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A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
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from the point of view of four-fold distinctions of varna. Elsewhere also, 71 distinctions have been made in the consequential effects (prakṛti) in the same nama karma, by which subhanāma karma has been distinguished, into thirty seven1; and thirty-four types of asubhanāma karma. This is a brief analysis of the different types of namakarma. This analysis has no ideological difference. The duration of the namakarma is 8 muhurta in its lowest and 30 crores of crores sāgaropama in the highest3. Gotrakarma
That type of karma which determines the status of the individual in the family and the society is called gotra karma. This has reference to the higher status or the lower status of the family in society." Acārya Umāsvāti has given a description of the concept of gotra in terms of the higher and the lower status with reference to the desa (country), jāti (community), kula (sub-section of the community), sthāna (status), māna (respect in society), satkāra (the type of honour in society) aitvarya (the extent of prosperity or otherwise). In the case of the individual in the lower state of society, Umasvāti mentions some sections.5
Gotrakarma is primarily of two types: 1. Uccagotra karma which determines the higher status and the place of the individual in the family and in society. 2. Nicagotra karma which determines the lower status of individual in the family and the society."
Uccagotra karma is of eight types:
1. Jati uccagotra associated with the high status of the family with reference to the mother side.
2. Kula uccagotra, high status of the family from the paterna]
side.
1 Navatattva Sahitya Sangraha-Navatattvaprakarana 7, başya 37. 2 Navatattva Sahitya Sangraha: Navatattvaprakaraṇa 8, bhāṣya 49. 3 (a) Uttaradhyayana 33, 23.
(b) Tattvärthasutra, 8(17-20. 4 Prajñāpanā, 23/1288 Ţikā. 5 Tattvārthasūtra, 8/13 Bhāṣya. 6 Uttaradhyayana 33, 14,
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