Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 3

Author(s): R P Poddar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 121

VAISHALI RESEARCH BULLETIN NO. 3
preserve the peace in the world. Wherever there is dispute between good and evil, he intervenes to settle it by siding the good against the evil.28
112
But here a question arises. Does the intervention of God in the scene of the world over-rule the law of Karma ? If it is replied affirmatively, then he is supposed to reward those who are involved in evil actions, and punish those who are engaged in good deeds.
Naturally it is not accepted because him proves him unjust. If he doess not over-rule the law of Karma, then the purposelessness on the part of God is proved--God becomes a superflous entity. The Karma, according to Jainas has the capacity at its proper time, of producing the effects upon the person who has generated it; it is held responsible for enjoyments and suffering of all beings."4 It is due to Karma that the universe keeps on going. All changes, all manifestations, all phenomena are due to Karma. In this sense, the Karma plays the same role as Māyā or Avidya of Vedantins in explaining the diversity of the phenomena of the world. Though the Karma theory has all along been accepted by all systems of Indian Philosophy and elaborated in Indian religious and secular literature, 16 but Jainas have explained this theory in such a way that Karma, Ishwara, Brahma, all become as synomymous of each other.27
Universe is Eternal and Real
The existence of God as creator or sustainer is elaborately and logically repudiated in Syadvadamañjari (verse-6). Adi Purāņa (Verse-4. 17-40), Sūtra Kritänga (I. 3. 5-9) and Sadarshana Samuchchaya etc.
Jainism also rejects the theory of Shankar school of Vedanta that the phenomenal world and individual souls are unreal or illusory, all events are passing appearances and the ultimate reality behind the phenomenal universe is Brahman. The assertion of some idealist Buddhists (farara) that the external world is purely psychical and its existence is illusory and as such has not substantiality of its own and the theory of emptiness or void (r) of Madhyamika Bauddhas that all things do not exist absolutely but relatively i. e. all phenomenal things have interdependent and interlinked process to pass through28, all these have been rejected by Jainas, because
23. Gita, 4. 7-8.
24. Panchastikāya Sāra, 69.
25. Ibid, 65-67; 128-130.
26. Brahma Vaivarta Purana, 3.12.23, 25.
27. fafa: ar faurar a, đ¤ 4 gerang | ŝgazgafa qafa: faður: : (Adi Purana, 4.37)
28. This Theory of dependent origination is known by the name of ). (See Madhyamika Kārikā,
Pratitya Samutpada ( 12, 12, 1-2; 22.2, 6 etc.