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Summary of Paramatma Prakash
55
knowledge (darshanand jnana) are the qualities; the appearance in the four grades of existence are the modifications caused by Karman. (57-58).
The association between Jiva and Karman has no beginning in time, and further one is not created by the other; so both of them have no beginning in time. The embodied soul, because of its previous Karman, develops various conditions, and thus becomes virtuous or otherwise. The soul, thus obscured by eight Karmas, will not realize its own nature. Karman represents (subtle) atoms (of matter) that stick into the space-points (pradesh) to souls that are infatuated and tinted with sensepleasures and passions. Really speaking the five sense-organs, the mind, the tortures in the four grades of existence and all other conditions (ragadi-vibhava-parinamah) are, in fact, separate from (the nature of) the soul: they are fashioned by Karman for the soul. Various kinds of pleasures and pains and all the conditions such as bondage and liberation are brought about by Karman; the soul does nothing beyond mere seeing and knowing that is the realistic view. There is not a single region, in the eighty-four lakhs of births which has not been visited by the soul wandering without obtaining the instructions of Jina. (65* 1) The Atman can be compared to a lame person; by himself he neither comes nor goes; it is the force of Karman (vidhi) that drags about the soul in the three worlds. (59-66)
The Atman is himself, and he can never be anything else; that is a rule. So far as his real nature is concerned, he is not born he does not die; nor does he bring about anything like bondage or liberation. Various terms like birth, old age, death, disease, gender and colour do not, in fact, refer to the soul but only to the body. (67-70)
Atman is Brahman without old age and death which refer only to the body; so one should not be afraid of them. To reach the other end of Samsara one should meditate on the pure spirit without minding whether the body is cut, pierced or destroyed. The soul is essentially different from attachment etc. which are occasioned by Karmas and from other insentient
