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The Sankhya-Yoga and the Jain Theories of Parinama
yoga between Ātman and karma, and samyoga is 4379197771 afat: i.e. obtaining what has not been obtained already. Thus, there are two distinct states involved in the notion of samyoga, the previous absence and the later presence-which are inconsistent with the hypothesis of absolute nityatva. Moreover, it will be asked, “How does a changeless and uniformly enduring Ātman suddenly happen to incur bondage ? Again, was it not free before the chains of bondage came to be put on it ? Then, does the bondage make any change in the Ātman or not? If it does, it is anitya, like any other mortal thing such as a piece of hide. If it does not, so as to keep it nirvikāra, the presence or absence of the bondage matter nothing to it who remains as unaffected as Ākāsa by change.*9
The opposite absolute view of anityatva of Ātman is shown to be untenable thus. If the Ātman is so absolutely anitya, as to undergo change every moment, the law of Retribution which requires personal identity of the doer and the enjoyer, would not hold good, i.e. the doer of the act will be one while the enjoyer of the fruits thereof will be quite a different person.
Similarly such Ātman cannot be the author of punya and papa. For, the single instant is the length of time just sufficient for it to come into exisience and there is nothing to spare for doing of punya and pāpa. If it be urged by way of defence that the Ātman of the first moment produced the Ātman of the next moment, and so on, so that there is a continuity, not the identity, of being, this defence will be of no avail. The law of homogeneity of cause and effect would require that a happy Ātman should beget only a happy Ātman, and so the vicissitudes of happiness and unhappiness in the Ātman would become impossible 50
49 SVM pp. 155-156 50 SVM. by Prof A. B. Dhruva, Notes, pp. 272, 273, 274
Cf. Similar arguments in DhS 194, 195 etc.. 218, 220-222, 228-231 etc. Sanmati-tarka I. 17-20 Ami 40-41 and AS and ASS on them. SVS. III. 32, 33, 35, 36. IV. 7-10
