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CHAPTER III
COMMENTARY
Just as water gets muddy through association with clay, the asravas, because of association with impurities, are impure. But the Bhagavan Atma, because of his eterna! association with the absolutely clear nature of cit or intelligence, is perfectly pure. Asravas being physical modes are non-intelligent and hence of contrary nature. But the Lord Atma is eternally of the nature of knowledge and hence uncontaminated by an alien characteristic. Asravas, because they always are productive of unpleasant experience, cause misery. But Bhagavan Atmā, in his state of eternal bliss, cannot be the causal agent of any thing else and much less be the cause of misery. Hence asrava is impure, acetana and the cause of misery, whereas the Atma, is always, pure, cetana and the cause of eternal bliss. Their natures thus being fundamentally different, the jiva that possesses the discriminative knowledge naturally abstains from the asravas, such as anger, etc. The discriminative knowledge thus leading to abstention from the impure asravas is emphasised here, for otherwise, the Jaina point of view would be indistinguishable from that of the Samkhyās. According to the Samkhyas, vivekajñana, the discriminative knowledge, constitutes the summum bonum of life. But according to the Jaina thought, right knowledge must necessarily lead to right conduct and only then it will lead to mokşa or Liberation.
अहमेक्को खलु सुद्धो णिम्ममओ णाणदंसणसमग्गो । affget af at aà yà a¿ àfa 11031||
ahamekko khalu suddho nimmamao ṇāṇadamsaṇasamaggo tamhiṭṭhido taccitto savve, ede khayam nemi (73) अहमेकः खलु शुद्धनिर्ममश्चः ज्ञानदर्शनसमग्रः ।
तस्मिन् स्थितस्तचित्तः सर्वानेतान् क्षयं नयामि ॥७३॥
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73. I am really one, pure, without the sense of ownership or "mine-ness" and full of complete knowledge and perception. Firmly resting in the true consciousness of such a Self, I shall lead all these asravas such as anger, etc, to destruction.
COMMENTARY
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