________________ Verse 171 The soul (jiva) which, with devotion to the Arhat, the Siddha, their idols (pratima) and the Scripture (agama, sastra, jinavani), observes supreme-restraint (parama samyama) and performs austerities (tapa), goes to the celestial-world (devaloka). EXPLANATORY NOTE The verse highlights that activities like devotion to the Arhat are a kind of obstruction to the direct (saksat) path to liberation. Such devotion is minute attachment (raga), though auspicious (subha). The soul (iva) with such devotion certainly gets soiled with karmas and becomes incapable of attaining liberation (moksa) in the present life, notwithstanding the supreme-restraint (parama samyama) and the austerities (tapa). It attains rebirth as a celestial-being (deva) with abundance of the pleasures of the senses. This rebirth is an obstruction (antaraya) in the direct (saksat) path to liberation (moksa). It would attain liberation (moksa) in another birth as a human being (manusya), after getting established in the pure-soul-substance (suddhatmatattva). . . . . . . . . . . 325
