Soul Science Part 01

Author(s): Parasmal Agrawal
Publisher: Kundakunda Gyanpith

Page 70

34
Pre-view (Purva Ranga)
for a few minutes. (Note: In Kalasa 34 of Atmakhyāti, Acārya Amṛtacandra suggests us to continue such experiments for 6 months for the realization of the soul.)
Visualizing the physical body as something different from us is not easy. One can have doubts. One doubt has been raised and answered in the next five stanzas.
जदि जीवो ण सरीरं तित्थयरायरियसंशुदी चेव ।
सव्वा वि हवदि मिच्छा तेण दु आदा हवदि देहो ||26||
Jadi jivo na sarīram titthayarāyariyasamthudi cev. Savva vi havadi miccha tena du ādā havadi deho. ||26|| यदि जीवो न शरीरं तीर्थकराचार्यसंस्तुतिश्चैव ।
सर्वापि भवति मिथ्या तेन तु आत्मा भवति देहः ||26||
[A question is raised by an ignorant person:] If Jiva is not the physical body, then the hymns and worship of [physical bodies of] Tirthamkara and Acārya would prove wrong. Therefore, soul must indeed be the physical body. [Is it not so?] [26]
Annotation
In Jain traditions, devotees worship five Parameṣṭhi (beings of very high spiritual status). They are Arahanta, Siddha, Acārya, Upadhyaya, and Muni or Sadhu. Those who have renounced the worldly possessions and follow a definite code of conduct are called Muni. Among a group of Muni, the head of the group is called the Acārya. An Upadhyāya is a Muni who is entrusted with the task of teaching the group. A liberated soul is called a Siddha. Just after becoming the omniscient, the Muni is called Arahanta. The title Arahanta continues till he attains the liberation and becomes a Siddha. Spiritually, an Arahanta is free from any Moha, inclination of attachment (Rīga) and aversion (Dveṣa). He is free from all pains and problems and is in the perfect bliss. But he still has a physical body.
In a Jain temple, the idols of Tirthankara are worshiped. Those idols represent the physical bodies of Tirthamkara while they were