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Tattva, Reality
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substance. At first sight, one is struck by this basic difference and fundamental contrast between cetana-dravya and acetana-dravya. It is difficult to see how these two substances are going to enter into relationship, relationship so close that each will modify the other for it is a well-established belief that jiva and karman are, from all eternity, closely linked.48 Thus we must now, in a very general way, try to make clear the process through which the original purity of the jiva is obscured in each of its four perfections by this truly material substance, karmic dust.
Before going into details concerning this process, we may note that this subject has been a constant preoccupation for Jaina sages and philosophers of all ages, and that already in the most ancient Agamas the idea of karman is present as a fundamental hypothesis, though it is not explicitly elaborated, or only partially so.49 The elaboration of this theme will later become extremely detailed. It is explained in numerous texts: the Tattvārtha-sūtra gives a brief, but comprehensive introduction on this subject, 50 and Acārya Kundakunda made a special study and exposition of the philosophical basis of this doctrine 51 Nemicandra, in the karmakānda, the second part of his Gommațasāra, makes a detailed study of it, of which the Dravyasaṁgraha, in a noteworthy synthesis, delivers the essential. At a later date the Karmagrantha, a major work attributed to Devendra Sūri, further completes the study of this theme;52 among other shorter but no less
48 Cf. SamSa 89; KarmG I, Introd.
49 Cf. e.g. AS I, 1, 5-6; 1, 3,1,3-4; I, 4, 2, 1; Dixit, 1978: "The karma doctrine in a primitive form" p. 9 and pp. 16; 20; 39. The Şatkhandāgama discusses bandha in detail. Cf. US XXXII which is both detailed and comprehensive
50 Pt. Sukhlal calls it: "The entire Karma-śāstra"; cf. TS Introd., pp. 89-90.
51 The SamSa is a profound, somewhat laboured, account of certain categories of which clearly jiva (ätman) and karman are fundamental ingredients. The PSa expresses in brief compass the same ideas.
32 A work in Prakrit of the XIIIth c. Certain sādhvis study it and one of them. Mahasati Lalità Bãi, has recently translated the karm into Gujarati.
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