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 8 - Correlation between different types of karma
Q. 424. Bhante! Is it correct to say that one who acquire? karma enshrouding knowledge also acquires karma enshrouding faith, and vice versa?
A. 424. Gautama! One who acquires karma enshrouding knowledge, as a rule, acquires karma enshrouding faith, and one who acquires karma enshrouding faith also acquires karma enshrouding knowledge,
Q. 425. Bhante! Is it correct to say that one who acquires karma enshrouding knowledge also acquires karma giving experience, and vice versa?
A. 425. Gautama! One who acquires karma enshrouding knowledge, as a rule, acquires karma giving experience; but one who acquires karma giving experience sometimes may and sometimes may not acquire karma enshrouding knowledge.
Q. 426. Bhante! Is it correct to say that one who acquires karma enshrouding knowledge also acquires karma causing delusion, and vice versa?
A. 426. Gautama! One who acquires karma enshrouding knowledge sometimes may and sometimes may not acquire karma generating delusion; but one who acquires karma causing delusion, as a rule, acquires karma enshrouding knowledge.
Q. 427. Bhante! What about karma enshrouding knowledge and karma giving a life-span?
A. 427. Gautama! What has been said about karma giving experience will hold good of karma giving a lifespan, also of karma giving a name and a lineage. What has been said of karma enshrouding faith is to be repeated in case of karma causing obstruction.
Q. 428. Bhante! Is it correet to say that one who acquires karma enshrouding faith also acquires karma giving experience, and vice versa?
A. 428. Gautama! What has been said above about karma enshrouding knowledge vis-a-vis other seven karma has to be repeated regarding karma enshrouding faith vis-a-vis other six types, till karma causing obstruction.
Q. 429. Bhante! Is it correct to say that one who acquires karma giving experience also acquires karma causing delusion, and vice versa?
A. 429. Gautama! One who acquires karma giving experience sometimes may and sometimes may not acquire karma causing delusion, but one who acquires karma causing delusion acquires, as a rule, karma giving experience.
Q. 430. Bhante! Is it correct to say that one who acquires karma giving experience also acquires karma giving a life-span?
A 430. Verily the two go together, and as with life-span, so with name and lineage.
Q. 431. Bhante! Is it correct to say that one who acquires karma giving experience also acquires karma causing obstruction?
A. 431. Gautama! One who acquires karma giving experience sometimes may and sometimes may not acquire karma causing obstruction, but one who acquires karma causing obstruction acquires, as a rule, karma giving experience.
Q.432. Bhante! Is it correct to say that one who acquires karma causing delusion also acquires karma giving a life-span?
A. 432. Gautama! One who acquires karma causing delusion acquires, as a rule, karma giving a life-span but one who acquires karma giving a life-span sometimes may and sometimes may not acquire karma causing delusion. The same holds good of karmā giving a name and a lineage and karma causing obstruction.
Q. 433. Bhante! Is it correct to say that one who acquires karma giving a life-span also acquires karma giving a name?
A. 433. Gautama! As a rule, the two go together. So also karma giving a lineage.
Q. 434. Bhante! Is it correct to say that one who acquires karma giving a life-span also acquires karma causing obstruction?
A. 434. Gautama! One who acquires karma giving a life-span sometimes may and sometimes may not acquire karma causing obstruction, but one who acquires karma causing obstruction acquires, as a rule, karma giving a lifespan.
Q. 435. Bhante! Is it correct to say that one who acquires karma giving a name also acquires karma giving a lineage, and vice versa?
A. 435. Gautama! Or [?]e who acquires karma giving a name invariably acquires karma giving a lineage and ore who acquires karma giving a lineage invariably acquires karma giving a name. As a rule, the two go together.
Q. 436. Bhante! Is it correct to say that ore who acquires karma giving a name also acquires karma causing obstruction, and vice versa?
A. 436. Gautama! One who acquires karma giving a name sometimes may and sometimes may net acquire karma causing obstruction, but oṇe who acquires karma causing obstruction acquires, as a rule, karma giving a name.
Q. 437. Bhante! Is it correct to say that one who acquires karma giving a lineage also acquires karma causing obstruction, and vice versa?
A. 437. Gautama! One who acquires karma giving a lineage sometimes may and sometimes may not acquire karma causing obstruction, but one who acquires karma causing obstruction acquires, as a rule, karma giving a lineage.
Notes (based on commentary of Abhayadeva Sūri):
Q. 424. et. seq. The two words ‘bhajanā’ and ‘niyamā’ occur at many places in the Jaina texts. The former refers to a possibility while the latter to an inevitability. For instance, in some human beings, karma enshrouding knowledge and faith and karma causing delusion and obstruction may or may not exist, but the other four, viz., karma giving experience, life-span, name and lineage exist as a rule. In the remaining twenty-three species (daṇḍakas), all the eight types of karma exist as a rule. The perfected souls are free from the clutches of karma.
The bhajanā and niyamā of eight types of karma take 28 forms whose distribution is as follows:
Karma enshrouding knowledge takes seven,
karma enshrouding faith six,
karma giving experience five,
karma causing delusion four,
karma giving life-span three,
karma giving name two,
and karma giving lineage one, tota1 28.
The details are contained in the text.