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beginningless series of births and deaths of bodies in case of each individual soul. All this is due to basic ignorance latent in the soul. It is believed that in the course of its journey through different lives, the soul seems to be awakened to its goal indistinctly. It feels impelled internally to realize in life this indistinct vision. Now the great thinkers are of opinion that this impuse is the effect of the function of a particular energy entitled yathāpravșttikarana.. It ordinarily exists in the soul. As to when or how this impulse becomes effective and leads to practical results it is difficult to say but under certain circumstances it becomes irresistible. The impulse helps to snap however slowly the knot of the heart or HỊdayagranthi. It is the beginning of a struggle of the ignoring power against the outgoing forces hither:0 working in the soul. In case of sufficient strength in the impulse the knot is broken In the course of this struggle the soul has to pass through a double process which in Jaina philosophy is known as Apūrvakaraṇa and Anivrtakarana.2
· We have already referred to the first karaṇa named yathāpravịtti which has to face in a realistic manner the course of passions working in the soul. The second and third kāraņas are very important in as much as through them the initial force of inaction is overpowered. Passions have existed in the soul from times immemorial but they cannot exist for ever. As soon as Yathāpr.tvșttikarana begins to function there arises in the soul a tendency
o destroy the passions. This tendency also is supposed to be inherent in the soul though it begins to manifest itself only at a certain time when the soul becomes conscious of it. This awakening of consciousness in the soul is an important force in the direction of the destruction of the passions. It is clear from what has been said above that the soul begins to purify itself when the yathāpravșttikaraṇa has come into existence. This purification is nothing
1. Viseşāvasyaka Bhāşya, Brhadvrtti 1202, '
( अनादिकालात् कर्मक्षपणप्रवृत्तोऽध्यवसायविशेषो यथाप्रवत्तकरणमित्यर्थः' ) 2. Viśeşāvaśyakabbāşya, Bșhadvịtti, 1202
करणं यथाप्रवृत्तमपूर्वमनितिकमेव भव्यानाम' ।
