Soul Science Part 02

Author(s): Parasmal Agrawal
Publisher: Kundakunda Gyanpith

Page 18

XVI
Foreword
The present volume, namely Soul Science Part II, is the continuation of earlier released Part I that presents Samayasāra (stanzas 1-144) by Jain Acārya Kundakunda together with annotations by Prof. Paras Mal Agrawal in English. This volume refers to stanzas 145-287 that covers the following important topics of Jain philosophy.
Chapter 4: Virtue and Vice (Punya and Pāpa) Chapter 5: Influx of Karma (Asrava) Chapter 6: Stoppage of influx of Karma (Samvara) Chapter 7: Shedding of Karma (Nirjarā) Chapter 8: Bonding of Karma (Bandha)
These topics have great significance as they categorize our activities as inauspicious (aśubha), auspicious (śubha) and pure (śuddha), and their resultant bondage with the soul. Ultimately there is inadequacy of both, inauspicious and auspicious, to attain bliss, true knowledge, and liberation of the soul from its worldly transmigration existence (Stanzas 145-148). The matter karmas bonded with the soul are inert as they are suppressed from action and hence do not matter to one with right vision. Activation/fructification of these inactive and bonded karmas produces impact/experience, but the one with right knowledge understands these as separate from his own nature and hence does not get further bondage. Such active karmas, like ripe fruits fall of the tree, also get separated from the soul after fructification.
Like a true teacher and in the tradition of Ācārya Kundakunda, Prof. Agrawal uses a number of real life examples to explain the minute difference in our activities which can be categorized as inauspicious, auspicious, and pure. Particularly, his use of examples of ordinary person's dealing with money and family matters to explain the philosophical cum spiritual message given by Ācārya Kundakunda is praiseworthy. Like Jain scriptures use Prāksta, common man's language,