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 - On the bondage of life-span
Q. 41. Bhante! Heretics say, establish, maintain and uphold as follows:
Suppose that there is a net in which knots have been woven one after another; that these have been woven without omission of any; that these have been woven in a continuous series; and that these have been woven one tied to the other; and so on. And the said net exists in its expanse, in its entire weight, in its entire expanse and weight, and in its entirety. (In other words, the net is one and its knots are inter-woven and arranged one after the other.) In the same manner, innumerable life-spans connected with hundreds of thousands of births in the case of living beings are interwoven with one another,...till have been inter-twined closely with one another. So any one of these living beings experiences, at one and the same time, two life spans, which are the span of this life and the span of the next life. When he experiences the span of this life, he experiences the span of the next life... till, Bhante, how is it so?
A. 41. Gautama! (As you have said,) the heretics say,...till he experiences the span of the next life. But this thesis of theirs is wrong. I say....till uphold, oh Gautama, as follows:
Suppose there is a net with knots interwoven...till it exists in its entirety, being inseparate and inseparable; in the same manner, many life-spans connected with many births in the case of each living being are interwoven, one with the other, in proper order, as knots in the net. It is for this that a living being, at any one time, experiences one life-span (only) which may be the life-span of this birth or the life-span of the next birth; but when he experiences the life-span of this birth, he does not experience the life-span of the next birth, and when he experiences the life-span of the next birth, he does not experience the life-span of this birth. When experiencing the life-span of this birth, it is not possible to experience the life-span of the next birth, and when experiencing the life-span of the next birth, it is not possible to experience the life-span of this birth. It is, in this way, that a living being experiences, at any one time, one life-span, may be the life-span of this birth, or the life-span of the next birth.
Notes (based on commentary of Abhayadeva Sūri):
(There is no commentary available for this section).