Uttaradhyayana Sutra: Thirty-Fourth Lecture: On Lēsyā

Thirty-Fourth Lecture: On Lēsyā^[1]

I shall deliver in due order the Lecture on Lēśyā; hear the nature of the six Lēśyās (produced by) Karman. (1)

Hear:

1. the names,
2. colours,
3. tastes,
4. smells,
5. touches,
6. degrees,
7. character,
8. variety,
9. duration,
10. result,
11. life of the Lēśyās. (2)

1. They are named in the following order: black, blue, grey, red, yellow, and white. (3)

2. The black Lēśyā has the colour of a rain-cloud, a buffalos horn, (the fruit of) Riṣṭaka,^[2] or the eye of the wagtail. (4)

The blue Lēśyā has the colour of the blue Aśōka,^[3] the tail of the Chaṣa,^[4] or of lapis lazuli. (5)

The grey Lēśyā has the colour of the flower of Atasī,^[5] the feathers of the Kōkila, or the collar of pigeons. (6)

The red Lēśyā has the colour of vermilion, the rising sun, or the bill of a parrot. (7)

The yellow Lēśyā has the colour of orpiment, turmeric, or the flowers of Śaṇa^[6] and Asana.^[7] (8)

The white Lēśyā has the colour of a conch-shell, the aṅka-stone,^[8] Kunda-flowers,^[9] flowing milk, silver, or a necklace of pearls. (9)

3. The taste of the black Lēśyā is infinitely more bitter than that of Tumbaka,^[10] (the fruit of the) Nimb-tree,^[11] or of Rōhiṇī. (10)

The taste of the blue Lēśyā is infinitely more pungent than Trikaṭuka^[12] and Hastipippalī. (11)

The taste of grey Lēśyā is infinitely sourer than that of unripe Mango and Kapittha.^[13] (12)

The taste of red Lēśyā is infinitely more pleasant than that of ripe Mango and Kapittha. (13)

The taste of yellow Lēśyā is infinitely better than that of excellent wine and various liquors, honey and Mairēyaka.^[14] (14)

The taste of white Lēśyā is infinitely better than that of dates, grapes, milk, candied and pounded sugar. (15)

4. The smell of the bad Lēśyās (viz. the three first) is infinitely worse than that of the corpse of a cow, dog, or snake. (16)

The smell of the three good Lēśyās is infinitely more pleasant than that of fragrant flowers and of perfumes when they are pounded. (17)

5. The touch of the bad Lēśyās is infinitely worse than that of a saw, the tongue of a cow, or leaf of the Teak tree. (18)

The touch of the three good Lēśyās is infinitely more pleasant than that of cotton, butter, or Śirīṣa-flowers.^[15] (19)

6. The degrees^[16] of the Lēśyās are three, or nine, or twenty-seven, or eighty-one, or two hundred and forty-three. (20)

7. A man who acts on the impulse of the five āsravas,^[17] does not possess the three Guptis, has not ceased to injure the six (kinds of living beings), commits cruel acts, is wicked and violent, is afraid of no consequences,^[18] is mischievous and does not subdue his senses—a man of such habits develops the black Lēśyā. (21, 22)

   A man of the following qualities: envy, anger, want of self-control, ignorance, deceit, want of modesty, greed, hatred, wickedness, carelessness, love of enjoyment; a man who pursues pleasures and does not abstain from sinful undertakings, who is wicked and violent—a man of such habits develops the blue Lēśyā. (23, 24)

   A man who is dishonest in words and acts, who is base, not upright, a dissembler and deceiver,^[19] a heretic, a vile man, a talker of hurtful and sinful things, a thief, and full of jealousy—a man of such habits develops the grey Lēśyā. (25, 26)

   A man who is humble, steadfast, free from deceit and inquisitiveness, well disciplined, restrained, attentive to his study and duties,^[20] who loves the Law and keeps it, who is afraid of forbidden things and strives after the highest good—a man of such habits develops the red Lēśyā. (27, 28)

   A man who has but little anger, pride, deceit, and greed, whose mind is at ease, who controls himself, who is attentive to his study and duties, who speaks but little, is calm, and subdues his senses—a man of such habits develops the yellow Lēśyā. (29, 30)

   A man who abstains from constant thinking about his misery and about sinful deeds, but engages in meditation on the Law and truth only,^[21] whose mind is at ease, who controls himself, who practises the Samitis and Guptis, whether he be still subject to passion or free from passion, is calm, and subdues his senses—a man of such habits develops the white Lēśyā. (31, 32)

8. There are as many varieties^[22] of Lēśyās as there are Samayas^[23] in the innumerable Avasarpiṇīs and Utsarpiṇīs, and as there are countless worlds. (33)

9. Half a muhūrta is the shortest, and thirty-three Sāgarōpamās plus one muhūrta is the longest duration of the black Lēśyā. (34)

Half a muhūrta is the shortest, and ten Sāgarōpamās plus one Palyōpamā and a part of an Asaṃkhyēya is the longest duration of the blue Lēśyā. (35)

Half a muhūrta is the shortest, and three Sāgarōpamās plus one Palyōpamā and a part of an Asaṃkhyēya is the longest duration of the grey Lēśyā. (36)

Half a muhūrta is the shortest, and two Sāgarōpamās plus one Palyōpamā and a part of an Asaṃkhyēya is the longest duration of the red Lēśyā. (37)

Half a muhūrta is the shortest, and ten Sāgarōpamās plus one muhūrta is the longest duration of the yellow Lēśyā. (38)

Half a muhūrta is the shortest, and thirty-three Sāgarōpamās plus one muhūrta is the longest duration of the white Lēśyā. (39)

I have described above the duration of the Lēśyās generally; I shall now detail their duration in the four walks of mundane existence.^[24] (40)

The shortest duration of the grey Lēśyā (of a denizen of hell) is ten thousand years, the longest three Sāgarōpamās plus one Palyōpamā and part of an Asaṃkhyēya. (41)

The shortest duration of the blue Lēśyā (of a denizen of hell) is three Sāgarōpamās plus one Palyōpamā and a part of an Asaṃkhyēya, the longest ten Sāgarōpamās plus one Palyōpamā and a part of an Asaṃkhyēya. (42)

The shortest duration of the black Lēśyā (of a denizen of hell) is ten Sāgarōpamās plus one Palyōpamā and a part of an Asaṃkhyēya, the longest thirty-three Sāgarōpamās. (43)

I have described the duration of the Lēśyās of denizens of hell; I shall now describe that of animals, men, and gods. (44)

The duration of any of the Lēśyās except the best (viz. white one) is less than a muhūrta for (the lowest organisms), animals, and men.^[25] (45)

Half a muhūrta is the shortest duration of the white Lēśyā (of animals and men), and the longest a Krore of former years^[26] less nine years. (46)

I have described the duration of the Lēśyās of animals and men, I shall now describe that of the gods. (47)

The shortest duration of the black Lēśyā is ten thousand years, the longest a Palyōpamā and (a part of) an Asaṃkhyēya. (48)

The shortest duration of the blue Lēśyā is equal to the longest of the black one plus one Samaya; the longest is one Palyōpamā plus a (greater part of) an Asaṃkhyēya. (49)

The shortest duration of the grey Lēśyā is equal to the longest of the blue one plus one Samaya; the longest is one Palyōpamā plus (a still greater part of) an Asaṃkhyēya. (50)

I shall now describe the red Lēśyā as it is with gods, Bhavanapatis, Vyantaras, Jyōtiṣkas, and Vaimānikas. (51)

The shortest duration of the red Lēśyā is one Palyōpamā, the longest two Sāgarōpamās plus one Palyōpamā and a part of an Asaṃkhyēya.^[27] (52)

The shortest duration of the red Lēśyā is ten thousand years, the longest two Sāgarōpamās plus one Palyōpamā and a part of an Asaṃkhyēya. (53)

The longest duration of the red Lēśyā plus one Samaya is equal to the shortest of the yellow Lēśyā; its longest, however, is ten muhūrtas longer. (54)

The longest duration of the yellow Lēśyā plus one Samaya is equal to the shortest of the white Lēśyā; the longest, however, is thirty-three muhūrtas longer. (55)

10. The black, blue, and grey Lēśyās are the lowest Lēśyās; through them the soul is brought into miserable courses of life. (56)

The red, yellow, and white Lēśyās are the good Lēśyās; through them the soul is brought into happy courses of life. (57)

11. In the first moment of these Lēśyās when they are joined (with the soul), the latter is not born into a new existence.^[28] (58)

In the last moment of all these Lēśyās when they are joined (with the soul), the latter is not born into a new existence. (59)

While the last muhūrta is running and a part of it is still to come, the souls with their Lēśyās developed, go to a new birth. (60)

A wise man should, therefore, know the nature of these Lēśyās; he should avoid the bad ones and obtain the good ones. (61)

Thus I say.