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Agurulaghu
185
The third usage pertains to our ordinary notion of heavy weight and light weight. That which is heavy and has a tendency to go down is 'guru', e.g. stone etc. Laghu is light, like smoke etc. whose nature is to go up. Vāyu is called 'gurulaghu', as it tends to move across. That which is neither light nor heavy is 'agurulaghu' as for instance, Akāša. Thus, "agurulaghu', here, signifies the negation of the different degree of lightness and heaviness of weight. From this point of view, all the arūpi incorporeal Dravyas viz., Java, Dharma, Adharma and Akāśa are called 'agurulaghu'. In the rūpi Pudgala, atoms and those subtle molecular aggregates (skandhas) which possess four kinds of touch are called agurulaghu, and the rest of the rūpi substances, viz., the gross molecular aggregates, possessed of the eight kinds of touch, etc. are 'gurulaghu'. Thus, the molecular aggregates which constitute the Aūdārika, Vaikriya, Āhāraka and Taijasa bodies are called 'gurulaghu', while those which form the Karmaņa body, mind and speech are "agurulaghu'.
Now, of the three usages given above, the first twe, as can be seen, refer specially to Jiva and karma. Though the term itself is negative (3T+TETET) its import is positive in these two cases. The third meaning of the term, as applied to all the fundamental Dravyas, seems to indicate the negative character of the attribute.
The question, now, is, whether the ‘agurulaghu-paryāyas or pariņāmas', which are frequently referred to in the Jaina philosophical literature, are to be understood as the Paryāyas of this attribute (as applied to all the ultimate Dravyas). The negative character of the attribute, however, makes it difficult to understand them (the paryayas) that way. So, what could be the meaning of 'agurulaghu', as an attribute - undergoing Pariņāma - of all the
the one who refrains from them and leads a pious life is called ‘laghu-karma'. The liberated soul is beyond these two. Thus, 'gurulaghu' and 'agurulagbu', here signify the different degrees of spirituality. cf.
Bh. Sú. 1. 9. 73. 4 cf. Bh. Sú. 1. 9. 74. and its commentary by Abhayadeva.
