________________
62
E A. Solomon one who is not a kicg ever check or defeat a king 21 This vasana has falsely arisen like the unreal appear arce of so mcons and so can be dispelled. Avidyā appears as if it were existent in fools. As the name itself sigcifies, it is non-existent, and carnot possibly be there in the enlightened. Avidya is bighly Celusive; it makes the non-exis. tent existent and vice-versa. As in dreams, state of copfusion and the like, the character of cloth is seen at times in a jar, what is far appears to be near and so on; so anything is possible in the case of avidyā. Whatever the mind encircled ia vāsanā thinks about and calls into imaginary existence it experiences in that very manner; but this latter is neither sat (exis. tent) nor asat (non-existent).2
This avidya disappears at the dawn of the knowledge of the self as dew disappears immediately on there being the first touch of the rays of the sun. When this avidyā apprehends the Supreme, it itself perishes like shade wisbing to enjoy sunlight.
Avidyā is coihing else but desire (icchāmātrām) and its destruction is mokşa which is attained by keeping away from desires.3 The bondage in the form of manas is impure, non-existent, delusive frightful. It is called māyā or avidyā or bhāvana (creative imagination). The wine deluding the world is known as avidyā; infatuated by it, people do not attain bliss. Avidya arises by iiself out of samkalpa (will, desire) like a tree in the sky; by desisting from it the pure state is attained 4 Mind (manas) is an imaginary relationship between (cit-sakti) and the creative impulse (spanda-sakti); it is imaginary and is termed false 1. Yv. III, 112.5-19.
एषा हि वासना नित्यमसत्यैव यदुत्थिता । द्विचन्द्रान्तिवत् तेन त्यक्तु राघव युज्यते ॥१॥
अविद्या विद्यमानेव नष्टप्रशेषु विद्यते । नामैवाऽङगीकृताभावात् सम्यकप्रज्ञेषु सा कुतः ॥२॥
-Yv. III. 113. 1-2 इत्येव राघवाऽविद्या महती भ्रमदायिनी । असत् सत्तां नयत्याशु सच्चाऽसत्तां नयत्यलम् ॥१०॥ सर्वमेतदविद्यायां संभवत्येव राघव । घटेषु पटता दृष्टा स्वप्नसंभ्रमितादिषु ॥१२॥ दूर निकटवद् भाति मुकुरेऽन्तरिवाचलः । चिर शीघ्रत्वमायाति पुनः श्रेष्ठेव यामिनी ॥१३॥ वासनावलितं चेतो यद् यथा भावयत्यलम् । तत्तथाऽनुभवत्याशु न तदस्ति न वाऽप्यसत् ॥१६॥
-Yv. III 120. 10, 12, 13, 16 3. Yv. III. 114.7. 4. Yv. IV. 21. 36-37; III. 114. 20-48.
2.
For Personal & Private Use Only
Jain Education International
www.jainelibrary.org
