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CHAPTER IV PUNYA AND PĀPA-VIRTUE AND VICE.
The single actor Karma enters the stage putting on the garb of two different characters, Punya and Papa, Virtue and Vice.
कम्ममसुहं कुसीलं सुहकम्मं चावि जाणह सुसीलं ।
कह तं होदि सुसीलं जं संसारं पवेसेदि ॥१४५।। kammamasuhan kusilam suhakammai cīvi jāņaha susilam kaha tam hodi susilam jam saṁsāram pavesedi (145)
कर्माशुभं कुशीलं शुभकर्म चापि जानोहि सुशीलं ।
कथं तद् भवति सुशीलं यत्संसारं प्रवेशयति ॥१४५॥ 145. Know ye, that the karma leading to wrong conduct is bad and that leading to right conduct is good. How can that be right conduct which pushes jiva into saṁsāra (cycle of births and deaths).
COMMENTARY
The distinction of karma into good and bad is based upon practical morality. What is good may lead one to the pleasures of svarga and what is evil may lead one to the miseries of Hell. Even the life of a deva in svarga, is only a life in saṁsāra. Svarga or naraka is merely a branch of saṁsāra, the cycle of births and deaths. The ultimate ideal set up transcends both good and evil and is beyond samsāra. Hence whatever leads to saṁsāra is undesirable from this ultimate point of view. Hence the interrogation, “How can that be right conduct which pushes jīva into saṁsāra ?” Next the same point is elucidated by an example.
सोवणियं पि णियलं बंधदि कालायसं च जह पुरिसं ।
बंधदि एवं जीवं सुहमसुहं वा कदं कम्मं ॥१४६।। sovanniyam pi niyalañ baîndhadi kālāyasam ca jaha purisam bamdhadi evam jīvan suhamasuham vā kadar kammam (146)
सौवर्णिकमषि निगलं बध्नाति कालायसं च यथा पुरुषम् । बध्नात्येवं जीवं शुभमशुभं वा कृतं कर्म ॥१४६॥
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