Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
A question has been presented in the Bhagavatī, that, whether the knowledge obscuring karmas etc. veil the units of the soul, and if yes, then, what number of karmic atoms do that? In response it is said that -karmic atoms may cover the soul or may not do so. If they cover the soul, then infinite karmic atoms do that simultaneously[1] as numerable or innumerable aggregate of karma vargaṇā cannot get transformed into karma.
Syāt (from certain point of view) it does cover and again cover and syāt it does not cover - This statement is analyzable from the point of view of guṇasthāna (14 stages of spiritual development). In a specific guṇasthāna, some specific types of karmas are bound and again bound, and other types of karmas are not bind, so covering and repeated covering happens, from particular point of view and is not possible, from another point of view (type of karma which do not bind in specific gunasthanas).
Another interpretation can be from the point of view of rucaka pradeśas. There can be coverage and non-coverage on the units of the soul. So, some Jain Acharyas believe that rucaka points are pure ones and never get covered by karmas and other units do get covered. Nandi sūtra also, expresses this fact, when it says at least infiniteth part of the soul remains always uncovered, if ever even this part gets covered, then the soul would become non soul.[2] This means that there can be no coverage of karmas on these particular units of the soul. Although, the Bhagavatī states that, except human beings, as a rule, all other beings are covered with infinite karmic atoms.[3] But still this concept indicates a new reality.
Karma Bondage - Since When?
The soul is bound by the karmas. So, in this context, a natural question arises that, when did the soul first get into this relationship with karma? All the Indian philosophies have faced and are continuously facing this problem, including the Jains. The relation of brahma (Supreme Soul) and māya (illusion) in Vedānta, prakṛti (non-conscious) and puruṣa (conscious) in Sānkhya, soul and atom in Vaisheisika, nāma (soul) and rūpa (body) in Buddhism, soul and karma in Jainism- has been regarded as beginning-less. The mutual relation between these two factors is beginning-less. Jain philosophy too believes that the relation of soul & karma is beginning-less. So, this relationship negates the priority and posteriority of either.[4] If we believe in the prior or posterior existence of any of them, we will have many unsolvable problems. If the soul is considered as prior to the karma, then how could the pure soul remain in this world when there were no karmas bound to it as the casual factor of worldliness? If the karma is taken as existing prior to the soul, then the question arises that, who did karma in the absence of the soul, because karmas are created and bound by the worldly soul only. So, we cannot consider any of them to be prior to the other. In this context, the discussion of Roha with Lord Mahavir is relevant here to quote -
Roha asked the Lord, that out of egg and hen, which has the prior existence. Lord proved that there cannot be priority and posterity between the two, which means that there is no temporal sequence between them.[5] In the same way, there is no priority and posterity in the soul and matter.[6] When the solution related to 'When' will be provided, whether there will be a solution or not, or is this the only solution etc. these questions tend to be eternal questions and it seems reflection upon them will always continue.
