Reality English Translation of Sarvarthasiddhi

Author(s): S A Jain
Publisher: Jwalamalini Trust Chennai

Page 30

2
THE ULTIMATE GOAL
attain it?' The saint answers, 'Liberation is the attainment of an altogether different state of the soul, on the removal of all the impurities of karmic matter and the body, characterized by the inherent qualities of the soul such as knowledge and bliss free from pain and suffering.'
Since this state of liberation is entirely beyond the experience of those who have not attained omniscience, other teachers of limited knowledge, who consider themselves omniscient, describe the state of liberation in utterly different ways, with words of fallacious reasoning which do not touch its nature. For instance, the Samkhya says that 'the nature of Puruşa is caitanyam (consciousness), and that is bereft of the knowledge of objects.' But such caitanyam1 is a non-entity, as it has no form like the horns of a donkey. The Vaiseṣika says that the annihilation of particular qualities such as intellect is the liberation of the soul. This idea also is untrue, for there is no object without particular qualities. The Bauddha says that the liberation of the soul is like the extinction of a light. This also is mere fancy like the horns of a donkey, and it is condemned by his own words. Similarly with regard to others. We shall describe the true nature of liberation later on.
Similarly, they make contradictory assertions even with regard to the path to liberation. 'Liberation is attained by means of knowledge alone irrespective of conduct, or by faith alone, or by conduct alone irrespective of knowledge.' Just as a person stricken with disease cannot free himself from it merely by a knowledge of remedy etc. severally, so also knowledge etc. severally do not constitute the means of liberation.
If so what is the means of liberation? These three together constitute the means of liberation.
सम्यग्दर्शनज्ञानचारित्राणि मोक्षमार्गः
Samyagdarsanajñānacāritrāṇi mokṣamārgaḥ
1. Right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct (to
॥ १ ॥ (1)
1 Such 'consciousness' postulated by the Samkhya, which is bereft of the characteristic of knowledge of objects, is no consciousness at all. For consciousness consists of knowledge of objects,