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Yogadrstisamuccaya of Haribhadra Suri (Study)

by Riddhi J. Shah | 2014 | 98,110 words

This page relates ‘Liberation (nirvana)� of the study on the Yogadrstisamuccaya: a 6th-century work on Jain Yoga authored by Haribhadra Suri consisting of 228 Sanskrit verses. The book draws from numerous sources on traditional Yoga. Three important topics are stipulated throughout this study: 1) nature of liberation, 2) a liberated soul, and 3) omniscience.—This section belongs to the series “A Line of Demarcation between the first four and last four Yogadrishtis�.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Before coming to the point where Haribhadrasūri establishes oneness of the state of emancipation, he says following lines very emphatically.

The lines are:

eka eva tu mārgo'pi, teṣāṃ śama貹yaṇa� |
avasthābhodabhoda'pi, jaladhau tīramārgavat ||128||
   �۴Dzṛṣṭiܳⲹ.

eka eva tu mārgo'pi cittaviśuddhilakṣaṇa� teṣāṃ-bhavātīdhvayāyinā� śama貹yaṇa�-śamamaniṣṭha� avasthābhodabhode'pi guṇasthānakabhodāpekṣayā |....
   –Auto-commentary of ۴Dzṛṣṭiܳⲹ.

Our author announces the fact in the above mentioned verse that there is only one way for a person who is desirous of transcending the transmigration. Haribhadrasūri uses a word �eva� to emphasis the fact that there is no way other than this way which is characterized by a purity of mind and a predominance of calm. This emphatic assertion made by Haribhadrasūri has found many supports from other Ჹ峦ⲹ.

۴Dzṛt mentions that the way shown by omniscient person is that which is the gateway of liberation [i.e., Ծṇa]. The verse is as follows:

sarvasona yato dṛṣṭo mārgo muktipraveśaka� |
prāñjalo'ya� tato bhoda� kadācinnā'tra vidyate ||8.93||

In ۴Dzśٰ of Hemacandrācārya the following verse is written. The verse is:

dīpikā khalvanirvāṇ� Ծṇapathadaśinī |
ekaiva Բ� śܻ� samāmnātā manīṣibhi� ||4.40 ||

۲śDZᲹⲹ has mentioned similar type of concept in his treatise ٳ. It says:

ܱⲹ� samataivekā mukteranya� kriyābhara� |
tattatpuruṣabhodena tasyā eva prasiddhaye ||9.27 ||�

There are many souls who walk on the path of transcending the worldly existence. Our author says that even though they differ from one another regarding the stage occupied by them (ṇaٳԲ첹), they all are on one and same path namely liberation [i.e., Ծṇa]. It is characterized by predominance of calm and purity of mind. Haribhadrasūri compares the difference among the aspirants with people who are trying to reach sea-shore[1] . To reach the sea-shore is a common destination for all. They may stand more of less distant from their destination. They all are called as people desirous to reach the sea-shore.

The example given in verse 107 of ۴Dzṛṣṭiܳⲹ and the example presented in verse 128 have similar concepts. The one is for devotees of different omniscient individuals and the later one is to exemplify aspirants who are attempting to obtain the liberation [i.e., Ծṇa].

Haribhadrasūri says that the state of emancipation (ṃsīٲٲٳٱ), which is known by the word Ծṇa, is essentially and necessarily one even if designated by different names[2] . It is called differently by different schools of philosophy. The following are the words used by different schools of philosophy to define the state of emancipation.

They are[3] :

  1. ś,
  2. Parabrahma,
  3. ٳ,
  4. ճ󲹳.

These four words� etymology is given by our author in his auto-commentary on ۴Dzṛṣṭiܳⲹ. Their etymological meaning derive the same sense let as see each one in detail.

(1) ś:

ś kati sarvakāla� śivo, na kadācidapyaśiva� trikālapariśuddhe� sarvāśivābhāvāt,......

śī is an everauspicious state. It is so because this state is always pure (i.e.free from complete bondage of karman)

(2) Parabrahma:

.., 貹�Բ� brahma tathābṛhattva-bṛṃhakatvābhyā� sadbhāvālambanatvāt... |

Parabrahma is the completely grown up (i.e. fully expanded and not covered or restricted with any veils of ) state of a soul. It is worth resorting by people in the world. Hence this state is called the best/chief (Բ).

(3) ٳ:

...siddhātmā-kṛtakṛtyātmā, niṣṭhitārtha katyartha�,...

ٳ (emancipated souls) are those who have accomplished everything. They have achieved the state where nothing remains to be done.

(4) ճ󲹳:

....., tathāteti ca ākāle tathābhāvāt | yathoktam
ܱԲԾٳ-ٱ ܱ |
sarvakāla� tathābhāvāt, tathātetyabhidhīyate ||1||
ḍavasaṃyogātmikā coma�, triduḥkhaparivarjitā |
ūٲṭi� 'tyanta�, bhūtārthakaladeti ca 2� 첹ٲپ |...

ճ󲹳 is called so because a soul who attains it holds the same state forever. Once a soul achieves complete annihilation of karmans, he would never bind his soul with karmans again. Such stagnant state of a soul is nothing but ٲٳ.

The word ś is commonly used by Shaivates. Parabrahma is in vogue among ձԳپԲ.The word ٳ popular in Jains and ٳ󲹳 with Buddhists (one section of Buddhism).

All these words including Ծṇa convey the meaning of total freedom of a soul from the bondage of karmans. It is the state of ultimate bliss where all causes of miseries are destroyed completely. A soul, who attains this state, does not have to go through pain of birth as well as death. Due to complete annihilation of karmans, in this state, a soul is no more affected by vices viz. attachment, aversion and delusion. Therefore this state is known as the best.

There are two reasons given by our author which support the fact that though the state of emancipation is named differently by different schools of philosophy, it is necessarily the same in essence.

The reasons are:

(1) Though the state of emancipation is defined as Ծṇa, ś, ٳ󲹳 and so on, all these words convey the same meaning.

(2) Though different people identify the state of emancipation with different words, everyone attributes the three important characteristics to this state. Haribhadrasūri says that since this state of emancipation, does not undergo birth, old age and death, it is said to be: (a) free form all disturbances (b) free from all ailments (c) free from all activity[4] .

Hence our author concludes that the thoughtful persons who have comprehended the essential nature of the truth called Ծṇa, by the ṃmdz type of understanding, would never involve themselves in the dispute pertaining to the worship of this truth namely Ծṇa[5] .

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

J jaladhau tīramārgavaditi nidarśanam |
avasthābhodaśceha tad dūrāsannatādibhodena ||128||
   –Auto-commentary of ۴Dzṛṣṭiܳⲹ.

[2]:

ṃsīٲٲٳٱ� tu, 貹� Ծṇasaṃjñitam |
taddhyekamova niyamā-cchbdabhode'pi tattvata� ||129||
   �۴Dzṛṣṭiܳⲹ.

[3]:

ś� 貹� brahma, siddhātmā tathāteti ca |
śabdaistaducyate'nvarthā � dekamovaivamādibhi� ||130||
   –ibid.

[4]:

tallkṣaṇāvisaṃvādā-nnirābādhāmanāmayam |
niṣkriya� ca 貹� tattva�, yato janmādyayogata� ||131||

.........|........ � nirābādha�-nirgatamābādhābhya�, anāyam-avidyamānadravyabhāvaroga�, niṣkriya� ca kartavyābhāvānnibandhanābhāvena, ..... janmādyayogato-janmajarāmaraṇāyogona ||131||

- ۴Dzṛṣṭiܳⲹ and its auto-commentary.

[5]:

jñāte Ծṇatattve'smi-nnasaṃmohena tattvata� |
prekṣāvatā� na tajktau, vivāda upapadyate ||132||

..............., na tajktau- na Ծṇatattvasovāyām, kimityāha-vivāda upapadyate tattattvajñānābhodāt, anyathā prekṣāvattvavirodhāditi ||132||

- ۴Dzṛṣṭiܳⲹ and its auto-commentary.

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