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98
THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE JAINAS.
वस्थस्स सेदभावो जह णासेदि मलविमेलणाच्छएणो।
अण्णाणमलोच्छएणं तह णाणं होदि णादव्वं ॥ १६५ ॥ वस्थस्स सेदभावो जह णासेदि मलविमेलणाच्छएणो । तह दु कसायाच्छरणं चारित्तं होदि णादव्वं ॥ १६६॥ वस्त्रस्य श्वेतभावो यथा नश्यति मलविमेलनाच्छन्नः । मिथ्यात्वमलावच्छन्नं तथा च सम्यक्त्वं खलु ज्ञातव्यं ॥ १६४॥ बस्नस्य श्वेतभावो यथा नश्यति मलविमेलनाच्छन्नः । भज्ञानमलावच्छनं तथा ज्ञानं भवति ज्ञातव्यं ।। १६५ ।। वस्त्रस्य श्वेतभावो यथा नश्यति मलविमेलनाच्छनः । तथा तु कषायोच्छन्नं चारित्रं भवति ज्ञातव्यं ।। १६६ ॥
164, 185 & 168. As the white character of cloth is lost by being covered with a coating of dirt, so should the right belief (characteristic of the soul) be known (to be) obscured by the dirt of wrong belief. As the white character of cloth is lost by being covered with a coating of dirt, so should right knowledge be known (as) obscured by the dirt of wrong knowledge. As the white character of cloth is lost by being covered with a coating of dirt, so should certainly right conduct be known (as) obscured by the passions.
Commentary. Gathas 164 to 166 illustrate the condition of soul, which is brought about by operation of Karmas, bound before. Cloth made up of cotton threads is really white in its natural colour but owing to its contact with mud, its whiteness is obscured, and it looks dirty. But really the whiteness is not destroyed. The dirtness has come over it as a mere coating only. Similarly right belief, right knowledge and right conduct are the real and inseparable attributes of the soul. Operation of wrong belief, knowledge-obscuring and passion-karmas has obscured them. Removal of their operation will allow the threefold nature of the soul to illumine purely and rightly.
सो सपणाणदरसी कम्मरयेण णियएण उच्छएणो। संसारसमावगणो णवि जाणदि सव्वदो सव्वं ॥१६७॥
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