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Aspects of Jainology: Volume VI
phies of India revolve. Jainism maintains that the liberation the perfect and purified state of the soul, is the only and ultimate goal of every individual. Mukti does not mean in Jainism, the losing of one's own identity. The self retains its identity even in the state of liberation.
In Acaranga, the nature of Paramātmā (the immaculate soul) is described as that which is beyond the grasp of logic and intellect. He is one and alone. He is harmless. He is neither long nor short, nor a circle nor a triangle, nor a quadrilateral nor a sphere. He is neither black nor blue, nor red, nor yellow, nor white. He is neither pungent nor bitter, nor astringent, nor sour, nor sweet. He is neither hard nor soft, neither heavy nor light, neither cold nor hot, neither greasy nor dry. He is not subject to birth and decay. He is free from attachment. He is simileless. He baffles all terminology. There is no word to describe. He is neither sound nor form, nor odour, nor taste, nor touch. (Ayaro Ed. Yuvacārya Mahāprajña, J. V. B., Ladnun, 1981, pp. 262-266.)
In the Niyamasära ( 181 ), 'Being' (astitva), the pure existence is considered to be one of the qualities of a liberated soul. Moksa, according to Jainism, means a complete perfection and purification of soul. In the state of liberation there is neither pain nor pleasure, nor any obstruction, nor any annoyance, nor delusion, nor any anxiety. A liberated soul is really free from all sorts of impurities and from the cycle of birth and death (Niyamasara, 178-180). In liberation the soul realises the ananta-catustaya, i.e., infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinte bliss. and infinite power. This ananta-catustaya is the inherent nature of the soul. Jainism believes that every individual soul has the potentialities of Godhood and the soul can attain to it. By shedding away all the karmic particles of four destructive karmas (ghatikarma ), the soul attains Arhathood, which is the state of vitaraga-dasa or jivana-mukti. So long as the
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four non-destructive karmas, i.e., Nāma, Gotra, Ayusya and Vedaniya, are not exhausted the soul of Arhat remains in a highly refined physical body and preaches truth to the world. Shedding physical and karmic body, when these four non-destructive karmas are exhausted the soul of Arhat goes upto the topmost of the universe - abode of liberated soul known as siddhaśilā, remains there eternally and enjoys perfect knowledge, perfect power, perfect perception and perfect bliss (Niyamasära, 181-182). Thus, emancipation, according to Jainism, is nothing but realisation of one's own real nature.
Jaina Sadhana in Early Period
In the earliest Jaina agamas, particularly in Acaranga and Uttaradhyayana, we have a mention of Triyama, Caturyāma and Pañcayāma. Though Acaranga mentions Triyama, it does not give any detail about it. Its commentator Silanka had derived the meaning of three-fold path of liberation, i.e., Right faith, Right knowledge and Right conduct. But in my opinion this derivation of Śilanka is hardly in accordance with its real meaning. Triyama refers to the three vows - Non-violence, Truth and Non-possession. Jaina tradition is very firm in maintaining that Lord Parsva, the twenty-third Tirthankara had preached Caturyama - Non-violence, Truthfulness, Nonstealing and Non-possesiveness. Mahavira added one more yama celebacy as an independent vow in the Caturyama of Parsva and thus, introduced Pañcayama. Formerly, it was taken for granted that woman is also a possession and no one can enjoy her without having her in his own possession. But Mahavira took it as an independent vow. In some of the canonical works we also have a five-fold path of liberation but in a different way as Right faith, Right knowledge, Right conduct, Right penance and Right efforts. In Uttaradhyayana as well as in the works of Kundakunda the four-fold path of liberation, i.e., Right faith, Right knowledge, Right conduct and Right pen
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