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MAHĀVĪRA'S OMNISCIENCE
131 though he has accepted the religious equipment, (if) corrupted by the three activities, he is discontented, he only deceives himself.”
After these reflections, Indrabhūti and his five hundred disciples accepted the religious equipment presented by the gods.
When Agnibhūti heard that he (Indrabhūti) had taken initiation, he thought: “ Certainly Indrabhūti has been deceived by that sorcerer. I shall go and defeat this one thinking himself omniscient, though he is not omniscient. I shall bring back my brother who was defeated only by sorcery. Without sorcery who is able to defeat the very intelligent Indrabhūti who knows the esoteric meaning of all the śāstras ? Sorcery is victorious over the honest. If he knows the doubt that is in my heart and destroys it, then I, too, with my disciples will become his disciple, like Indrabhūti.”
After these reflections, Agnibhūti, attended by five hundred disciples, went to the samavasaraṇa and stood near the Lord Jina. The Lord said to him: “Brāhman Agnibhūti, member of the Gautama-family, the doubt in your heart is: 'Is there karma or not? How can the soul which is without form, acquire karma which has form and which can not be reached by the pramānas, 146 direct, et cetera? How can there be injury and benefit between a formless soul and karma with form?' Your doubt is quite unnecessary. Karma is grasped directly by people with supernatural knowledge, but for people like you it is understandable by inference from the sight of the diversity of souls. From the diversity of karmas only arise the conditions of existence, pleasant, unpleasant, et cetera of creatures. Therefore, determine: there is karma. For instance, some may be kings with elephants, horses, and chariots
146 99. Means of knowledge. There are 2 kinds: direct (pratyakşa) and indirect (paroksa). Mati and śruta knowledge are direct. The other three are indirect. See T., I. 6. 10 ff.; 0, of J. pp. 112 f.
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