________________
CHAPTER I
is to obtain pure gold without any impurities will go on melting it a number of times till all the impurities completely disappear, but in the case of a person who does not want gold of such purity for making certain ornaments will not bother himself with such repeated processes of purifying it in the fire He may be satisfied with two or three times of fire-purification since his aim is not to obtain gold of the sixteen-touch purity Thus the object of the person determines the process of purification in the matter of gold The analogy is applied in the context to the purification of the Self Whether he adopts the pure point of view or the practical point of view depends upon the purpose in life adopted by the individual
Here ends the pithikâ or Introduction
The author then proceeds to describe the nine padār this of categories according to Jaina metaphysics
भूदत्थेणाभिगदा जीवाजीवा य पुण्णपाव च ।
आसवसवरणिज्जरबधो मोक्खो य सम्मत्त ॥१३॥ Bhūdatthenāthi gadā jīvājīvā ya punnapāvam cha Asavasamvaranijjara bandho mokkho ya sammattam (13)
भूतार्थेनाभिगता जीवाजीवौ च पुण्यपाप च ।
आश्रवसवरनिर्जरा बधो मोक्षश्च सम्यक्त्वम् ॥१३॥ 13 Right belief is constituted by a clear comprehension, from the real point of view of the nature of the following categories — Jiva (soul), Ajiva (non-soul), Punya (virtue), Papa (vice), Asrava (inflow of karmas), Samvara (stoppage of karmas), Nırjará (shedding of karmas), Bandha (bondage) and Moksha (emancipation)
COMMENTARY
The nine padarthas or categories are important because of their relevancy for understanding the life history of the soul Of these, the first two, jiva and apiva, the soul and the non-soul, are fundamental categories and associated with each other from beginningless time The other seven categories, though they are enumerated on a par with the first two, according to the doctrine of nava-padārthas, must be recognised as resultant categories
