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Yogadrstisamuccaya of Haribhadra Suri (Study)

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

This page relates ‘Shushrusha (desire to listen)� 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 “The Eight Yogadrishtis and the nature of a Liberated Soul�.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Chapter 4.3c - Śuśrūṣ� (desire to listen)

Haribhadrasūri says that the ṛṣṭi beholder’s desire to listen doctrinal matters [i.e., śśūṣ�] 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 yogaṛṣṭis 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 = ⲹ岹śԲ) by merely listening them. This is how Haribhadrasūri compares the understanding with the water stream and the intense desire to listen [i.e., śśūṣ�] to spiritual discourses with the underground source of water[3] .

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

ԳٲԳٲⲹ, divyageyaśrutau yathā |
ūԴ bhavati śśūṣ�
, tathā'syā� tattvagocarā || 52 ||
   –ibid.

[2]:

śrutābhāve'pi bhāve'syā�, śubhabhāvapravṛttita� |
󲹱� kamarkṣa yākhyaṃsyāta
,� parabodhanibandhanam || 54 ||
   –ibid.

[3]:

bodhābhya� srotasaścaiṣ�, siśatulyā satā� |
abhāve'syā� śaarutaṃvyatha
- masirāvanikū pavat || 93 ||
   –ibid.

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