Chapter 4.3c - Śuśrūṣā (desire to listen)

Haribhadrasūri says that the balā dṛṣṭi beholder’s desire to listen doctrinal matters [i.e., śuśrūṣā] is as intense as a young man’s desire to listen heavenly songs in company of his charming beloved^[1] . This comparison mainly deals with the intensity of desire and involvement in the listening activity. Here it is evident to note that an aspirant of first as well as second yogadṛṣṭis might have got an opportunity to hear doctrinal matters. His hearing did not result into the destruction of karmans because such an intense desire to listen the discourses was not present in him. Hence Haribhadrasūri says that the act of listening discourses does not yield result of destruction of karmans if done without possessing intense desire to listen doctrinal matters. On the contrary Haribhadrasūri says that even though an aspirant, who possesses an intense desire to listen spiritual discourses, does not get the chance to listen them, by merely possessing the intense desire he can destroy his karmans^[2] . This is how Haribhadrasūri claims the intense desire to listen doctrinal matters as the major cause of destruction of karmans by using anvaya and vyatireka technique.

If one digs a well at the place where there happens to be no underground source of water, then he will not get a water stream from the well. By stating this fact Haribhadrasūri says that in the absence of the intense desire to listen spiritual discourses an aspirant can never acquire, understanding (bodha = samyagdarśana) by merely listening them. This is how Haribhadrasūri compares the understanding with the water stream and the intense desire to listen [i.e., śuśrūṣā] to spiritual discourses with the underground source of water^[3] .