Jethalal S. Zaveri
Prof. Muni Mahendra Kumar
vedaṃto kammaphalaṃ appāṇaṃ jo du kuṇadi kammaphalaṃ.
so taṃ puṇo vi baṃdhadi bῑyaṃ dukkhassa aṭṭhavihaṃ..80
vedaṃto kammaphalaṃ maye kadaṃ jo du muṇadi kammaphalaṃ.
so taṃ puṇo vi baṃdhadi bῑyaṃ dukkhassa aṭṭhavihaṃ..81
vedaṃto kammaphalaṃ suhido duhido ya havadi jo cedā.
so taṃ puṇo vi baṃdhadi bῑyaṃ dukkhassa aṭṭhavihaṃ..82
(Kammaphalaṃ vedaṃto jo du kammaphalaṃ appāṇaṃ kuṇadi) He who identifies the self with the fruit of past karma, at the time of enjoying the fruits, (so dukkhassa bῑyaṃ aṭṭhavihaṃ taṃ puṇo vi baṃdhadi) again [sows] the seeds of miseries in the form of new bondage of eight-fold karma.
(Kammaphalaṃ vedaṃto jo du kammaphalaṃ maye kadaṃ muṇādi) He who believes that the fruition of past karma now being experienced by me, has been brought about by myself, (so dukkhassa bῑyaṃ aṭṭhavihaṃ taṃ puṇo vi baṃdhadi) again [sows] the seeds of the seeds of miseries in the form of new bondage of eight-fold karma.
(Kammaphalaṃ vedaṃto jo cedā suhido duhido ya havadi) He who feels happy or miserable while experiencing the fruit of past karma, (so dukkhassa bῑyaṃ aṭṭhavihaṃ taṃ puṇo vi baṃdhadi) again [sows] the seeds of miseries in the form of new bondage of the eightfold karma.
Annotations:
Transcendentally, the pure soul—conscious substance—possesses only pure consciousness of perfect knowledge—śuddha jñāna cetanā. But empirically, i.e., in the worldly state of existence, not only the pure and perfect knowledge is obscured and obfuscated by the knowledge-obscuring (jñānāvaraṇa) karma, but it is also perverted by nescience produced by the deluding (mohanῑya) karma.
This worldly existence is degradation and a fall from the pure state of existence, and it is sustained and nourished by the ignorance and perverted knowledge. The soul clings to the fall and is unwilling to look backward to itself, inspite of its innate potentiality of perfection, as long as the perversity lasts.
This perverted consciousness—ajñāna cetanā—is twofold, karma cetanā and karmaphala cetanā. The false conscious belief that the eight species of karma, the body and all other things associated with it are produced by the soul, i.e., they are the result of the soul's efforts, is karma cetanā. The false conscious belief that the fruits of its efforts are enjoyed by the soul is karmaphala cetanā. Experience of pleasure and pain is the common characteristic of the worldly life. The soul, afflicted with affective consciousness, continues activities from which pleasure results and discontinues those from which the pain results. This affective consciousness and the experience of pleasure and pain—karma and karmaphala cetanā—constitute the very seed for the worldly existence and the unending cycles of rebirths.
In these verses, the author identifies the twofold affective consciousness as the real cause of the cyclic bondage of eight species of karma, which, in turn, is the causal condition of worldly existence (saṃsāra). Thus, the eradication of the duo of nescient consciousness (ajñāna cetanā) is essential for ending the cycles of rebirths and attaining emancipation. In order to get rid of the nescient consciousness, the first step that is necessary is spiritual conviction that the soul is neither the actor/producer (kartā) of the karma etc. nor the enjoyer (bhoktā) of the fruits of these actions. Once this conviction dawns upon the soul, it renounces all karma or action and abstains from all karmaphala or the fruits of actions. The ultimate eradication of the perverted consciousness—ajñāna cetanā—results in the realization of pure and perfect consciousness—suddha jñānā cetanā of knowledge which is its characteristic.
