Portrait of Jain Religion

Author(s): Narendra Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 76

NIRJARA- ERADICATION OF ALL KARMAS
"Nirjara" or eradication of karmas is a process of soul-purifying endeavour through resort to penance and austerities. The six types of internal penance are repentance, humility, self-less service, self-study, meditation and renunciation. The six external forms of penance are 'anashan' (total fasting for a set period of time), Unodari (eating less than appetite), Vrutti sankshep (eating within limits of pre-determined restrictions on number of items, area, time, source of cooking etc., Ras tyag (giving up tasty food), Kaya klesha (tolerating physical pain voluntarily) and Sanlinata (staying in forlorn places and occupying limited space). Fasting depends on one's capacity and will power and could range from ekasan, biyasan, ayambil to upavas, navakarashi, porsi and varshitap and so on.
Soul's essential characteristic is consciousness. The qualities of Jiva are obvious through a physical body when the soul is present in it. But when the soul departs, the physical body perishes. Thus the body and the soul are two distinct entities. Souls can be classified into two main categories: Liberated or Siddha jiva, and non-liberated or Sansari Jiva. Liberated souls have no karmic bondages, and have gone out of the cycle of birth and death. Siddhas are formless, but with perfect knowledge and perception, and possess infinite vigor and bliss.
FEATURES OF WORLDLY SOULS
Worldly or sansari soul is covered by karmic particles. Unlike Siddhas, it has the following characteristics :
(1) Limited knowledge, vision, power and bliss;
(2)
Possesses a body (human, animal, insect, plants, hellish or angel;
(3)
(4)
(5)
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Is caught up in the cycle of birth and death; Suffers from birth, death, pleasure and pain; Doer of all kinds of karmas-good and bad;
A Portrait of Jain Religion