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294
TATTVĀRTHA SŪTRA
Just as a lamp draws up oil through its wick and through the instrumentality of its own heat makes this oil undergo transformation of the form of flame, so also does a jīva through the instrumentality of its mental perturbances of the form of kasāya receive into itself the appropriate physical particles and make them undergo transformation of the form of karma. The association with the constituent-units of a soul of the physical particles that have undergone transformation of the form of karma—that is called 'bondage'. For this bondage so many factors like mithyātva etc. act as a cause; even so, when it is here said that a jīva receives physical particles on account of its association with a kasāya then the intention is to emphasize the prominence of kasāyas as compared to the remaining factors in question. 2-3.
The Types of Bondage :
Prakrti or nature, sthiti or duration, anubhāva or intensity, pradeśa or constituent-unit-these four are the types of it (that is, of bondage). 4.
That certain physical particles received by a jīva undergo transformation of the form of karma means that at that time four elements are produced in them; it is these elements that constitute the types of bondage. For example, when the grass etc. eaten by a she-goat, cow, buffalo etc. undergo transformation of the form of milk then there is a binding of the nature of
eetness in this milk: then there is also worked up in relation to this sweetness the time-limit up to which it is to remain there in the milk; again, this sweetness is possessed of the specialities like intensity, mildness etc; lastly, the physical quantity of the milk is built up alongside all this. Similarly, in the karmic-particles received into itself by a jīva and got combined with its constituent-units there are produced four elements—viz nature, duration, intensity, constituent-units
(1) The binding of the nature-e.g. the nature to conceal jñāna, the nature to obstruct darśana, the nature to cause the experience of pleasure, pain etc.—that takes place in the karmic particles is called prakrtibandha or bondage in respect of nature.
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