Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
There are many synonymous terms illustrated in Bhagavatī for all the five astikāyas.[1] The synonymous terms for ākāśāstikāya, jīvastikāya and pudgalāstikāya are particularly expressing their nature or characteristics but synonyms of dharmāstikāya and adharmāstikāya are to be scrutinized further.
- dharma, dharmāstikāya
- refraining from violence, refraining from falsehood etc. five vows
- refraining from anger, pride, deceit, greed to mithyādarsanaśalya (the thorn of perverted faith) altogether
- īrya etc. five samitis (comportments) and control over mind, speech and body (gupti) etc. are the synonyms of dharmāstikāya[2] and the synonyms of adharmāstikāya are just the opposite of these.[3]
In this context, when we look into the synonyms we can guess that apart from the word dharmāstikāya and adharmāstikāya, all the other words seem irrelevant to their characteristics.
Actually, these synonyms are of dharma and adharma which the terms of ethics and refer to the auspicious or inauspicious activities of the soul, whereas dharmāstikāya and adharmāstikāya are non-living substances which refer to ontological existents. Hence, dharma and adharma (as a substance) are completely different from the concept of dharma and adharma in ethics.
The tīkakāra of Bhagavatī has stated that due to the similarity of the term dharma etc. those synonyms have been attached to the astikāya, but in actual fact, they are popular in ethics.[4] They have no relation with ontological factors such as dharmāstikāya and adharmāstikāya.
