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IV, IV]
STATES AND PROCESSES OF KARMAN
255
of the doctrine of karman. A process of the karman presupposes a process of the energy, and similarly a process of the energy presupposes a process of the karman. Besides these processes of the karman, there are certain states of the karman such as 'endurance of the karman for a certain period of time' (sattā), 'endurance without producing the effect (abädhā), and 'coming into effect' (udaya). Let us describe, in brief, these states and processes.
About bondage we have already spoken in detail. The energy (virya) that is needed to attract the karmic matter for bondage is the process of the energy called 'bondage'. The soul attracts karmic matter at every instant of its worldly career, and assimilates it into so many types of karman, which mature into fruition in due course. There is thus incessant inflow of the karmic matter into the soul, and the consequent bondage leading to various deformations and disabilities of the soul which by itself is so pure and immune from all defilement. This process of bondage is without beginning, but not endless. It stops with the stoppage of the activity (yoga) of the soul. The stoppage of the activity is attended by the release of the undefined infinite energy. Association with the karmic matter delimits the energy, and the delimited energy effects the association with karmic matter. Thus the process goes on. The other details about the process of bondage can be known from what we have already stated.
Next comes the process of 'transformation' (sazkramana) which means the transformation of one karman into another. 'Transformation is a process whereby the soul transforms the nature, the duration, the intensity, and the numerical strength of one kind of karmic matter into those of another which it is binding at the time by means of the manifestation of a particular kind of potency.'? The soul is perpetually undergoing metamorphosis leading to the various processes of karman. Transformation is one such process. By it, the soul either deposits a formerly bound karman into one which it is binding at the time and then transforms it into the latter, or of the many kinds of karmic sub-types that it is binding, one karmic sub-type is transformed into another. Thus, for instance, the soul can deposit a previously
1 badhyate jivapradeśaiḥ sahā 'nyonyānugatīkriyate 'staprakäram karma yena virya-viseșeņa tad bandhanam-Kp, Bandhanakarana, p. 19 (I).
2 sankramyante 'nyakarmarüpatayā vyavasthitaḥ prakrti-sthity-anubhāgapradeśā anyakarma-rüpatayā vyavasthäpyante yena tat sankramaņam--Ibid. Also cf.
so samkamo tti vuccai jam bandhaņa-pariņao paogenam pagayantarattha-daliyam pariņamai tayaņubhāve jam.
-Kp, Samkramakarana, gathā 1. 3 Cf. badhyamänäsu prakstiņu madhye abadhyamāna-prakrti-dalikam praksipya badhyamāna-prakstirūpatayā yat tasya pariņamanam, yac ca vā badhyamānānām prakstināṁ dalika-rūpasye 'taretara-rūpatayā pariņamanam tat sarvam sankramaņam ity ucyate-Ibid., p. I (2).
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