________________
424
A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINÁ PHILOSOPHY
a judge dispenses judgement. This current of thought is also to be found in the philosophical systems like Nyāya, Vaiseşika, Sesvara Sankhya and Vedānta.
The performance of yajña has also been referred to as karma. It is non-permanent and it exhausts itself the moment the fruits of yajña are dispensed with. But this dispensation needed an agency. Mimāṁsā darsana introduced the concept of apūrva for the purpose of distribution of fruits of karmas with the help of which the gods dispense karma. In Vaiseșika thought adrsta has been mentioned as an attribute and it has two forms of dharma and adharma. The Nyāya school consider dharma and adharma as saņskāras. The soul is affected by saṁskāra through the effect of good and bad karmas, under the guidance of ad rşta. Adrsta is the attribute of soul and it remains with the soul as long as the effect of the karma is not dispensed.
If I svara were not be dispense the fruits of karma to the jiva the fruits of karma would be meaningless. The Sänkhya consider karma as a product of praksti. The good and evil tendencies are influenced by sarskāra. Saṁskāra is a disposition to the kārmic effect. The Vedic tradition gives importance to the karma and its effects on the individual soul.
BUDDHIST CONCEPTION OF KARMA
V The Buddhist and Jaina philosophies belong to the śramara current of thought which give emphasis on karma. The Buddhists have given elaborate discussion on the invisible effects of karma. The Buddhists say that the variety and inequality among living beings is due to karma. Due to the infatuation and the effect of emotion, the jiva acts through the body, speech and mind, and produces like attachment and hatred. In this way, the wheel of sarsāra moves on
1 Nyāyasūtra 4,1 2 Sänkhyasūtra 5, 25 3 Milinda pragna 3, 2
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org