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Shedding of Karma (Nirjarā)
79
attachment, hatred, etc. in which the soul has been associating itself are inappropriate and unacceptable positions/seats (Apada) for the soul.
(ii) All such seats/positions are to be abandoned.
(iii) One should grasp the soul which always remains the same, i.e., eternal and non-varying. For achieving such status, one does not need anything else. It is realizable by the soul by its own nature.
Further, this point has been elaborated in stanza 204 which conveys the following:
The permanent position/seat achievable by one is one's faculty of knowledge (JñanaPada). It is the supreme seat (Paramartha). The faculty of knowledge can be recognized by its various forms: (a) Knowledge associated with the sensual perception (MatiJñāna), (b) Knowledge associated with the contemplation of the scriptures and the input received through senses (ŚrutaJñāna), (c) Knowledge associated with the clairvoyance (AvadhiJñāna), (d) Knowledge associated with the ability of reading someone else's mind (ManaḥParyayaJñāna), and (e) Omniscience (KevalaJñāna).
It may be noted that here focus is not on the form or the name of the form of the knowledge. Acārya Kundakunda wants to point out that the soul's faculty of knowledge is eternal. The form changes but the faculty of knowledge is eternal. A soul whether in an insect life or in a less advanced form never becomes devoid of this knowledge faculty. Therefore, one should try to associate Iness with this eternal faculty. One should remain absorbed with this supreme seat (see stanza 151 also). This would lead to liberation.
Question: It sounds very strange that realization of the eternal knowledge faculty and its grasping leads to the liberation. Am I missing some hidden facts behind it?
