Reality English Translation of Sarvarthasiddhi

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

Page 33

RIGHT FAITH
as the two are not distinct from each other. Quality or nature itself is substance. Belief in the ascertainment of things in their true character is right faith. The substances are the soul etc. that are described later.
Now the word darśana is derived from the root drối, the meaning of which is ‘seeing'. Hence the meaning of faith 'is not appropriate. But there is nothing wrong in this, as verba roots have several meanings. Still how could the well-known meaning be discarded? It is for this reason that this is the section dealing with the path to liberation. Faith in substances ascertained as they are is the characteristic of the soul, and it is an effeotive means of attaining liberation, as it concerns the souls worthy of liberation. But seeing ' depending on the eyes is common to all living beings of this world and hence it is not appropriate to the attainment of liberation.
If arthasraddhānam were employed in the sutra, then it would imply the several meanings of the word artha such as wealth, use, signification, etc. If tattvasraddhānam were used in the sutra, it would imply all abstract attributes. For some (the Vai eşikas) define tattvam as generality, substanceness, qualitiness and actionness. Or tattvam is one, which implies that all is one. Some hold the view that all this is Puruşa. If these be accepted, these are contradicted by direct knowledge and inference. Therefore both tattva and artha are used in the sutra in order to preclude these fallacies. Right faith is of two kinds, with attachment and without attachment. The former is characterized by serenity, incessant fear of the miseries of transmigration (samvega), compassion, devotion and so on. The latter is concerned with the purity of soul alone.
How does this right faith, based on substances ascertained as they are, arise ?
तनिसर्गादधिगमाद्वा Tannisargādadhigamādvă
(3) 3. That (This right faith) is attained by intuition or by acquisition of knowledge.