Book Title: Studies in Jaina Philosophy
Author(s): Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Jain Cultural Research Society

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Page 295
________________ 258 JAINA DOCTRINE OF KARMAN [CH. energy that is requisite for the process is called the process of premature realization (udiranā-karana). In brief, 'premature realization' is the process by which a karman is made capable of premature fruition." The process necessarily involves 'decreased realization'. Next we come to the process called 'subsidence' (upasamană). The 'subsidence' is a process which holds up the processes of ‘rise' (udaya), 'premature fruition', nidhatti and nikācanā? of the karmic matter. The manifestation of the requisite energy is called the process of subsidence (upaśamanā-karana). We have stated on more than one occasion that the world process is considered to be without beginning. It is also admitted that everyone is striving in his own way for the realization of the ultimate state of emancipation. The striving becomes a self-conscious effort only when a measure of purity has been achieved by the soul. The processes of the deluding karman play a very important part in the making up of the worldly existence, and it is only the holding up (upaśamanā) of this karman that gives the soul a glimpse of the truth of reality. The soul develops its inherent love of truth into a definitive self-conscious predilection which illumines the spiritual journey leading to the ultimate goal. The process of 'subsidence' thus occupies a very important place in the spiritual speculations of the Jainas. We shall have occasion in the next chapter to describe the process in some detail. The subsidence (upaśamanā) is only a temporary holding up of the deluding karman. The antithesis of it is total dissociation (ksaya) which means total disintegration of the karmic matter from the soul. Then there is the process of dissociationcum-subsidence (kşayopaśama) wherein some portion of karmic matter is held up, some portion is exhausted by fruition, while some is in rise (udaya). Thus, for instance, at the time of perceptual cognition (matijñāna), which is a state of dissociation-cum-subsidence of the relevant sub-type of the knowledge-covering karman, some 'partially obscuring intensity-classes' (deśaghāti-spardhakas) of the said karman are held up, some such are exhausted by fruition, while others are in rise. Dissociation (kşaya) and dissociation-cum-subsidence (kşayopaśama) are not treated separately from subsidence (upaśama) in view of their lack of any peculiarity of nature. Dissociation is the state of absence of the karman and as such needs no description. Dissociation-cumsubsidence is a complex of dissociation (kşaya), subsidence (upaśama), and rise (udaya) and so can be understood if the latter three are 1 Cf. udiryate 'nudaya-prăptaṁ karma-dalikam udayāvalikāyām praveśyate yayā sā udiraņā-Kp, Bandhanakarana, p. 19 (2). 2 Nidhatti and nikācanā will be defined immediately after the description of the process in question. 3 karma-pudgalánām udayodīraņā-nidhatti-nikācana-karaṇāyogyatvena vyavasthāpanam upaśamanā--Kp, Bandhanakarana, p. 19 (1). Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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