Bhagavati-sutra (Viyaha-pannatti)
by K. C. Lalwani | 1973 | 185,989 words
The English translation of the Bhagavati-sutra which is the fifth Jaina Agama (canonical literature). It is a large encyclopedic work in the form of a dialogue where Mahavira replies to various question. The present form of the Sutra dates to the fifth century A.D. Abhayadeva Suri wrote a vritti (commentary) on the Bhagavati in A.D. 1071. In his J...
Part 1 - Monk’s power to know and see
Q. 85. Bhante! Does a monk with an advanced soul know and see a god, transformed with vaikriya-samudghāta, and going as a vehicle?
A. 85. Gautama! Some see the god but not the vehicle: some see the vehicle but not the god; some see both the god and the vehicle; some see neither the god nor the vehicle.
Q. 86. Bhante! Does a monk with an advanced sou! know and see a goddess, transformed with vaikriya-saṃudghāta, and going as a vehicle?
A. 86. Gautama! As aforesaid.
Q. 87. Bhante! Does a monk with an advanced soul know and see a god with a goddess, transformed with vaikriya-samudghāta, and going as a vehicle?
A. 87. Gautama! Some see the god with the goddess, but not the vehicle; like this (repeat) in four proper forms.
Q. 88. Bhante! Does a monk with an advanced soul see the internal portion of a tree, or its external portion?
A. 88. Four forms (to be stated). And like this, (for the following too:) Does he see the root, or the trunk? Four forms. Does (he) see the root, or the branches? Four forms. Like this, with the root, to be linked up the seed; and with the trunk, too, to be so linked up,...till the seed,...till with the flower, to be linked up the seed20.
Q. 89. Bhante! Does a monk with an advanced soul see the fruit of a tree or its seed?
A. 89. Four forms.
Notes (based on commentary of Abhayadeva Sūri):
20. Ten parts of a tree are: root, trunk, branch, bark, twig, sprout, leaf, flower, fruit and seed. By two’s, these ten give forty-five forms, such as,
root-trunk, root-branch, root-bark, root-twig, root-sprout, root-leaf, root-flower, root-fruit, root-seed — 9 forms;
trunk-branch, trunk-bark, trunk-twig, trunk-sprout, trunk-leaf, trunk-flower, trunk-fruit, trunk-seed — 8 forms;
branch-bark, branch-twig, branch-sprout, branch-leaf, branch-flower, branch-fruit, branch-seed — 7 forms;
bark-twig, bark-sprout, bark-leaf, bark-flower, bark-fruit, bark-seed — 6 forms;
twig-sprout, twig-leaf, twig-flower, twig-fruit, twig-seed — 5 forms;
sprout-leaf, sprout-flower, sprout-fruit sprout-seed — 4 forms;
leaf-flower, leaf-fruit, leaf-seed — 3 forms;
flower-fruit, flower-seed — 2 forms;
fruit-seed — 1 form.