Jethalal S. Zaveri
Prof. Muni Mahendra Kumar
logassa kuṇadi viṇhū suraṇārayatiriyamāṇuse satte.
samaṇāṇaṃ pi ya appā jadi kuvvadi chavvihe kāye..14
logasamaṇāṇamevaṃ siddhaṃtaṃ paḍi ṇa dῑsadi viseso.
logassa kuṇadi viṇhū samaṇāṇaṃ appao kuṇadi..15
evaṃ ṇa ko vi mokkho dῑsadi loyasamaṇāṇaṃ doṇhaṃ pi.
ṇiccaṃ kuvvaṃtāṇaṃ sadevamaṇuyāsure loge.. 16
(Logassa) The popular, i.e., common people's [belief is that] (sura-ṇāraya-tiriya-māṇuse satte viṇhū kuṇadi) heavenly, hellish, sub-human and human are all created by Viṣṇu; (ya) and (jadi) if (samaṇāṇaṃ pi) the Jain ascetics, also [believe that] (appā) the soul (chavvihe kāye kuvvadi) is the creator of six types of organic bodies, [then, in principle], (lokasamaṇāṇaṃ siddhaṃtaṃ paḍi viseso ṇa dissadi) in this way, there is no difference between the popular belief and the ascetics' belief [they appear to be identical]—(logassa viṇhū kuṇadi, samaṇāṇaṃ appao kuṇadi) Viṣṇu is the creator according to common people while the soul is the creator as per ascetics' doctrine.
(Evaṃ) In this way, (sadeva-maṇuyāsure loge ṇiccaṃ kuvvaṃtāṇaṃ loga-samaṇāṇaṃ dohṇaṃ pi) if common people aswell as Jain ascetics both believe in the principle of creation of the worlds of human and divine, (ko vi mokkho ṇa dissadi) then there appears to be no liberation for either of them.
Annotations:
In these verses, the author jibes at the false belief of the heretics that the universe is a creation. Speculation regarding the ultimate source of the universe is a common characteristic of human intellect, and there is controversy regarding the nature of ultimate source of creation. The Jains believe that the universe is not 'creation'. The cosmic processess has neither beginning nor end. The Jains do not endorse absolute permanence or total cessation—the cosmos is eternal as well as changing. Thus, the common belief that Lord Viṣṇu is the creator of the cosmos is not acceptable to Jains.
The author also jibes at the so called ascetics who falsely believe that the soul is the creator of the six types of organic bodies of living organisms.[1]
Now these six types of bodies are all organic bodies made from matter and they cannot be created by the soul. And so the belief of those who hold that the soul is a creator is positively perverted. Thus, the author finds no difference, in principle, between the common heretic's belief and the ascetic's belief as both are false and perverted. He, therefore decries that neither the laity nor the initiated who have perverted belief could be emancipated.
Moreover, belief in creation implies desire for creation or to do something and this is always accompanied by likes and dislikes—attachment and aversion etc. Liberation on the other hand follows total absence of desire etc. So long as there is desire to create or to do the cycle of rebirths continues, there is no chance for emancipation.
Six types of organisms are: (i) Earth-bodied-pṛthavikāya, (ii) Water-bodied-apkāya, (iii) Fire-bodied-tejaskāya, (iv) Air-bodied-vāyukāya, (v) Plants-vanuspatikāya.
These five types are sthāvara or living beings incapable of undertaking locomotion; the sixth type consists of organisms capable of undertaking locomotion and are called trasakāya.
