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Principle of Asrava (Influx) :
a Study
PRINCIPLE OF ASRAVA (INFLUX) The asraya, in Jain āgamas and philosophy is defined thus the thoughts, words and activities, by which the pudgalas of karmavargaņas flow-in, to get connected with ātma-pradeśas, is āsrava. In other words, psychological, vocal and physiological activitiesvibrations (yoga) of ātman, is āsrava. 1
Ātman and pudgala, both are of opposite nature. The qualities of ātman are--knowledge, consciousness and bliss; while that of pudgala are--touch,taste, smell and colour i. e., rūpi; it is also totally senseless, without consciousness and any kind of feeling. Pudgala is rūpi while ātman is arūpī.
Until and unless ātman remains in his own self nature, karmas do not inflow; but as soon as ātman, due to delusion, attracts towards other objects i. e., para-bhāva or vibhāva, the pudgalas of kārmanavargaņā, which are called as karmas, flow-in. The way of flowing-in of karmas is called āsrava. Aiman gets karmas through asrava.
As in a pond, water comes through a channel so the karmas come to the ātman through äsrava. Hence, āsrava or influx means the way of karmas to come to ātman.
FIVE TYPES OF ASRAVA: The causes of bondage are five, viz., mithyātva (wrong-belief), 1. (a) Sarvārthasiddhi, 6/2.
(b) Sūtrak rtānga-Sīlānka-vrtti, 2/5/17, p. 128. (C) Āvaśyaka-Hāribhadrīyā-V rtti, Mal. Hem. Hi. p. 84. (d) Adhyātmasāra, 18/131.
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