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The interaction of Sanskrit through Jainism
137
are to prevent the inflow of karmic matter (samvara) and to shed the karmas he acquired in his previous birth (oir jarā). A soul cannot shed its karmas at once. It has to prepare itself on the path of renunciation where it withdraws from all the attachments of the material world and abandons all its desires. To reach the path of renunciation religion serves as a ladder in the shape of injunctions and rules of conduct. Jaina religion is made up of right belief (samyag-darśana), right knowledge (samyag-jñāna) and right conduct (samyag-cāritra), which are together known as a ratnatraya or gunatraya. These three as Ts. says are the paths to liberation.
samyagdarasan ajñānacāritrāņi mokşamärgaḥ1 (Right belief, right knowledge and right conduct are the path to liberation.)
This ratnatraya is often referred to in Cc. Accañanti, the teacher of Civakan, when imparting knowledge to Civakap says that the souls must have these three characteristics.
ko neri taļuvi ninra kunattoļu punarin māto
nå neri vakaiyi ninra naleuyirkk amirtam enrāna
(He said that the ambrosia for the four kinds of souls is the possession of the three guņas which form the path of Lord Jina).
Before attempting an analysis of Tevar's explanation of these "three gems" in his work, it is necessary to know what constitutes right faith, right knowledge and right conduct and how these are acquired.
Right faith
Right faith is the cause of right knowledge and right conduct. 3 Samantabhadra in his Ratnakaraşda (Sravakācāra Rk.) defines right faith as follows:
śraddhanam paramārthanam apta-agama-tapobhytäm/
trimūdha podham aştangam samyagdarśanam asmayam // (Right faith consists in believing the true ideal, scriptures, and teachers. It is free from three follies and has eight aspects. It is devoid of eight prides.)
Right faith is of two kinds, right faith from the practical point of view (vyava - hära-samyag-darśana) and right faith ftom the real point of view (niscaya-samyag-darsana). Right faith from the practical point of view is to have faith in the fundamental principles in Jainism and right faith from the real point of view is selfrealisation,
1 Ts. 1:1 2 Cc. v. 374 3 Samanta Bhadra, Ratnakaranda-Śrāvakācāra, The library of Jajna Literature, Vol. IX. Arrah,
1917, v. 31. 4 Rk. 4. Sc-18
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