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Frankly speaking, if one lacks samyaktva, one's penance counts as baala tapa because he is wandering aimlessly in the dark. In the darkness of ignorance.
Aachaarya Amitagati thus commented on those who lack samyaktva but practise penance,
“Sudarshaneneha binaa tapasyaamicchati ye siddhikarii vimuudhaah. Kaankshanti biijena binaa pi manye krishim samriddhaam phalashaaliniim te" -Amitagatishraavakaachaara, Verse 3.84 (Page 72, Author: Aachaarya Amitagati, Publisher : Mulchand Kishandas Kapadia Digambar Jain Pustakaalay, Surat, year V.S.2015)
One who seeks to attain liberation through penance alone, without samyaktva, is like the farmer who expects a bumper crop without planting seeds.
The dreams of such people are never fulfilled.
One who cannot perceive himself, cannot answer the questions - Who am I? Where have I come from? Where shall I go from here? Am I insentient or sentient? Such a person cannot practise the dharma. In the absence of samyaktva, the seeker who has chosen to walk on the path of dharma is blind. He cannot discriminate between shreya (worthy), ashreya {unworthy, good or bad.
This has been explained in the Prashnottarashraavakaachaara as under:
"Netrahiinaa yathaa jiivaa ruupam jaananti naiva cha. Drishtihiinaa athaajneyaa deva-dharma gunaagunam”
Prashnottarashraavakaachaara Samyagdharshana, Author: Ashokmuni, Publisher: Diwaakarjyoti Karyaalaya, Byaawar (Rajasthan), year 1981)
Just as a vision challenged person cannot perceive the form of things, one who lacks samyaktva cannot know the true nature of the true god and the true dharma. Nor can he differentiate between the good and the bad.
One who lacks samyaktva is known as blind in philosophical terms. He is unable to know whether he is walking on the right path or not. One who is blind in terms of being unable to perceive his soul cannot walk on the path of dharma. Hence, samyaktva is the root cause of religious conduct. True self-realisation is the basis of dharma.
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