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A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
THE JAINA VIEW OF THE MOKŞA-STHĀNA
The Jainas say that the Jiva has the characteristics of Urdhvagati (tendency to go upwards).1 When the karmic particles are removed and when the soul is free from karma, it moves upwards to the end of the Lokākāśa and remains in its pure form in the Siddhaloka, at the end of Lokaska. It does not move further because there is the absence the Dharmastikāya in Alokākāśa. This state of perfection at the end of the Lokākasa is called Siddhaśilā. The Jaina literature presents the extension of Siddhaşilā and such a description of the extension of the place where liberated souls reside is not stated in any other school of Indian thought. According to the Jainas the world where the human beings inhabit, has the extension of fortyfive lakhs of yojanas and the extension of the Siddhakşetra has also forty-five lakhs of yojanas. From the Karmabhumi of the human beings, men can attain perfection through their self-efforts. In this sense, we can say, that the state of mokşa is the highest state of perfection to be attained. It is the state of freedom from misery. It is a state of self-realisation.
MOKŞA MĀRGA (THE PATH-WAY TO MOKṢA)
We may now consider the pathway to Mokşa. Just as in the science of medicine, four factors are important for consideration, like: the disease, cause of the disease, the removal of the disease and means of the removal of the same; so also in the understanding self-realisation, and the spiritual with path for the salvation, we should also consider the four important principles like samsara, the cause of saṁsāra, mokṣa, and the pathway to mokşa.2
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The different schools of Vedic traditions have given their interpretations of the pathway to Mokşa. The Upanisads and Bhagavadgitā are the foundational texts for the Vedic tradition. On the basis of the thoughts expressed in the Upanisads and the Bhagavadgita, Patñjali has given as elaborate discussion about Mokşa and pathway to
1 (a) Uttaradhyayana 19. 82 Uḍḍhaṁ pakkamai disam
(b) Prasamarati Prakarana 294-bhāṣya
(c) Tattvartharājavārttika
2 Yogadarśana Bhāşya 21. 25.
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