Tattvartha Sutra (with commentary)

by Vijay K. Jain | 2018 | 130,587 words | ISBN-10: 8193272625 | ISBN-13: 9788193272626

This page describes illustration for the upward motion of the soul which is verse 10.7 of the English translation of the Tattvartha Sutra which represents the essentials of Jainism and Jain dharma and deals with the basics on Karma, Cosmology, Ethics, Celestial beings and Liberation. The Tattvarthasutra is authorative among both Digambara and Shvetambara. This is verse 7 of the chapter Liberation and includes an extensive commentary.

Verse 10.7 - Illustration for the upward motion of the soul

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Tattvartha sūtra 10.7:

आविद्धकुलालचक्रवद्व्यपगतलेपालाबुवदेरण्डबीज वदग्निशिखावच्च ॥ १०.७ ॥

āviddhakulālacakravadvyapagatalepālābuvaderaṇḍabīja vadagniśikhāvacca || 10.7 ||

Like the potter’s wheel in motion, the gourd devoid of mud, the shell of the castor-seed, and the flame of the candle. (7)

Hindi Anvayarth:

अन्वयार्थ: मुक्त जीव [आविद्धकुलालचक्रवत्] 1-कुम्हार द्वारा घुमाये हुए चाक की तरह पूर्व प्रयोग से, [व्यपगतलेपालाबुवत्] 2-लेप दूर हो चुका है जिसका ऐसी तूम्बे की तरह संग रहित होने से, [एरण्डबीजवत्] 3-एरण्ड के बीज की तरह बन्धन रहित होने से [च] और [अग्निशिखावत्] 4-अग्नि की शिखा (लौ) की तरह ऊर्ध्वगमन स्वभाव से-ऊर्ध्वगमन (ऊपर को गमन) करता है।

Anvayartha: mukta jiva [aviddhakulalacakravat] 1-kumhara dvara ghumaye hue caka ki taraha purva prayoga se, [vyapagatalepalabuvat] 2-lepa dura ho cuka hai jisaka aisi tumbe ki taraha samga rahita hone se, [erandabijavat] 3-eranda ke bija ki taraha bandhana rahita hone se [ca] aura [agnishikhavat] 4-agni ki shikha (lau) ki taraha urdhvagamana svabhava se-urdhvagamana (upara ko gamana) karata hai |

Explanation in English from Ācārya Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi:

Though the logical reason is complete, yet it is not effective in establishing the intended idea without illustrations. Hence, the next sūtra.

The instances illustrate, respectively, the four logical reasons mentioned in the previous sūtra. It is as follows. The potter’s wheel revolves by the operation of the hand of the potter and the stick on the wheel. And even when the hand and the stick cease to operate, the wheel continues to revolve until the impetus is exhausted. Similarly, the self in mundane existence makes several efforts for attaining liberation. And even in the absence of these, the liberated soul darts up on account of the former impetus. Moreover, the self is free from attachment.

A gourd coated with clay goes down to the bottom of the water because of its heaviness. But when the coating of clay is washed off by the water, the gourd becomes light and comes up to the surface of the water. Similarly, the soul, loaded with the burden of karmas, wanders indefinitely in mundane existence, being affected by it. But, on being freed from this burden of karmas, it shoots up.

Just as the castor-seed darts up on breaking loose from confinement inside the fruit, in the same way, the soul darts up as it breaks loose from confinement of karmas of existence (gati) and birth (jāti) which lead it to the human and other states of existence.

Further, the soul is of the nature of going upwards. For instance, in the absence of wind blowing sideways, the flame of a candle tends upwards of its own nature. Similarly, the liberated soul, in the absence of karmas which lead it wandering in different states of existence in different directions, darts upwards only as it is of the nature of going up.

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