________________
CHAPTER IV
109 CHAPTER IV PUNYA AND PAPA-VIRTUE AND VICE
The single actor Karma enters the stage putting on the garb of two different characters, Punya and Pāpa, Virtue and Vice
कम्ममसुह कुसील सुहकम्म चावि जाणहसुसील ।
किह त होदि सुसील ज ससार पवेसेदि ॥१४५।। Kammamasuham kusilam Suhakammam chavi janayısusilam Kaha tam hodi susilam jam samsaram pavesedi (145)
कर्माशुभ कुशील शुभकर्म चापि जानीहि सुशील ।
कथ तद् भवति सुशील यत्ससार प्रवेशयति ॥१४५।। 145 Know ye, that the karma leading to wrong conduct is bad and that leading to light conduct is good How can that be right conduct which pushes Jiva into samsāra (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 swarga and what is evil may lead one to the miseries of Hell Even the life of a deva in Swarga, is only a life in samsāra Swarga or naraka is merely a branch of samsāra, the cycle of births and deaths The ultimate ideal set up transcends both good and evil and is beyond samsāra Hence whatever leads to samsāra is undesirable from this ultimate point of view Hence the interrogation, “How can that be right conduct which pushes jiva into samsāra ?" Next the same point is elucidated by an example
सोवण्णियपि णियल बधदि कालायस च जह पुरिस ।
बधदि एव जीव सुहमसुह वा कद कम्म ॥१४६।। Sovannıyampi niyalam vandhadi kalayasam cha jaha purisam Vandadi evam jivam subhamasubham va kadam kammam (146)
सौवर्णिकमपि निगल बध्नाति कालायस च यथा पुरुषम् ।
बध्नात्येव जीव शुभमशुभ वा कृतं कर्म ॥१४६॥ 146 A shackle made of gold is as good as one made of iron
