merit, material beneficence
Puṇya (tattva)
Auspicious karma; it is the merit in the sense that it produces favourable material conditions such as happiness etc., when such karma comes into rise; metaphorically, the causes leading to the bondage of puṇya, which is of nine types:
Offering of food, drink, shelter, bed, cloth etc. to the ascetics, auspicious activities of mind, speech and body, and offering of homage to the ascetics;Being metaphysically a pudgala, puṇya is a modification of ajīva tattva.
Puṇya is sub divided into two categories:
1. Puṇyānubandī puṇya,
2. Pāpānubandhī puṇya.