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Chapter 6
ÄSRAV INCOMING OF KARMA
It was pointed out earlier that there are two traditions among Jains for dealing with Tattvas (fundamentals). One treats them as seven Tattvas and the other as nine. The former is Digambar tradition, which does not consider Punya and Päp as separate fundamentals and considers them as implicit in Äsrav. The latter is Shwetambar tradition, which treats Punya and Päp as separate fundamentals and therefore considers that there are nine fundamentals, which are collectively termed as Navtattva.
Tattvärtha Sutra adopts the former approach. As such, after dealing with the first two, viz. Jeev (the sentient being) and Ajeev (insentient matter), it treats Äsrav as the third fundamental. Äsrav means incoming. The term denotes doors though which Karma enters the Pradeshas of a soul. For instance, dirt and other particles of garbage may come in a house through its doors and windows. Those doors and windows can therefore be reckoned as Äsrav for dirt etc.
कायवाङ्मनःकर्म योगः ॥६-१॥ स आस्त्रवः ॥६-२॥
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