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CHAPTER I
जीवो चरित्तदंसणणाणद्विदो तं हि ससमयं जाण । पोग्गलकम्मुवदेसट्ठियं च तं जाण परसमयं ॥२॥ jivo carittadansanananaṭṭhido tam hi sasamayaṁ jāṇa, poggalakammuvadesaṭṭhiyam ca tam jāņa parasamayam (2) जीवश्चारित्रदर्शनज्ञानस्थितः तं हि स्वसमयं जानीहि ।
पुद्गलकर्मोपदेशस्थितं च तं जानीहि परसमयम् ॥२॥
2. Know ye that the Jiva which (in its intrinsic purity) rests on Right Conduct, Faith and Knowledge is the real Self. But that which is conditioned by Karmic materials is other than the real
COMMENTARY
This gatha states the fundamental problem of philosophy which is discussed by all the systems of thought, both in the East and in the West. The term Svasamaya, the Ego-in-itself is the pure and ultimate reality which is considered to be the ideal aimed at by all the Indian Darśanas and also by some of the western schools of thought. This Ego-in-itself is characterised by the three qualities of Darśana, Jñana, and Caritra-Belief, Knowledge and Conduct. These three attributes are also associated with the ordinary human personality in the empirical world. In the latter case the terms have quite intelligible significance in as much as the activity of the ordinary human personality manifests through his own body. The threefold characteristics of Darśana-Jñana-Caritra are to be understood in relation to the body. But in the case of the Ego-in-itself, which is entirely free from upadhic conditions, the ordinary significance associated with the terms will not hold good. Here we have only to consider the nature of the Pure Self and hence these terms must be interpreted consistent with the state of the Self which is free and pure from upadhic conditions. Caritra cannot therefore mean the same thing as conduct associated with an ordinary man. It must imply the pure and intrinsic activity of the spiritual entity which goes by the name of Paramātmā or the Ego-in-itself. Similarly the other two characteristics must imply the intrinsic vision and knowledge which are associated
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