lord Mahavira, one gets to the supreme state of liberation. As has already been elucidated, the five substances with bodilyexistence (pancastikaya) together with the substance of time (kala), constitute the six substances (dravya). These six substances give effect to nine objects (padartha), the subject-matter of this discourse. Comprehension, without doubt, delusion or misapprehension of the nine objects (padartha), leads to right-perception (samyagdarsana) and right-knowledge (samyagjnana), the two main constituents of the empirical (vyavahara) path to liberation. The empirical (vyavahara) path to liberation, by convention, leads to the real (niscaya) path to liberation. The real (niscaya) path to liberation consists in realizing the pure-soul-substance (suddha atmatattva) through undivided interest (ruci), clear observation (pratiti) and unwavering experience (anubhuti). @ @ . . . .. . 204
