________________
Shedding of Karma (Nirjarā)
75
Let us consider another example. Two facts - (i) The appearance of snow, fire, etc. on the movie screen, and (ii) the white light employed in the movie projector is free from the scenes of snow, fire, etc. – may go together. Scientists know that the snow, fire, etc. on the movie screen cannot appear without the white light source but they also know that the source of scenes of snow, fire, etc. on the screen is the film, not the white light. We can take one more example: While watching dance, music, faces of actors and actresses on the TV screen, if the power (AC 220 volt) goes off then the screen on TV does not show all such scenes. Does it mean that all such dance, music, faces of actors, etc. come from the power line? We know that its answer is 'No'. Here again scientists know that the dance, music, dialogues, etc. on the TV screen cannot appear without the electric power supply but the source of scenes and music from the TV is not the electric power supply. Scientists know that the 220 volt supply line does not possess such signals of dance, music, etc.
We are discussing Nirjarā. Nirjarā means partial shedding of the previously bonded Karma. Ācārya Kundakunda is logically explaining the core part of the shedding. For the physical shedding of Karma the shedding at the conceptual level is a necessary requirement. To explain the same, Ācārya Kundakunda in stanza 200 says that an enlightened being knows that he is a soul or knower and disowns the pain, pleasure, liking, disliking, etc. These are considered as the fruition of Karma. (Just as white light or AC power line in the above examples disowns the signals of fire, snow, dance, etc. appearing on the screen. Scientists know that the sources of signals of fire, snow, dance, etc. are different from the white light or AC power.)
परमाणुमित्तयं पि हु रागादीणं तु विज्जदे जस्स।
